Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol can be summed up in three words: beaches, golf and celebrities, so here goes:

Beaches. The Costa del Sol's hundred-and-sixty-something kilometres of coastline are mostly beach, and most of its hotels are on or close to the beach, so the beach is the centre around which life revolves in this part of the world. With only a few exceptions, these are not wilderness beaches, but are carefully maintained, regularly cleaned, and generally kept spick-and-span, with lifeguards, beach bars, showers, disabled access and all amenities - beaches with all home comforts.

Golf. The Costa del Sol has a staggering number of golf clubs, over 40 according to the regional tourist board's website, and "the highest concentration of golf courses in all of continental Europe." Even more amazingly, there are not enough to meet demand, in many cases you need to reserve green time months in advance, and new courses are constantly being built. Quality courses, as well, the designers of which include great golfers like Seve Ballesteros, Gary Player and Tony Jacklin, or specialist golf course designers like Robert Trent-Jones, Falco Nardi, or Tom Simpson. The most prestigious is probably Valderrama, and other names to reckon with include Sotogrande or Los Naranjos.

Unfortunately, the same reliable sunshine which makes the Costa del Sol so magnetic to visitors is incompatible with rainfall — its climate is naturally dry, which is not good for grass. Consequently, these golf courses consume huge amounts of water, over half a million cubic metres a year each, enough to supply a small town, and the wisdom of this is increasingly being questioned.

Celebrities. Let's face it, Marbella lost all claim to being the capital of Jetsetland the day Sean Connery sold up, and true celebrities other than not all that famous Spaniards are a rare sight, these days. The only real exception to this is Antonio Banderas and family, who can still sometimes be seen there, dodging the paparazzi, or Julio Iglesias, who these days gives the impression that he only pretends not to want to be photographed. You do get the odd Bruce Willis or Boris Becker dropping by in their yachts, though.

Costa del Sol Travel

The Costa del Sol is sometimes said to be wall-to-wall concrete, and it does often seem like that when seen from the "Autovía del Mediterráneo," the Mediterranean Highway, the A-7. But it does have unspoilt beaches, including coves set aside for naturism, and its amenities make it perfect for a family beach holiday. In addition, it has some of Spain's most upmarket hotels, ideal for that romantic weekend away, and is more English-language-friendly than any other part of the country. Its high spots are the city of Málaga itself, the mountainous Axarquía region and its Moorish villages, including Nerja and its nearby coves, the historic town of Ronda hanging spectacularly over its gorge, the bustle and lights of Torremolinos and Benelmádena, and the glamour (or at least the yachts and expensive cars) of Marbella and Puerto Banús.

Practical Costa del Sol Travel

Weather. Malaga gets over 320 days of sunshine a year and has an average temperature of 22ºC/72ºF. The weather report below and forecast linked to are courtesy of Weather Underground.

Eating and Drinking. The Costa del Sol being so international, it is sometimes not all that easy to find typical Andalusian fare: the city of Málaga and the Carihuela district of Torremolinos are good bets. Pescaito frito, small fried fish, is the most typical dish. In fact, the Costa del Sol does not have a single regional cuisine but various: the Axarquía, for example, has a distinctive gastronomy of its own, inland being centred on good, filling, peasant dishes like migas, fried breadcrumbs, and gachas, a kind of porridge, while on the coast as you would expect, fish from fresh sardines to besugo, sea bream, take pride of place. Málaga wine, made in the municipality of Málaga from grapes grown all around the province, is a dessert wine, but other, non-D.O. wine is made, notably around the small Axarquía town of Moclinejo. Or you might want to try a white wine from the adjacent province of Cádiz: Castillo de San Diego (ask for it by the name of the bodega which makes it, Barbadillo) is currently in fashion in Spain - it is light and dry (too dry for many English palattes) and goes well with anything except dessert. The local beer is San Miguel, usually served very cold indeed.

Nightlife. Torremolinos and its neighbour, Benalmádena, are the places to head for for serious partying.

Moving Around. Unlike, e.g., the Costa Blanca, the Costa del Sol has no coastal railway, so getting about is a little irksome without your own transport. Alsina Graells (see under "Getting Around") runs fairly frequent buses along the coast, but the last one is often much earlier than you would like.

Getting There. Málaga airport is the obvious point of entry to the Costa del Sol, and is one of easyJet's busiest destinations. Worth noting is that the Barcelona low-cost airline Vueling operates flights to Málaga from there and from Bilbao.