Unseasonably poor weather in the Mediterranean meant that the planned landing in Gibraltar had to be aborted and our GB Airways flight was diverted to Malaga.

Last minute changes to any itinerary provide a true test of a DMC's ability. Our host Viajes Med rose to the occasion. Emerging from the airport we were greeted by Jose Mayen who provided a personal and immediate transfer facility to our base at the 5 Star deluxe, Kempinski Resort Hotel.

The resort is situated between Estepona and Marbella and lies within spacious tropical gardens and boasts a kilometre of beautiful beaches. From the hotels balconies, there are panoramic views over the coast of Malaga, Gibraltar and the North African coastline.

View of the Kempinski Resort Hotel

Part of the Luxury Spa Collection from the Great Hotels of the World, the Kempinski Resort boasts excellent facilities. These include a spa and fitness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and Arabian bath, tennis court, water sports centre. The business centre has superb conference and banqueting facilities.

After a tour of the hotel and grounds, we enjoyed an excellent meal in the hotel's Las Brisas restaurant.  

Refreshed after a good night's sleep, our second day started with a buffet breakfast before leaving to visit to the Gran Hotel Elba Estepona & Thalasso Spa. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, this 5 Star resort is located on Arena beach within the municipality of Estepona. Its 138 double luxury rooms and 43 junior suites all have fantastic views of the Mediterranean.

Panorama of the Gran Hotel Elba and Thalasso Spa, Estepona

In addition to a spa area of over 1,400 square metres , the hotel has 5 excellent meeting rooms with a capacity for between 85- 350 delegates.

When you hear the words Spanish riding school thoughts automatically turn to Vienna but Estepona has an excellent facility of its very own. Run by Alvaro Domecq, Spain’s most knowledgeable horseman, the School of Equestrian Art is one of the best riding schools in Andalusia. It offers courses in dressage, a Pony Club for children, a shoeing service and a shop selling tack made in their very own workshop. The School puts on spectacular shows throughout the year in an arena that seats 1400 people. The excellent El Abrevadero restaurant is well worth a visit and private horse shows and gala dinners can easily be accommodated.

Outdoor Arena at the School of Equestrian Art, Estepona

From horse riding to golf. Our next port of call was the Westin La Quinta Golf Resort. The facility was awarded the accolade 'International Corporate Venue of the Year 2003/2004' by Business Britain. Set amongst splendid gardens the hotel benefits from several swimming pools, restaurants, bars, fitness centre and an oriental massage centre. The Westin La Quinta offers 163 double rooms, three Premium Deluxe rooms, three Junior Suites, two Executive Suites and the Marbella Presidential suite. All the rooms are spacious and decorated in Mediterranean/Andalusian style with terracotta tile and beautiful wooden furniture.

Spacious room at the Westin La Quinta

The crowning glory of the facility is the 27 hall golf course. Designed by three times world champion, Manuel Pinero and champion golfer Antonio Garrido, the three 9 hole courses are supplemented by three putting greens, a driving range and a golf academy. A typically Spanish meal, featuring two different types of paella, rounded off a busy but interesting morning.

The best of the day was saved to the end with a visit to the Hotel Villa Padierna. This 5 star plus grand luxury hotel opened in the spring of 2003 and became a member of the Leading Hotels of the World in just 5 months, Built in the style of a Tuscan palazzo, the Hotel Villa Padierna nestles on the splendid Flamingos Golf Course that has already played host to the 2002, 2003, 2004 European Senior's Match Play Championship. No expense has been spared in the decoration of the hotels 112 rooms and suites, bar and restaurants and extensive conference and meeting facilities. All are filled with original works of art and antiques. Its wonderful 1500 square metre spa (the largest in the Costa del Sol) will be inaugurated in the next couple of months.

Villa Padierna viewed from the pool

An excellent meal in the well appointed restaurant proved that the pursuit of excellence also extends to the kitchens.

The night was rounded off in excellent style with a visit to a typically Spanish Flamenco Show at the Bona Dea Restaurante in nearby San Pedro. 

A trip to the Costa del Sol is not complete without a visit to the mountain city of Ronda. The winding road from the coast is a wonderful, if arduous experience. Our host chose a novel alternative. From nearby San Roque we boarded the train. The railway line was opened in 1896 and was the brainchild of an English engineer named John Morrison. A superb journey through the mountains took us all the way to Ronda. Perched high on a plateau 780 metres above sea level, Ronda enjoys spectacular views of the peaks of the Sierra de San Cristobal and the Sierra de Grazalema  rising to a height of 1,640 metres.

The city itself is dominated by El Tajo, the world famous gorge over 700 metres high.

Robin Dilley, Ambient MD (left) with friends at El Tajo, Ronda

A succession of different cultures has held sway in Ronda over the centuries. All have left their mark, particularly on the old city. The new city has wonderful shops and excellent bars and restaurants. One of the main features is the Royal Maestranza Bullring which is one of the oldest and biggest in Spain.

All good things have to come to an end. The scenic road from Ronda to Marbella and the motorway to Malaga ensured that we arrived in good time for our flight back to the UK.

The Costa del Sol was once the preserve of the package holiday tourist. These have moved on to other areas such as the Greek islands, Cyprus, Turkey and the new eastern European destinations. The area is currently going through a process of rebranding itself as a 'five star all the way' conference and incentive destination. The excellent transport links with the UK and regular scheduled and low cost airline flights to Gibraltar and Malaga  combined with  infrastructure and accommodation improvements give it an undoubted edge over many of its competitors in the Mediterranean.

If you are interested in what the Costa del Sol can offer, Ambient will be happy to talk through the possibilities. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it