Calahonda
Is situated between Marbella and Fuengirola and is an area chiefly developed for tourism, with extensive apartment blocks and timeshare facilities stretching from the coast into the hills behind. It offers great opportunities to experience Britain abroad, especially since the majority of visitors to this part of the Coast are English.
Calahonda is located close to several golf courses and has the typically sun-drenched beaches for which the Mediterranean is famous. Just a couple of kilometres along the road is Puerto Cabopino, which has the reputation for being the most secluded and picturesque port on the Costa and is a popular venue for tourists who want to enjoy a good meal before taking a walk along its sandy beaches. Some of the Coasts most popular restaurants, such as Alberts and Giuseppes Pizzeria, are located here.
Nearby youll discover Miraflores, a popular golf and lawn bowls resort and then Mijas, Andalucías most popular white village, which is situated slightly further northeast in the hills.
Calahonda is a new area in terms of human development and so has only one monument. If you travel into the hills of Calahonda, just past the El Portón complex, you will encounter a small Christian monument which, due to its location, stands out like a beacon; on a clear day you should be able to see the whole coast from here, including Africa and Gibraltar. If youre visiting in summer then take a car, because the walk in the worst of the heat and humidity wont be a practical option.
The frontal section of Calahonda, which is visible from the main CN-340 road, has many restaurants and shops but the best of the shopping, eating and entertainment can be located in the El Zoco centre. Here you can find just about everything that Calahonda has to offer.
The gastronomy in this part of the Coast is 100% international with global influence being the only common factor! Calahonda is only about 30 years old, so traditional dishes served before this time are either unknown or carefully guarded secrets of the Vandulken brothers, whose farms previously occupied the land.
Calahondas fiesta provides visitors with the opportunity to sample the pleasant Spanish tradition of churros, a fried and battered dough which is generally served with a cup of thick hot chocolate, in which your churros should be dunked, if you really intend to experience them in the true Spanish style. Perhaps this is not the most healthy dish, but winter sees an explosion in consumption, with many of the locals eating them for breakfast. As a way of banishing the cold, churros and chocolate takes some beating and theyre certainly very popular in the marbellalife.com offices when the colder weather takes hold!
Being one of the smaller but most built-up areas on the Coast there are very few large nightclubs due to noise pollution laws, but the Trafalgar bar in the El Zoco complex is packed with visitors all evening until about 3a.m. Another advantage of being in an English area is the inevitable Indian restaurant which is happy to cater to those suffering from the kind of hunger stimulated by litres of lager!
Across the motorway and adjacent to the El Zoco complex you will find more shops and restaurants, not to mention a gymnasium and other fitness venues.
Calahonda is virtually a self sufficient community which provides an excellent base for the British holidaymaker who wants a sun and sea holiday in surroundings which seem familiar, but those who prefer something a little more exotic would be well advised to consider another resort.