Costa del Sol

The capital and main city of the Costa del Sol is Málaga. Being the birthplace of geniuses like Picasso, it is well worth exploring this beautiful city, discovering the local culture of the nearby villages or tantalizing your taste buds with the extensive gastronomic offer that the whole region has to offer.

The city of Málaga is the most important and the largest city on the ''Coast of the Sun”. Málaga is also the dividing city between the east and the west, with the west having the most touristic cities and attractions. The main airport is located close in the city of Malaga itself.

Festivities in Malaga

In Spain, various festivities are celebrated throughout the year. The famous feast of the city of Málaga where all residents come out of their homesto celebrate is the Feria de Málaga in August. For a full week they celebrate the end of Moorish rule of Spain in 1487 through performances, food and drink in abundance, party tents in the center and by decorating the city with festive lights.

In addition, Málaga is known as a city where processions take place both during the day and at night. Especially in the period before Easter (Semana Santa). During such a procession at this time of the year, a large number of priests carry a statue of a saint placed on a platform (‘trono’) and walk through the streets of the city to honor and commemorate this saint.

Malaga - the city of Picasso

In the city of Málaga you will find the birthplace of the famous artist Pablo Picasso at the Plaza de la Merced. You can recognize this by the statue of the artist that stands a few meters in front of the building.

Although Picasso did not live here very long, the house has been transformed into a small museum where you can view some of the artist's attributes. His actual paintings can be found a few meters away in the Picasso Museum Málaga.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are of course many more things that make the city of Málaga worthwhile for a visit, such as the historic center, the beautiful squares, the beaches and the botanical garden.

https://www.museopicassomalaga.org/

The modern part on the coast is called Mijas Costa, also called La Cala de Mijas. The climate is the same in both Mijas Costa and Mijas Pueblo. Throughout the year it is an average of 18 degrees in this region. But in the mountains themselves it is a lot colder.

Sights:

Mijas Costa

The coastline with its watchtowers is a remnant of the sixteenth century when Mijas Costa was plagued by piracy. Today, the Torreón de la Cala watchtower gives you a beautiful view of this pretty village known for its white houses.

Mijas, one of the white villages of Spain

Mijas Costa reflects the unique atmosphere of a fishing village, but Mijas is best known for the white wahed houses throughout the village. This is another legacy from when the Moors ruled this region. The Spaniards call Mijas the pueblo blanco (white city). Characterized by narrow streets and terraces with geraniums.

When you walk towards the mountains, you get an ever wider view over the Costa del Sol. Other attractions of Mijas Costa are the various churches, the ethnographic museum and the bullring. Modern facilities have also been installed along the coast, such as riding stables, golf courses and wellness resorts.

Head out to Paseo de la Muralla,

the spectacular lookout panorama of Mijas Pueblo. The name “Muralla” refers to the ancient Arab fortress that dominated the area with its imposing presence. Today it offers a picturesque Mirador (panoramic view) over the south of Andalusia.

Nerja was voted the most charming coastal town in Spain. Despite being a relatively small town, the residents here can rightly boast about their crystal clear waters, 16 kilometers of coastline and many other activities that make Nerja a must town to experience if you are visiting the east of the province of Malaga.

Sights:

The most famous location in Nerja; the spectacular Balcony of Europe, or in better Spanish; Balcon de Europa. This place owes its name to King Alfonso XII. The legend states that in 1884, the day after a major earthquake, he visited Nerja to measure the damage. As soon as he saw the view from the rocky promontory where a 9th-century Moorish fort once stood, he exclaimed with enthusiasm: “This is the balcony of Europe!”.

Caves of Nerja

Visit the majestic caves of Nerja, also known as the Prehistoric Cathedral. Located about 3 kilometers from the town, this 5 million year old cave (yes, it really is there), was the home of Stone Age hunters and today presents the largest formations of stalagmites and stalactites in the world. The most impressive formation is undoubtedly the 32 meter high central column in the "Cataclysm Hall", which has held the Guinness World Record since 1989. The caves of Nerja were accidentally discovered in 1959 by five friends and, thanks to the many prehistoric cave paintings, they have been declared a Historic and Archaeological Monument.

https://www.cuevadenerja.es/

Estepona is a seaside town in the province of Málaga.

A lively center and port. The 66,000 inhabitants keep the city alive and buzzing every day and the fishermen still practice their profession in the marina every day.

In addition to the lively center and port, there are also various festivities in Estepona throughout the year. Like the Meifeest (May 15) to honor the patron saint of agriculture. The locals make a procession through Estepona and various parties and events take place in the streets.

