Grangefield Oasis Club

RE: RE: First Time in Andalucia

by guapohomme

Hello, I go every year to Andalucia but always stay on the coast eg Malaga, Fuengirola or Benalmadena. However, I had many a pleasant afternoon in Mijas that's in the hills overlooking Fuengirola. Lots of souvenir and art shops. A sleepy little place though full of visitors (like me!!) that come by the very regular bus service.
I've always stayed in Jan for two months and only once at Xmas. Then it was OK I found a few places open on Xmas day and even more normal at new years day.
You are a little higher up ( 428 metres) but nontheless, I've found the coastalweather most day to be sunny with few cold or rainy days. Mainly sunny with cold evenings that called for a jacket. The whole area of the Costa Del Sol is very popular with Spanish & English pensioners who winter there so lots of english spoken and english newspapers. You can see english (US) movies in Fuengirola.Malaga is the big town to visit - good shopping, Picasso museum and also his home/birthplace and in the old part of town some really lovely spanish bars for tapas. Malaga is easily & cheaply got to by the coastal railway ( the cercania). The coastal railway runs from Malaga to Fuengirola. I pay around 42 euros for a monthly ticket but even paying for the odd day trip is peanuts.
All I can say about credit cards is that the rate of exchange whenI use my mastercard ( drawn on a British bank) is an Ok rate.I normally only use my card for paying hotel bills to avoid possible fraud. You will obviously speak fluent spanish suffice to say that the credit card machines come w3ith Spanish & english instructions.
Mail me at aqlanguapo@hotmail.com if I can help further.
Buena suerte!
It's easy to change US dollars along the coast.Although a brit I am usually coming to Andalucia from latin america and arrive in Spain having a mixture of dollars, english pounds and euros that I have no trouble in changing at bureau de change etc.