Costa del Sol – Spain’s Beach Capital

Costa Del Sol is Spain’s Beach Capital:

Costa del Sol is an area on the southern coast of Spain, just to the east of Gibraltar. With 160 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, the Costa del Sol is one of Spain’s most popular holiday destinations. This coastal strip provides the allure of its beaches for Europeans seeking sun, sand and sea. From Nerja, its eastern-most point to Manilva at the western border, Costa del Sol is Spain’s thriving tourist industry.

The Costa del Sol region has an exceptional climate. With over 300 days of sun a year, a temperate climate and an average water temperature of 18C, visitors can enjoy the warm Costa del Sol weather almost anytime of the year.

About the Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol has long been a favourite tourist destination for British holidaymakers. This is not surprising as the origin of one of Spain’s most important tourism destinations can be traced to the early 20th century when Englishman George Langworthy purchased Santa Clara Castle in Torremolinos and transformed it into a residence for foreigners. Years later two other property owners followed suit and these three establishments were the foundation of today’s Costa del Sol.

With the emergence of Torremolinos, other towns followed in the late sixties and early seventies producing a domino effect. The neighbouring towns of Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas also began their unforseen tourism growth. Marbella is another popular town in the Costa del Sol that is popular with the rich and famous.

A Torremolinos Stopover

But mass tourism also has its detrimental effects and Torremolinos unfortunately developed a reputation as a destination for cheap package holidays and cheap alcohol.  So, it was with trepidation that we arrived at Torremollinos for our two day stopover.

But fortunately, Torremolinos has improved somewhat since our last visit about ten years ago. The Melia Costa Del Sol that we stayed at is very smart. There is now a nice paved walkway along the beachfront. The beaches have been cleaned up as well and most of the beaches are now covered with areas of deck chairs and beach umbrellas for rent. It seems the local council has leased out most of the beach spaces to these businesses who charge for use of the deck chairs.

Along the beachfront there are hundreds of cafes, seafood restaurants and bars. The stretch of Torremolinos that we stayed at was not as seedy as we had feared it would be.

Shopping at Torremolinos

For those who want to shop, head for San Miguel street which leads to the main town centre. The alleyway up to the town centre is lined with shops selling all kinds of cheap products.

Torremolinos is strictly a beach holiday destination and from here you can take excursions to places like Mihas with its white houses or the caves in Nerja.

Costa del Sol Accommodation

Costa del Sol caters to all budget types and the younger crowd may find it more affordable here than at northern resorts in Santander.  To search for Costa del Sol accommodation see HERE.

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