Avenida del Golf                                                 Princess Diana Park                                         Riviera del Sol beach

A few minutes walk away from the apartment is a Country Club, which is open to all. It has mini golf and tennis, a game zone and kids club. For the girls, there is a Health and Beauty Centre offering everything from nail extensions, massage and seaweed wraps to children's haircuts. There is also a heated outdoor pool. The club also has the best Italian restaurant on the coast, plus an American restaurant and an Internet Cafe. Also in easy walking distance is a typically Spanish restaurant and bar, Venta del Golf, where you can sit out on a huge veranda to eat in the summer, or indoors by an open fire on chilly evenings.

The local port of Cabopino has a lovely marina. There are a variety of beaches and the Costa del Sol racecourse has midnight horse racing. There is a supermarket, a 10 minute walk from the apartment, which will deliver orders. In the centre of Riviera (also about 10 minutes walk) there are several bars, cafes, restaurants, a convenience store open every day until 2 a.m., and a pretty little park dedicated to Princess Diana. Another five minutes walking brings you to Calypso where there is a lovely old building called El Zoco which houses a good variety of shops built around open patio gardens with bars and restaurants. Nearby, is a medical centre, a dentist and several pharmacies. All the amenities are open all year round.

The beach at Riviera del Sol is completely unspoilt, with vegetation growing above the high water line and rocky outcrops in the sand. Nearby, La Cala and Cabopino both have wide sandy beaches with sun loungers and shades, banana boats, pedallos, jet skis and an excellent selection of places to eat. La Cala has a twice weekly market on Wednesdays and Fridays.

There is a bus service along the coast road from Malaga all the way to Marbella. Riviera has a taxi rank and a booking office for coach trips to all the major attractions.

A 15 minute drive along the coast road takes you to La Canada, a very large shopping mall with a multi screen cinema.

For a fascinating day trip, high in the mountains is Mijas, a thriving town from the 9th century, which still has walls from the old Moorish fort. There are interesting museums, art galleries and good quality craft shops selling gorgeous items by highly respected artists and craftsmen. There is a lovely walk around the old walls with spectacular views over the surrounding countryside many hundreds of feet below. The town offers a huge variety of places to eat as well as many mediaeval buildings to admire.

Further afield, there is the Alhambra Palace Complex in Granada, the old city of Seville, which outstandingly beautiful and Gibraltar with its huge 11ins coastal defence gun and numerous ramparts. Gibraltar has many bars and quaint streets and plenty of places to eat. A cable car (or steps for the energetic) takes you to the top of the saddleback mountain. There are dolphin safaris in the Bay of Gibraltar, also known as Algeciras Bay - a marvellous experience. The more adventurous might like to board the ferry from Algeciras across to Tangiers in North Africa and walk around an authentic Casbah.

There are several bars and English restaurants in Riviera del Sol but no clubs, so the immediate area is fairly quiet and suitable for families and keen golfers. Clubbers can enjoy the nightlife in nearby Calahonda, Marbella or Fuengirola. Alternatively, end the day in the apartment, drinking wine and watching spectacular sunsets over the Atlas Mountains of North Africa.

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    El Zoco Shopping Complex. Patio coffee shop & restaurants                  Cabopino Beach                                  Cabopino Marina