# Benalmadena in the summer season



## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

Good morning everyone
We have recently returned from a visit to the Malaga area... Benalmadena. Looking for a little info re the summer months. Does it get unbearably busy with tourists? We did hear from a couple of local expats that parking in the summer is virtually impossible and that the bars are very very busy. Would be interest to know what all the retired expats do in the summer... Look forward to your replies.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Suantone said:


> Good morning everyone
> We have recently returned from a visit to the Malaga area... Benalmadena. Looking for a little info re the summer months. Does it get unbearably busy with tourists? We did hear from a couple of local expats that parking in the summer is virtually impossible and that the bars are very very busy. Would be interest to know what all the retired expats do in the summer... Look forward to your replies.


Do you just mean retired British immigrants in Benalmadena or in Malaga Province generally?


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

mrypg9 said:


> Do you just mean retired British immigrants in Benalmadena or in Malaga Province generally?


Hi there, thanks for your response. I suppose I mean retired British ex pats, because I assume the other English living there will have jobs in the summer and yes, in the Malaga Province generally.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Suantone said:


> Hi there, thanks for your response. I suppose I mean reItired British ex pats, because I assume the other English living there will have jobs in I'm the summer and yes, in the Malaga Province generally.


I'm still unsure of what you're trying to find out....whether you are asking how those immigrants who live in popular resorts cope with summer crowds and heat or our lives generally.
I don't live in a tourist resort although I'm within easy reach of Marbella and Estepona and of course there are more people around in summer, although the tourist season seems to have extended until October in some places. I'm guessing people do one of two things: either carry on shopping, patronising cafes etc. as normal albeit grumbling and cursing when they lose their parking spaces or relocate somewhere else to avoid crowds and heat until the majority of visitors have gone home.
That's what I planned to do last summer, I was offered the use of a cottage in the Bas-Pyrenees by a kind friend but events obliged me to stay in Spain.
As to how immigrants from the UK and more northern countries adapt to heat: generally, we keep out of it, use air con, walk our dogs late at night or early in the morning.
I have a friend in Benalmadena, he bought his house many years ago when it was a quiet little place. He goes back to his apartment in Brighton in summer as he can't stand heat and crowds.
How you adapt will largely depend on the individual.


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

mrypg9 said:


> I'm still unsure of what you're trying to find out....whether you are asking how those immigrants who live in popular resorts cope with summer crowds and heat or our lives generally.
> I don't live in a tourist resort although I'm within easy reach of Marbella and Estepona and of course there are more people around in summer, although the tourist season seems to have extended until October in some places. I'm guessing people do one of two things: either carry on shopping, patronising cafes etc. as normal albeit grumbling and cursing when they lose their parking spaces or relocate somewhere else to avoid crowds and heat until the majority of visitors have gone home.
> That's what I planned to do last summer, I was offered the use of a cottage in the Bas-Pyrenees by a kind friend but events obliged me to stay in Spain.
> As to how immigrants from the UK and more northern countries adapt to heat: generally, we keep out of it, use air con, walk our dogs late at night or early in the morning.
> ...


Thanks for your reply, I live in Kefalonia Greece, and obviously it gets busy in the summer season, but most of the people who holiday here are over 40's, theres not much here for the young party goers. We are looking to relocate to the Benalmadena area .... I was concerned that in the summer the place was full of drunken youngsters, stag/hen nights... etc etc . I dont mind the heat( lived in Australia for 13 years before moving here) but we definitely need more night life and activities - in the Winter (Kefalonia is BORING). Dont want to make another mistake where half the year is idyllic and half the year unbearable. We were in Benalmadena early February and absolutely loved everything about it.

So yes I am trying to find out how those immigrants who live in popular resorts cope with summer crowds and if their lives are significantly affected by them.
Have a great day


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Wouldn't the best thing be to arrange another stay at the height of the summer season so that you can judge for yourself how you find it, as people's individual tolerance levels for issues like noise and crowds are very different, and what other people tell you about how tolerable/intolerable they find it might not be the same for you?

Personally, I never wanted to live in a holiday resort as I didn't want to be somewhere too crowded in summer and possibly too quiet in winter. I live in a large town just 5km inland and our nearest coastal resort is Torre del Mar. There isn't a problem with rowdy or drunken holidaymakers there, but the town is very busy indeed in July and August. Parking is very difficult (some guests renting a house near mine went there in their hire car and were forced to come back, park the car up and return by bus as they just could not find anywhere to park) and the public transport is also much much crowded at that time of year, longer queues in supermarkets, crowded pavements and there are queues for tables at some restaurants. They also have a large (and noisy) music festival next to the beach over a weekend every July, which goes on until the early hours of the morning, plus lots of summer open air concerts which are nice for the visitors but do cause noise for residents living nearby.

