Everything you need to know about Spain

Information on the Costa del Sol

You only need a basic understanding of Spanish to know that the English translation for the Costa del Sol is "the coast of the sun". Visitors to the the Costa del Sol will know that the area basks in sunlight for many months of the year, with average temperatures above 20°C even in the winter, although you can expect temperatures in excess of 32°C in the summer months of July and August.

Where is the Costa del Sol?

The Costa del Sol is located in the most southern part of Spain within the region of Andalucia. It starts from the bottom left of Spain, right next to the British enclave of Gibraltar and stretches right up to Nerja in the east. As well as covering lots of the main coastal holiday resorts the Costa del Sol also stretches many kms inland, through the famous city of Ronda and right up to Antequera and beyond. (see below for a more detailed map of the Costa del Sol).

Data on the Costa del Sol

Splitting up the Costa del Sol into easy sections will give you the main coastal sections. These main sections are divided into the Western Costa del Sol (La Linea to Málaga) and the Eastern Costa del Sol (Málaga to Nerja).

Working from the most western point of the Costa del Sol to Málaga the main coastal resorts are:

Línea de la Concepción, San Roque, Sotogrande, Duquesa, Sabinillas, Estepona, Guadalmina, San Pedro de Alcantara, Puerto Banús, Marbella, El Rosario, Elviria, Cabopino, Riviera de Sol, Calahonda, La Cala de Mijas, Fuengirola, Los Boliches, Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Málaga.

The main coastal resorts on the Eastern Costa del Sol are:

Rincón de la Victoria, Benajarafe, Almayate, Torre del Mar, Caleta, Algarrobo, Mezquitilla, El Morche, Torrox Costa, Nerja and Maro (the last coastal town on the Costa del Sol).

There are many popular inland areas on the Costa del Sol, which include some of the prettiest "pueblo blancos", or white villages in the whole of Spain. There are far too many to list but some of the main ones and most important ones in terms of tourism and culture are:

Casares, Gaucín, Manilva, Ronda, Benahavis, Istán, Ojén, Monda, Coin, Mijas Pueblo, Benalmadena Pueblo, Arroyo de la Miel, Alhaurin el Grande, Alhaurin de la Torre, Antequera, Rio Gordo, La Vinuela, Comares, Vélez-Málaga, Torrox and Frigiliana.

The Eastern section of the Costa del Sol from Rincón de la Victoria up to Nerja (incorporating many kms inland as well) is very often referred to as La Axarquia.

Some main attraction on the Costa del Sol

Being one of the main and most popular tourist destinations in Spain, the Costa del Sol has a lot to offer in terms of attractions and places to visit. There are thousands of restaurants throughout the Costa del Sol as well as ports (puertos), parks, museums and gardens to visit.

We will try to provide you with as much information as possible about what to do and where to go on the Costa del Sol.

Malaga City

Malaga is the capital of the Costa del Sol and although it is also the main province, it is an important city.

Malaga is home to the main Costa del Sol airport Malaga AGP as well as housing the main RENFE and AVE railway stations which provide rail access to Madrid, Sevilla and many other destinations.

The city of Malaga also has many famous restaurants and bars as well as cultural attractions like the Picasso Museum.

Airports on the Costa del Sol

Without doubt the main airport serving the Costa del Sol is Malaga Airport. The other airport is Gibraltar Airport which is located just across the border from Spain.

Malaga Airport is currently undergoing a massive increase in size with the construction of a new terminal building to accommodate the demand for extra flights to the Costa del Sol. During the construction it is recommended that you allow for extra time both to and from Malaga Airport.

Gibraltar Airport has also hit the headlines recently with the historical agreement between Gibraltar and Spain to allow more flights as well as flights from Gibraltar to parts of Spain.

Car Hire on the Costa del Sol

As you can imagine there are hundreds of car hire firms operating on the Costa del Sol. If you are flying in to Malaga Airport it is easier to hire a car at the airport, although we would recommend you pre-book a car and not rely on picking one up once you arrive.

If you fly to Gibraltar Airport you might want to hire a car on the Spanish side of th border. Again this can be pre-arranged with the car rental company of your choice.

If you don;t want a car for thr entire time you are on the Costa del Sol there are many car hire firms in the main towns and many have representation at the various hotels on the Costa del Sol.

Some useful websites for the Costa del Sol are:

The Costa del Sol tourist board - www.visitacostadelsol.com