BBC soap Eldorado showed on British screens for just a year and followed the lives of wealthy ex-pats living in the fictional town of Los Barcos, Eldorado in Spain.
The soap‘s set cost an eye-watering £10 million to make and TV bosses hoped to harness the same success as sunny Australian TV imports Neighbours and Home and Away. But after launching in 1992 it was canned just a year later thanks to low viewing figures.
Now it’s coming back after it’s axe 32 years ago in the form of re-runs and viewers will once again get the chance to see the locations where filming took place.
The set, the village where characters lived, was built in Coin, an authentic Andalusian town in the popular Malaga province, Costa del Sol and is home to 24,000 residents. Just 30 minutes drive from Fuengirola, it offers a very different experience to that of visitors to the busy coastal resort.
Situated inland in the lush Guadalhorce Valley, its 33km west of Malaga and it’s just 25 minutes to the beaches of Marbella by car but miles away from the hustle and bustle.
The former agricultural town has pretty streets with houses covered in flowers and natural beauty abounds with orchards dominating the landscape.
One of the jewels in Coin’s crown is La Fuente, a beautiful valley in which you can find blankets of vegetables and fruit trees among the native vegetation.
The other is Barranco Blanco, a spectacular river canyon with crystal water, white stones and lush vegetation. the spot has pine trees, streams and waterfalls and is a great picnic spot to stop off on a walk. The area offers numerous walking trails for hikers to enjoy.
Tourists can eat at the numerous restaurants and bars in the town. From cheap and cheerful tapas, to some of the best country ventas in the Andalucia, there are also some fining dining restaurants including El Postillon, on the Alhaurin to Coin road.
And while you’re there, a must-do is a visit to one of the pastry shops which serve sweet and savoury treats. The Deli Bakery offers sourdough break making classes if you fancy trying your hand at something a little different
One of the area’s most affordable golf courses with some of the most spectacular scenery is also nearby. Lauro Golf is a 27 hole course designed by Falco Nardi. Shopping in the town centres around ceramics and visitors can learn about Coin’s ceramic history at the Las Vistillas Ceramics Musuem.
Cultural sights include churches of St. Andrew, St. John and La Vera Cruz, along with La Fuensanta, also known as Llano de la Virgen, where there have been prehistoric archaeological findings.
And there are accommodation options to suit most budgets too. From villas with pools and well-priced apartments, to hotels from £38 a night for a room.
And while there you can, of course, visit the site of the Eldorado set which was was initially turned into a hotel after filming stopped.
And it’s now known as Cuidad Del Airsoft (Airsoft City) which is where you can do a spot of paintballing if it takes your fancy.
It has also been used for filming other TV shows including His Dark Materials.
