Costa del Sol Tourism Guide - Costa Del Sol Holidays

Torremolinos Costa Del Sol Resort

Still popular and changing with the times, Torremolinos was an early riser in the Costa Del Sol resort boom which began in the late 1950s. Friendly, familiar and established with a charming network of tasteful tourist shops, Torremolinos remains one of the best all inclusive Spanish resorts on the Med. Torremolinos has a superb choice of family attractions on its doorstep including the mammoth Aqualand Waterpark Torremolinos just a few minutes outside of the town centre and nearby Mijas Aquapark is easily accessible via an excursion. The Costa Del Sol resorts share a host of centrally placed family holiday attractions including Tivoli World Amusement Park, Fuengirola Zoo, Sealife Benalmadena and boat trips from Benalmadena marina, Benalmadena Cable car and an excursion day trip programme that's hard to beat. Day trips to Gibraltar, Granada, inland stunning Ronda and even Seville are easily booked from Torremolinos.

This combined with its handy position just 5km west of Malaga's Pablo Ruiz Picasso International Airport (short transfer time), superb beaches - six in all forming mostly one long continuous beach stretch and a host of family holiday attractions and excursion options easily available. Torremolinos is an all inclusive friendly base - the town has long had an established gay scene here. Lively family holiday beach fun and attractions, pumping clubs and bars, a huge choice of restaurants, great shopping choice, good beaches and local attractions choice - it's all here in Torre. And no pretensions here too - you've a down-to-earth setting here as compared to slightly aloof Marbella! Torre's all inclusive welcome is a big part of its appeal.

Benalmadena Costa & Fuengirola Costa Del Sol Resorts

If you're pottering out of Torremolinos centre in your Costa Del Sol car hire on the N340 you might be a little surprised how quickly you reach the familiar archway over the road welcoming you to Benalmadena. If you like walking, you can certainly now walk all the way along Torremolinos' Paseo Maritimo to reach first Benalmadena's pretty marina (it's good exercise!). Benalmadena is essentially an extension of the older sister resort Torremolinos. The two have slightly different characters - Benalmadena feels newer, and if your a family with younger tots it's a little easier to reach some of the major attractions like Tivoli World Amusement Park and Sea Life Benalmadena based here in Benalmadena rather than Torremolinos.

Benalmadena's beaches are a little more swanky too - you'll find some blue flags here. The choice of Benalmadena hotels, Benalmadena aparthotels, Benalmadena villas, Benalmadena local golf and a whole host of family holiday attractions you won't be short of.

Fuengirola to the west of Benalmadena almost links into one long tourist strip coast with Benalmadena and Torremolinos, but somehow it retains its separate identity and is more closely linked with luxury golf mecca Mijas Costa. The pretty village of Mijas just 8km inland from Fuengirola is a popular day trip with visitors based in the resort. Staying with Fuengirola resort, of the three big resorts this one feels the most built up and geared to tourist visitors. Fuengirola boasts the longest Paseo Maritimo on the Costa del Sol, now dotted with some rather intriguing public art and lined with shops, restaurants and bars, and some huge hotels and apartments. Most popular as a family holiday destination with Northern Europeans in peak season - you're centrally placed here on the Costa del Sol in a good spot to access excursions, with a number of family holiday holiday attractions close by and choice sheltered family blue flag beaches. Come October and the Spanish come in large numbers, as they do to both Torremolinos and Benalmadena. A modern and cosmopolitan tourist resort, Fuengirola has a large number of foreign residents, particularly British as does nearby Mijas. Fuengirola's nightlife is one of the liveliest on the Costas.

Marbella, Puerto Banus & Estepona Costa Del Sol

With a choice of pleasant beaches along the so called Golden Mile of Marbella's 5km stretch of beaches pushing towards Puerto Banus, a beautiful old town crammed with a choice of craft and clothes shops and choice restaurants and bars particularly around Plaza de los Naranjos, a pretty beach promenade, a host of historic attractions including the Roman Villa of Rio Verde, the Roman hot springs and bathhouses at Guadalmina and ancient church of Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion.

Add to this a choice of increasingly contemporary art highlights, Dali's sculptures are not to be missed, plus a sprinkling of museums including Museo del Bonsai and Museo del Grabado Contemporaneo (Contemporary Engraving museum - work by both Picasso and Miro is in here!), and Marbella makes a pretty beach resort base with a cultural edge, not to mention good shopping and the nearby pleasant Puerto Banus marina and more beaches.

