I WENT OUT last Sunday afternoon to photograph the crowds and traffic we experience in August in Fuengirola. But the busiest weeks have already passed. The beaches near the center of town tend to be the most crowded. Our neighborhood, Los Boliches, gets busy but the beach is more expansive and people don't arrive in hordes (sometimes masses, but not hordes).
We have private parking behind our building. There are about 8 private garages and 26 communal parking spots. There are more apartments than parking spots. Not a problem all year, but in August it's risky to use the car. I've met some very nice people this summer, but I sure won't miss the crowds.
SALÍ EL DOMINGO pasado a fotografiar a las multitudes y el tráfico que experimentamos en agosto en Fuengirola. Pero las semanas más ocupadas ya han pasado. Las playas cercanas al centro de la ciudad son las más concurridas. Nuestro barrio, Los Boliches, se pone ocupado, pero la playa es más amplia y la gente no llega en hordas (a veces masas, pero no hordas).
Tenemos aparcamiento privado detrás de nuestro edificio. Hay alrededor de 8 garajes privados y 26 plazas de aparcamiento comunitario. Hay más apartamentos que aparcamientos. No es un problema todo el año, pero en agosto es arriesgado usar el coche. He conocido a gente muy agradable este verano, pero seguro que no se pierda las multitudes.
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| EAST OF THE PORT OF FUENGIROLA IN JULY. AL ESTE DEL PUERTO DE FUENGIROLA EN JULIO. |
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| CLICK THIS IMAGE FROM AUGUST FOR THE BIG PICTURE. WE LIVE AWAY FROM THE BIGGEST CROWDS. HAZ CLIC EN ESTA FOTO DE AGOSTO PARA EL PANORAMA. VIVIMOS LEJOS DE LAS MAYORES MULTITUDES. |
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| CLOSER TO HOME. MÁS CERCA DE CASA. |
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| GREEN FLAG. CALM SEAS. BANDERA VERDE. MARES TRANQUILOS. |
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| AND "PALM" TREES. Y PALMERAS. |
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| GASP! THREE EMPTY PARKING SPACES. ¡JADEAR! TRES PLAZAS DE APARCAMIENTO VACÍAS. |
I think I would rather go to your beach. I like some space between myself and others.
ReplyDeletethe wall-to-wall people beach reminds me of wildwood NJ in the summer.
anne marie:
DeleteIt does get crowded here, but never as bad as the Jersey Shore or Coney Island. I remember going to the beach when I was a kid and having no sand exposed between towels and blankets. You would carefully step on the "seams" when you headed to the water. I haven't yet seen that here.
I'll take Cape Cod in the summer...no high-rises or massive crowds. Alas, we are 2,000 miles from the Cape and 1,000 miles from the Pacific. :(
ReplyDeleteFrank:
DeleteWe used to love the Cape. Also, we had a friend who had a vacation home on the beach in Brewster and we would often go. So charming and so peaceful. Haven't been to the Cape in ages.
Summer in a vacation town, wouldn't expect anything less. However if this the "not so busy" period well....!
ReplyDeleteHeading to the beach now......ours is certainly tamer.
Parking has always been a bane to most people's existence.
Soon your world will be less encumbered and the cafes easy to slip into and have a java.
Do you plan on taking a horse drawn carriage ride someday?
That always reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld and Cosmos Kramer and the expelling of ~~~~ gas. LOL
Ron:
DeleteIt really isn't as jam-packed as it appears (nothing like summers in Coney Island and Brighton Beach), but it still gets more crowded than I like. Our parking lot currently has more than a dozen empty spots. August is coming to an end and it's raining this week. Yippee!!! I've never had much interest in the horse drawn carriage. Through Central Park maybe if the horses had been more loved and care for. Here, the horses do seem to be well cared for, but you're just riding around town. Eh! And, yes, I am often reminded of Kramer and "Rusty"!
Too many people in those first 2 photos! Looks much better closer to your place. August and September are the low season here, and lots of hotels and restaurants close for at least a month all across the tourist destinations in Belize. It is super hot right now, but tolerable in the shade of the veranda with a breeze from the fan when the air is still.
ReplyDeleteWilma:
DeleteToo many for me, too, although the angles of my shots do exaggerate the space a bit. We had a mostly milder summer than usual. Recent days have been hot and humid. And now there's rain, which is causing some of the vacationers to leave a few days sooner than planned. Yay!
How's a guy supposed to get sun when the beach is covered with umbrellas!!!
ReplyDeleteBob:
DeleteFloat!
I'll bet the beaches will still be wonderful in the fall once the crowds depart! You're so lucky to live there!
ReplyDeleteJennifer:
DeleteThe best time of year. We'll be gone for part of September and it should be glorious when we return.
I grew up going to the Jersey shore, and remember, too, it being much like that first photo -- not really quite that bad, though. Lots and lots of people, but not quite that bad. Lots of transistor radios playing -- Ha!
ReplyDeleteJudy
Judy:
DeleteMy angle exaggerates the crowd a bit. It's still nothing like Coney Island on a summer Sunday. I laughed the first time I saw how crowded it gets here, expecting it to be like what I had experienced in New York. Still, I like my OWN beach... and will soon have it back.
Holy cow, that is a lot of bodies at the beach. Maybe you should go somewhere else in August to get away from it.
ReplyDeleteCheapchick:
DeleteWe've talked about doing that. But we visit my brother in September, so don't feel like going away in August, too. Bilbao is supposed to be wonderful in August.
I know the feeling - this is my first full summer here and it's been a lesson in endurance. The crowds have been unbelievable at times. And frankly some of the behavior has been less than civilized. Though by and large people are pleasant there will always be the people who don't respect that as well as being a vacation spot it is also a place where people live. Ah well we choose to live in a summer town so have to learn to live with it.
ReplyDeleteWillym:
DeleteTourist behavior can be very unpleasant. "I'm on holiday; I can do whatever I want." Interestingly, in August the city is filled with Spanish tourists and vacation-home owners. Less inappropriate behavior than other times of year when tourists from countries I will not mention are here! And much better dressed!
Now THAT is a crowded beach!! I will never complain again! lol
ReplyDeleteGood thing about this is that it is great for the local economy and employs so many.
Great shots by the by, Mitchell!
Jim:
DeleteFuengirola was a small fishing village until tourism hit in the mid-60s. It's our major industry ... but, thankfully, they still fish!
That's one thing I hate is parking spaces, hard to find them sometimes and I loathe going to a parking garage, paying, and still not being able to find much except super up-top
ReplyDeleteAdam:
DeleteWe have the added problem in August that the parking garages might be full, too. But that has passed. There are now more than a dozen empty spaces in our lot!
Tourists seem to love your location. I'm not surprised.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteOur major industry. And of all the towns along the coast, ours has a long-running flat Paseo and city center, making it accessible to just about anyone. We even have specially accessible beaches, special lifeguards, and equipment to enable people of differing abilities to enjoy the sea.
Wow Mitchell, that is a lot of people! I understand why you won't miss the crowds.
ReplyDeleteHere in Brighton we have many "cottagers" that descend from May until October. The money is great for our little town but we sure like when it cools off and the town quiets down.
Have a good day!
Robin
Robin:
DeleteSame here. Everyone is grateful for the business and everyone is grateful to see the end of August!