Costa del Sol Tourism Guide - Andalucia Malaga

Malaga Tourism, Pablo Picasso Museum Malaga

Malaga is blending its roles of Costa Del Sol capital and relatively new blooming cultural centre well. Many visitors come on day trips to Malaga from the Costa Del Sol's resorts either by coach tour or public transport (both bus and train services to Malaga are well served from neighbouring Torremolinos, Benalmadena and further west Fuengirola). Malaga Airport sits just to the west of the city, and is served by numerous cheap flights from the UK, making Malaga a budget cultural break all year round. Malaga is also an excellent location for a learning Spanish holiday, as a choice of private Spanish teaching language schools are based here around the university particularly.

Malaga can be all things, offering a choice of attractions to dip into including the huge boost - the Picasso Museum, aptly situated in Picasso's hometown Malaga and displaying the largest collection of Picasso's earliest work in Spain. Malaga's historic sites reveal much on its history, including the 'one armed lady' La Manquita Malaga Cathedral, a mish-mash of styles dating from the 16th up until the 18th century and both the Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro. Malaga is a centre for art, including a superb contemporary art gallery, whilst at the same time it's a great base for leisure with a choice of local Malaga Golf Courses, a developing marina (watch this space), a choice of good beaches, a delightful Paseo del Parque, a botanical gardens and a number of green space park areas, plus a host of chic shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and a pulsating nightlife to boot. Malaga has a foot in a number of tourist camps, it's a good strategy and the city retains its links at a distance with the Costa Del Sol resorts.

Ronda & Bullfighting History Spain

The town of Ronda, a ready-made picture postcard day trip or Inland Andalucia walking base, sits 2428ft/740m above sea level on a dramatic rocky outcrop encased by the Serrania de Ronda. Of all the stunning pueblos in Andalucia, Ronda ranks as the most spectacularly situated, with a long history as a Spanish bullfighting centre - Ronda's Plaza de Toros is one of the oldest bullfighting rings in Spain.

Ronda has packaged its many attractions well to serve tourist days trippers, with the list of historic attractions including striking 18th century viaduct bridges, pretty tree-lined avenues and parks, Baroque chapels, Arab Baths and the panoramic views from Alameda del Tajo park particularly take your breath away. Ronda has been fascinating visitors long before the rise of the coach tour. Both Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway were fascinated by Ronda, especially its bullfighting history. Two of Ernest Hemingway's novels - For Whom the Bell Tolls and Death in the Afternoon have Ronda in mind. See photographs of visits to Ronda by these two notable celebrities at the Plaza de Toros Ronda Museum.

Around Ronda - Alora, Ardales, El Chorro & Campillos

Into the Andalucia interior north west of Malaga, and east of Ronda you're in prime Andalucia walking and climbing territory. The landscape is challenging here to say the least, as well as breathtaking. Alora is at the centre of several Andalucian mountain ranges including the high peaks of the Sierra de Huma. Alora and just further north the pretty village of El Chorro sit close to the renowned Camino del Rey (King's Path) gorge.

This area is a popular central base for walking and climbing in the area. A number of Cueves/caves are situated just to the west of El Chorro village. Further into the interior, north west of Alora, Ardales is another superb Andalucian walking and interior touring base, with a selection of museums, a castle and a number of prehistoric Caves nearby.

Pushing further north of Malaga and Ronda around Campillos the landscape becomes a little tamer. Low hills and broad plains afford excellent ground for farming, with both grain and olive groves grown here in abundance. Just near Campillos sit a collection of shallow lakes and reservoirs (Dulce, Salada, Capacete and Camunas to name a few). These wetlands areas, dry for a large part of the year, are protected and now a national park. The Romans favoured the area around Campillos, and a number of Roman archaeological sites are in proximity to the town including the Capacete Castillon de Gobantes. Closer to Ronda to the east, if you're looking for a peaceful base with easy access into the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, then choose El Burgo. El Burgo also boats a number of historic sites including a 16th century medieval fortress.

Antequera & Archidona

Antequera is becoming an increasingly popular Andalucian interior base, sitting conveniently just 45km north of capital Malaga along the fast A45. The largest of the interior rural bases near Malaga and the Costa Del Sol Coast, Antequera got its name from the Romans (Antequera means ancient city). The entire Moorish population of Antequera was deported by Fernando of Castille after the conquest of 1410. Under the Christains Antequera saw a building boom. To the east of Antequera base yourself in the pretty village of Archidona and you'll be locating yourself a little closer to Granada. Indeed Archidona sits just on the Granada region's border.