Sights:

Route of murals

Route of the Murals offers an open-air cultural attraction. Scattered around the city, gigantic murals have been painted on several buildings by artists from all over Spain. https://turismo.estepona.es/lugares/murales-artisticos/

Port of Estepona

There is a large sports harbor where many yachts and pleasure craft can be found. Charter boats depart from here for fishing trips or alternatively trips to the Mediterranean and to see dolphins in the Straits of Gibraltar. On Sundays you will find a popular local craft market here.

Beaches

Via Playa del Ángel, where you will find a beautiful open-air museum and an evergreen park for picnics, you will reach Playa de La Rada, which covers the entire city center and is 2.5 km long. Via the beach walk to the lighthouse, located at the harbor, and you reach the idyllic family beach Playa el Cristo.

The Orchidarium

A botanical park with more than 8000 species of plants, including 1300 species of orchids in a glass structure with three domes. It is a modern location with even a 17 meter high waterfall that simulates to some extent the original habitat of the orchids. https://orchidariumestepona.com/

Nature

Estepona is also an ideal base for mountain and nature lovers. Just a short distance away are the Sierra Crestallina and the Natural Park of Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja.

The Sierra Bermeja has Cerro Abanto, its highest peak of 1508m, and nowhere on the Costa del Sol you will find such high mountains so close to the sea. Various walks have been routed throughout the area and cyclists will also get their money's worth.

The Poetry Route features works by local and famous poets on ceramic tiles.

https://visitestepona.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Ruta-Poesia-diptico-2019-web.pdf

Archaeological museum:

The museum houses more than 400 artifacts from different time periods, with the oldest piece from the Paleolithic period, also known as the Old Stone Age.

Bullring:

The bullring of Estepona was built in 1972 and designed by Juan Moro Urbano. The asymmetrical design does not exist anywhere else in the world. The arena is also used for concerts and open air theater in the summer and every Sunday there is a market where you can buy local goods.

Antonio Ordonez bullfight museum named after a local bullfighter, Antonio Ordonez. The collection contains a wealth of posters, images, costumes and props.

Marbella, the fashionable seaside resort known for its boulevard, expensive yachts, cars and designer brand shops. This city is so popular that several celebrities once decided to buy a house here. The wonderful climate, which means that the average temperature here is 19 degrees throughout the year, will certainly have something to do with this.

This sunny seaside resort has not always been called Marbella; in Roman times the city was known as Salduba. Like many other Spanish places, Marbella has been subjected to Islamic rule in the past.

The name of this city is a remnant of this period. The Muslims gave the resort the name of Marbal-la. After the reconquest from the Spaniards in 1485, the city slowly began to flourish in the form as we know Marbella today. An example of this is the central square, which the Spaniards call Plaza de los Naranjos. This was built after the expulsion of the Moors. The large centerpiece between the terraces is the fountain surrounded by orange trees.

Hotspots

The boulevard with its own Walk of Fame is one of Marbella's hotspots. Here you can often see artists in action making sand sculptures. Along the Avenida del Mar you can view a number of bronze statues by the famous artist Salvador Dali. Golfing enthusiasts also get their money's worth here; Marbella is known as a golf city with 35 golf courses in the area.

Marbella is synonymous with beaches. From Cabopino to Guadalmina, there are 30 km of beaches to choose from. You can choose the wildest, like Artola, or the most urban, like Playa de La Venus, in the center.

Chiringuitos and beachclubs

Marbella's beach clubs are the ideal places to enjoy the best relaxation on the Mediterranean. They offer a wide range of services including spas with beauty treatments, therapeutic massages, bar and music life. In Marbella you will find luxury beach clubs such as Trocadero Arena, Puro Beach or Amare Beach Club. Although the most famous are undoubtedly the Ocean Club and Nikki Beach in Víbora.

Take a bike or Segway tour where you will see the most up market and fashionable part of the city.

Puerto Banús

Puerto Banús is the crown jewel of Marbella. It is located west of the city, just before San Pedro de Alcántara. Puerto Banús is one of the most famous harbour on the European continent.

Since its opening in 1970, attended by the Royal Family of Monaco, among others, it was clear that this harbour would become one of the favorites of the rich and famous. It is almost impossible to walk the streets without taking a picture next to a super elegant yacht, or even a world famous actor. It is also the perfect place for shopping as it is one of the hot spots of the fashion world. Here you will find boutiques similar to what you would find in Milan.

