Let's Discover Spain's Costa del Sol

Make the most of your stay! The Costa del Sol has a huge range of sights and delights to enjoy, from historical monuments, to great sporting facilities to areas of outstanding natural beauty such as UNESCO world heritage sites. We've pieced together some of our favourites for you to enjoy when you are next on the Costa del Sol, Spain - how many of these sights and delights have you seen?

Ronda - a beautiful old Spanish town with stunning views, set in the mountains of Andalucia. It is one of the most spectacular towns of all Andalusia. It is cut in two parts by a breathtaking 130 meter deep gorge known as El Tajo, where the Guadalévin River has cut its way through the rocks. More impressive still it is the 18th century bridge that unites both sides of the gorge. Houses hang precariously off the sides of this gorge.

Nerja is home to some fabulous underground caves only discovered in 1959 and they are now Spain's 3rd most visited tourist attraction. Set into the face of the Almijara mountain range, the cave of Nerja is sometimes called "The natural cathedral of the Costa del Sol " , Its most attractive feature is probably the great column the Room of the Cataclysm with a height of 60 meters and a diameter of 18 meters. Access to the cave is by stairs down to a room 14 meters in width and 3 meters high.  This first room and the following one are joined by a winding runner, which descends to another chamber of similar size.  This is the Sala del Belén (Bethlehem chamber).  To the left of the Sala del Belén is another hall, the one of the Sala del Colmillo del Elefante (Eye-tooth of the Elephant). Carry on down to a row of balconies on the right, la Sala de la Cascada or del Ballet, (Chamber of the Cascade or the Ballet) where the annual festival is celebrated.

Puerto Banus - treat yourself to a day of star spotting portside where all the celebrities hangout and where every other car is a Ferrari. Banús port is located due west of Marbella.  It is a fashionable place to see and to be seen.  Take a walk besides fabulous luxury yachts and admire the imposing cars.  Then stop for a drink or meal at one of the numerous restaurants and bars. Enjoy the mountain and sea views.

Puerto Banus has been growing progressively over the last forty years or so and now includes a casino, a commercial shopping centre, a marine observatory and a multi-cinema. The nightlife in Banus is dominated by bars, piano clubs and discotheques which go on until the not so early hours of the morning.  During the day it is a shoppers dream with numerous fashionable boutiques and cloths shops selling well-known labels.

If you want it is to see the port from another point of view then take a boat trip.  They depart regularly from the central wharf. The beach next to Banús Port has been awarded the coveted European blue flag because of its security and cleanliness.

Every Saturday in the morning next to the bullring there is a thriving market, one of the largest on the Costa del Sol. The bull ring is situated in the area of Neuva Andalucia about 1km from the Marina.

Sierra Nevada ski resort - just 2 hours drive from Malaga is Andalucía's very own ski resort. The resort is located at Pradollano high in the mountains. You can learn more about this general area by reading about the Sierra Nevada Natural Park. And you can find out all about this year's events by checking in with our Sierra Nevada Events Calendar!

Club Municial de Hielo, Benalmadena - try your hand at Ice Skating on Benalmadena's brand new Ice Rink, the only permanent one in Andalucia. The Ice Club of Benalmádena is an attractive and exclusive asset to the community. It is powered by renewable energy sources. You can find it on Avenida Federico Garcia Lorca, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. 

Mijas Pueblo is an authentic Andalucian town and you can take a donkey or pony trap ride to see all it has to offer at a most leisurely pace. Interesting things to see include the bullring, the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Rock, the viewpoint, the Church of the Immaculate Conception.  There are two museum: “El Carromato de Max” (museum of miniatures) and “La Casa Museo de la Villa” (historical-ethnographic museum). The tourist route of Mijas Town is essentially traditional with lofty streets and white houses, flowers in the grates, and of course hermitages

Mijas Costa has some interesting watchtowers: Torre de Calaburra (in Urbanisation Faro de Calaburra), La Torre Nueva de la Cala de Mijas, La Torre Pesetas, Torre de la Cala and Torre de Calahorra. There are many leisure opportunities such as the Aquatic Park, Race course, golf and go-karting, La Cala de Mijas still has a strong fishing tradition in spite of the increased development and tourism.

The Alhambra Palace (GPS: 37.17686 North, -3.589901 West) in Granada is acknowledged as one of the seven modern wonders of the world.  Its well worth a look, but don't forget to book :-)  The full name in Arabic, Qal'at al-Hambra means "The red fortress".  This Moorish stronghold occupies a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. The river Darro runs through a ravine on the north side and divides the plateau from the Albaicín district of Granada. Similarly, the Assabica valley, containing the Alhambra Park on the west and south, and, beyond this valley, the almost parallel ridge of Monte Mauror, separates it from the Antequeruela district.

Malaga City has enough of Costa del Sol's attractions and culture to warrant several visits. Don't forget to see:

The Alcazaba - This imposing Moorish fortress was built in the 8th century, and is very hard to miss right in the centre of the city. The views are stunning, and those in to their Spanish history will delight in seeing this throwback still well maintained against more modern scenery.

Gibralfaro Castle is on the hill next to the Alcazaba. The sight is again a special one for history buffs, and it overlooks Malaga's bay and the city's bull ring. The castle was left in ruins by the French army in 1812, but thankfully the remaining structure has been left to the delight of Costa del Sol holiday makers with a yen for architecture and historical discovery.

Malaga Cathedral, although the original plans had allowed for two towers, lack of funds resulted in the completion of only one, giving rise to the name by which the cathedral is affectionately referred to, La Manquita, loosely interpreted as "one armed woman". The building of the Cathedral started in 1528 just after the Moors lost control of Malaga and build upon the site or their holy Mosque. The building wasn’t finally completed until 1782 so it contains several different styles architecture such as its Gothic fundament, Renaissance facades and Baroque towers.  Indeed, as one of Malaga Cathedral's planned towers is still absent, many argue that it is still not finished. 

Teatro Cervantes has a growing international reputation.  The Cervantes Theatre is the place in Malaga to take in the best opera, concerts and plays. Although it was originally opened in 1870, it didn't last long before it was devastated by fire. Indeed, renovations weren't even begun until the 1980s.

The Picasso Museum. Perhaps Malaga's biggest claims to fame is that it is the birthplace of one of Spain's most renowned artists: Pablo Picasso. One of only three museums in the world dedicated exclusively to the innovative artist, this popular Costa del Sol attraction houses a great number of his works, and has the distinction of being inaugurated by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

The Roman Theatre (Teatro Romano de Malaga) with its impressive amphitheatre sits at the foot of the Alcazaba fortress. It was actually hidden underground until 1951! The theatre was built during the reign of Emperor Augustus, and was in use untill the 3rd century.  This was at a time when Malaga was a Roman province called Later Hispania. During the time of the Moors much of the stonework was raided for the construction of The Alcazaba. Reconstruction work is still ongoing.

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