Costa del Sol

We set off for Gatwick with baggage including four baby/child car seats and all the family, 10 in total, in the middle of the night for the 6am flight to Malaga. Never having flown Aer Lingus before l have to say that everything went seamlessly from the chauffeur parking (which I find invaluable) to check-in and boarding the flight. We had paid for seat reservations as we knew there could be a problem with four little ones if we should be split up. The service, seats and leg room could not be faltered.

On arrival into Malaga we hired a car as where we were staying is about 30-40 minutes away. Also I feel a car is a very useful advantage as there is a lot to see and do! Be careful on leaving Malaga - make sure you stay on the right road as you could soon find yourself in Gibraltar if you’re not careful!

The majority of the holiday was intended to be spent relaxing around the pool. Around the Marbella area, there are a variety of activities including a water park in Fuengirola that’s not too far away and also the cable cars where you have a fantastic view of the whole of the coast. The beaches are some of the best in Spain and for any golfers there are some of the best courses in Europe. If you are looking for a more traditional Spanish holiday then Torremolinos, Benalmadena & Fuengirola would not be for you. However, there are a lot of other areas to choose from. Along the whole of the coast there is a variety of accommodation to choose from. Ranging from apartments, 3* hotels to 5* hotels and villas with their own private pools. There are a number of restaurants and something to suit everyone from authentic Spanish Paella in a beach restaurant washed down with a jug of Sangria or much more up market international style restaurants.

A visit to Mijas is not to be missed or indeed very typical white villages such as Casares or Coin. Although we didn’t visit Granada or Ronda this time, they are within very easy reach and well worth the trip! Also Gibraltar isn’t that far away (probably about an hour/hour & a half) for a few duty free items and a visit to the rock to see the baboons and the caves. The kids love this!

If you fancy a bit of people watching, you won’t be disappointed at Puerto Banus – my word there are some fantastic yachts and cars to see and be seen there. Beware of the prices though as they are hiked up for the privilege.

The holiday was almost coming to an end and all the children had either learnt to swim without armbands or underwater and the two babies just loved every minute of it. It was hard work – we don’t get any younger, but wouldn’t have missed it for the world! Malaga airport has had a lot of refurbishment work done including an extra terminal, but, once again the check in etc was faultless and our car was ready and waiting for us on return!