Costa del Sol (Spain)

A holiday to the Costa del Sol is the place to go for year round sunshine, long stretches of sandy beaches and resorts suitable for all types of holidaymakers. The Costa del Sol stretches along just over 150 kilometres of the Malaga province and is one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations boasting some of the best beaches and average annual temperatures of 18°C and over 300 days a year sunshine. The Costa del Sol's resorts like Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Marbella, with their miles of beautiful sand beaches with the warm and safe Mediterranean Sea have kept visitors coming back year after year. The Costa del Sol caters for young, old and families alike.

Torremolinos is the largest resort on the Costa del Sol with a fine sandy beach and has long been a favourite with UK visitors. Torremolinos is a busy tourist resort popular with families and the young and has a wide choice of bars, restaurants, English pubs and thriving nightlife. Benalmadena is a popular choice for British holiday makers and one of the liveliest resorts on the Costa del Sol. Wander round the stylish marina of Benalmandena for plenty of bars, restaurants and nightlife or the '24 hour square' of Benalmadena. Fuengirola is still one of the most popular resorts on the Costa del Sol with its amazing dining area, Fish Alley. Everything is close together in this lively town with plenty of night clubs, bars and restaurants all situated within easy walking distance of each other. Puerto Banus and Marbella are without a doubt the place to be seen. For a more classy resort, head to the playground of the rich and famous, Marbella, which boasts some of Andalucia's most renowned restaurants, discos and nightclubs. Puerto Banus has retained its glitzy, star-studded image, and is still something of a people watchers paradise. Estepona is an ideal choice for those looking to get away from it all. Nerja is the most easterly resort of the Costa del Sol which still maintains a reputation as a quaint Spanish village. Mijas is a typical Andalucian village, perched high above Fuengirola.

When you think of the Costa del Sol you think of sun, sea and sand but there is plenty of history and culture and interesting places to explore. Visit the city of Malaga with its fascinating old quarter, Moorish palace and Picasso Museum. Ronda is one of the prettiest and most historic towns of the Costa del Sol and is a popular day trip if you are looking for history and culture. The town is famous for El Tajo, the plunging river gorge that divides the medieval from the 18th century parts of the town. Ronda is also famous for the oldest and largest bullring in Spain. Costa del Sol and the Malaga province are home to excellent Flamenco shows, exciting bull fights and the best tapas restaurants.

The coast is often referred to as "The Costa del Golf" as it has a number of first class golf courses which can be played year round. To keep families and children entertained there are theme parks including Tivoli World in Benalmadena and Selwo Adventure Park in Estepona. Water parks including Acuatic Park in Mijas and Aqualand in Torremolinos and Fuengirola Zoo. Away from the coast there are many interesting cities to explore including Ronda, Seville and Granada. Benahavis, a mountain village 7km from the coast has the highest concentration of high class restaurants in the region and draws visitors by the thousands who come to savour the cuisine. Head down to Gibraltar for shopping and a trip up the rock to see the Barbary apes or head across the Straits of Gibraltar on a high speed catamaran to Tangier in Morocco.