Ooh, goodie Glynis

I'll have the honour of kicking it off then. Just to say that my first visit to the Costa del Sol was Easter 2010 as I was looking for somewhere not too far away where I'd be likely to have a bit of sunshine at that time of year. After reading several threads on HT with regards to La Carihuella, I started a bit of research and had loads of my questions answered by Sanji, christine W and others. We took the plunge and haven't looked back.

We booked El Tiburon through TR and Easy Jet flights from Bristol the first time around and when we returned this April we stayed at the Cabello (booked through TR again) and flew BMIbaby from Cardiff. Unfortunately, BMI baby have pulled out of the Cardiff-Malaga route now so I'll have to revert back to Easy jet from Bristol.

More than likely La Carihuella will be our destination next easter as it's the perfect location for us for a quick week away.

We passed the El Tiburon a couple of times when we walked back from being out with Sanji & Dave (after stopping at their place for a well earned cool drink ) It doesn't seem to be in a bad spot Shirley.

We had a few drinks in the Cabello, good people watching seats Waiter reminded me of Chris De Burgh

We're off to Malta next year, never been before but I think there'll be plenty to keep us occupied as I like to mooch about. We're flying with Easyjet. Got the flights the day they came out (Monday?) and came in at £224 for the two of us for 2 weeks May/June. I've heard Malta can be hot so brought our usually June/July holiday back as hubby doesn't like it too hot (wimp )

I hope we enjoy it as much as we did Carihuela, although when we go back next time I'd like to visit more of the little villages too.

El Tiburon was a cheap and cheerful place to stay. We were B&B but I believe they've done away with this option now. It was in a good spot and had a nice cosy bar area. It also had a pool but it was freezing at the end of March- never the less I tried to get in once or twice but gave up eventually

We loved the location and friendliness of the Cabello and its outside tables were ideally placed for a drink and a bit of people watching. It was a real find and what a bargain!

The first time we were there I only got as far as Benalmadena harbour but this year we walked along the main road into Torremolinos and then down the steps back to the headland. Next time we may do some more exploring of the little villages, especially Mijas pueblo.

I'm keeping my eyes open for the release of Easy Jet's April flights. No idea when to expect them.

shirley h wrote:

I'm keeping my eyes open for the release of Easy Jet's April flights. No idea when to expect them.

I booked mine Monday with Easyjet for May/June next year Shirley to Malta. Just checked their website Shirley and I can book Newcastle to Malaga for April

Just got back in from the garden, so I would just like to say a big thanks to Glynis for this thread.
(Dave has been in control of a hedge trimmer and the poor plants now feel like they've been chain-saw massacred.)

I do like my flowers and I love taking photos of the various flowers in bloom in Spain, I'll add some photos later.
Booked my flight on Wednesday night for next June/July back to Malaga, Bmibaby from East Midlands again, I did look at flights from Doncaster, they really are having a laugh with the prices.
Will be back later, I need a shower, half the garden is hanging on me.

Sanji x

sanji wrote:

Dave has been in control of a hedge trimmer and the poor plants now feel like they've been chain-saw massacred.)

As long as he was only thinking of the plants at the time Sanji & you hadn't been winding him up

now Glynis
I wondered that as well but was too polite to say so

As long as he was only thinking of the plants at the time Sanji & you hadn't been winding him up :yikes

Sanji x

Just checked their website Shirley and I can book Newcastle to Malaga for April

thanks for that glynis- Last time I looked the flights were only showing up until the end of march but I checked after reading your post and my dates are now out. All I need to do is decide if we're definitely going back to La carihuela for Easter. I was hoping to book as soon as we get back from Zante in just over a fortnight so I hope the prices won't have risen too much by then. At the moment they're showing up as just over £200 return in total for us both, which is what we paid last year.

Hopefully they won't be much more, but obviously Easter is going to be busy & I normally find with the budget airlines that the prices start off reasonable then get dearer.

can somebody name me a few hotels with an indoor pool in the Carihuella area or within walking distance please?

We may end up going back to the Cabello but if I can find a reasonably priced one with an indoor pool, I might consider it. We weren't lucky with the weather last Easter so an indoor pool would be somewhere for a bit of a swim if we were to have a lot of rain again.

