Almost 4 weeks and 3500 km driven in Spain

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    • #55161
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Some personal observations:

      – the number of cranes is much less than last year.
      – the Pirynees (Huesca region) have the best Summer weather I have ever seen.
      During my 10 days there, the day temperature was around 27-28C (Sunny) and night temp. around 17-18 C, with a humidity l;ess than 50%.
      – prices in Pirynees are 30% off than 2007 (225K for a new 2 bedroom in Benasque versus 150K now).
      – on my driving from Pirynees to El Campello I passed through Teruel which a wonderful city. I think it is worth having a holiday over there, there are beatiful mountains around.
      – El Campello has one the nicest beaches I ever encountered. Shallow, fine sand, 26-27 Celsius, a p[aradise for children or lazy swimmers.
      There are few Brits in El Campello (I have not heard English on the beach). There are many Brits in the surrounding areas like Busot.
      – driving in Almeria offers quite ugly views. I am not sure why they developed places like Almerimar. It is unbearably humid and surrounded by ugliest scenery one can imagine.
      – Costa Tropical has no proper beach, even though the views are breath taking.
      There is no sandy beach except some failed attempts in Salobrena and Almerimar.
      – Costa del Sol does have some nice beaches but one needs to know where to look.
      For example Andy beach in Cabopino was nice and also Cala de Mijas. I totally disliked Pedro del Alcantara, Calahionda and Arroyo del Miel beaches.
      Estepona was OK, but a bit far away (we stayed in Riviera del Sol). I would say that there is no good beach to the East of Malaga but I only drove through Torre del Mar and Nerja so I cannot judge properly.
      – Riviera del Sol is an acceptable places, I think its main advantage was its location half-way between Marbella and Fuengirola which both offer good shopping opportunities. It is way overdeveloped and was quite empty for August and lots of properties are For Sale.
      – The weather on Costa del Sol in some areas of Costa del Sol (the ones which are a bit further from mountains) is much drier than the one in Costa Blanca. The nights in El Campello area were almost unbearably humid. In Riviera del Sol they were quite OK.
      – Costa Brava is a nice place. We went 2 days to l’Escartit which has beautiful beaches and warm water. I know that it gets cold between October and April, but over July-August is an excellent place to go with kids.
      -Costa del Sol sea temperature is a bit cold for kids to fully enjoy. There were few people staying in water longer than 2-3 minutes. In El Campello or Costa Brava there were plenty of them,

      I would say that Costa Brava, (North of Alicante)Costa Blanca and Costa Brava all offer some advantages or disadvantages and would be the only places I would consider buying along the coast Spain (Pyrinees is my favourite region in Spain). To choose between them would be quite difficult
      but the main thing to consider is the price of the property. One could pay a premium of 20% in Costa del Sol because there is more infrastructure and convenience.

      Again, this is only my personal point of view after driving around Spain.

    • #93864
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Thanks Flosmichael. Very interesting, though there are few people around to read you comments right now as everyone is on holiday. I’ll have to check out El Campello, driven by many times but never actually been into it.

      Agree with you about the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava, I spend a lot of time in both.

      Mark

    • #93865
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Hear, hear for the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava, in the latter of which I shall be spending the next couple of weeks, further reducing the numbers around here!

      Carosfella

    • #93867
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Funny how ones perception of a place can be so different.

      I don´t particularly like the beach at El Campello although I´ll readily admit that it is probably because I find the town itself a bit over-developed and drab.

      Nerja on the other hand has, to me, a good collection of beaches. Burriana on the East side of town is one of the nicest I know on the CDS.

    • #93868
      Anonymous
      Participant

      I agree Brian. Burriana beach is great. Our family have spent many great days on there,over the last 5years. We enjoy the tasty paella lunches that you can watch being prepared outside at the beach side restaurant. The beach has changed a bit after the dreadful storm 2 years ago that we experienced first hand. Many trees were lost and the beautiful flower beds went too. We’ve missed going there this year. 🙁 We usually go in June & September. We stay in Frigiliana. That area of the CDS is ,in our opinion, so much nicer than the Marbella area. The mountain scenery is lovely.

      We had a very nice week in Crete this year though. 😉

    • #93869
      Anonymous
      Participant

      @brianc_li wrote:

      Funny how ones perception of a place can be so different.

      I don´t particularly like the beach at El Campello although I´ll readily admit that it is probably because I find the town itself a bit over-developed and drab.

      Nerja on the other hand has, to me, a good collection of beaches. Burriana on the East side of town is one of the nicest I know on the CDS.

      El Campello is not at all pretty but the beach is great. I lived in the surroundings and only drove to the beach and back.

      Nerja is very nice but Burriana beach is much worse than the El Campello beach or Costa Brava.