Golf

There are plenty of golf courses to choose from in Marbella and the surrounding area. Marbella Golf y Country Club, Los Naranjos Golf Club, Aloha Golf Club and Marbella Club Golf Resort are some of the places where you can enjoy a few holes while overlooking the sea.

Hiking

Marbella has endless wonderful places and routes to walk. Any trekking enthusiast visiting this city will find the ideal place to enjoy nature sports between its fantastic locations, with the mountain sand and the sea.

Beaches

Marbella's most popular beach is Playa de la Bajadilla. Its location near the old fishing port is one of the reasons why families with children choose to spend their days on this beach. In addition, the beach offers its visitors plenty of amenities and is also close to the center and the glamorous Avenida Ricardo Soriano.

Other beaches worth mentioning are Las Chapas, known for its stylish beach clubs such as Niki Beach, and Playa Hermosa, literally "the beautiful beach". The latter is equipped with several restaurants and you can also rent sun loungers, pedal boats and canoes. Both beaches can be found in the east of Marbella.

Benalmádena is a municipality of about 60,000 inhabitants and the town actually consists of 3 parts:

• Benalmádena-Pueblo, the original village and the most authentic part of the city, characterized by white washed houses and the typical narrow streets that you can find in the White Villages in Andalusia.
• Benalmádena Costa, the location with tourist attractions, hotels, shopping centers and nightclubs.
• Arroyo de Miel, a residential area located between Benalmádena Pueblo and Benalmádena Costa, whose name is derived from the famous sugar factory.




Benalmadena borders Torremolinos and Fuengirola.

Sights:

Parque de la Paloma

This extensive park of more than 200,000 m² contains a large artificial lake, an extensive network of hiking trails and several playgrounds for children. There is a small animal park and many animals roam freely, such as chickens, rabbits and peacocks. There is a cactus and succulent garden with a large collection of over 2,000 specimens.

Castillo de Bil Bil

Castillo de Bil Bil is an Arab style construction. All around there are Moorish-inspired gardens with several fountains. The building is used as a cultural center with changing exhibitions. Marriage ceremonies are also held.

Teleférico, cable car of Benalmadena

"Teleférico" is Spanish for cable car. With this cable car, which can be visited from Benalmádena, you are taken to the top of the mountains in a glass gondola. At that height you have widespread and impressive views, reaching as far as the Rock of Gibraltar and Sierra Blanca near Marbella.

Castillo de Colomares 

This monument pays homage to Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. It was built between 1987 and 1994 by Doctor Esteban Martín.

Fuengirola is a seaside town on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga in southern Spain.

It is an important tourist resort with 8 km of sandy beaches such as Los Boliches, Gaviotas and Torreblanca and the long boulevard, the Paseo Maritimo.

On Tuesday morning there is a market (El Mercadillo) on the Recinto Ferial (Feria site), the largest outdoor market on the coast.

Sights:

Enjoy the view from Sohail Castle

Caliph Abderramán III had the castle built in 956, on the remains of a Roman settlement, on a small hilltop at the mouth of the river Fuengirola.

The castle is one of Fuengirola's most famous landmarks and is a must to see, especially if you like history but also if you just want to enjoy some of the most charming sea views on the Costa del Sol.

Back in time: the archaeological site of Finca del Secretario

Fuengirola welcomes two important archaeological sites: the Finca del Secretario and Torreblanca del Sol. The first is an important Roman villa dating back to the 1st century AD. It consists of baths, ovens and a factory. The famous Venus of Fuengirola was found here, as well as numerous agricultural implements. Torreblanca del Sol, also known as the "Roman Baths of Torreblanca del Sol", is located near the mouth of the Las Presas steam. The Roman baths date back to the 2nd century AD and were only discovered in the 20th century.

https://turismo.fuengirola.es/que-ver/patrimonio-historico/

Like all towns on the Costa del Sol, Fuengirola also boasts beautiful beaches, whose golden sand is an unusual sight on the shores of the province of Malaga. Here you can spend a few wonderful long summer days. In addition, its 8 km long walkway is the longest in all of Spain. And when the sun goes down you can take the family for a stroll along the promenade and enjoy a drink in one of the many bars and restaurants.

• this beach is located at the foot of the castle of Sohail.
• This beach is connected to Playa del Castillo by a bridge. The water is calm and therefore the perfect beach for families with children.
• Many facilities are offered on this centrally located beach. Despite its small size (only 350 meters long) it is one of the most popular on the Costa del Sol. Therefore, make sure you are on time in the morning or plan your visit outside the high peak season.