Costa del Sol Tourist Information provided by FIVE CONTINENT GROUP, (FCG):


The Costa del Sol has remained a firm favourite with Tourists from Europe and across the World for several decades now. The Costa del Sol became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the 1960s, mainly due to the Costa's miles of beautiful sandy beaches and balmy climate boasting the best weather in Europe, which have kept tourists flocking back year after year to the Costa del Sol's main tourist resorts like Puerto Banus Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Marbella and more recently Nerja, Benalmadena, Sotogrande & Casares. The Costa del Sol caters for young and old alike, offering a variety of entertainment choices for all groups. Costa del Sol boasts one of the highest concentrations of world class golf courses, to the extent that it is often referred to as "Costa del Golf" and is host to Several major PGA Tours on a regular basis, such as the Spanish Open. The main Golf Courses used by the PGA are Valderrama & San Roque Golf Course.

For families there are theme parks, water parks, go-karting, safari parks, dolphin trips, excursions to Ronda, Gibraltar, North Africa etc and many beautiful public gardens. For younger visitors the main areas of attraction are Benalmadena's Puerto Marina (main port filled with bars, nightclubs, discos, some of the best restaurant & '24 hour square', plus Marbella, and the harbour/marina in Puerto Banus is not cheap but full of restaurants & the best nightlife. All are very trendy and chic, but in keeping with Spanish tradition, bars and clubs in the Costa del Sol don't get busy until around midnight and stay open until dawn.

The Costa del Sol's history dates back to the Phoenicians and the area has since been inhabited by Greeks, Romans and Moors, all of whom have left their unique stamps on the Costa del Sol 's architecture and Andalucian culture & food. Perhaps less well known is the areas culture, often in the shadow of its neighbour Seville, athough the origins of Flamenco are based in the Costa del Sol. The Costa del sol and the Malaga province are home to some of the finest Flamenco shows, bull fighting & tapas restaurants.

The Costa del Sol's infrastructure is now much better organised than it ever was. The new Autopista del Sol (Costa del Sol motorway) provides easy access from Malaga through Benalmadena, Marbella, Estepona and beyond to Gibraltar. The old N340 coast road is a little slower but offers some lovely sea views as it winds its way along the coast. Links between Granada, Seville and Cordoba are easily accessible for those wishing to venture further inland. The International airport Malaga AGP has regular flights to most major cities and is located just 10 minutes from Malaga City centre, and is within 30 minutes striking distance by car from most other popular resorts on the Costa del Sol.

If you are the adventurous type then the Costa del Sol is more than likely the place for you. In this section of the guide you will find plenty to do both indoors and outdoors, whatever your preferences. There are aquaparks, safaris, zoos, marine parks and theme parks. You can go indoor bowling, go-carting, horse riding, skiing, shooting and quad biking. Why not try a fishing trip or a boat trip where you can go out to sea and fish for sharks, sailfish, swordfish or even see dolphins on guided tours. There are water sports available up and down the coast including windsurfing, kite boarding, paragliding and even surfing. There are also many guided tours where you can see some of the real history of Spain in places like Ronda where bull fighting originates from. For the active person there is never a shortage of things to do on this fun packed coast.