How to take great pictures
Taking good pictures allows you to make your favourite holiday memories last forever. Here are some of our tips to achieve it.
After your holidays, your brain is filled with precious, detailed memories that you cannot remember forever, since you must make room for new ones to be created. Tomorrow is World Photo Day – here are some useful tips on how to take great pictures and make your memories last a lifetime.
Practice until you’ve had enough – then practice some more
You must assess your experience and devote many hours to photography in order to improve. Your stay in Elba Estepona might be the perfect time to start, as this city has some fantastic views.
Think the picture before you take the picture
Examine the landscape and think about the framing while looking through the lens, since distances may vary. Once you have found the perfect picture – shoot!
If a picture has too much noise, make it black and white
Summer on a Spanish terrace
Explore the beauty of Spanish villages while having dinner on these summer terraces, and take a break from the heat!
Night falls, and the cool summer breeze starts to blow. It’s the perfect time to put on a thin jacket and step outside to enjoy the summer terraces that we famously love in Spain.
You’ll find plenty of information about the very well-known terraces that receive praise from bloggers. However, if you want to avoid the more touristey areas, Elba Hotels recommends the following more secluded, picturesque options.
La Casita (Montejaque, Málaga)
Montejaque is located in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. This idyllic village is filled with narrow streets and high stone walls. There, you can find ‘La Casita’; its terrace serves as a fantastic viewpoint while you enjoy a delicious pumpkin risotto paired with some local wine.
Dis Tinto (La Herradura, Granada)
Bring your baby to Elba Hotels
It’s very easy to forget certain things when babies need so many. We have now launched our Baby Kit service, for your peace of mind.
Nappies, swimsuits, baby bottles, and much more… Packing can be tough when travelling with a baby, and parents usually forget to bring one or two items. At Elba Hotels, we have found the perfect solution: Baby Kit, a new service specifically tailored for parents travelling with children aged 0-2.
This completely free pack can be requested by phone or upon arrival at the hotel. We offer cradles, baby bathtubs, baby bottle warmers and microwaves, among other items.
The best tapas in the south of Spain
Standing or sitting. On the beach or at a bar terrace. Anywhere is good to have tapas, especially during the summer.
In every holiday, there is always room to enjoy the local food, as it is a different way of discovering the local culture.
It is said that the term ‘tapa’ (‘lid’ in Spanish) was created centuries ago, when a piece of bread or ham was placed over the glass to keep the insects out. Nowadays, apart from being a fun and different way to eat, tapas have become an element for socialising. Who has never ‘gone for tapas’ – at least in Spain?
In Andalusia, tapas go perfectly with the climate: they are colourful, refreshing, and many are ‘freshly fished’ from the Mediterranean.
Traditional Andalusian tapas
How to protect your skin from the sun while enjoying your holidays
Sunlight is beneficial for our health: it stimulates blood circulation, the production of vitamin D, it strengthens our bones, and improves our immune system. However, poor sun protection can lead to serious consequences. As today is the European Day for the Prevention of Skin Cancer, we wanted to share some advice.
Many people do not protect their skin from the sun, with excuses such as being in a rush to get to the water for a quick refreshing splash. This results in many not using any sun cream, or using expired products that no longer work.
Skin cells have memory. This means that sun damage accumulates daily. It all starts with sunburn, which may simply hurt a little, but which can cause premature aging of the skin, allergies, and sunspots and patches that can lead to melanomas.
Natural Parks near Elba Hotels: Discover nature at your doorstep
Exploring nature is a passion for many. This activity allows us to bond with our family members, while discovering the beautiful 131 natural parks and 15 national parks across Spain. Many of these are near Elba Hotels. Today, we are going over some of our favourites to celebrate the European Day of Parks. Are you joining us?
Gibraltar, on the doorstep of Elba Hotels
There is another country at a stone’s throw away from Andalusia – and we are not talking about Portugal; we are talking about the UK. Gibraltar, only a few kilometres away from Elba Estepona and under two hours away from Elba Costa Ballena, is the perfect getaway to get to know the British culture and traditions.
What not to miss in Gibraltar
The most well-known attraction in Gibraltar is the Rock. You can reach the top riding the funicular, on foot (not suitable for those who don’t like steps) or by car. Once there, you can enjoy the views and meet the famous macaques, who mainly frequent the area known as the Guarida de los Monos (Apes’ Den). These African apes are a tailless species, and have inhabited Gibraltar for thousands of years. And by the way – do not feed them, you will be fined!
The family that travels together stays together
Did you know that 15th May is the International Day of Families? At Elba Hotels, we are joining the celebration with plans specifically designed for all family members. We hope you enjoy your holidays!
Let’s start with the little ones. You may already know our visitors’ favourite mascot: Pepe. He loves meeting our youngest guests, and visiting them during lunchtime or at the pool. We also have fantastic animation services, as well as daily and nightly activities in all our seaside hotels, adapted to different ages and languages. They will have a fantastic time meeting other kids!
Sierra de Grazalema mountains, Cádiz
Even though most of us associate Cádiz with beautiful sandy beaches, there is a hidden gem in the northeastern region of the province, bordering Málaga.
If you love hiking and mountains, the Sierra de Grazalema, which was declared a UN Biosphere Reserve in 1977, is a must. It is located in the Cordillera Penibética, and it is the perfect sport for a nature getaway. Hikers can choose from about 20 different routes, with varying degrees of difficulty.
Hiking routes in Sierra de Grazalema
The ‘Calzada Romana’ route is about 3.5 km long, and is considered one of the easiest, as the terrain is pretty even throughout. It runs between Benaocaz and Ubrique, and it is extremely well preserved. The archaeological remains show the many peoples – Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs… – that have inhabited this area across the centuries. Each of them has left their mark, and influenced traditions and customs.
Happy Birthday Elba Estepona!
We are celebrating our birthday! We celebrate together 10 years of Elba Estepona Gran Hotel & Thalasso Spa in Costa del Sol.
This five-star hotel, located in the first line of the beach, has become along the years one of the favorite hotels for our clients in Costa del Sol. Thanks to them and their opinions in Tripadvisor we were awarded the Certificate of Excellence in 2015!
To thank you for all your support to help us improve along this time, we want to celebrate with all of you our birthday with a very special offer. If you make a reservation between July 15 and July 31, 2015 will be able to enjoy an extra 10% discount in all stays between September 1 and December 30 and treatments at our Elba Thalasso Spa.
During these ten years, our hotel in Estepona has developed an intense activity attending the requests and suggestions of our customers with the aid of a great team of professionals of all areas.