It's better, in my opinion, to be somewhere where you can be in easy reach of all the faciliities and entertainment when you want it, but can retreat back to peace and quiet!


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Suantone said:


> Thanks for your reply, I live in Kefalonia Greece, and obviously it gets busy in the summer season, but most of the people who holiday here are over 40's, theres not much here for the young party goers. We are looking to relocate to the Benalmadena area .... I was concerned that in the summer the place was full of drunken youngsters, stag/hen nights... etc etc . I dont mind the heat( lived in Australia for 13 years before moving here) but we definitely need more night life and activities - in the Winter (Kefalonia is BORING). Dont want to make another mistake where half the year is idyllic and half the year unbearable. We were in Benalmadena early February and absolutely loved everything about it.
> 
> So yes I am trying to find out how those immigrants who live in popular resorts cope with summer crowds and if their lives are significantly affected by them.
> Have a great day


I went to Benalmadena once (for about a week). It was full of puking Brits. But, there's the pueblo which is really nice, so it's not all bad.

It's all about personal taste but I certainly wouldn't consider living there, I don't intend setting foot in the place again. But then I don't like the Costa Del Sol very much and the only places I would consider are Malaga and Estepona, the rest is awful in many different ways.

I live in a place where it's around 30000 people out of season and 130000 at the peak. I actually like it when it gets busy but it's not a place that attracts the stag and hen crowd. 

If you haven't seen other places I suggest you do. There are far nicer places than Benalmadena.


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

Horlics said:


> I went to Benalmadena once (for about a week). It was full of puking Brits. But, there's the pueblo which is really nice, so it's not all bad.
> 
> It's all about personal taste but I certainly wouldn't consider living there, I don't intend setting foot in the place again. But then I don't like the Costa Del Sol very much and the only places I would consider are Malaga and Estepona, the rest is awful in many different ways.
> 
> ...


Hi there, thanks for your honest reply. Where exactly do you live please. We are definitely planning another trip to check out the area more fully (a 4 to 6 months stay). We did check out the pueblo which as you say is really nice.


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

Lynn R said:


> Wouldn't the best thing be to arrange another stay at the height of the summer season so that you can judge for yourself how you find it, as people's individual tolerance levels for issues like noise and crowds are very different, and what other people tell you about how tolerable/intolerable they find it might not be the same for you?
> 
> Personally, I never wanted to live in a holiday resort as I didn't want to be somewhere too crowded in summer and possibly too quiet in winter. I live in a large town just 5km inland and our nearest coastal resort is Torre del Mar. There isn't a problem with rowdy or drunken holidaymakers there, but the town is very busy indeed in July and August. Parking is very difficult (some guests renting a house near mine went there in their hire car and were forced to come back, park the car up and return by bus as they just could not find anywhere to park) and the public transport is also much much crowded at that time of year, longer queues in supermarkets, crowded pavements and there are queues for tables at some restaurants. They also have a large (and noisy) music festival next to the beach over a weekend every July, which goes on until the early hours of the morning, plus lots of summer open air concerts which are nice for the visitors but do cause noise for residents living nearby.
> 
> It's better, in my opinion, to be somewhere where you can be in easy reach of all the faciliities and entertainment when you want it, but can retreat back to peace and quiet!


Hi Lynn, thank you for your reply, yes we are definitely planning another trip, possibly 4 - 6 months so that we can check out the area in full. Yes, as you say we want to be somewhere were we are within easy reach of the facilities but can retreat back to peace and quiet. We currently live in kefalonia and are about 7km from the main town, this is ideal in the summer, unfortunately in the winter Kefalonia more or less shuts down.... it is VERY BORING..


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Suantone said:


> Hi Lynn, thank you for your reply, yes we are definitely planning another trip, possibly 4 - 6 months so that we can check out the area in full. Yes, as you say we want to be somewhere were we are within easy reach of the facilities but can retreat back to peace and quiet. We currently live in kefalonia and are about 7km from the main town, this is ideal in the summer, unfortunately in the winter Kefalonia more or less shuts down.... it is VERY BORING..


