Sofitel Las Dunas Estepona

"Yes" it is possible to to experience a different Marbella.....
Normally one does not associate "authentic Spain" when coming to
Marbella or the Costa del Sol in general! The picture we all have of this part of the world, is big
concrete buildings from Malaga right to Gibraltar! Big hotels, big resorts, Golf Courses and obviously lots of sun! Not to forget the bling bling factor!
When looking for the "Real ...

We decided today we would stay in the area and just go driving. We wanted to check out some wineries and take a cave tour. But we didn't get a chance to do either one. The cave tours were 5 hours long. The caves are amazing but not sure Shae would be able to hang that long. my guess is not. And we drove and drove and didn't find one winery. I think we got close one time. But anyway the ride was beautiful and there was a great restaurant in a white village ...

... 1:30pm. (We're definitely getting use to late lunches and late dinners). The restaurant was awesome! Mike enjoyed a leg of lamb which was by far his best meal yet. After lunch, Shae did one more jump and then we toured around the town. It has views from all sides. We headed out and drove to the lake which was also an amazing drive. On the way we found hiking trails so Mike decided it was a perfect place to go for a ...

... I felt like we were on a lush beach in Southern Spain, but out guides were Brits and I was eating fish and chips.  Hhhm... Anyways, The weather was STUNNING!  70s, sunny, nice breeze.  Perfect for soaking in sights of the sea and playing with monkeys of course!  The Gibraltarian Barbary Apes have no tails, as well as no shame in stealing visitors' lunches!  I say this because it happened to me.  As we're on our way up ...

... bags). I kept my distance and used my zoom. There are about 240 monkeys on Gibraltar (they are not really apes, but tailless monkeys). The numbers were as low as 40 after WWII, and the maximum the environment can sustain is 300. They are well looked after, catalogued and inoculated, but they are wild animals, and not too much intervention goes on, though they may have to do something in the future if the population gets out of control. They are native ...

... with moth experts from Denmark and Germany visiting. I spent the next four days lazing in the sun, finalizing flights for the main trip and catching up on emails. On the last day we had lunch out at a Chiringito (beach bar) in the old fishing town of Sabinias...we feasted on sardines, fresh pork (usually the best meat choice in Andalusia), monk fish and prawns washed down with a few glasses of Tinto Verano and then collapsed on the beach in ...

... isthmus so much because of its strategic location on the entryway to the Mediterranean. In fact, it was instrumental in the Battle of Trafalgar and in various other British naval operations. Now the outpost is a refueling station for over 10% of the 90,000 ships that cross through the Straight of Gibraltar annually. It's also become a valuable offshore financial center and a home to many internet gambling companies. Making Gibraltar even more ...

... amongst the tourists and certainly prepared to grab anything that sparkles, but take the advice of the cable-car driver and do not attempt to pat or touch - the guy top above right (and the rest of the pack basically) has a pretty mean temperament, as one lady near us found out trying to give him a scratch behind the ear ...

After a great sail down here I´ve finally got the chance to see these monkeys that are hanging around up here. It´s just a piece of rock that sticks out of the ocean and if you look over to Africa and Marocco you can actually see where Europe used to be attached some millions years ago. Everything is tax free here. Everything. I know some of you girls would go bananas down here. So did I, but on the booze of course. We took ...

... despite all the warnings I have had not to do so (either the bravest or absolutely stupidest thing I have ever done). Feeling alot of nervous excitement, Tangier is going to be hell to get through. Apparently I am going to have alot of trouble with the men there, who have no respect for Western women, but I'm hoping it will be worth it. So, wish me luck, I will update you all if I am brave enough to wander out of my hotel to find some internet.