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Andalusia Spain MVC resort

mariawolf

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Frenchman’s Cove
we are going end of July — 16 between two three bedroom units
Waitlisted since July 2018 but had reservations thru Marriott hotels web site
Told when we called we were #1 on list but since we all needed to fly made these as a fall back
So for those who have stayed there suggestions of your favorite activities etc
Appreciate any info you can provide!
 
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I'm assuming you're referring to Marriot's Playa Andaluza resort? Andalusia is the region of Spain where both MVC resorts are located, the other being Marriott's Marbella Beach Club.

End of July will be hot so my favourite activities will involve being in and around water. The pools at the resort are nice enough, there's a large one near to the restaurant and bar area, a second one which is geared more towards teenagers with lots of sport activities taking place there and there is a kids pool with slide and a splash area. Lots of availabilty for pool chairs although the main pool attracts the most guests. The resort is located directly on the beach however it's not a great beach and in the mornings (or throughout the day) you'll find migrants sleeping on the sun beds until (if) security move them on. Personally the beach there doesn't hold much interest for me so we're happy by the pool. It's elevated so you'll still see the sea but not much of the beach because of the landscaping.

The nearby town of Estepona is an often overlooked town in Andalusia but it has a fantastic old town with plenty of good restaurants, enjoy a slow, relaxing lunch in the main square under the shade of the orange trees before hitting the beach just acroos the road from the old town. It's a much better beach than the one outside the resort and the amenities are very good. Parking can be difficult so go early if possible to secure a good spot. A good supermarket is the Carrefour in Estepona, absolutely huge with the biggest range of produce than any supermarket in the area (although there is an Aldi five minutes walk from the resort where you can find pretty much everything you need but selection will be limted). I always make a point of going there when we return from Estepona and end up buying far more than I intended to (particularly wine!).

Benehavis is a small village in the mountains a short 15 minute drive from the resort. It has, by far, the best restaurants in the area. We eat several times a week every time we go there and it's known as the Gourmet Capital of the Costa Del Sol.

Nearby Marbella has a small but pleasant old town and some nice boutique shops to browse although in the summer heat I wouldn't want to be walking too much. The rest of Marbella is built up and suffers from the over development that has plagued the Costa Del Sol.

Ronda is a town well worth a visit, it's an easy drive if you don't mind twisty mountain roads but in the summer is does get mobbed with cyclists and some locals aren't as tolerant of non local careful drivers and will often perform dangerous overtakes.

Many people like to visit Gibraltar. I can see its appeal, I've been twice, once was enough but my parents wanted me to take them when they travelled with us once. As a Brit it just seems like a cheap, tacky British high street in the sun. The rock itself and the military tunnels are well worth a visit.

You'll also hear and read a lot of refernce to trips to Tangier in Morocco. It's a place that receives mixed reviews. You can make the journey yourself (drive to Tarifa, make sure you arrive in plenty of time to find a parking space, we missed our original ferry because it took an hour to find somewhere to park) and either buy your ferry tickets at the terminal or in advance online. I recommend booking a tour guide, we booked one online and he met us at the ferry terminal in Tangier. The other option is to take a tour from the resort, either a large bus tour that picks up passengers from a number of hotels or a smaller, albeit more expensive one, directly from the resort itself.
Personally I didn't like Tangier. I have no desire to go somewhere just to 'impress' friends back home that I travelled to Africa whilst in Spain which appears to be one of the reasons a lot of people go. There is little of interest. The area where the rich, connected and royalty live in is nice, green, clean and visibly affluent which is in distinct contrast with the rest of the city. It's dirty, chaotic, unappealing and even with a guide you'll be taken to the souk and directed to various shops owned by friends and family of the guide (or people who he hs a vested interest in bringing in potential custom). You'll be viewed as an easy target and attempts will be made (quite persistently in some cases) to persuade you to buy products at vastly inflated prices. You'll also witness the cruel spectacle of mistreated camels being forced to carry (sometimes heavily overweight) tourists for a brief walk around a cliff top for something like $2. Some people see nothing wrong with this and appear unconcerned that these animals spend all day in the sun constantly up and down on their knees (some I've seen were in obvious pain when doing so) so that endless streams of tourists can climb on their back for 5 five minutes of "enjoyment". I don't need to elaborate on what happens to a camel that does not want to perform. Meanwhile the calfs are all chained to the ground whilst their mothers undertake their duties, the poor animals watching their own destiny. It's a cruel practice that has no place in the 21st Century. Visiting Tangier for a day makes for a long and tiring day and depending on how many days you have in Spain it is, in my opinion, a waste of a precious day.

