Visitor notes

These visitors notes are regularly updated; an up to date copy will be sent to you at the time of  booking. We have written these notes in the hope that the information provided will help you to settle in quickly. They will also ensure that you will not struggle to determine how things in the apartment work. We should draw your attention to the Community Rules, found at the back of the Visitor Notes in the grey folder, under the lamp table in the sitting room. Trying to comply with them does keep everyone on the development happy and since most of them are common sense anyway, they should not present you with any problems. If you need any more information than we have provided in these notes about any of our appliances, the instruction manuals are all to be found in a leather briefcase in the sideboard.

We would be grateful if you didn’t smoke inside the apartment.

Kitchen and Laundry Room

First thing to do is to turn on the water heater in the Laundry Room. The switch is on the wall under the heater. If by any chance there is no water when you turn on the taps, then it has been turned off at the mains either by the cleaner or the previous occupants. Mains taps are in the Laundry Room and in the cupboard above the sink in the kitchen. Simply turn them on. Bear in mind, appliances may need to be plugged in.

Please always ensure that the window in the Laundry Room is slid open when the air conditioning is on. It must be ventilated to operate.

Also in the Laundry Room are the washing machine and dryer, both very simple to operate. The washing machine programme that we use all the time is 40^o on RAPIDO, spin speed 1000, just turn the dial to 40 and press RAPIDO and INICIO; when it stops at TERMINADO, simply turn the dial to STOP and open the door. Please clean the filter in the door of the tumble drier after each use to keep it working efficiently.

There are two drying racks that we move to the patio when we are here. There is a Community rule that washing is not draped over railings etc., so please keep the rack on the side of the patio away from the grass.

Everything in the kitchen is very simple. To operate the oven or grill, the left hand knob must be turned to the “hand” symbol. The oven and grill are very hot, so don’t turn them up too high. Don’t put anything, including foil, on the bottom of the oven.

The dishwasher is also very simple and has symbols on the panel to help you determine which programme to use. Unless you have anything really greasy, the 35 degree programme is the best one to use as all the others take ages! When the cycle has finished, the dishwasher makes a beeping noise. It will continue to do this periodically until you open the door, so if you hear a mysterious noise, more than likely it is the dishwasher.

Rubbish should go out regularly. There are bins next to the gatehouse below the car park area that are emptied frequently. You just need to take the rubbish down to the bins. Please keep any perishable food in the fridge at all times, especially in hot weather or you will attract ants.

Bottled water is readily available and is very cheap to buy. There should be some bottles under the sink to get you started but please replace these for the next tenants.

Crockery is in the sideboard in the dining area. A full inventory of kitchen gadgets etc. is in the grey folder referred to above.

You are welcome to use any of our kitchen store products such as oil, sugar, salt etc, but as we are not here often enough to replenish stores of larger items such as dishwater tablets, washing powder tablets, bin bags, toilet rolls, tea, water, kitchen rolls etc, we would be grateful if you would replace these for the next tenants. Unless you are intending to do a lot of washing, the easiest thing is probably to take a few washing powder tablets with you.

Please use bin liners at all times – 30 litre size for the kitchen & 10 litre for each bathroom.

Food shopping

There are at least four supermarkets in San Pedro. The nearest ones are Champion (avoid if possible) and Mercadona 5 minutes away (both quite close to the BP station). If you want a bigger store try Carrefour at Estepona or Alcampo at the La Canada complex (huge shopping centre at bottom of the Ojen road). There is also a Safeway at Gibraltar if you want British products. Hipercor at Corte Ingles in Puerto Banus is huge!

There is a very good convenience store within a couple of minutes drive down the hill from the entrance to Los Arqueros at Monte Halcon ( on the left hand side of the road ).

Living/Dining Room

Air conditioning/heating is very simple to operate. The control is on the wall above the sideboard. Press left hand button to turn on/off; next button to regulate fan speed (mainly unnecessary); other buttons to regulate temperature, up or down. The system will only operate effectively if you keep the patio doors closed. To save energy, please ensure that the system is turned off when you are not inside the apartment. You will find that within minutes of switching back on, the temperature adjusts to your requirements. We find the best thing to do is switch it on by pressing the left hand button twice, for an hour before bed and then switching off as it dries the air too much to sleep with.

Freeview British Channels including BBC, ITV, Channels 4& 5 , CBBC etc are available on the TV . Switch on the TV then switch on the Digibox. On the Digibox remote, press TV guide and select channels with “ select “ button. Scroll up & down menu with buttons surrounding it .  There is a DVD player, which also plays CDs.

