In the immediate locality ..

The townhouse is a few minutes drive from a variety of local shops, restaurants and cafes.

There's a Spar supermarket, and an Iceland store. Both sell a variety of groceries, baby foods, delicatessen, butchery, milk, fruit, vegetables and the all important, wines and spirits. Both also sell freshly baked bread each day, which is perfect for your breakfast on the terrace.

Most shops in Spain tend to close for 'siesta' from 1.30-2.00pm until 4.30-5.00 pm, and they are open Monday to Saturday. However Iceland, above, is open 7 days a week.

There is a Butcher, who sells a variety of meats, breads and croissants, as well as other shops, including hairdressers, video club, pharmacy etc.

There is a Newsagent, where you can find all nationality of newspapers. Most English papers are printed in Spain, and therefore on sale on the correct day.

You will find a huge choice of cafes and bars, where you can enjoy breakfast, snacks, main meals, and of course, what could be nicer than a coffee or a drink sitting out in the sunshine, watching the world and his wife walk by.

Some of the best Italian, Chinese, Spanish and French restaurants, can be found in this locale, so if you don't fancy driving to a restaurant in the evening, you have a good choice, within walking distance. How lovely to be able to enjoy a meal out, and enjoy a bottle of wine, without having to worry about getting a cab back. (In Spain they are very hot on drink-drivers).

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Further afield - in Peurto Banus

Costalita is only 10 minutes drive from the famous port of Puerto Banus. Drive toward Malaga, under the San Pedro arch, through San Pedro, and turn off past the Pyr hotel, opposite the Andalucia Plaza hotel, following the 'Hipercor' small sign.

The meeting point of the jet-set, here you will find beautiful yachts, elegant shops and excellent (albeit pricey) restaurants. The area around the marina is the hub of the action. You will find multi-million pound yachts moored, and you will really see life, as the other half live it. It's the Croisette of Southern Spain

If you like shopping, you will find everything you would like, just outside the port in a large department store called 'El Corte Ingles'. This store also houses a large hypermarket on the ground floor called 'Hipercor'. This store does not close at lunchtime for the usual 3 hours. It stays open all day. There's a large car park, which is quite reasonable to use both for visiting the store, or the port. The newly built shops around the store are worth a visit too

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Further afield - in Mijas

Mijas can be found off the coastal road on the way to Malaga. It's a good place to visit on your way to the airport, as it only takes about 15 minutes to divert there from the main road, but about 45 minutes from Costalita.

It is similar in charm and history to Ronda, but is smaller and more compact. Parking is a nightmare, so grab a spot when you see one. It is also more 'touristy' than Ronda and you are hard pressed to find any shops other than those catering to the tourist trail.

Mijas is a typical Andaluz village, perched high above Fuengirola and Mijas Costa like so many sugar cubes with spectacular views of the coast and surrounding heavily wooded mountains.

There are no main thoroughfares here, instead a web of narrow cobbled streets complete with terraces overflowing with geraniums, red tile roofs, archways and, of course, the occasional chirruping canary.

Since this village was first discovered in the sixties, close to sixty nationalities have made the pueblo their home and the impact can be agreeably appreciated via the international cuisine, cosmopolitan clubs and associations and, in general, the influence of foreign culture and the arts.

Fortunately, however, the village has still managed to retain some of its quaint traditions, one of the most unusual being the donkey-taxis which line the central plaza. Like Ronda just over the mountaintop, the village dates back to distant time and there are two Mudejar churches here to prove it, as well as the sanctuary of the patron saint of Mijas, from the year 850.

During the month of January, Mijas holds their festival of San Anton which is celebrated with a romeria (open air party) at the holy hermitage and reached in carriages and on carts, piled high with flowers and food.

There is a thriving arts and crafts movement in Mijas, particularly linen and wicker items and the locally made bread and honey is definitely worth trying.

Still on a culinary note, the traditional local fare includes gazpachuelo (an egg soup) and for those with a sweeter tooth, there are the typical cakes made with almonds, called bunuelos and homazos.

One of the most interesting buildings in Mijas is the hermitage of El Puerto which can be spied, just about everywhere in the village, appropriately enough, halfway up a mountain! Keep looking and you may just catch a glimpse a handglider wafting over the peak.

Also look out for the Mineral water spring at the entrance to the village

Still, it's a lovely place to visit, and worth the journey. There are quaint village squares, and narrow alleys, with many cafes and bars to cool you down. . . . and a Golf Course!

The Club de Golf de Mijas is situated on the Costa del Sol/Costa del Golf, near to Fuengirola, and not far from Marbella. The complex has two 18-hole courses, Los Lagos and Los Olivos, with different features making them suitable for players of all levels.

Los Lagos is a course with very long fairways surrounded by wide lakes, making the game quite tricky and suitable for players of a higher level.

Los Olivos was designed with narrow fairways requiring precise, accurate shots. The beauty of the course stems from the olive trees which surround it and from which it takes its name. The greens are small and are protected by deep bunkers

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Further afield - in Marbella

What formerly was just a small Andalucian fishing village has expanded into one of the top European holiday resorts, and one of the favourite places for the rich and famous.

Follow the signs to 'Cisco Antiguo' and you will find Marbella 'old town'. This is centred around a town Square which is lined with Orange trees – hence the name. The whole area is quaint, and full of charm and history. It's well worth a visit here. The shops are interesting and there is an abundance of restaurants. It's a good place to try a 'paella' the delicious traditional Spanish risotto. Don't forget, the shops close here for siesta, so that's always a good time to have a typical lengthy Spanish lunch.

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Further afield - in Ronda

The largest of the white villages is Ronda, which you can drive to from the Ronda Road in San Pedro de Alcantara. It is a fairly scary journey as you wind round twisty roads to reach the summit town of Ronda, but if you don't mind roads with sheer drops to one side, and twisty, snaking narrow roads, then it's well worth the effort of getting up there. It'll take about an hour to drive up there.

Ronda is quite a large town, with a main Square with an old church. Cafes and restaurants surround the square, and it's really lovely to sit in the Square having a cool drink in the warm sunshine.

Ronda also boasts the oldest Bullring in Spain (Plaza de Toros), which is rich in architecture, character and beauty. Love it, or hate it, bullfighting is an integral part of Spanish history and the bullring in Ronda is a must to visit while you are there

Ronda also stands proud, high in the mountains and there are wonderful views into the gorge from the bridge (Puente Nuevo), which divides the old and new town

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