I've been sorting my photos out tonight. I didn't take many of the resort this time, but every time I passed a flower/plant, out came the camera.
Dave would walk around with his eyes closed where flowers are concerned and I think it's so easy to just not notice them or over the years they have become what he expects to see. ( I haven't explained that very well, have I.?)
Anyway, if you like flowers here's a couple of albums I've got, I'll probably add to the 2011 album in September because by then some different flowers may be in bloom.
They're slideshows, so should display automatically.

http://s1120.photobucket.com/albums/l482/sanji2/Holidays/Costa%20del%20Sol/Flowers%20Costa%20del%20Sol/?albumview=slideshow

http://s1120.photobucket.com/albums/l482/sanji2/Holidays/Costa%20del%20Sol/Flowers%20Costa%20del%20Sol/Flowers%202011/?albumview=slideshow

Sanji

They are lovely Sanji thanks for sharing them with us

Thanks Glynis.

if I can find a reasonably priced one with an indoor pool

I think that's going to be your problem because most of the hotels which have an indoor pool are not cheap to stay in, and especially during times like Easter when the prices automatically bump upwards.

The other added problem is defining what I would call a swimming pool and what is actually a giant bathtub, for example, the Hotel Pez Espada advertises that they have an indoor pool, yes they do situated in the basement, but for me, it's nothing more than an oversized bath tub where people hang around the sides chatting and 4 strokes of breast stroke would be enough to take you from one side to the other....unless you want to be going around and around like a goldfish in a bowl.

Hotels which spring to mind are
The Amaragua
Sol Aloha Puerto. ??????
Further afield....
Hotel Gran Cervantes in Torrie town centre
Hotel Principle in Playamar (other side of Torre)
The Don hotels complex, think it's the Don Pablo, but you can use all the facilities within the complex.
Beach Club
Riu Belplaya (the latter two, both quite a walk from La Carihuela)

I think we've had this conversation before on the main board, and IMO if you don't want to pay for a 4* hotel with an indoor pool (which you may not use), You can go up to the new Olympic sized public swimming pool in Torre by using the L1 bus from La Carihuela and discover another area of Torremolinos that most tourists never see.

Sanji x

Yes we did have a version of this conversation on another thread Sanji. I wouldn't want to pay too much for a hotel with an indoor pool because we probably wouldn't use it anyway. I definitely wouldn't be able to persuade hubby to use a public one as he doesn't like swimming at the best of times and if I was to ask him to don a swimming cap I know what he'd tell me

I did come across the Sol Principe in Playamar which was reasonably priced but according to your list it's on the wrong side of Torre for easy walking access to la Carihuella. I might just scrap that plan then.

thanks anyway.

I stayed in the Don Pablo in Torremolinos a good few years ago now, and we walked along to La Carihuela most evenings. I've just looked at the prices though and they seem to have gone up an awful lot in the intervening years I have a solmelia card, and often there are some good bargains to be had using that, might be worth looking into getting one?

I do remember that the barmen in the Don Pablo found it very funny that here were two English women speaking to them in spanish with canarian accents I also remember one evening my friend using my travel iron, on the wrong voltage, and we managed to put the lights out on the whole of our floor of the hotel....whoops

All I need to do is decide if we're definitely going back to La carihuela for Easter. I was hoping to book as soon as we get back from Zante in just over a fortnight so I hope the prices won't have risen too much by then.

Did I mention that we've booked Easyjet from Bristol on 2nd April, returning on 9th- flights (incl 1 bag and card fee)=£241 for us both and hotel Cabello £218 b&b, so I'm happy with that

Just want to say that we'll be more savvy when up in the town next year- no more taking taxi trips with strangers to look at lovely hotels, with the promise of a prize and a free drink

It feels like I've got a bit of the Mediterraneo on my back doorstep, we just need some sunshine to make the toms and chilli peppers go red.
Last September they 'all came at once' just as we were heading out to Spain & I think it's gonna be the same this year.

Chilli Peppers.


Tomatoes & Spanish Mint



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Morning Sanji. Those are coming up a treat but I think you're right, they'll be ready for harvesting when you'll be swanning off to Spain. You may be lucky and get a feed of the tomatoes before you go

Do you cook any specialised Spanish dishes with those ingredients or do you tend to use them in your normal everyday cooking e.g. toms for a salad, mint over your roast meat etc?