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 Coast's most popular
restaurants, such as Albert's and Giuseppe's
Pizzeria, are located here.
Nearby
you'll discover Miraflores, a popular golf and
lawn bowls resort and then Mijas, Andalucía's
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 you're visiting in summer then
take a car, because the walk in the worst of the
heat and humidity won't 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.
Gastronomy
in Calahonda
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. Calahonda's 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 they're 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.
Attractions
and activities in Calahonda
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.
