A Guide to Spain Costa del Sol 

Malaga

Malaga is the fifth largest city in Spain and a major Mediterranean port and is steeped in a rich and colourful history.  Still largely untouched by mass tourism, the city retains much of its original culture, the old town is a maze of narrow streets full of churches, museums, bodegas and tapas bars.  The town has many historic monuments, the beautifully preserved castle, the Alcazaba,  a cathedral and the remains of a Roman amphitheatre are all worth a visit and the Gibralfaro castle crowns the top of a hill overlooking the city with wonderful views of the port, beaches and Plaza de Toros bullring. One of the most popular tourist attractions is the birthplace of Pablo Picasso although the house is no longer open to the public, there is a museum dedicated to this famous artist.  The town regularly hold many fiestas and processions of music and dancing.

Benalmedina

This lively resort is made up of three distinctive areas.  Benalmedina pueblo is typically Andalucian with its whitewashed houses and is a quiet, picturesque village perched high on a hill overlooking the coast.  Benalmadena Costa, with its award-winning marina, is the coastal area with clean, sandy beaches and a large variety of clubs, bars, restaurants and shops.   In the 15th century two watchtowers were built on the coast to guard the town from pirates.  There are two major family attractions in this area, Sea Life and Selwo Marina as well as the popular Torrequebrada casino.  Arroyo de la Miel is a busy district that lies between the village and coast and here visitors can take a ride on the cable car or visit to Tivoli World amusement park.

Estapona

A popular holiday resort, the long sandy beaches and coves of Playa de Cristo make it ideal for small children and there are many beach bars along the two kilometres of coastline.  The port has two main areas, an active fishing port, which holds daily auctions of the catch of the day, and a modern marina where regular trips are available for either fishing or dolphin spotting.

Nerja

At the foothills of the Almijara mountains fronted by 9 kilometres of splendid beaches stands the town of Nerja.  The old quarter of the town still retains much of its original charm with narrow, winding streets and whitewashed houses with wrought iron, geranium filled terraces.

In the centre of the town is the Balcon de Europe, a magnificent promenade along the edge of towering cliffs that offers spectacular views of the coast and the many mango, papaya and avocado plantations below.  From the town centre visitors can hire a horse drawn carriage for a trip around the most romantic areas of Nerja.

In 1959, the Caves of Nerja were discovered and although only parts of them are open to the public, these well preserved, limestone caverns are full of well-lit chambers of stalactites and stalagmites and many archaeological treasures and pre historic remains.  The largest chamber has been transformed into a concert hall where performances are held during the summer months.

Puerto Banus

Once a traditional fishing village, Puerto Banus has seen a vast increase in tourism over the past decade and is now one of the most stylish coastal towns in Europe.  

Its picturesque marina is home to some of the most impressive luxury yachts in the world and there are many bars, restaurants and shops along the waterfront.  With a mountainous backdrop and many golden, sandy beaches along which runs a central promenade this is one of the most popular destinations on the Costa del Sol.

Puerto Banus has a wide range of facilities for visitors, including a casino, cinema, aquarium and several first class golf courses within a short distance of the town, some of which are flood-lit for night golfing.

Marbella

This large and stylish cosmopolitan resort, with a backdrop of the La Concha mountains, is well known for its smart boutiques, superb restaurants and sophisticated nightlife. 

The charming Old Town is traditionally Andalucian with a maze of narrow streets.  The Plaza de los Naranjos, Orange Plaza, is surrounded by bars and restaurants and is a delightful place to sit and relax when the orange trees are in blossom.

The seafront has a lovely promenade which runs alongside clean, golden beaches and a marina which has a daily fish market.  There are many facilities for sports lovers in this resort especially golf and tennis.