Nearby Malaga has a wealth of museums, ancient monuments, excellent food and right on the coast. A day spent there is immeasurably superior than a day spent in Tangier and it's only just over an hour's drive. Then there's nearby Nerja with its fantastic caves to tour and The Balcón de Europa has incredible views to the mountains and the coast and also has a pleasant array of bars and restaurants.

Seville, Cordoba and Granada are all within (long) day trips although if you want to visit the Alhambra tickets sell out months in advance as it is so popular.

We've been visiting for many years, this forthcoming October will be our next one. We plan on exploring more of Malaga and some of the less explored mountain villages. We stumbled upon several during our last visit and found some incredible restaurants that were seemingly patronised solely by locals (although they could have been other Spanish tourists) all I can say is that the only language I heard being spoken was Spanish and in some of the more rural establishments there was no English spoken by any of the staff. My Spanish is sketchy at best but I can get by and menus are typically easy to decipher and there's always an online translator if you get stuck.

Enjoy it, it was our first experience of a Marriott timeshare all those years ago and remains one of our favourites.
 

bazzap

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I'm assuming you're referring to Marriot's Playa Andaluza resort? Andalusia is the region of Spain where both MVC resorts are located, the other being Marriott's Marbella Beach Club.

End of July will be hot so my favourite activities will involve being in and around water. The pools at the resort are nice enough, there's a large one near to the restaurant and bar area, a second one which is geared more towards teenagers with lots of sport activities taking place there and there is a kids pool with slide and a splash area. Lots of availabilty for pool chairs although the main pool attracts the most guests. The resort is located directly on the beach however it's not a great beach and in the mornings (or throughout the day) you'll find migrants sleeping on the sun beds until (if) security move them on. Personally the beach there doesn't hold much interest for me so we're happy by the pool. It's elevated so you'll still see the sea but not much of the beach because of the landscaping.

The nearby town of Estepona is an often overlooked town in Andalusia but it has a fantastic old town with plenty of good restaurants, enjoy a slow, relaxing lunch in the main square under the shade of the orange trees before hitting the beach just acroos the road from the old town. It's a much better beach than the one outside the resort and the amenities are very good. Parking can be difficult so go early if possible to secure a good spot. A good supermarket is the Carrefour in Estepona, absolutely huge with the biggest range of produce than any supermarket in the area (although there is an Aldi five minutes walk from the resort where you can find pretty much everything you need but selection will be limted). I always make a point of going there when we return from Estepona and end up buying far more than I intended to (particularly wine!).

Benehavis is a small village in the mountains a short 15 minute drive from the resort. It has, by far, the best restaurants in the area. We eat several times a week every time we go there and it's known as the Gourmet Capital of the Costa Del Sol.

Nearby Marbella has a small but pleasant old town and some nice boutique shops to browse although in the summer heat I wouldn't want to be walking too much. The rest of Marbella is built up and suffers from the over development that has plagued the Costa Del Sol.

Ronda is a town well worth a visit, it's an easy drive if you don't mind twisty mountain roads but in the summer is does get mobbed with cyclists and some locals aren't as tolerant of non local careful drivers and will often perform dangerous overtakes.

Many people like to visit Gibraltar. I can see its appeal, I've been twice, once was enough but my parents wanted me to take them when they travelled with us once. As a Brit it just seems like a cheap, tacky British high street in the sun. The rock itself and the military tunnels are well worth a visit.

