Reasons to travel to the Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol is a region in southern Spain, and it’s the coastal region of the Malaga province and the Mediterranean sector of Gibraltar, in the province of Cadiz that extends along over more than 150 kms.

Its warm temperatures allow the visitors enjoy its beaches, the local culture, and a wide range of open air activities all year round. Because of this, it’s considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain to organise great trips for this 2012 summer season.

Originally, the region consisted in a series of fishermen settlements. However, towards the end of the 20th century it transformed completely into a well-known tourist destination with an almost continuous urban agglomeration of the high settlements and tourist resorts along the whole length of the coast.

Nowadays it includes the city of Malaga, San Pedro, Velez-Malaga, Nerja, Torrox, Estepona, Sabinillas, Sotogrande, San Roque, La Linea, and the rich cities of Marbella, Mijas, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Puerto Banus.

In the 50’s, with the aim of satisfying the demands of the international tourism, the Costa del Sol was rediscovered and developed. Today, the Costa del Sol is fully urbanised, with a wide band of dense buildings along most of the coast.

The architectonic styles are a blend of low, whitewashed houses and the development of sky-high apartment buildings that concentrated in the touristic centres. Although many of the villas and other individual houses are designed and built in the local Andalusian style, most of the housing blocks built have rather little harmony with the geography of the area.

Cities like Marbella have made the Costa del Sol famous for its reputation of being a playground for the rich and famous. However, Marbella’s old quarter is also well-known for its 16th and 17th century buildings that surround its exquisite main square called Patio de los Naranjos (orange trees). It’s seafront offers 27 kilometres with naturally formed 24 beaches of smooth, golden sand, as well as some of the best golf courses in the world.

In spite of the tourism’s increase, Estepona is one of the few villages that has been able to maintain its ‘village charm’, characterised by steep, stony and narrow streets, but still offers all the tourist facilities like any other main destination, like cultural and leisure activities, restaurants, hotels, cafes and tapas bars that serve a wide variety of small typical Spanish dishes.

And located on the mountainside, at 420 metres above sea level and 7 kilometres away from the coast, we’ll find the typical Andalusian, whitewashed village of Mijas. This village has conserved most of its traditional way of life. Home to many artists and writers, Mijas is well-known for its festive and relaxed lifestyle.