You are welcome to use any of our books, CDs and DVDs although we have a very limited supply of the latter two at the moment.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

Bed linen and towels will be hired for you but these cannot be removed from the apartment so please take your own beach towels to use at the pool.

Please take care of the bedspreads. Since suitcases become very dirty when travelling, we ask that you do not put them directly on top of the bedspreads when unpacking. We have provided plastic-coated cloths for this purpose which are located on the top shelf of each wardrobe . Please put them back after use. We find it easier to take the bedspreads off the beds and leave them in the wardrobes for the duration of our stay. Otherwise they end up on the floor for most of the time!

A hairdryer is located in the dressing table drawer in the main bedroom, fitted with an adaptor.

Should you need blankets, they are in the top of both wardrobes in plastic zip bags. There are others in labelled boxes under the beds. Again, we would be very grateful if you would replace them at the end of your stay so that the cleaners do not take them away with the linen

Please do not put disposable nappies, wipes etc down the lavatories. Spanish plumbing cannot cope with them.

Further mains taps are located in each bathroom.

If using heated towel rails, please remember to unplug them after use. They are operated with the switches next to the light switches in the bathrooms.

The safe is located in the wardrobe in the main bedroom. You will have been sent details about the safe key and a code with the key to the apartment. Please do not leave the code in the apartment when you are out, for obvious reasons!

Terrace

Please keep sunbed cushions in at night, as it does get damp. Ensure all furniture is placed on terrace at night due to irrigation system.

If taking terrace furniture to pool area, please return it to our terrace when not in use and at night.

General

The club house is a short walk away and serves meals all day.

Most UK mobile phones will operate from Spain. To telephone home, use the UK Country code of 0044 and then omit the first 0 of the following number.

Beware of using pay as you go mobiles; they are very expensive and cost even when someone phones you.

Watch the front door – if it closes, you cannot get in without your key. It’s easy to lock yourself out. If you have both the front door and the patio doors open at the same time, it can create a through draught that causes the doors to slam. Although in that case only you can get in round the back.

Ignore the alarm system – not yet in use.

Spare light bulbs are kept in the cupboard above the fridge, (40w for bedroom lamps and 60w for sitting room lamp – as yet we haven’t any spares for the overhead lights).

Please take care of soft furnishings and avoid sitting on the furniture when wearing swimsuits or suntan lotion. There are two white throws in the bottom of the sideboard which can be used over the sofas when wearing sun lotion.

There is a list of important phone numbers at the back of these notes.

Taylored Services are excellent and will help you in numerous ways. They are located above the Golf Shop/Club House. They all speak excellent English and are very friendly. There is a list in the grey folder, of service prices.

There is an English speaking security guard on duty 24 hours a day (number at the back of the folder). In the unlikely event that you have any security concerns (eg late night revellers) just phone security and they will deal with the matter.

Taxis are cheap and easily obtained. The easiest meeting point is probably the Club House. Phone number on the list mentioned earlier.

Occasionally there are power cuts which usually only last a few minutes. There is a torch in the sideboard drawer and candles and matches in the kitchen cupboard above the microwave.

Departure Procedures

When you leave, please make sure that you have disposed of any perishable food. Would you please also leave the fridge and freezer empty.

Please turn the water heater off in the laundry room, and close the utility room window.

Please bring in lounger cushions and drying racks from the terrace.

Repack and replace blankets.

Please make sure that the air conditioning is turned off.

Please turn all appliances off at their on/off switches, and remove plugs. The exception to this is the fridge/freezer, which should be left on.

Please do not leave keys behind. If you have booked your holiday through Taylored Services, then return the keys to them. If you have booked directly with us, please follow the procedure that we have agreed.

Please double lock the front door as you leave the apartment.

Finally, we do hope that you enjoy your holiday. If you have any problems and Taylored Services can’t help, try us on 0044 1423 569 698. Caroline and Stephen Rosenvinge

LOS ARQUEROS CLUB HOUSE

Los Balcones is just one of the developments on the Los Arqueros complex. If you follow the road just down the hill and right you will come to the Club House. Here you will find the main offices of Taylor Woodrow and Taylored Services. About 3-4 minutes walk from the apartment.

The Club House offers excellent snacks and drinks and has a good restaurant that is open in the evenings. Some evenings they have entertainment. They also do take-away meals.

