You can see a few pictures from the Weekend here
The 2019 Iberian Dance Weekend in Fuengirola was organised by the Malaga Group, the fourth time this hard-working group had hosted the Weekend! The dates were 8th-10th March 2019. As in 2013, the event was held in Fuengirola in the 4-star Hotel IPV Palace & Spa, http://www.hotelipvpalace.com/en/ and music was provided by the Craigellachie Band http://www.craigellachie-band.co.uk/ We had a 3-piece line-up with Ian Muir on accordion, Keith Anderson on fiddle, and Judith Muir on piano. The teacher at the Weekend was the highly-acclaimed Mervyn Short.
The cost of the weekend was 205 Euros per person in a double room and 285 euros for a person in a single room. Extra nights including breakfast (for example, Thursday or Sunday) were available for 101,65 euros for a double room (so 50,83 euros per person) and 90,95 euros for a single room. These prices also included VAT. There was also a half-board option (breakfast and dinner), which added about 17,50 euros per meal per person. Participants were required to book extra nights for themselves, using a form sent to Iberian group leaders at the beginning of November. Using the form ensured that participants were in the same room for the whole period of their stay. Our price for extra nights was slightly better than the best one than what could be obtained via the Net.
To simplify the organisation of the weekend, we asked all “non-Iberians” to associate themselves with one of the Iberian groups in order to register and make their payment. A list of all the Iberian groups is on the following page of this website https://sites.google.com/site/ipscdg/about-us
Over 140 people came to the weekend. The dance programme is available for download from the bottom of this webpage or else from the following links (click on "cribs" and select the format you want):
Friday ball https://my.strathspey.org/dd/list/16478/
Saturday ball http://my.strathspey.org/dd/list/16476/.
The final schedule for the Weekend is available for viewing and download from the bottom on this page (pdf file).
Notes about the venue: Situated on the coast near to the town of Fuengirola, the hotel has stunning sea views of Mijas Costa. A frequent train service gives quick access to Malaga city centre and other parts of the coast, and it’s an easy walk to the local beaches and shops. There is ample car parking space close to the hotel where you can leave your vehicles for the whole weekend. The hotel enjoys easy communication via motorway, international airport, bus and trains from Malaga. For those coming from Portugal, there is even a long-distance overnight bus from Lisbon to Fuengirola! the hotel and the ballroom are very big, although the floor of the ballroom is hard, made up of various types of marble.
For those able to stay for a few days before or after the Weekend, then there are some wonderful places to visit in this region of Spain besides, of course, the nearby city of Malaga. For example, the ancient town of Ronda – built over a deep gorge - is not far away, and the astonishing karst formation of El Torcal de Antequera is also within striking distance. The city of Seville (plus, on its outskirts, the beautiful and extensive Roman ruins at Italica) is another worthy destination. A walk along the mountainous path El Caminito del Rey is also a possibility, but for that it is imperative to book a ticket in advance (you can book a ticket on-line here https://reservas.caminitodelrey.info/?lang=en). Last but not least, a drive along the coast will bring you to Gibraltar, well worth a visit.