I know what you're all thinking...how many more Marbella blog posts are there?! I promise you this is el último! But in case you haven't seen the others yet, then I do have a Fuerte Hotel, a Casco Antiguo and of course an Evening Outfits one for your viewing pleasure.
As I'm currently suffering from my second cold of this winter season, let me tell you these sunny photos make me miss the warm weather so much! And I'm an Olaf through and through, i.e. I love bundling up when it's cold!
HOTEL HACIENDA PUERTA DEL SOL (IN MIJAS)
Ugh...some of these photos had ridiculous amounts of cable wires and road signs ruining my shots, but now we can all play a game called "see if you can spot the touch-ups?"
Anyway before we went up to visit Mijas Pueblo, we stopped for lunch at the gorgeous Hacienda Puerta Del Sol located not too far from the village. We saw some spectacular views from there too.
MIJAS PUEBLO (IN MIJAS)
Mijas Pueblo is a white village located high up in the Marbella mountains with knockout views over the Mediterranean. As I've mentioned before in my Casco Antiguo post, Andalusians are very fond of the whitewashed walls combined with hanging blue flower pots, and this place was no exception!
Just off the main square there is a multi-storey car park, which makes it easy for tourists to drive up to this mountain town and drop off their cars and have a wander through the quaint cobbled streets of the village by foot. Unfortunately, on the day we went, the lifts of the multi-storey were out of action, so instead my dad dropped my brother and I off for a few minutes to wander around (and so I could take photos).
Despite the large amount of tourists that come through this village, it has still kept its calm and old Spanish ambience (but again we went during the more "off season" that is mid-September). Beware, this picturesque village is not to be confused with Mijas Costa, which is a standard tower block hotel resort on the coastal strip nearby.
PLAZA DE TOROS (IN MIJAS)
Now I'm not a big fan of bullfighting hence why I didn't go anywhere close to inside this building, but apparently this bullring dates back to the 1900s and has a unique and uncommon shape not found anywhere else in the world.
This lady was dressed in gorgeous Flamenco attire and kindly posed for my camera. She appeared pretty much out of nowhere, but her husband and child were dressed in normal/casual clothing (and hence didn't make the cut, muahaha!) so I'm guessing she's one of the performers opening the bullfighting "spectacle".
However, the village had lots of Flamenco restaurant names and posters so I could be completely wrong. Either way, I was super lucky to capture this moment and it really made my two little Flamenco dancer figurines (bought for my souvenirs cabinet), that much more special. Again, spot the sneaky blue flower pot.
BUDDHIST STUPA (IN BENALMÁDENA)
Roughly translated, stupa means spiritual monument and at 33 meters high this building is certainly not going to be missed. The shape also intrigued my family and I (designed to represent a Buddha sitting in meditation), out of pure curiosity we drove up to it to see if it was an art gallery of some sort (it also has great parking for the breath-taking views over the Mediterranean). No such luck on the gallery but being the largest Buddhist stupa in Europe and with free entry it's certainly worth a visit (if not for the views alone).
But if that's not your cup of tea, there was also a butterfly exhibition next door (alas pure torture for a lepidopterophobe like me! Yes...I know they are harmless! But I still maintain that some have a personal vendetta against me; especially those hungry-looking ones!).
CASTILLO DE COLOMARES (IN BENALMÁDENA)
Unlike the look of it, this castle is actually super modern and isn't really a castle but rather a monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus (the largest in the world which also contains the smallest church in the world) and built between 1987-1994. Combining numerous architectural styles from the Byzantine to the Romanesque with some Gothic and Mudejar, this real conglomerate of styles makes it quite a beauty to behold.
So there you have it, my last Marbella post (I can hear your sighs of relief from here) but guess what?! Now I can do all my Christmas themed posts...YAY!!! (I'm ignoring that collective eye roll; you know you love it!).
Which was your favourite Marbella post?
Which was your favourite view of the Mediterranean? Some pictures flip so look carefully!
Finally, have you guessed which photos have had the most manipulation? (hint: one contains a red car, the other palm trees!)
xxxemma