Virgen Del Carmen - 16th July

This Friday the 16th July many coastal towns throughout Spain will celebrate the festivities of the “Virgen del Carmen”. This is a special day for many of the small original fishing villages (I know, they’ve changed a lot!) on the Costa del Sol as the Virgen del Carmen is actually the patron saint of fishermen (she’s also the patron saint of the Spanish Navy) and no fishing boat sets to sea without her image on board.

Head down to “La Carihuela” in Torremolinos, Los Boliches in Fuengirola or even the Marina in Benalmadena, and you will witness the beautiful processions which pay homage to the Virgen del Carmen. Each locality will have a slightly different ritual but all include the amazing procession of the Virgen del Carmen in the sea. She will be carried from the church to a beach or port and then placed on one of the fishing boats surrounded by flowers; what follows is a beautiful spectacle as dozens of boats surround the “Stella Maris” – as she is also referred to- and follow her out to sea.

If you haven’t seen this procession, I recommend you take a drive down to the port in Benalmadena (or any of the other fishing ports and villages mentioned), you won’t be disappointed! You might even be able to see the boat procession from the terrace of our Panorama Bar as they often come up as far as the hotel; make sure you bring your binoculars!

What a week! World cup & Weddings Galore!

Well it's been such a busy week here at the hotel we've barely had chance to blog! July has arrived and with it so has the scorching Spanish Summer sunshine. But there's more to Sunset than just great weather, this week we've had weddings taking place on Wednesday, Thursday and a seafront blessing planned for later on this afternoon so the resort is buzzing with blushing brides. Also of course with the World cup final looming, the atmosphere is tense as the staff and guests alike wait in suspense to see if Spain can go all the way and win the cup. We've had a great turn out for both semi final matches in the Moonlight bar, and will also be showing the final there this Sunday as well as the third place play-off match on Saturday night. Let's hope Spain can give us a fantastic finale to the week!

A Night at the Races

If you are looking for something a little different to do on your holidays, we’ve got the the perfect activity for you; an evening at the Costa del Sol Racecourse.

The new summer race program has just been announced and a fun evening is on the cards for all the family. As well as the racing, there are plenty of other activities: live music, flamenco shows, activities for kids, a selection of restaurants and even a nightclub called Le Chic with music from the 70’s and 80’s.

Racing starts this Saturday the 3^rd July at 22:00 hrs, however, if you are a football fan and would like to watch Spain beat Paraguay in their quarter final clash, they will be opening their doors earlier (20:00hrs) so that guests can watch the match on various screens throughout the grounds.

The following dates are for the confirmed races to be held this summer: 10^th,17^th,24^th, 30^th July and the 6^th August.

So where exactly is the racecourse? It’s actually located very near to Fuengirola and about 20 minutes drive from Sunset Beach Club. If you have any questions just ask at Reception or at our activities desk and they will be happy to help.

Enjoy the races!