Hi Jo, I found the walk into Benalmadena harbour a nice leisurely 10/15 min walk. I didn't go into Toremolinos but I think that's a fair bit further away. Maybe 25 mins or so? I'm sure Sanji will know when she reads your post

15-20 minutes will take you to the Marina, no probs. 20-25 to Torremolinos beach front... you then have to walk up a very steep and winding walkway to the centre of town, a glorified alleyway in parts but with shops, bars and restaurants all the way to make it interesting. Alternatively, there's a lift shaft up thru the cliff, but not for the claustrophobic. We regularly do the walk in the other direction, taking the train from Torreblanca to Torremolinos.. downhill walk to the front, then along the promenade, past Carahuela, round the Marina, back up onto the front at the windmill roundabout, round Paloma Park and up into Bonanza Square for lunch. 1 hour 30 minutes to 45.
Back down to the front and along the coast road, towards Fuengi, past the big hotels and holiday village, some great scenery, proper footpaths and very safe, back down into Torreblanca with the big Torres bull on the hill as our marker.. another two hours and a thirst to be quenched in the very friendly Red Dragon pub, behind the Gardenia Park hotel.
Not one to be undertaken under the fierce summer sun but in spring, autumn and winter, its a fantastic walk.

Hi
Thanks for the info
I like the idea of the train to Torremolinos center and then walking down to the beach.Would the buses be the same ?as i think the villa where we are staying (not far from swordfish roundabout) has a bus stop very near by.
Am i right in saying aswell that walking from La Carihuela to the benalmadena marina you would pass an area of Brit bars? My Teenagers would be looking for the nearest more livelier areas.
Also
Does the train and buses link you to all the resorts easily down to Fuengirola and Marbella?
Are the buses a nightmare? would it be worth the little extra walk to the Train station.
Loads of questions sorry !
Thanks
Jo

Where to start? (The beginning is usually a good place)
Yes, there are buses running along the main road between the towns and its only a few minutes walk from where you are headed. The nearest train station would be a bit further away, maybe even a taxi ride. But, yes, the train is the best way to travel up and down the coast. The line runs from Malaga to Fuengirola, passing by the airport, and is very cheap, comfortable and reliable with services in both directions every 20 minutes, new trains, too, from last year. The buses also run up and down the coast and just take a little bit longer by their stop-start nature.
Brit bars? I've never stopped in any, lest my walk turn into a stagger, but I've noted a few along the way. One called the Sun, Moon and Stars or suchlike, seems to be very popular. There's also a very popular and lively Irish bar, Mulligans, and others, just off the promenade at the Timor Sol hotel, just before the Marina.
24-hour Square in Benalmadena, where all the mad clubs are, is also just a short bus ride away.
You're never far from a Brit bar on the Costa. Lots of upmarket bars in the Marina,too, but your teens would probably find them a bit expensive compared to the bespoke Brit bars. Believe me, you are at the centre of everything and you'll not go wrong.. enjoy the hol...

JG

Hi JG
Thanks for that...great help
I think then if we dont fancy the walk and going to the nearer resorts we will get bus but if venturin further will get train.Which is the nearest station to La Carihuela?
Thanks again
Jo

Probably Montemar but not 100 per cent sure on that.. if not, then El Penillo, they're only a few minutes apart

Here's a link to the timetable.. it probably is Monetmar..

http://www.gomarbella.com/malaga-airport/trains/timetables.htm

jimg - just came back from the lovely area you mentioned and we are amazed at your stamina!
We wouldn't even walk from the Holiday Village to Gardenia Park - shame on us but good on you!

That's the downhill bit, Suzie!

Hi Jo
Good advice there from Jimg
You've got a lot of options because of where you're staying"¦"¦
If you walk to the end of your street and follow the road upwards bearing right, you're easily less than 10 mins away from Montemar Alto railway station, but it is uphill.
As you go over the bridge with La Bateria park on your right, the railway station is the other side of the bridge on your left and I find the easiest and safest way to get to it, is to carry on walking a little further and you can cross over via the pelican crossing and come back on yourself and straight into the station just before the start of the bridge (personal choice because I value my life LOL)

From here you can get the train to Malaga or Fuengirola.
Torremolinos is the next stop from Montemar Alto for trains going to Malaga and as you come out of the station at Torremolinos and into the plaza( square), if you walk left you will come to the main street in Torre called Calle San Miguel and if you walk right down this street evenually you will have to walk down approx 180 steps ( I lost count) which will bring you onto the promenade and if you turn right and walk around the headland, you can walk all the way back to your villa through La Carihuela village.
The train to Fuengirola is on the opposite platform and Fuengirola is the end of the line, so you can't go wrong, but if you use any trains, you must always get your tickets from the machine before boarding the train.

For the buses"¦..not sure where the next bus stop is after the swordfish roundabout, but outside the nearby supermarket the buses run to various places on this coast, Fuengirola again is the end of the line.
Not to complicate things, when you are in Fuengirola both the railway station and bus station are less than 2 mins away from each other and you can catch the bus to the white village in the mountains called Mijas from Fuengi bus station, just a bit further along from where you disembark from the coastal buses"¦.it's a short journey winding up into the mountains and whilst it has become a tourist trap, it's still recommended.

If you want to catch the bus to Malaga/Torremolinos, you need to be across the coastal road at the nearest bus stop and when you see the fountain ahead, you need to get off at the next stop for Torremolinos centre.

The local L1 bus comes passed your villa, approx every 30 mins, and it does a loop to Torremolinos passing Montemar Alto railway station ( the bus stop is next to the pelican crossing so you press the button as you're going over the bridge) it goes through Torremolinos residential/old part and down into Torremolinos, although I have always got off in the old part and walked down, so I can't tell you where exactly to get off, but this bus is very handy for you and I'm sure someone will tell you.

