Tag Archives: Business

El Mercadillo Organic Food Market – shopping with a natural feel good factor.

Living in Andalucía we are fortunate to embrace a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables and with the blessed climate of southern Spain a huge variety of products can be locally sourced, meaning not picked before ripened and travelling thousands of miles to land in our shopping basket. Unfortunately there is a tendency to shop in the large supermarkets for our fruit and veg as these stores provide a convenient “one-stop-shop” yet in doing so we miss out on the advantages of local food shopping.

Organic fruits and vegetables Guadalhorce valley, Malaga province
Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables

Guadalhorce Valley, North of Malaga is considered to be one of the most fertile valleys in Spain. In 2008 a group of organic farmers and consumers from the local towns of the region came together and formed El Mercadillo, Guadalhorce ecológico. This non-profit organization comes to different towns along the coast at set weekends of the month and simply brings the producers to the consumers while supporting the production, transformation, marketing and consumption of organic products from agriculture and livestock.

Organic fruits and vegetables Guadalhorce valley, Malaga province
El Mercadillo, Guadalhorce Ecológico: Organic Food Market in Nueva Andalucia every 3rd Saturday of the month

El Mercadillo organic market offers a real feel good factor level of food shopping. Not only are you provided with the best quality organic product, free from artificial substances, locally grown in an artisan way meaning true to flavor and taste. It is indeed part of the experience to be meeting the local farmers, producers, bread makers, bee keepers et al whose skills have been passed down from generation to generation.

Organic fruits and vegetables Guadalhorce valley, Malaga province
A vast selection of quality organic product, free from artificial substances and locally grown

It is worth taking a note in your agenda and saving the date to make a trip to the El Mercadillo organic market when it comes to a town near you. You can find the dates detailed on their website below. The variety on offer is outstanding plus nothing beats supporting local businesses. The market makes for a pleasant mornings shopping in a friendly atmosphere with an organic coffee stall and delicious cakes on offer too.  Check out www.guadalhorceecologico.org for their agenda and other relative information.

Marbella a Luxury Destination

After visiting several hot spots of the Mediterranean Sea over the past months, this beautiful sleek yacht has been anchored off  the bay of Marbella for a good number of days now. It is a Super Yacht that is hard to miss due to its sheer dimensions, actually one of the biggest private yachts in the world. Equally it is hard to not let your imagine run wild with questions like; who could own such a magnificent yacht and how could it look inside?  What is easy to imagine are the reasons why such a marvel would choose Marbella as a destination of choice? We have our ideas about why Marbella is a top destination for the Super Rich, such as the owner of Ocean Victory.

Ocean Victory Yacht
When delivered to its owner in 2014, the Ocean Victory (140 meters long, 28 meters wide, 14 guest cabins and 28 crew cabins costing $300 million) was recorded as the 10th largest yacht in the world.

So why might Ocean Victory  anchor at this spot in the Mediterranean off the Marbella Bay. Here are our Top 5 reasons; Straight in at No. 1: The Weather: Autumn is often referred to as one of the best loved seasons in Marbella, with mild temperatures blissfully clear blue skies and calm waters. A little bit fresher in the mornings and when the sun goes down, sit under the blazing sun through the best part of the day though and you feel like its summer all over again.

Number 2: Shopping. Marbella is renowned for being a first class shopping destination. In Puerto Banus you will find luxury stores from fashion giants such as Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, to the trendy boutiques of Maje, Sandro and Essentially Antwerp to name a few. Furthermore over the years  El Corte Ingles has certainly acquired a position as a shopping haven for luxury lovers with their recent restyling of the store now showcasing a superb selection of couture designers and offering services such as luxury personal styling. Want to arrive on your helicopter Mr. Ocean Victory no problem your Xquisit personal shopper will greet you on the helipad.

Xquisit shopping at El Corte Ingles Puerto Banus in Marbella

Number 3: Golfing. Maybe it´s a spot of golf takes that their fancy, that´s fine as we are not short of prestigious golf courses. Nueva Andalucia is known as the golf Valley with Las Brisas, Aloha, Los Naranjos and La Quinta Golf Clubs offering first class facilities and within a square mile of each other.  A little further down the coast the golden triangle of prestigious golf courses await you; Valderama, San Roque and Almenara Golf.

Guadalmina Golf course in Marbella

Coming in at number 4: Dining and Wining. The lucky people on Ocean Victory can choose from the numerous Michelin Starred restaurants in Marbella, such as El Lago, Messina, Skina or perhaps the restaurant Dani Garcia. Then enjoy a cocktail at one of the numerous Marbella bars to before before heading back to the yacht.

Finally at number 5: Peace of Mind. Marbella is a safe place to be where VIPs can visit without disturbances. There are no dangerous areas and the police forces are always present.