I know exactly what you mean. I used to harbour romantic notions of moving to a small Greek island. Spending two weeks on a very small one (Agistri) at the beginning of October one year cured me of that. Storms meant people were trapped on the island for days on end, supplies could not be ferried in, and we even ran out of water as a lot of it had to be brought in by tanker. The island didn't have its own doctor and one from a neighbouring island couldn't get there to attend to an elderly Greek man who had a heart attack. Plus, as you say, almost everything shuts down at the end of the summer season and a lot of the people working in hotels, restaurants and bars return to their home villages until the next year.


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

Lynn R said:


> I know exactly what you mean. I used to harbour romantic notions of moving to a small Greek island. Spending two weeks on a very small one (Agistri) at the beginning of October one year cured me of that. Storms meant people were trapped on the island for days on end, supplies could not be ferried in, and we even ran out of water as a lot of it had to be brought in by tanker. The island didn't have its own doctor and one from a neighbouring island couldn't get there to attend to an elderly Greek man who had a heart attack. Plus, as you say, almost everything shuts down at the end of the summer season and a lot of the people working in hotels, restaurants and bars return to their home villages until the next year.


Hey Lynn, you have described Kefalonian life almost to a tee ha! You forgot the bit about having to unplug the internet every-time it rains, cos it always comes with lightening  already had three modems blown with storms and we live a very bumpy and windy 45 minute drive from the city .) We also have regular earthquakes (not that you feel many of them) and the amount of rain we had this winter has caused many landslides and erosion of the roads, the main road for me down to the town literally washed away 2 months ago... obviously it is still not fixed ! The greeks dont have the funds to fix them, yes the laid back life of living on a greek island is wonderful... but Im starting to see it as more "primitive" than laid back after 4 winters here. 

My husband and I emigrated to Australia in 2000, it was the best thing we did at the time and we thought we would never leave... unfortunately Australiachanged, not for the good.... we thought Kefalonia was the answer... ah well..... onward and upward.... lifes short


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Suantone said:


> Hi there, thanks for your honest reply. Where exactly do you live please. We are definitely planning another trip to check out the area more fully (a 4 to 6 months stay). We did check out the pueblo which as you say is really nice.


I have a home in Javea but it's quite a distance from the Costa del Sol which I am assuming is where you will be based when you come to stay for a longer period.

I'd recommend you get over to Cadiz and as far as the border with Portugal. Estepona, which I mentioned before, IMO is a gem. East of Malaga has some nice locations but some empty out in winter. If you want year-round entertainment it is better to be close to a city.


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

Horlics said:


> I have a home in Javea but it's quite a distance from the Costa del Sol which I am assuming is where you will be based when you come to stay for a longer period.
> 
> I'd recommend you get over to Cadiz and as far as the border with Portugal. Estepona, which I mentioned before, IMO is a gem. East of Malaga has some nice locations but some empty out in winter. If you want year-round entertainment it is better to be close to a city.


Hi Horlics, thanks for your reply, we are certainly going to have a good look around , we definitely want to be on the "med" side, and the plan is to be close to entertainment year round (especially in the winter).


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

As far as East of Máaga is concerned, Nerja and Torre del Mar are probably your best bets for "all year round" destinations. Nerja has more British influence (although there are plenty of foreign residents from other countries too) and many different expat organisations catering for different interest groups. Torre del Mar is a predominantly Spanish holiday resort but also does have some expat groups and people come in from the surrounding areas to use it as a "base" for shopping and entertainment.

Or, if you don't want to be on the coast, both Frigiliana and Torrox Pueblo are nice and have sizeable foreign populations which means places stay open all year round.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Ilived in Torre Muelle,which is a suburb just west of Benalmadena and that was lovely, plenty of parking all year round and a couple of local bars and shops. Benalmadena was busy in the summer. I didnt go there much, but when I did I found places to park. It was busy - Tourists, with their inflatables, but it was bearable. Bars were busy, but there was nearly always room...

You need to go there at its peak and see what you think!

Jo xxx


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## Suantone (Dec 6, 2016)

jojo said:


> Ilived in Torre Muelle,which is a suburb just west of Benalmadena and that was lovely, plenty of parking all year round and a couple of local bars and shops. Benalmadena was busy in the summer. I didnt go there much, but when I did I found places to park. It was busy - Tourists, with their inflatables, but it was bearable. Bars were busy, but there was nearly always room...
> 
> You need to go there at its peak and see what you think!
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks Jo Jo... we are going to try to get to Benalmadena at the height of the season but work commitments here during the summer season made it difficult... Im sure we will find a way.


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