In addition to the golf course, you will also find Los Arqueros offers:

• Golf lessons and driving range

• Gymnasium

• Sauna

• Golf shop

• Tennis courts and tennis lessons(and paddle tennis )

• Public telephone

• Small childrens playground

SAN PEDRO DE ALCANTARA

San Pedro is just a mile or so down the road and is a typical small Spanish town. Although you will find tourists there, San Pedro remains unspoilt and is still very Spanish.

There is a beautiful church in one of the main squares, which is well worth a visit, and if you take the time to walk around the town, you will find some delightful streets and properties. There is a pedestrianised shopping street with lots of cafes and ice cream parlours, and several other streets where you will find many shops to browse round.

There is a multitude of restaurants which offer a wide selection of food to suit all tastes.

The bus station provides local bus services and also services to places such as Malaga and Seville. You will find advice and timetables in the San Pedro Tourist Office.

San Pedro also has a Post Office if you wish to send postcards.

Market Day is Thursday (9am to 2pm) and is to be found on Calle Jorge Guillen, just as you enter San Pedro. It is a really good market and you will find dozens of stalls, with goods ranging from food to clothing and souvenirs.

Supermarkets are numerous and varied. You may like to shop around to find the one that suits you best. We find Mercadona is the cheapest and the best for fresh bread. Avoid Champion. Supercor, is a bit more upmarket and sells excellent fish. The BP garage also sells bread, croissants and cakes.

San Pedro also has a beach with sunbeds, showers etc and a promenade if you feel like a good walk. To get to it , go right out of the complex , down the hill , all the way to the coast road.  At the coast road, go straight across and keep going until you reach the sea!  You will also find fish restaurants along the promenade and restaurants serving barbecued meats.

OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST

There are dozens of places to visit and things to do on the Costa del Sol. These are just a few. We have also put some leaflets in a black folder under the lamp table. Please feel free to use these and add any that you find of interest!

Marbella

Marbella is famous for its Golden Mile of beaches, its shops and its restaurants. There is also a delightful “old town” with narrow, winding shopping streets and quaint squares including the most famous Orange Square.

The shopping is wonderful with hundreds of fashion shops to suit all budgets, but you may like to just meander through the old town stopping for a drink or a meal. Marbella is a must when you visit the Costa del Sol.

Malaga

Malaga lies East of the Airport and will take about an hour to drive there from Los Arqueros. It is well worth a visit and is a very Spanish city. You will find some delightful streets, buildings and squares. There is a wonderful Cathedral and you could not fail to be impressed by it. Malaga was also the birthplace of Picasso, so of course you will find museums dedicated to his work.

If you do visit Malaga, you must try “churros and hot chocolate”, everybody has this in Malaga, usually for a late breakfast. Churros is a type of batter, cooked in boiling oil and served in long strips. Dip it in your hot chocolate and go to heaven. Never mind the calories for once!

Puerto Banus

You will hear people refer to Puerto Banus as The Port. You will either love it or hate it, but you must go and judge for yourself. Puerto Banus attracts the “beautiful people” if you know what I mean. You will see yachts and cars that take your breath away and if you like “people watching”, sit in Sinatra’s Bar or any of the other bars along the quay and you will not be disappointed.

Restaurants are numerous and very good. Obviously you will pay more for your food alongside the Port, but it is worth splashing out once in a while. Several restaurants specialise in Paella or fish dishes.

There is also an excellent beach which has won awards for its cleanliness, and in high season Puerto Banus runs a regular ferry service to Marbella.

Puerto Banus is home to the famous El Corte Ingles departmental store. If you want designer labels though, just wander around the streets close to the Port, but beware if you find something you like, your credit card will take a real hammering.

Mijas

Mijas is a typical Spanish village with white washed houses and shops, just like you see on postcards. You will experience wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and there are dozens of restaurants and shops. You can even take a ride in a horse drawn carriage.

Mijas can get crowded and is certainly very “touristy”, but it is worth a visit.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is the ultimate experience for duty free shopping. Real bargains are to be had. It is steeped in military history and of course everyone has heard of the Rock and the Barbary Apes. You can have guided tours of The Rock and Botanical Gardens and there is also an official tour of the town itself. Gibraltar also has a Safeway supermarket where everything is priced in sterling and you can buy all the items that you find in Safeway in England. Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes are really cheap.

The drive from Los Arqueros takes about 45 minutes and is quite straightforward. If you go in High Season though, go very early as you may find a long queue to cross from Span to Gibraltar and visa-versa. Don’t forget that you will need your passport.

