Andalucia & Costa del Sol Area Guides

There’s an astonishing variety of places to visit on the Costa del Sol and inland Andalucia, stretching from the southern most tip of Spain, all the way up the coast to the city of Malaga. In fact, Malaga is now a booming city, with around 600 thousand inhabitants in the urban area alone. It is competing for the title of European City of Culture 2016, and was the birthplace of Picasso. As you head down the coast you come to Mijas, an area split between a traditional village and a very busy sea-front beach resort. Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Calahonda all come under the umbrella of Mijas Costa.

These areas thrive off tourism, but are also home to many foreign residents. Benalmadena is the site of western Europe’s largest Buddhist temple, while Mijas also hosts a racecourse which was inaugurated in the year 2000. Further southwards brings you to Marbella and Puerto Banus, often described as the playground of the rich and famous, with expensive cars, hotels and boats, being the order of the day. On the cultural side, the marble promenade leading to Marbella’s sea-front has a permanent display of Salvador Dali sculptures, while the Old Town in Marbella is a feast of traditional Spanish gastronomy.

Inland Andalucia also boast a number of great cities such as Seville, Cordoba and Granada and of course hundreds of Spanish withe villages. Other sea-front harbours include Estepona and La Duquesa. The former is close to a world-famous palaeontology museum, while the latter is within striking distance of Sotogrande and  many of its golf courses, including Valderrama - home to the Volvo Masters.

Of course, most visitors to Spain’s Mediterranean coastline head straight to the beach, and there’s plenty to choose from, stretching from Barcelona, down through the Costa Blanca, Costa Calida, and the Costa del Sol. Costa Blanca’s beaches extend from Valencia in the north, through Benidorm, to Murcia in the south. In all, more than 100 km of sand to choose from, with many awarded the European Blue Flag for cleanliness. Andalucia is particularly well served by sandy shores adjoining towns and urbanisations like Cabopino, Marbella, and Estepona. The latter is also a famous fishing port. As well as the coast, many foreigners are now choosing to buy property inland, where they can get more for their money. Manilva, an area near Cadiz province, is beginning to see this trend. It’s a famous grape-making region, and also the site of a little known Roman Bath, once visited by Julius Caesar.