# Day trips Costa del Sol



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

I am looking for congenial small towns to visit on day trips. I have to admit that I am TERRIFIED of some of the mountain roads...Our base will be in La Carihuela ( between Torremo and Benalmadena). I love Mijas..and can tolerate the road up to there. I love Ronda and can more or less deal with that road..That said, last year we saw Ojen on the map north of Marbella and headed for it..I had a "mountain road incident" on THAT road. That means a panic attack (no, I am not the driver) My husband ordered me out of the vehicle when he started to park on a very steep slope and I started screaming ..I ran down through the town crying..enough said.. So, any suggestions??


----------



## sparkplug (Nov 23, 2009)

Maddalena said:


> I am looking for congenial small towns to visit on day trips. I have to admit that I am TERRIFIED of some of the mountain roads...Our base will be in La Carihuela ( between Torremo and Benalmadena). I love Mijas..and can tolerate the road up to there. I love Ronda and can more or less deal with that road..That said, last year we saw Ojen on the map north of Marbella and headed for it..I had a "mountain road incident" on THAT road. That means a panic attack (no, I am not the driver) My husband ordered me out of the vehicle when he started to park on a very steep slope and I started screaming ..I ran down through the town crying..enough said.. So, any suggestions??



Theres plenty of those nasty little roads so plan cafefully! if you head across to velez malaga there are some lovely little places not too far from the Motorway.


----------



## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

Maddalena said:


> I am looking for congenial small towns to visit on day trips. I have to admit that I am TERRIFIED of some of the mountain roads...Our base will be in La Carihuela ( between Torremo and Benalmadena). I love Mijas..and can tolerate the road up to there. I love Ronda and can more or less deal with that road..That said, last year we saw Ojen on the map north of Marbella and headed for it..I had a "mountain road incident" on THAT road. That means a panic attack (no, I am not the driver) My husband ordered me out of the vehicle when he started to park on a very steep slope and I started screaming ..I ran down through the town crying..enough said.. So, any suggestions??


If you can deal with the road to Ronda then that is impressive! I went there by coach from Fuengirola and couldnt look out the window! My son kept shouting, "look, we are up in the mountains", and I just closed the curtain and looked the other way! I was really dreading the return journey. However, the day we were due to return we missed the bus back and had to take one to Malaga which was fantastic, since the roads were much more gentle! Apparently, there is a train from Malaga (?) to Ronda which is supposed to be very scenic, although not sure what the train line is like.

Yes, as Sparkplug says, I think the coast roads east of Malaga are a bit safer!


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

HA! Thanks you two. I am also keen on the "pulling the curtains closed" technique on busses!! Although, since I peeked out a couple times, I know how awful those curves can be..looks like the bus' butt is hanging over the edge of the cliff...So, the road down from Ronda to Malaga is a better way? (than goibg straight back down to the coast road? I've also discovered that the road from Mijas to Fuengirola is WAY better than heading straight back down to the coast road.


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

sparkplug said:


> Theres plenty of those nasty little roads so plan cafefully! if you head across to velez malaga there are some lovely little places not too far from the Motorway.


Hi..I notice you live where jojo lives? How is the road from Malaga area to there? Thanks!


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Maddalena said:


> Hi..I notice you live where jojo lives? How is the road from Malaga area to there? Thanks!



Most of the roads around here are fine . there are a lot of pot holes due to the recent floods, but most of the roads I use are normal roads - in fact the motorway that goes along the coast is the scary one, well some of the drivers are scary. In fact its locally known as "Death Highway"!!! The road going to El Grande from De La Torre is a bit windy, but its fairly wide, has clear road markings and has barriers to crash into before you go over the edge LOL!!!

Jo xxx


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

Haha..sounds good..yeah, I fear and loathe the motorway. I am keen to check out the Alhaurin towns..Thanks for that, Jo


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

*estepona?*



Maddalena said:


> Haha..sounds good..yeah, I fear and loathe the motorway. I am keen to check out the Alhaurin towns..Thanks for that, Jo




Does anyone have comments about Estepona?? Thanks!


----------



## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

Try the Ardeles National Park, fantastic.


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

Cazzy said:


> Try the Ardeles National Park, fantastic.


Thanks! I was just looking at that on the map.


----------



## bakeja (May 26, 2009)

I live near Estepona (nearer Manilva) and would recommend Gaucin and Castellar in my area as nice inland towns to visit. I particularly like the Castillo de Castellar but there is a bit of a windy steep road up. Can't your husband just blindfold you and put you in the back?


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I've visited Estapona and I quite like it!! Its all horses for courses tho isnt it!!! Benalmadena Pueblo (not the costa) is a pretty little place, not too spoilt by tourists altho there are quite a few Brits living there. Its fairly high up which means the views are spectacular - the access roads arent to windy or scary either. In fact most of the "scary" roads in this area have been addressed and altho yes, they can still be a little "OMG", they're well surfaced, marked and have barriers! Not like they were when I visited Spain as a kid - they were real "white knuckle rides" in those days!!!!!!!!