You'll also hear and read a lot of refernce to trips to Tangier in Morocco. It's a place that receives mixed reviews. You can make the journey yourself (drive to Tarifa, make sure you arrive in plenty of time to find a parking space, we missed our original ferry because it took an hour to find somewhere to park) and either buy your ferry tickets at the terminal or in advance online. I recommend booking a tour guide, we booked one online and he met us at the ferry terminal in Tangier. The other option is to take a tour from the resort, either a large bus tour that picks up passengers from a number of hotels or a smaller, albeit more expensive one, directly from the resort itself.
Personally I didn't like Tangier. I have no desire to go somewhere just to 'impress' friends back home that I travelled to Africa whilst in Spain which appears to be one of the reasons a lot of people go. There is little of interest. The area where the rich, connected and royalty live in is nice, green, clean and visibly affluent which is in distinct contrast with the rest of the city. It's dirty, chaotic, unappealing and even with a guide you'll be taken to the souk and directed to various shops owned by friends and family of the guide (or people who he hs a vested interest in bringing in potential custom). You'll be viewed as an easy target and attempts will be made (quite persistently in some cases) to persuade you to buy products at vastly inflated prices. You'll also witness the cruel spectacle of mistreated camels being forced to carry (sometimes heavily overweight) tourists for a brief walk around a cliff top for something like $2. Some people see nothing wrong with this and appear unconcerned that these animals spend all day in the sun constantly up and down on their knees (some I've seen were in obvious pain when doing so) so that endless streams of tourists can climb on their back for 5 five minutes of "enjoyment". I don't need to elaborate on what happens to a camel that does not want to perform. Meanwhile the calfs are all chained to the ground whilst their mothers undertake their duties, the poor animals watching their own destiny. It's a cruel practice that has no place in the 21st Century. Visiting Tangier for a day makes for a long and tiring day and depending on how many days you have in Spain it is, in my opinion, a waste of a precious day.

Nearby Malaga has a wealth of museums, ancient monuments, excellent food and right on the coast. A day spent there is immeasurably superior than a day spent in Tangier and it's only just over an hour's drive. Then there's nearby Nerja with its fantastic caves to tour and The Balcón de Europa has incredible views to the mountains and the coast and also has a pleasant array of bars and restaurants.

Seville, Cordoba and Granada are all within (long) day trips although if you want to visit the Alhambra tickets sell out months in advance as it is so popular.

We've been visiting for many years, this forthcoming October will be our next one. We plan on exploring more of Malaga and some of the less explored mountain villages. We stumbled upon several during our last visit and found some incredible restaurants that were seemingly patronised solely by locals (although they could have been other Spanish tourists) all I can say is that the only language I heard being spoken was Spanish and in some of the more rural establishments there was no English spoken by any of the staff. My Spanish is sketchy at best but I can get by and menus are typically easy to decipher and there's always an online translator if you get stuck.

Enjoy it, it was our first experience of a Marriott timeshare all those years ago and remains one of our favourites.
Have you ventured up to the El Torcal mountain and El Chorro lake area?
The town/village of Casarabonela is well worth a visit, the whole area is a biosphere reserve.
These are all scenically beautiful.
 

mariawolf

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thanks so much for all the info--will pass on toe others in family. Have been to Gibraltar and actually flying back ot of there. spending two days before resort arrival in Malaga and staying at the Marriott there--loved Barcelona so looking forward to the sites in Malaga--a friend also suggested Ronda.
 
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Have you ventured up to the El Torcal mountain and El Chorro lake area?
The town/village of Casarabonela is well worth a visit, the whole area is a biosphere reserve.
These are all scenically beautiful.

No Barry, we haven't but it certainly looks good, one for the itinerary in October. I'm already checking out restaurants (it's my 'driver') although the Indian/Mexican sounds a bit odd, I'll steer clear of that one!
 
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thanks so much for all the info--will pass on toe others in family. Have been to Gibraltar and actually flying back ot of there. spending two days before resort arrival in Malaga and staying at the Marriott there--loved Barcelona so looking forward to the sites in Malaga--a friend also suggested Ronda.

I'm not a fan of Barcelona (I know I'm in a small minority) but it really doesn't do anything for me. I prefer history over art so all the Gaudi stuff was wasted on me and Barcelona is a relatively 'new' city so for me, Malaga is a better choice.

