We took the train from Madrid to Malaga, Spain - about 2 and a half hours - and the another hour by car from Malaga to our hotel near Estepona. The Marriott Playa Andaluza was a treat for us, and would be our longest stay (10 nights) of this trip, so we planned to take advantage of the opportunity to simply relax. A few day trips would really be it from here - otherwise just relax by the pool and at the beach, while trying to get caught up with the blog posts, do some laundry, etc.

The property was beautiful very similar to the Marriott timeshare properties in the U.S., with many pools, and activities for all ages. A very “family friendly” resort. You could book day trips from here, and we did - a full day to visit an olive mill, the town of Ronda, and one of the white villages in the mountains above Estepona. Just 5 guests on our trip (including us), so just a nice van - not a huge bus. Unfortunately, it is not easy to get anywhere - winding mountain roads, and a long distance - spent about 2.5 hours driving each way. But, it was well worth it for what we had the chance to see.

We first took just a brief stop below the town of Ronda, for the view “up to” the city. The Puente Nuevo is the “new” bridge that goes across El Tajo gorge and connects old Ronda to new Ronda. This “new bridge” was built from 1759 to 1793, and it is incredible at over 300 feet high. The “old bridge” did not fare so well, as it was built 1735, but collapsed in 1741. An interesting piece of the history of the new bridge is that there is a chamber above the middle section which has been used for many things - including use as a prison during the civil war of 1936-39. Prisoners were tortured here, and even thrown from the windows to their doom 300 feet below!

OK, so after that pleasant thought - on to the olive mill. Our driver for the day was a local from this area, and had his own olive orchards. He takes his olives to this mill each year for processing, so knows the owners very well. Molina El Vinculo is near the small town of Zahara de la Sierra, and has been processing olives for hundreds of years. Around the mill are many of the old tools used in the process, but of course today it is hydraulic presses and polyester mats. They do still use a wood fired boiler though, saying that the use of gas or oil would penetrate the olive oil with a horrible smell. Who knows, but the olive oil was fantastic. Thicker/heavier than what we are used to from Italy or Greece, but the flavor was amazing!

Oh, and they love their heritage here - the small tasting room was full of old photos and memorabilia from bullfights, horses, and family. A beautiful place - and they have (I think) 3 apartments for rent - one with a pool. A bit remote, but could be an interesting place to be in late October/early November when the pressing is taking place.

After a little olive oil tasting (and some home made vino), we head back to Ronda for a chance to walk around the town. An incredibly beautiful place with views in every direction. And, the oldest Bullring in Spain - completed 234 years ago. Every year in early September they host the Féria de Pedro Romero - the only fair in the world dedicated to a bullfighter. Getting a ticket to the bullfight is near impossible - this is not the big party of Pamplona, but the tradition of hundreds of years.

Beautiful streets to walk, and beautiful views - Ronda is a place worth the visit for sure.

Most days while we were at the resort, we would spend some time at the pool, and also try to explore a bit - maybe just some of the local spots nearby.

One day we visited Puerto Banus - about 15 minutes away, and where there are many luxury yachts, luxury cars, and luxury shops. Supposedly the Saudi King has a place somewhere in this area. Nice place - we had a burger at TGI Fridays, and headed back to the pool.

Another day we headed up to the sleepy town of Benahavis (I say sleepy, because we arrived about 5 PM - everyone was still on Siesta!). We walked the (few) streets for a bit, and sat and had a drink, until the town finally started to open up around 7:00. Very cute place with many restaurants on the walking streets, and a little shopping as well. Cute - but not really worth the trip, from our point of view.

Yet another day, we headed to the town of Estepona for the Sunday market - held on the street next to the marina. A nice town to see and the market was good. The old part of town is a short walk away from the marina, and had some wonderful little streets to see. And a great view of the Straits of Gibraltar (Morocco on the left).

Finally, back to the resort for one last dip in the pool, and one more round at Happy Hour! We had a good and relaxing time here, and hope to be back again - maybe next year - for a longer stay.

Rested and ready to head to Morocco. We’ll start in Marrakech for three nights on our own, and will then start our “Morocco Discovery Holiday” (I think we needed the R&R for this next part...)

More photos in the album.

Cheers everyone!