Jo xxx


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

bakeja said:


> I live near Estepona (nearer Manilva) and would recommend Gaucin and Castellar in my area as nice inland towns to visit. I particularly like the Castillo de Castellar but there is a bit of a windy steep road up. Can't your husband just blindfold you and put you in the back?


HAHA..good one, and wouldn't he just LOVE to do that!!:clap2: My dentist strongly advised me to take Halcyon before my appointments with him. He described it as "lowering the barriers to treatment"..isn't that a great selling point? Anyway, it basically makes me sleepwalk and erases my memory...I've considered taking half a pill before the rides in Spain. I know it's an irrational phobia..I need to really work on meditating/relaxing...and facing the "interior" side of the roads!

The thing that annoys me is that I realize I am depriving myself (and my hubby) of some lovely expeditions..so I really need to work on this. I'm thinking that by going on some relatively easy drives I can desensitize myself.


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

jojo said:


> I've visited Estapona and I quite like it!! Its all horses for courses tho isnt it!!! Benalmadena Pueblo (not the costa) is a pretty little place, not too spoilt by tourists altho there are quite a few Brits living there. Its fairly high up which means the views are spectacular - the access roads arent to windy or scary either. In fact most of the "scary" roads in this area have been addressed and altho yes, they can still be a little "OMG", they're well surfaced, marked and have barriers! Not like they were when I visited Spain as a kid - they were real "white knuckle rides" in those days!!!!!!!!
> 
> 
> Jo xxx


Hi Jo..okay, Estepona is on my list! BTW, I notice that Alhaurin el Grande can be accessed from Mijas..would that be a good idea?

We go to Benalmadena pueblo a lot. We sometimes walk up (LONG!!) from La Carihuela, or take a bus up there then walk back down. Good flea market up there..and , last time we were there (last March), there was still that great little Sunday market at Tivoli World.


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Maddalena said:


> Hi Jo..okay, Estepona is on my list! BTW, I notice that Alhaurin el Grande can be accessed from Mijas..would that be a good idea?
> 
> .


Interesting you should say that!!!! By coincidence we drove from El Grande to Mijas this morning, my husband, the kids and "Sparkplug" from the forum!! In fact I said to Sparkplug that I must come on here and revise what I said about the roads all being ok and not dangerously windy!!!! AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!!!! I wont be going that way again, especially when someone pointed out a gap in a concrete safety barrier where a car had gone thru. Nice views tho LOLOLOL 

Apparently they're building another road thru, but have run out of money to finish it for now!!!!!!!!!

Jo xxxx


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

jojo said:


> Interesting you should say that!!!! By coincidence we drove from El Grande to Mijas this morning, my husband, the kids and "Sparkplug" from the forum!! In fact I said to Sparkplug that I must come on here and revise what I said about the roads all being ok and not dangerously windy!!!! AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!!!! I wont be going that way again, especially when someone pointed out a gap in a concrete safety barrier where a car had gone thru. Nice views tho LOLOLOL
> 
> Apparently they're building another road thru, but have run out of money to finish it for now!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Jo xxxx


YIKES!! Thanks for that..care for the other half of my Halcyon??...haha So , coming up from Malaga is the way to go then, huh?


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Maddalena said:


> YIKES!! Thanks for that..care for the other half of my Halcyon??...haha So , coming up from Malaga is the way to go then, huh?


I usually go from Málaga on the A7 Its the main motorway and I find it fine!!! Its just today we agreed to pick Sparkplug up from El Grande! He drives the mountain road all the time and was quite blasé about it!!!! 

Jo xxx


----------



## MartinManilva (Jan 22, 2010)

Around Estepona area there are 2 nice white villages Casares and Gaucin. The road up to them is not scary and you pass some really nice Venta´s, particularly Venta Garcia (952894191-Jesus speaks english) and Arroyo Hondo. From Gaucin you can drive down to Jimena de la Frontera through pleasant woodland where you usually see many Eagles and Vultures.


----------



## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

MartinManilva said:


> Around Estepona area there are 2 nice white villages Casares and Gaucin. The road up to them is not scary and you pass some really nice Venta´s, particularly Venta Garcia (952894191-Jesus speaks english) and Arroyo Hondo. From Gaucin you can drive down to Jimena de la Frontera through pleasant woodland where you usually see many Eagles and Vultures.


Thank you, Martin..and welcome to the Spain forum. I appreciate the fact that many posters are so understanding of my "mountain road" issues..haha... I now have a nice list of towns to visit in the area. Thanks to all of you


----------