Although I dislike the term "must see" Ronda is certainly one of them. It does attract large crowds however as it appears on almost everyone's itinerary when visiting Andalusia and whilst it's elevation will mean that it'll be cooler than down by the coast it'll still be hot in July. I've been there four times and have yet to find a restaurant that I've enjoyed, I've made the classic rookie mistake of opting for a busy one pretty much close to the entrance of the old town in the belief that its popularity must be a good sign but soon realised that I was solely amongst fellow tourists who had also fallen into the "it's popular therefore must be good" mindset and of course the result is self perpetuating. Venturing further into the old town reveals better restaurants but I've yet to find one that matches anything near what's on offer in Benahavis. I will persevere though and I have one in mind for when I return however after four visits it's becoming difficult to persuade the rest of the family to go again.
 

bazzap

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No Barry, we haven't but it certainly looks good, one for the itinerary in October. I'm already checking out restaurants (it's my 'driver') although the Indian/Mexican sounds a bit odd, I'll steer clear of that one!
Enjoy.
We very nearly bought a place some years back in Villenueva de la Concepcion near Antequera.
Thankfully we didn’t, as that was at the peak of the Spanish house pricing!
We still love the area around there though.
 

bobpark56

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Don't ignore the small hill towns and other areas on the coast. Many are picturesque and have very enjoyable dining spots. Some that come to mind are El Rincon del Cani in El Colmenar, Platero & Co. and El Atico in Gaucin, Restaurante El Ventorrillero in Jimena de la Frontera, La Estacion in San Pablo de Buceite (near Jimena de la Frontera), Hotel Restaurante Banu Rabbah (a.k.a. Kabilas) in Benarraba, Chiringuito el Capricho in Playa de Calahonda (Mijas Costa), Los Porches in La Cala de Mijas, La Bodega del Cantinero in San Pedro de Alcantara, De Locos Tapas in Ronda, La Luz de Candela, Restaurante Vino Mio, and El Meson de Cervantes in Málaga, Venta Garcia (on the road to Casares).


,
 

enma

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I'm assuming you're referring to Marriot's Playa Andaluza resort? Andalusia is the region of Spain where both MVC resorts are located, the other being Marriott's Marbella Beach Club.

End of July will be hot so my favourite activities will involve being in and around water. The pools at the resort are nice enough, there's a large one near to the restaurant and bar area, a second one which is geared more towards teenagers with lots of sport activities taking place there and there is a kids pool with slide and a splash area. Lots of availabilty for pool chairs although the main pool attracts the most guests. The resort is located directly on the beach however it's not a great beach and in the mornings (or throughout the day) you'll find migrants sleeping on the sun beds until (if) security move them on. Personally the beach there doesn't hold much interest for me so we're happy by the pool. It's elevated so you'll still see the sea but not much of the beach because of the landscaping.

The nearby town of Estepona is an often overlooked town in Andalusia but it has a fantastic old town with plenty of good restaurants, enjoy a slow, relaxing lunch in the main square under the shade of the orange trees before hitting the beach just acroos the road from the old town. It's a much better beach than the one outside the resort and the amenities are very good. Parking can be difficult so go early if possible to secure a good spot. A good supermarket is the Carrefour in Estepona, absolutely huge with the biggest range of produce than any supermarket in the area (although there is an Aldi five minutes walk from the resort where you can find pretty much everything you need but selection will be limted). I always make a point of going there when we return from Estepona and end up buying far more than I intended to (particularly wine!).

Benehavis is a small village in the mountains a short 15 minute drive from the resort. It has, by far, the best restaurants in the area. We eat several times a week every time we go there and it's known as the Gourmet Capital of the Costa Del Sol.

Nearby Marbella has a small but pleasant old town and some nice boutique shops to browse although in the summer heat I wouldn't want to be walking too much. The rest of Marbella is built up and suffers from the over development that has plagued the Costa Del Sol.

Ronda is a town well worth a visit, it's an easy drive if you don't mind twisty mountain roads but in the summer is does get mobbed with cyclists and some locals aren't as tolerant of non local careful drivers and will often perform dangerous overtakes.

Many people like to visit Gibraltar. I can see its appeal, I've been twice, once was enough but my parents wanted me to take them when they travelled with us once. As a Brit it just seems like a cheap, tacky British high street in the sun. The rock itself and the military tunnels are well worth a visit.

