I have just returned from my first ever JY holiday in Andalucia and thought I would give some feedback on the holiday. Firstly I had a really fabulous time mainly down to the rep Clair and the lovely people I met there.
Mijas is beautiful and it was a pleasure to stay in such an unspoilt town. There were optional excursions everyday bar the last day and they were all very insightful and enjoyable. There is a lot of walking to do at Ronda and the visit to the Alhambra Palace, so you need good walking shoes and lots of energy, they are worth a visit as the scenery and places are spectacular.
The only down side for lots of us was the food which was bland on most days and unappetising on others. The second moan again for most of us was the staff, they were very miserable and quite rude on occasions, there attitude at times felt that it was too much trouble if you asked for anything. This spoilt the holiday slightly as the hotel itself is in a beautiful spot and expecting good customer service is not much to ask. There was one exception the chambermaids, they were always courteous and friendly.
On a couple of occasions a number of us went out to eat in the evenings and I can thoroughly recommend a restaurant called El Romero's which is up the hill on the way into Mijas. It has lovely panoramic views and the staff were magnificent, they could not do enough for you, total contrast to the hotel staff, added to that the food was delicious.
In the end your holiday often relies on the people you share it with and Clair the rep and everyone there made this holiday special for me. So overall I would recommend this holiday to any newbies as its a great start for your first JY holiday or anyone else for that matter.
Caz xx