Take A Drive Down The Costa Del Sol In Southern Spain
The Costa del Sol in Andalucia, southern Spain is perfectly named. It is the “Sun Coast” indeed, with an average of 320 sunny days each year. While winter has its bad moments, it is certainly milder than many destinations up north in the world.
As you drive down the coastal highway from the Costa’s capital, Malaga, there are several excellent resort towns to visit. While we can’t go into full detail here, the following is a taste of what you can expect along the way. In future articles, each destination will receive a fuller treatment.
Malaga City on the Costa del Sol
Malaga is a sprawling, seaside port city, which is often overlooked by vacationers. They tend to treat is as an international airport to fly into or out of on a vacation in southern Spain. However the city has plenty to offer on its own.
The modern side of the city has great shopping experiences, with traditional local shops and big brand fashion stores. The historic side of Malaga features great architecture and history, including the Cathedral of Malaga, and the remains of the former Roman and Moorish occupations of the area.
Malaga is the birthplace of Antonio Banderas, who started out his acting career on the stage here. The famous Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso, is also a son of this great city. On the cultural side, visitors can enjoy theatrical and musical performances, several museums and art galleries.
Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol
The next stop on our tour of the coastal highway is Torremolinos. This seaside town became popular back in the 1960s and is still popular to this day. Here you can relax on the almost endless, clean sandy beaches under a palm tree. Alternatively, explore the town with its many restaurants, bars and tapas bars to refresh you and keep you going.
Torremolinos is ideal for a family visit, as it is home to Aqualand Torremolinos, a sprawling water park. The more daring can visit the Crocodile Park, with a petting area.
Benalmadena Costa
Benalmadena Costa is the next stop along the highway and also features excellent beaches. The town is also renowned for its modern Puerto Marina, lined with restaurants and luxury yachts and home to the Sea Life Benalmadena Aquarium.
Further inland, everyone can have fun at the Tivoli World theme park, or head up to the quaint Benalmadena Pueblo, a typical Andalucian White Village. An unusual aspect of the pueblo is the striking Benalmadena Stupa, a Buddhist temple with amazing views over the coast and the Mediterranean Sea.
Fuengirola and Los Boliches
Our next stop is Fuengirola and its neighboring suburb Los Boliches, a popular seaside resort with sprawling beaches and a fishing port. The town has a good range of restaurants and tapas bars to choose from, serving both traditional cuisine and international dishes.
The major draw here is Bioparc Fuengirola. While there are plenty of animals here, this cannot be called a zoo. All the residents live happily in natural surroundings and the Bioparc is fully involved in animal conservation. If you visit at the right time, you will often see the results of endangered species happily breeding here.
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Marbella and Puerto Banus
Marbella is a beautiful traditional Andalucian seaside town, popular with the rich and famous. On the coastline here is Puerto Banus, a luxury marina with excellent shopping and dining where you are almost guaranteed to spot the odd celebrity.
The beach in Marbella is dubbed the Golden Mile, for its beautiful sand and many chiringuitos (beach bars and restaurants). Shopping, restaurants and flamenco are the order of the day and night here.
Estepona
The next stop is the pretty town of Estepona, which is a traditional Spanish seaside resort. Needless to say, there are excellent beaches, with a flower-strewn promenade to stroll. The old town has quaint homes and tapas bars, while the newer section of town has the popular Spanish supermarkets.
Close to town, visitors can enjoy a true safari experience at Selwo Aventura. This animal park offers safari drives to view the lions, giraffe, zebra and animals, as well as walking trails and petting zoos.
When visiting Spain, take a trip to the Costa del Sol for the vacation of a lifetime! Keep watching this space, as each destination will be covered in more detail.