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The Costa del Sol really includes the coast of Granada,
but this has been given its own, rather cutesy name, the Costa
Tropical. For the purposes of this article, then, the
Costa del Sol runs from Nerja in the east of Malaga down to
the most southerly point of Spain, Tarifa, Cadiz. As the east-facing
coast of Cadiz is not especially alluring and discounting
for the moment the anomaly that is Gibraltar,
so far as most visitors to Spain are concerned, the Costa
del Sol is synonymous with the coast of the province of Málaga.
It is also strongly identified with the slogan, 'sun, sand
and sea,' one of these words often being replaced by 'sex.'
What the Costa del Sol offers is precisely what its name
says - sunshine and beaches. Malaga gets over 320 days of
sunshine a year and has an average temperature of 22ºC/72ºF.
In addition, as a major tourist centre, it has good-quality
accommodation, a rich gastronomy, lively nightlife and a great
variety of activities, especially golf, as well as sailing,
diving and other water sports. And the Costa del Sol being
a major package holiday destination, economic deals or outright
bargains are often available, especially if you are willing
to travel at short notice. Flights,
particularly, can be laughably affordable, especially from
Great Britain.
The most important municipalities on this Costa are, from
east to west, Nerja, Velez-Málaga, Málaga
city, Torremolinos,
Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas,
Marbella and Estepona. There are also a good number of interesting
places to visit within striking distance of the Costa del
Sol. A trip up to the beautiful, spectacularly sited town
of Ronda in the mountains above Málaga, for example,
is practically obligatory. The "white towns" of
the hills of Andalusia are within reach, and if you are staying
in the eastern part of the Costa del Sol, you will be able
to visit Granada, the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra.
The Costa del Sol's main drawback is the tremendous amount
of development it has undergone, which all too often means
unattractive high-rise buildings, sometimes out-and-out eyesores,
especially between Malaga and Marbella. To a large extent,
this is due to the lack of town planning or any other kind
of effective legal control in place when the tourist boom
took off in the sixties and seventies. This control was eventually
provided by the Ley de Costas, Shores Act, of 1988,
though this is not much comfort when your balcony looks out
on a huge architectural monstrosity instead of the Mediterranean.
Still, if your room is actually in the monstrosity,
why should you care?
Another criticism frequently thrown at the Costa del Sol
is that many of its the beaches are a rather unappealing grey
colour, with coarse, shingly sand. This is undeniable, the
sand originating from volcanic rock, but how important it
is to you is entirely a matter of taste - after all, some
of the most gorgeous, fine-white-sand beaches in the world
are to be found in the Scottish islands and other places you
would not depend on for a sun-worshipping holiday.
If you are not sure whether the Costa del Sol would be right
for you as a holiday destination, the answer is probably yes,
as long as you do not harbour false expectations. It is a
good place for those who want to enjoy themselves, whether
simply in terms of the perennial sun, sand and sea and its
variations, taking advantage of the tremendous range of activities
available to visitors, making the most of uninhibited nightlife
or being able to keep the children occupied. You will find
little more than a pale reflection of the 'real Spain' on
the Costa del Sol, it is true, but that is no reason to turn
your nose up at it.
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Malaga - More than an Airport
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