Freya & Us

We moored "bow to" in Benalmadena and had to improvise a bracket for the gangplank as we only have one on the stern. It seemed to work ok, so we went ashore to explore and were immediately greeted by scores of bright green parakeets nesting in the palm trees in the marina, a pleasant if somewhat noisy welcome. Benalmadena is a strange mixture of style and tack. The marina moorings are in lagoons around a series of artificial islands with expensive apartments on them, that are a little reminiscent of the island resorts in Dubai. There were a few lovely shops and bars around the marina and along the sandy beaches, but these were interspersed with shops selling "everything for two euros "and bars offering cheap beer and the chance to watch anything from Strictly Come Dancing to Coronation Street and Eastenders (we didn't)! There are so many expats living here that it felt more English than Gibraltar and English was spoken as a first language in many of the shops and bars.

On our third night here the wind picked up to near gale force and our quiet mooring became a little uncomfortable as the surge worked its way in. Our improvised gangplank bracket meant we were only a few feet from the quay and our anchor was hitting the wall in the surge. We hastily removed the anchor and tied a fender to the bow but decided we needed to improvise further and better in the morning. With the kind assistance of a fellow boatie who donated a large piece of hardwood we now have a decent solution that seems to work well, but I think still needs a little tuning.

As well as the very obvious touristy bits, Benalmadena has some really pleasant surprises. There is a large landscaped park just off the seafront with some impressive planting and interesting animals, from Mouflon, Guinea Fowl and Emu to fluffy bunnies that once must have been pets that have since escaped. The highlight though was the cactus garden, which was probably half an acre in size and rivals anything of its like we ever seen before. We also took a cable car up the mountain behind the town to take in the magnificent views along the Costa del Sol which were breathtaking. There was a falconry centre at the top and we were treated to a free and very interesting display that included trained vultures. Unlike everyone else we walked the 5 miles down the mountain back to town. The walk was amazing, most of it was through a canyon carved by a now dry stream and for most of the walk we didn't see a sign of civilization or another soul. Benalmadena also has a small old town or Pueblo and we took the bus to visit this. It only took an hour or so to see it all, but it was very pretty and it had some good views.

Val & Harry our new, but now very good friends from Gibraltar came to stay for the weekend. They drove us to the old town of Mijas up in the mountain which was a fascinating place, but the highlight must have been the donkey taxis, with each animal carrying its official licence plate on its forehead. We had a fantastic paella here before taking a magical mystery tour back through the stunning mountain scenery to the boat. We said goodbye to Harry and Val on the Monday and after 10 days in Benelmadena we set sail to our current location near Torre del Mar on the Tuesday morning.

It was a passage of only 25 miles but despite a leisurely departure around 10.00 it was still cold enough to have to wear long trousers and a fleece as we set off, this isn't what we are used to now. However, not to worry a little later it got much hotter and Paul at least was back to sailing only in his shorts. What very little wind there was, was on the nose, so we motored all the way with the main giving us a little assistance at times, but it was still a good passage with great views of the coast and mountains and of course the now almost obligatory dolphin and sunfish sightings.

We are now in the quiet fishing port of Caleta de Velez, a mile or so from Torre del Mar, moored opposite another Ocean Ranger, another one of only 84 that were built. Caleta couldn't be more different than our last few stops, not a tourist or sign in English to be seen. As we still have three weeks before we need to be in Almerimar, which is now only 65 miles away we are likely to stay here a few days before moving on.

Click here for the map of our travels