The Arab quarter, with Alcazaba remains (from which atop there are spectacular views of the Antequera region) sits to the north west of the town. Hailing from the Christian building boom, Antequera has a huge number of religious sites - churches, convents and religious monuments - Antequera has them all. In fact, the town of Antequera has the largest number of monuments in Andalucia. This, combined with the some of Europe's largest megalithic dolmen caves situated nearby and adjacent stunning Natural Park of El Torcal de Antequera, makes Antequera one of the best historic and rural bases in Andalucia. To the north west of the town is a highlight - the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, one of largest brackish-water lakes on the Iberian Peninsula and an important nesting site for pink flamingos. The Lobo Wolf Park (40 acres) is situated just to the west of Antequera.

Mijas Village & Alhaurin El Grande, Mijas Golf Holidays

Inland Mijas Village or Pueblo is either delightful day trip or rural Andalucia base, yet still close to the Costa's many resort attractions. Being so close to the coast, a huge number of foreign residents live in Mijas village, and Mijas is a popular day trip so expect the crowds especially in peak summer season. Within Mijas take one of the donkey taxis around the village to get your bearings. Other attractions include the small Plaza de Toros bullring and the pretty Casa Museo de Mijas which digs deep into the history of Mijas.

Both Mijas and nearby Alhaurin El Grande to the north serve as excellent bases for Andalucia golf and outdoor activities, including horse riding and mountain biking. Mijas village sits on the southern edge of the Sierra de Mijas, whilst Alhaurin sits at the northern foot. Many of the Mijas golf courses, and the Alhaurin Golf Resort are framed by the Sierra Mijas, making them some of the most spectacularly located golf courses in Spain.

Benahavis Luxury Rural Golf Holiday near Marbella

You're hardly isolated in Benahavis - it's a quick drive back down to the Mediterranean coast, and there's been considerable tourist development in the village, including a choice of accommodation and well over 20 restaurants - some of which are high culinary and expensive.

Benahavis promotes itself as a centre for Spanish cuisine and so it is. The village is popular for day trip lunches and evening dining up from Marbella and the coast. Benahavis is a prime centre for Costa Del Sol golf too, with a choice of golf courses in its surrounds, and plenty of nearby Marbella golf too. Its close proximity to Marbella and the Costa coast has made it easy for Benahavis to develop as a rural tourist centre for both golf and cuisine.

Around Marbella - Istan, Ojen, Monda & Tolox

A number of stunning villages are situated inland and around Marbella. All feel more rural Andalucia and are quieter than bustling Benahavis, and all including Istan, Ojen, Monda, Tolox and Coin offer easy access into the stunning Sierra de las Nieves natural park yet are within easy reach of the Costa Del Sol resort coast.

There's some luxury dining options and spa leisure luxury accommodation hidden away near some of these quiet retreats. Lunch at the Refugio De Juanar near Ojen is a rare treat. Easy to reach daytrips, with delightfully scenic short drives up from Marbella, the pretty villages of Istan, Ojen, Monda, Tolox and Coin are all worth exploring. Rural Andalucian retreat fans would do well to base themselves in one. Land is still a little cheaper around these Andalucian villages than on the coast, making the area popular with property hunters and for luxury villa builds.

Around Nerja - Frigiliana & the Sierra Tejeda

Frigiliana sits just 7km north of popular Nerja on the coast, and is renowned as one of the prettiest Andalucian village. Frigiliana has only recently come to the fore within the context of a recent boom in the La Axarquia area of east Andalucia. Resembling a triangle on the map, the revived and rebranded area of Axarquia east of Malaga pushing up to Alfarnate and down to Frigiliana and Nerja on the coast is rich in ancient sites, many Moorish, and archaeological finds from the Phoenecian, Roman and Arab periods. The spectacular caves at Nerja, one of Spain's most visited natural wonders, is the pivotal hub of all this activity.

Frigiliana sits just on the edge of the Sierra De Tejeda Natural Park, in the east of the La Axarquia region. Its position at the foothills of the stunning Almijara mountains makes it all the more scenic.