My first trip to Europe was when I was 28 and I went on my honeymoon with Tommy Abate to Benalmadena, Spain. I did not realize it at the time but this was our first wellness travel experience. We stayed in an apartment in Benalmadena where we had private yoga classes each morning on the patio of the apartment.
These are pictures of Tommy and I starting our day off with the beautiful Sierra de Mijas Mountains in the background. Calamorro Mountain is the highest peak and there are beautiful hiking trails and even a cable car to you can take to explore the mountain range. We enjoyed hiking on numerous occasions and exploring the small villages on the way to the mountain.
Benalmadena is also located in Spain's Costa del Sol on the Mediterranean Sea. While we were visitng we spent a lot of time at the beach that was just a short walk from our apartment. There were so many restaurants, pubs and shops along the board walk. There was always something to do. We also had some really lovely dinner at the restaurants in the Puerto Marina, which is also home to the Sea Life Benalmedena Aquarium.
We took day trips and explored the Benalmedena Pueblo- the old village, nearby Torremolinos, where we went to a fabulous Flamenco Bar- Taberna Flamenca Pepe Lopez. We also visited the larger city Malaga (which is also where we flew in to). In Malaga, like any larger city there are more modern shopping and dining districts along with the rich history and culture of the region. We spent a day exploring the Alcazaba, a military post built around 1057 and a very important monument from the Hispanic- Arabic period. We also visited the Museo Picasso, one of my favorites and the Santa Iglesia Catedral Basilica, a beautiful Baroque style cathedral.
One of our favorite sites was the beautiful Castillo Monumento Colomares. It was a very unique castle that was built in honor of Christopher Columbus. A portion of the castle is in the shape of a ship.
Wellness travel can take many forms and also include exploration of artistic, cultural and historic sites. Every trip I take expands my view of the world and brings more understanding to other countries and ways of living.
Reach out to me if you are seeking help designing a truly transformative wellness trip or if you are interested in joining on our wellness retreat in Tuscany, Italy this fall. This trip will be sure to include so many iconic historic and cultural experiences. Until next time!
Jan 22
2 min read
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