You'll also hear and read a lot of refernce to trips to Tangier in Morocco. It's a place that receives mixed reviews. You can make the journey yourself (drive to Tarifa, make sure you arrive in plenty of time to find a parking space, we missed our original ferry because it took an hour to find somewhere to park) and either buy your ferry tickets at the terminal or in advance online. I recommend booking a tour guide, we booked one online and he met us at the ferry terminal in Tangier. The other option is to take a tour from the resort, either a large bus tour that picks up passengers from a number of hotels or a smaller, albeit more expensive one, directly from the resort itself.
Personally I didn't like Tangier. I have no desire to go somewhere just to 'impress' friends back home that I travelled to Africa whilst in Spain which appears to be one of the reasons a lot of people go. There is little of interest. The area where the rich, connected and royalty live in is nice, green, clean and visibly affluent which is in distinct contrast with the rest of the city. It's dirty, chaotic, unappealing and even with a guide you'll be taken to the souk and directed to various shops owned by friends and family of the guide (or people who he hs a vested interest in bringing in potential custom). You'll be viewed as an easy target and attempts will be made (quite persistently in some cases) to persuade you to buy products at vastly inflated prices. You'll also witness the cruel spectacle of mistreated camels being forced to carry (sometimes heavily overweight) tourists for a brief walk around a cliff top for something like $2. Some people see nothing wrong with this and appear unconcerned that these animals spend all day in the sun constantly up and down on their knees (some I've seen were in obvious pain when doing so) so that endless streams of tourists can climb on their back for 5 five minutes of "enjoyment". I don't need to elaborate on what happens to a camel that does not want to perform. Meanwhile the calfs are all chained to the ground whilst their mothers undertake their duties, the poor animals watching their own destiny. It's a cruel practice that has no place in the 21st Century. Visiting Tangier for a day makes for a long and tiring day and depending on how many days you have in Spain it is, in my opinion, a waste of a precious day.

Nearby Malaga has a wealth of museums, ancient monuments, excellent food and right on the coast. A day spent there is immeasurably superior than a day spent in Tangier and it's only just over an hour's drive. Then there's nearby Nerja with its fantastic caves to tour and The Balcón de Europa has incredible views to the mountains and the coast and also has a pleasant array of bars and restaurants.

Seville, Cordoba and Granada are all within (long) day trips although if you want to visit the Alhambra tickets sell out months in advance as it is so popular.

We've been visiting for many years, this forthcoming October will be our next one. We plan on exploring more of Malaga and some of the less explored mountain villages. We stumbled upon several during our last visit and found some incredible restaurants that were seemingly patronised solely by locals (although they could have been other Spanish tourists) all I can say is that the only language I heard being spoken was Spanish and in some of the more rural establishments there was no English spoken by any of the staff. My Spanish is sketchy at best but I can get by and menus are typically easy to decipher and there's always an online translator if you get stuck.

Enjoy it, it was our first experience of a Marriott timeshare all those years ago and remains one of our favourites.



I stayed at Playa Andaluza in February. I agree with most of this except I have to say I enjoyed visiting Tangier. We did a guided tour for Marriott guests only. Even though it was very touristy with the camel ride and all I found it interesting. It has nothing to do with being able to say I visited Africa. You still got a taste of the different world than what we are used to, the kind of people we are who visit Marriott timeshares all over the world. To me everything doesn't have to be amazing. Lunch was included with the tour and it was delicious. The little things made memories...heard Islamic call to prayer, the bread from the market was delicious and the boys who try to sell you stuff actually talked about their lives once you started talking to them. The guide said February was a good time to go, not many tourists, summer will be a different story. Not sure I would go there in the summer. And I would never travel there on my own.

I visited Gibraltar also, took a tour that picked up guests from different resorts. I liked it as well.
Visited Ronda but on our own. I was the driver going there and got car sick driving, lol! I have never gotten car sick driving myself.

There is a lot to do in the area. We went nonstop, wish we had had one day just to relax at the resort. The place is beautiful even in the winter. We are going back February 2020 and are planning to do less nonstop running.
 
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