Where is the Costa del Sol and What Does it Offer?

Beaches Costa del Solgigi 62 / Beach Photos / CC BY-NC

Heading to the Costa del Sol for holidays can lead to a lifelong love affair for Spain. The Costa del Sol is often the introduction for a lot of people to Spain and its culture. However, when people say the Costa del Sol where do they actually mean? Here is an explanation of the area…

Southern Location

The Costa del Sol is in the south of Spain in the region of Andalucía. It is on the Mediterranean coast and the capital of the Costa del Sol is Málaga. From west to east the towns included in the Costa del Sol are: Estepona, San Pedro de Alcantara, Casares, Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Málaga, Rincon de la Victoria, Vélez Málaga, Frigilana and Nerja. The province as a whole is called Málaga after the city and it covers 7308 km² there are two major towns inland, Ronda and Antequera. As it’s the most southern province on the Mediterranean it enjoys a mild climate all year round.

What to Expect

The Costa del Sol is geared up for tourism as is its main source of income. Each of the Coastal towns offer the visitor something slightly different, from Fuengirola where there are large hotel resorts which cater to the package deal market to Nerja which is much smaller and village-like in appearances and Málaga city itself which is as cosmopolitan as the area gets with gourmet tapas bars and art galleries. From the coast the landscape is quite mountainous and there are some picturesque villages to visit and fantastic walks or climbing. Inland Málaga is a very different experience to the coast which gives the area an extra flavour and intrigue.

What to Do

While staying in a Costa del Sol hotel it’s a great base to relax on the beach and enjoy the nightlife in the close vicinity or to venture into the mountains or other coastal towns. Marbella for example offers chic restaurants like the Michelin starred Calima to fashionable and glitzy beach clubs like Nikki beach. Nerja on the other hand offers some incredible caves to explore (Cuevas de Nerja), these are a series of caverns stretching for nearly five kilometres and home to the world’s largest stalagmite. Ronda is an easy day trip away from the Costa del Sol, it’s a grand town situated on a spectacular gorge, it also has a fine example of a bull ring and lots of historic buildings to visit. As for Málaga city itself it offers art lovers several galleries, the Picasso Museum, The CAC gallery and the Thyssen Museum. However this isn’t all Málaga city has to offer, there is a Moorish Fort and Castle as well as a Roman Amphitheatre. Málaga satisfies the cultural tourists in spade loads.

Hopefully this has enlightened the new traveller to the Costa del Sol or Southern Spain which will make the trip all the more enjoyable.