Los Amigos Beach Club, Mijas – An Honest Family Review

Family holidays can be expensive, especially during school breaks and when you’re a family of 5! When I found a self-catering package to Los Amigos Beach Club for under £800, including flights for a week during February half term, it felt like a bargain. With a bit of research, we saw there was plenty to do in the surrounding area and decided to give it a go. Even if the weather wasn’t hot, it would surely be better than February in England!

Here’s my honest family review of our holiday, including the good, the great, and anything we’d do differently next time.

Getting There: Flying from Manchester to Málaga

We flew out from Manchester Airport the Friday before half term (0n a school day). Although our children had an unauthorised absence, we didn’t receive a fine, as it was only for the one day.

Tip: This can be a great way to save money on your holidays, and the children are only missing 1 or 2 days of school.

We flew with Ryanair from Terminal 3, which was straightforward. Our flight was slightly delayed, so we arrived late into Málaga Airport. We’d pre-booked a very budget car hire with a company called Delpaso, which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.

There’s a shuttle bus from outside the terminal to their car lot, but we waited around 30 minutes for it to arrive – tricky when travelling with young children late at night. Once on board, we noticed some seats didn’t have seatbelts, and that instantly made us feel a bit uneasy. The ride itself was short (around 5/10 minutes) although the route felt like it led to the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, everything turned out fine, and we eventually made it to our accommodation.

First Impressions of Los Amigos Beach Club

Check-in at Los Amigos Beach Club was quick and friendly. The reception staff were helpful, and although the site wasn’t busy, it felt secure and well-managed. We did have to pay a €100 deposit, which was refunded at the end of our stay with no issues.

From the moment we arrived, it was clear the place was well maintained, with neatly trimmed flowerbeds and staff visibly working to keep the grounds tidy.

Our Apartment: Surprisingly Spacious and Family-Friendly

We hadn’t realised when booking that our accommodation would be a duplex apartment – and we were pleasantly surprised at how spacious it was! Perfect for a family of five, it featured:

• Two bedrooms upstairs
• Two bathrooms (one with a shower, one with a bath)
• A sofa bed in the living area
• A terrace with table, chairs, sunbeds, and an umbrella
• A fully equipped kitchen with everything we needed for self-catering (including a dishwasher)

The setup was ideal for families. We ended up moving the sofa bed mattress upstairs so we could all sleep on one floor, but older kids might prefer having their own space downstairs.

The apartment was basic but clean, and had all the essentials. It wasn’t luxury, but it was perfectly fine for a holiday base – and definitely exceeded our expectations given the price point.

Facilities on Site at Los Amigos Beach Club: Pools, Play, and Plenty to Do

One of the biggest perks of staying at Los Amigos in February was access to an indoor pool. While the two outdoor pools were too cold to use for long (though my children still braved the children’s pool), the indoor pool was a hit.

You pay a €10 fee per 24 hours fee per room to use it, which covers the whole family. It’s worth knowing that swimming caps are required, if you don’t bring your own, they’re around €3 each to purchase on-site.

Other highlights included:

• Sports courts (basketball and tennis, equipment available to hire)
• A kids’ club
• A giant outdoor chess set
• Live music on-site at the restaurant/bar
• Multiple on-site and nearby restaurants including Indian, Italian, pizza, and more

We ate twice at the main restaurant – once for breakfast and once for dinner. The food was really nice and reasonably priced – €7 for a kid’s meal and around €17 for adult’s main courses. The staff there were exceptionally friendly and even knocked off the price of the kids food when we ate in the evening. The atmosphere was welcoming, and there was live music at the weekend.

Exploring the Area: What We Did and Loved

We were blessed with amazing weather – clear blue skies and temperatures around 23°C every day, which isn’t guaranteed in February. This meant we could make the most of both beach time and local attractions.

La Cala de Mijas

The closest town to the complex, La Cala de Mijas, is a charming little spot. We visited the beach several times, enjoyed ice creams, and strolled along the promenade. It was a perfect place for relaxed family time. We visited an excellent Italian Restaurant there called Trattoria Angelo which we would highly recommend. The bill for our family of 5 was around €70.

Benalmádena

We headed to Benalmádena to visit a family park, which was a huge hit. There was a woman doing giant bubble activities with the kids – free to enjoy, though we gave a donation to support her business. The children spent a good couple of hours here, laughing and playing in the sunshine.

We planned to spend most of the day on the beach, but we were in the playground for so long that our plans changed! We did manage to see a beautiful sunset on the beach afterwards though!

Marbella

In Marbella, we did a digital treasure hunt using an app. It cost just €10 and was a fantastic way to see the city. We’ve done similar hunts in the UK before and really enjoy how they make sightseeing interactive and engaging for kids.

Fuengirola

A little further afield, the boys took a boat trip from Fuengirola. They absolutely loved it, and it added a bit of variety to the holiday. The girls avoided the boat this time, as the sea looked a bit choppy and we’ve had a previous bad experience with sea sickness! Fuengirola is quite built-up, so whilst the boys were on the boat, we did a bit of shopping, visited and park and got some icecream.

Self-Catering: How We Ate on a Budget

Because we were out and about so much during the day, we mostly opted for simple dinners at the apartment. There were Aldi and Lidl nearby where we picked up pizza, pasta, and snacks. It made evenings more relaxing – we could wind down, watch a film, and not worry about dragging tired children out for dinner.

We did treat ourselves to a couple of meals out, but the self-catering facilities were more than good enough for easy, low-cost family meals.

What We’d Do Differently

While overall we had a great experience, here are a few tips we’d pass on:

• Avoid super-budget car hire if travelling late with children. Pay a little more for peace of mind.
• Bring swimming caps if you want to use the indoor pool.
• If you’re arriving late, plan a light dinner or snacks, as most shops were closed by the time we arrived.

Los Amigos Beach Club, Mijas Review – Our Travel Mum Rating

Los Amigos Beach Club was a great choice for our February half-term break. It wasn’t five-star, but it had everything we needed – a clean, spacious apartment, friendly staff, a great location, and useful facilities for all the family, like the indoor heated pool. The location was perfect for exploring nearby beaches and towns, and we were lucky with warm, sunny days throughout the week.

It was actually one of my favourite holidays to date – super relaxed and exceeded our expectations after paying less than 1k for 5 people (over a school-holiday). It was a fantastic, budget friendly family holiday and I would definitely recommend!

Travel Mum Score: 5/5