      It was amazing for me to see that Costa del Sol has very bad beaches, except the “artificial ones” like Puerto Banus or Andy beach. So yes, I agree, Burriana might be among the nicest on CDS but this, unfortunately,
      does not say much…

      On the other hand, CDS has an amazing scenery, a lots of non-beach activities, excellent infrastructure and a much better weather especially over the winter. Overall for me it still the winner but Costa Brava is very very close.

    • #93870
      Inez
      Participant

      I certainly agree with you there Flosmichael! The beaches are in the main pants. One of the better ones we go to occaisionally is White Pearl Beach at Elviria, sandy, no rocks or stones but I have always found the med cold, but then again after being taken to see Jaws at an impressionable age, Im not too into deep sea swimming!!!

      For a short beach trip of 5 hrs or so we go to San Pedro, yes its not that good but then again you can always park closeby, the kiosks are normal prices for icecreams and with these flexible shoes for divers you can get into the water if yo want. Personally Im not bothered! We get a bed each read the papers and sip Nestea (sounds so staid!!)

      Then go to one of the many chiringuitos for a spot of grub whilst looking at the sea then home.

      Rest of the time the infrastructure is more important for work etc. Nad the weather is more temperate especially in winter.

    • #93871
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Flosmichael, the very far end of Burriana beach is the place to be. Rarely crowded and not too many noisy kids!! 😆 Families tend to go the opposite end.

      Mallorca is the place to go for great beaches.

    • #93872
      Chris M
      Participant

      I agree about most of the beaches on the CDS but my favourite beaches in the world are down at Tarifa.

      Years ago it was a full weekend away to be worthwhile the 2-3 hour trip to get there but these days because of the new roads it is not much more than an hour to and hour and half.

      Yep it can be a bit colder but my kids stay in the water for hours.

      Man it can be unbelievably windy and then you cannot even sit on the beach, but for pure clean water and amazing waves, and unspoilt areas, and all that wind surfing hippy dude thing, it is terrific.

      And lunch at the Hurricane or evening drinks looking over to Africa are wonderful, the whole vibe and place beats the pants off many areas, and is well worth the drive along the coast if you want a fabulous beach day or a two day getaway to an area that is so fundamentally different.

    • #93874
      katy
      Blocked

      Tarifa area beaches are fab, the wind just gets to me, gives me a headache. West of cabopino has the best beaches on the CDS. Golden beach is my favourite. Burriana beach looks good but it is one of the most polluted beaches in the whole of Andalucía, always in the news, many spanish claim to have run into the odd turd!

      Not too familiar with Almería beaches, not my kind of place, full of flies.

    • #93875
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Burriana beach looks good but it is one of the most polluted beaches in the whole of Andalucía, always in the news, many spanish claim to have run into the odd turd!

      That surprises me Katy. If it is so polluted, I’m amazed there are so many fish there. Never seen a turd ….thankfully! 😉 It is very much a family beach though and lets face it , where kids are having fun, anything, anywhere goes!

      To be realistic, how many beaches ,anywhere, do not have a degree of polution?

      On another note, “Happy Birthday” Katy!! 😀 (for whenever it is this month!)

    • #93876
      katy
      Blocked

      Thanks Claire, had a lovely day 8)

      Saw this article today.

      http://www.theolivepress.es/2008/06/18/beaches-beaten-black-and-blue/

    • #93877
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Tarifa beach is great, but the wind is the obvious problem. No good for little kids, and many days you can’t slob on the beach reading a book as you get sand blasted. Looks great though. Some pics for those who have never been there:

      But I have yet to come across a better beach than this one, in Formentera. No wind, few people (only accessible by boat), turquoise water. Paradise.

    • #93878
      Anonymous
      Participant

      I see Burriana was praised by the EU and has been awarded a blue flag. 🙂

      Great pics of Tarifa beach, Mark. There is an amazing beach like that in the Algarve. The sea is freeeeeezing though!

    • #93879
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Tarifa/ EL palmar/ caños de meca are great; pity 9 out 10 days are spoilt by howling winds…… Flosmichael you should have checked East Marbella beaches, ELviria, Rosario not forgetting the golden mile of Marbella – all great especially from Melia Don pepe to Puerto banus – golden sands, top rate chiringuitos and five star eateries on the waterfront…….. Andys in cabopino is like Canvey island in Essex – hope you didn’t venture east of andys you would have come across a very active nudist beach!!!!!!!!

      the best beaches I’ve come across are inside cabo de gata(national park) in Almeria which enjoy the protection of UNESCO …. the problem is getting there driving through what is easily the ugliest part of the world with plastic farming, unfinished buildings and award winning (uGLY award) urbanizations !!

    • #93880
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Tarifa is the top spot for wind surfing in Europe. It stands to reason that it would be windy.