Ronda

Los Arqueros is situated on the Ronda road. If you drive up this road, away from San Pedro, you drive through spectacular mountain scenery. (You will also pas El Coto restaurant, which is excellent , though not cheap, just a few minutes drive away )

The drive to Ronda takes less than an hour and you will probably see eagles and buzzards on the way.

Ronda is superb, very Spanish and with breath-taking views. Do go there, you will not be disappointed.

Benahavis

This is a delightful Spanish village, with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. It is just a few minutes drive away and is renowned for its excellent restaurants, of which there are many.

Taylor Woodrow are in the process of building a road from the other side of Los Arqueros, behind El Largo. Once this is finished it will connect directly to the Benahavis road.

North Africa

There is a ferry to Morocco and you will see this widely advertised. We haven’t used it ourselves, but understand that it is worth a try. Some of the Service Stations on the motorway sell tickets and the crossing takes about an hour.

Beaches

Although there is a beach at San Pedro, it is of dark sand. The better beaches are to be found at Marbella, Puerto Banus, Cabopino and Elviria. Cabopino also has a little port and some lovely restaurants. (However, it gets very busy and parking can be a problem.)

There are of course dozens of beaches along the whole coastline.

One which has been recommended to us is St Martha’s. Take the coast road towards Estepona. Go under the Marbella arch and take the turn off towards Los Flamingos Golf. Look for the Pacific and India restaurant and then pick up signs for the beach. Apparently the beach hut restaurant with the straw roof is worth a try.

Restaurants

You will find plenty of restaurants in San Pedro.

There are also many restaurants on the Ronda Road. As you are leaving Los Arqueros, turn left onto the Ronda Road and you will find restaurants within a couple of miles on both sides of the road. One particularly good one is El Coto, this is located on the left hand side, little more than a mile or so from Los Arqueros.

The Club House restaurant is also quite good and on some evenings provides live entertainment.

If you want to go a bit further afield, Puerto Banus and Benahavis are full of excellent restaurants. We have left some restaurant cards in the black folder – please feel free to add some to it if you find somewhere nice.

TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Most UK mobile phones will operate from the apartment. If not, there is a  public phone at the Club House.

Los Arqueros:

General Numbers:

DIRECTIONS TO APARTMENT

B5-1 Los Balcones, Los Arqueros (journey time approx 40-45 mins)

Having collected your cases, DON’T leave the baggage hall. Walk towards the Salida but BEFORE going through the doors go down the ramp to the right and into the car rentals office.

(If going by taxi, follow signs after leaving baggage hall.)

Once you have collected your car, go up the ramp and into the Malaga lane (N.340, E-15, A-7)

Take the Cadiz sign and then after a short distance, the E-15 toll road.

Go towards Algeciras and stay on the E-15/AP7 (when road splits later – stay left)

Eventually you will come to a toll booth where you will pay about €5,15 and pick up signs for Estepona. Carry on until you see a sign on the right for “La Quinta” and go through a long tunnel.

Just after this tunnel take a right turn to Ronda/San Pedro De Alcantara – A376 (Junction 172)

At the end of the slip road pay another toll of about €2,00.

Go forward to the roundabout and take the last exit (i.e. come completely back on yourself, passing the slip road on your left (A397 – Ronda). Follow the Ronda road up the hill (approx 2 miles). You will see Los Halcones commercial centre on the right, Los Almondros on the left then a big green and yellow sign on the right with “Ronda 44km”. Immediately after that, turn left into Los Arqueros.

Once on the development, there is a 4-5min drive to Los Balcones (follow the signs). Los Balcones is on the right. Drive between the gate-houses, up the hill and into the car park on the left. Our space is marked B5-1 and is in the top right corner (near satellite dish).

Walk back to the apartments, along the walkway to the right until you get to No 5 (big black number on the wall). Go down the steps and apt 1 is on the left. The key is a bit fiddly but ok once you have “the knack”.

Return Journey

From Los Arqueros, go down hill towards San Pedro, watch for turning on right for Malaga (E-15, AP-7). Pay toll of approx €2. Carry on to the next toll of approx €5,15 and keep following Malaga signs.

(There is a Repsol petrol station just after Benalmadena if you need to fill up before returning the car)

Not far after that is a sign for the airport (junction 229). Take that road and follow it for a few minutes and then there is another sign off to the right for the airport.

Go past the San Miguel brewery on the left and BP garage on the right. For return of hire car, keep in right lane and follow Rent a Car signs.