Looking for a relaxing holiday on the Costa Del Sol, with pretty beaches with novel beach showers, easy access to numerous golf courses, a choice of attractions and day trips nearby (Gibraltar isn't far away!) and a wide and long delightful Paseo Maritimo and a distinctly Spanish feel still - then head for Estepona, the Costa Del Sol's most westerly resort.

Nerja Costa Del Sol East

Nerja is the largest resort on the Costa Del Sol's eastern coast which pushes to the far east into Costa Tropical and Almunecar and Salobrena. Devastated by an earthquake in 1884 (a fault line like that in California runs along the coast), the rebuilding of Nerja's pretty squares and centre point Balcon de Europa on the rocky cliff edge, from which are spectacular views of the coast, was obviously done with care.

Nerja has and still is booming in recent times, and is particularly popular with British holidaymakers who both stay and take day trips here. The town bustles, and out of season Nerja is just as popular with Spanish visitors. Modern chic boutiques and craft shops blend with old house facades on Nerja's backstreets.

Pretty cove beaches and small beach bays are on the menu here, the coast is rockier to the east of the Costa Del Sol. The Cuevas de Nerja just to the east of the town centre remains one of the most spectacular caves in Andalucia, of which there are many. It's a popular attraction all year round (actually it's the third most visited monument in Spain and boasts the world's largest stalactite at 63m! Nerja town which is picture postcard pretty with rocky coast, historic centre with charming Balcon de Europa and 17th century El Salvador Church and the Parque Natural de Sierra De Tejeda mountain backdrop.

Malaga, Pablo Picasso & Andalucia Outdoors

Andalucia's capital Malaga, easily reached direct via Malaga Airport, sits centrally on the coast in the region. Malaga has been quick to make much of its cultural and artistic heritage. You've a headstart if you're the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, and the Picasso Museum here in Malaga is one of the best for a broad selection of Picasso's work. Malaga has come so far, it's now bidding for city of European Culture status for 2016.

The interior of Andalucia reveals some of the most beautiful landscapes in Spain. Much of outdoor Andalucia is now easily accessible by road, and becoming increasingly popular for rural tourism. Andalucia is home to the rare Spanish firs, survivors of the ice age. Inland Ronda sits at the heart of Spain's bullfighting history - one of the oldest of Spain's bullrings is here. Walkers and climbers will be in their element around El Chorro, Ronda, Alora and Ardales, whilst Antequera has more ancient caves in its surrounds and a host of Moorish and ancient monuments. Base yourself in a rural Andalucian location close to major Costa Del Sol resorts such as Marbella, Benalmadena and Nerja in stunning Andalucian villages such as Mijas, golf mecca Benahavis or pretty Istan and Frigiliana. Andalucia's history is a fascinating and proud one. This region was a strong Republican area against Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The region's ancient history is revealed in its many caves, Roman sites, Moorish architecture and its bullrings.

Costa Tropical, Costa Almeria & Costa de la Luz

The Almeria region, including the low key tourist coast of Costa Almeria with main resorts Roquetas de Mar and Mojacar, sits on the far eastern edge of Andalucia. Only recently coming to the fore, and attracting visitors particularly for its long sunshine hours, the Almeria region centring on capital Almeria has a fascinating history stretching from the Islamic period to the 20th century and Almeria's important role in the Spanish Civil War. Both Roquetas de Mar and Mojacar excel as all inclusive resorts with long sandy beaches, good local golf and excellent watersports. Almeria also has its own airport, just 17 miles east of Roquetas de Mar.

The Costa Tropical coastal area sits just beyond Nerja incorporating the main towns of Almunecar, Motril and Salobrena. These three destinations are the most popular holiday bases in the area, and growing, with a number of historic attractions (particularly Phoenician and Roman), blue flag long beaches and a quieter more Spanish feel than neighbouring Costa Del Sol resorts. You're in the Granada region here on the Costa Tropical coast (Motril is just 45 minutes by car from Granda and its Alhambra).

The superb beaches and main coastal stretch of the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) runs all the way from Ayamonte near the Portuguese border down to hotspot windsurfing location Tarifa. Increasingly though the stretch of coast running up from La Linea on the eastern side of the Gibraltar promontory running up to Sotogrande and its luxury choice of golf courses is also being included under the Costa de la Luz heading. In the heart of the area is Cadiz, a Spanish city with a real edge offering a funpacked nightlife and cafe culture, ancient historic sights and carnivals like no other city in Spain. Get ready to party! The best of the Andalucian coast's beaches are down here on the Costa de la Luz - checkout Tarifa's Playa de los Lances and the 12km white endless sands of Zahara de los Atunes between Barbate and Tarifa. In all you've 90km of stunning white sandy coast between Cadiz and Tarifa.