    • #93881
      Fuengi (Andrew)
      Participant

      went to beach just east of La Cala yesterday and it was great. The beach was ok, and there were a few stones and rocks in the water.
      But at a stretch there was maybe 100/150 people as far as the eye could see.
      Could play with the kids by the water making castles (followed by a quick stomping) with footballs or any other projectiles flying around us.

    • #93882
      katy
      Blocked

      My favourite (shooting myself in the foot here!) is Las Mimosas in Elviria. Busy at weekends with local spanish but most foreigners don’t know about it and it is difficult to find the access. Midweek there may only be about 4 people on sunloungers even in high summer. Nice caribbean style shack (food rubbish) which is great for a drink and some sardines. Second is outside the Cococabana chiringuito, small beach but sea only a few steps from the loungers. Who wants large Tarifa style anyway unless you are planning to play footie! Stay away from the beach where the Beach House is, the stream at the side is full of sewage

    • #93883
      Anonymous
      Participant

      ……..so if you want a sandy beach, a warm sea, no sewage, no thugs, where best in Spain/South France?

    • #93884
      Anonymous
      Participant

      …..what about Minorca?, not been there yet.

    • #93885
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Menorca is lovely especially for families. The beaches are lovely. Not much night life though unless Karioke (sp?) in a 3* hotel is your thing!! 😀

    • #93890
      katy
      Blocked

      The truth is most of the Mediterranean is becoming a dead sea with so many countries pumping sewage, chemicals etc and overfishing killing off the eco-systems.

    • #93894
      Anonymous
      Participant

      @Fuengi wrote:

      went to beach just east of La Cala yesterday and it was great. The beach was ok, and there were a few stones and rocks in the water.
      But at a stretch there was maybe 100/150 people as far as the eye could see.
      Could play with the kids by the water making castles (followed by a quick stomping) with footballs or any other projectiles flying around us.

      In my opinion La Cala is the best overall beach between Benalmadena and
      Estepona.

      1) it is easy to find parking.
      2) there are 2 supermarkets close-by in case one needs to buy ice cream, juices,
      sun cream, snacks.
      3) the sand is good (nice castles)
      4) the water is quasi-clean and not colder than anywhere else (much colder than El Campello and colder than Costa Brava though).
      5) there are toilets and showers. The shower water does not stop like in Cabopino beach.
      6) it is convenietly located not far from Fuengirola, Mijas, Riviera
      7) it has internet cafes close-by

    • #93896
      Anonymous
      Participant

      70% of all sewage in Andalucia is untreated and sent to the nearest stream, river/ sea …… eg in Algeciras with a population of 1,000,000 all the sewage is sent straight into the sea !!!!!!!

    • #93897
      Anonymous
      Participant

      😯 OMG!!!

    • #93898
      Anonymous
      Participant

      @Claire wrote:

      Menorca is lovely especially for families. The beaches are lovely. Not much night life though unless Karioke (sp?) in a 3* hotel is your thing!! 😀

      Which one has better beaches: Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera?

    • #93899
      katy
      Blocked

      I like La Cala, nice compact place, everything you need without having to drive the A-7 road. I do find the sand very gritty and there is a slope. Elviria is much better, soft and white. San Pedro de Alcantara resembles builders sand (probably is, all the building the did around there!). Sit on it and you are left with a concrete looking film on your legs. Was in portugal, looked wonderful but I never did manage to remove the oil off my sandals and the bottom of my feet needed a scrub!

    • #93900
      Anonymous
      Participant

      I’ve not been to Ibiza or Formentera, so cannot compare. To be honest, I’m not a great lover of spending time on the beach. I hate the suncream/sand combination. It’s great for people watching though! 😆

    • #93902
      Anonymous
      Participant

      @goodstich44 wrote:

      …..what about Minorca?, not been there yet.

      Not as thorough a job as flosmichael’s OP but ……

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/overseasproperty/6042629/Property-in-Spain-but-not-as-we-know-it.html

    • #93910
      Anonymous
      Participant

      charlie

      hope you are recovering well, and thanks for that article. Looks very nice, and sounds like the authorities have learned some lessons by not letting it be ruined like much of the costas. Let’s hope it stays that way, or is it just a brown envelope shortage?

    • #93922
      katy
      Blocked

      @charlie wrote:

      @goodstich44 wrote:

      …..what about Minorca?, not been there yet.

      Not as thorough a job as flosmichael’s OP but ……

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/overseasproperty/6042629/Property-in-Spain-but-not-as-we-know-it.html

      The Telegraph are one of the worst offenders for running these adverts dressed up as articles. Read a a story in Private Eye about this type of stuff. Many break the advertising standards code of practice which says that says they should be clearly labelled “advertisement feature”. Maybe I shall start reporting them 😀

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