British Irish Bars"¦"¦walk to the swordfish roundabout and cross over the pelican crossing and you will see the Hotel Pez Espada at the bottom of the street"¦.
Stood FACING the front entrance of the hotel on Calle Salvador Allende walk right and keep on this street and eventually you will come to all the British/Irish bars.
When you come to the very end of Salvador Allende you will see the hotel Sol Aloha Puerto and just passed this hotel is a tarmac lane by the side of a stream which will bring you onto the promenade and a few minutes walk from the Puerto Marina"¦.you can cut down any of the streets before the Aloha Puerto and this will bring you onto the promenade.

Sanji

Hi
Thanks JimG the link was great

Sanji..Thats for all that great info again i can almost picture it , im going to print all this info off aswell as last years and take it with me . Its great because booking a private villa you do not have any reps or receptionists to help you as in a hotel
Does the L1 bus actually run up our villa's street ?
As you said "you value your life" with the main roads and my teenagers worry me when crossing the roads what with them being in a world of their own if they havent got their ipods on!
One last question...sorry once i get started i cant stop.
We will be fine at night either in our villa or relaxing at a bar in La Carihuela but my 3 year old likes a good old tots disco.Are their any hotels you could reccomend even if a little walk away that we could have a drink and their would be kiddies entertainment on for an hour?
Thanks again
Jo

Does the L1 bus actually run up our villa's street ?

Yes it does, it's only the local bus and it does a loop between Torremolinos and the hotel Aloha Puerto, if you want to go to Fuengirola or Malaga you'll have to catch the bus on the coastal road.....and also a bus going to Malaga on the coastal road will go through Torremolinos.
From opposite the Aloha Puerto hotel, from there it goes halfway up the last street, turns right and comes back on itself, and comes out on the street junction halfway between the hotel Pez Espada and the swordfish roundabout, it turns left up to the swordfishh roundabout and goes straight up the hill where it goes around the roundabout near El Pinillo train station......from there it comes back on itself down the hill, but just before the swordfish roundabout it turns left and goes along your street and then up passed Montemar train station, winding its way through the old part of Torremolinos where the church, police station and town hall are situated, and it then goes down into Torremolinos....Sat and Sunday and fiesta days it runs every hour.
On the loop from Torremolinos it comes back up through the old part, passed Montemar station. along your street, up to the roundabout near El Pinillo railway station, then back on itself down onto the coastal road and down through la Carihuela going on Calle Miami, Los Ninos, passed the hotel Pez Espada, Buenosol Appts, Sol Timor and finally back opposite the hotel Sol Aloha Puerto, so if you're ever near the Puerto Marina and don't fancy walking home, you can pop on this bus and it will take you outside your villa, but don't get freaked out when it goes up the hill at the Swordfish roundabout, it will come back down and along your street.
Like I say I can't tell you where to get off in Torre because we always get off near the church, it's very Spanish up there and we walk down into Torremolinos coming out near the fountain near Calle San Miguel.

Here you go.....
http://www.urbanosdetorremolinos.com/index2.htm
If you click on Horarios another window should open and looking at VUELTA - Laborables ( returning to Torremolinos week-days,) you can see the times the bus should be at Montemar railway station, so if you stand at the bus stop on your street 10 minutes before, you shouldn't be waiting long because I could walk it to Montemar station from your villa in 10 mins.

Young children? I've no idea it's a very long time since I had any......The hotel Barracuda might have something on, but I think your best bet is the hotel Sol Aloha Puerto and you can catch the bus back home opposite the hotel on the corner.

Sanji

..or maybe the Timor Sol, on the front, between Carihuela and the Marina... always seems to be a lot going on for the kids there.

Amazing detail, Sanji.. I have trouble with the bus route that passes my front door at home, never mind Spain.

Hi Sanji
Fantastic info again ... that bus looks great for us and im glad the older kids can get a bus without going onto the main road too and it seems to take us anywhere we would want to go regards Torremolinos , the Marina and La Carihuela if we are having a lazy day.
We want to go to the Crocodile Park too (unless anyone has any bad experiences of it ?) and by looking at the L1 bus route , as far as i can make out it may take us fairly near there aswell.
Thanks Sanji and Jimg for the hotel suggestions we will have a look
Thanks again
Jo

Hi

Only two and a half weeks to go for me
I have been using google street view to get a feel for the area which is great.
Regarding buses Sanji? Do you know how i can find a bus number and info on a bus that might run along the busier road below our villa (Av de carlotta Alessandri) towards Benalmadena that might stop outside the McDonalds on N340 by the livlier part of Benalmadena.
This is for the Teenagers in their high heels at night ! not me

Thanks for any help

Jo

Jojo the 110 & 120 run along the coast road, one will show Benal Costa the other Fuengirola, fare normally €1.35c unless you buy green bus card from Kiosk, near 24hr Sq.. then fare is 85c, the card costs €1.80 then you top up as much as you like.. if you plan lots of bus trips, it will work out cheaper..they cannot be used on L1 bus however..x Oh and after your holiday, you can hand in the card and get your €1.80 back.. Enjoy your stay..

Hi

thats great thanks.Ive just read in a post on trip advisor that i found when researching buses (it was a Feb 2010 post) that the L1 bus that we were looking forward to using in the day as it passes the villa door,has been discontinued due to authority funding.I hope not
Jo

L1 bus service has definitely been discontinued.

Oh well never mind its only a stones throw to the other buses
Thanks
Jo