Costa del Sol Tourist Information.

This section contains a complete guide to all our pages on the topic of Costa del Sol tourism and holidaying on the Costa del Sol.

For a comprehensive list of all the tourist information pages please see the index further down the page.

With some superb beaches, first-class golf courses, beautiful marinas and superb climate, the Costa del Sol is one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations. This 80-mile stretch of coastline contains a variety of resorts, including up market Marbella and Puerto Banus, family-friendly Fuengirola and Benalmadena, and lively Torremolinos.

The Costa del Sol used to refer to the entire stretch of coastline between Almeria and Cadiz, but these days the term applies to the coastal strip within Malaga province. Tourism began to take off here in during the 1950's when Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe opened the Marbella Club. This lavish holiday complex soon began to attract famous guests such as Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Around the same time the coast's first luxury hotel, the Pez Espada, opened in what was then the small fishing village of Torremolinos. More hotels would be added within the next decade and the Costa del Sol soon became known as a popular package holiday destination.

The area suffered a slight decline in the 1980's, so the local government has invested a lot of money in recent years to bring things up to scratch. New marinas, seafront promenades and golf courses have been built, while the beaches have been cleaned up and improved.

The pretty resort of Nerja, known for its Balcon de Europa viewpoint and string of small coves, lies about 30 miles (50km) east of Malaga. Close to the town are the famous Nerja caves, discovered in the 1950's and now one of the Costa del Sol's top tourist attractions.

The three neighbouring resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola are situated to the west of Malaga. Torremolinos is well known for its popular nightclubs, while Benalmadena has a lovely marina and attractions such as the Tivoli World amusement park and cable car. The family friendly resort of Fuengirola boasts a small modern zoo, over four miles of sandy beaches, and a nearby water park.

A few miles inland from Fuengirola, in the foothills of the surrounding mountains, is the pretty town of Mijas Pueblo. Although it is sometimes overrun with tourists, Mijas has some notable sights including an interesting folk museum and an unusual square bullring. The views along the coast are pretty good too.

Further west along the coast from Fuengirola is the famous resort of Marbella and its neighbouring marina of Puerto Banus. In the centre of Marbella is the picturesque old town of whitewashed houses and pretty squares known as the Casco Antiguo. As well as its lovely beach, the resort is also known for its choice of up market boutiques and smart restaurants. Nearby Puerto Banus is a flashy modern marina complete with luxury yachts, trendy bars and posh shops.

The pleasant resort of Estepona, which still retains much of its original character, is situated to the west of Marbella. The town has several historic attractions, including the pretty church on Plaza del Reloj, plus a wide sandy beach and fishing port.

Malaga is the largest city and the main gateway to the Costa del Sol. Many budget airlines operate flights to Malaga Airport, including EasyJet, Ryanair and Monarch. There is a coastal railway line from the airport to the resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola.

For more advice and tourist information about the Costa del Sol please see Costa del Sol Spain.

COSTA DEL SOL TOURIST INFORMATION INDEX

Costa del Sol Car Hire - A number of useful pages including how to find cheap car hire from Malaga airport and a quick car hire quote.

Costa del Sol Hotels - We have a general guide to the hotel star rating system in Spain and a guide on facilities you can expect in your hotel.

Costa del Sol Webcams - Many towns on the Costa del Sol have webcams which are cameras transmitting live pictures. This enables you to see what places look like and to see the current weather conditions. This page contains a list of all webcams in the Costa del Sol area.

Almunecar Tourist information - Almunecar is a beach resort appromimately 65 kilometres east of Malaga on the Costa Tropical area of Spain.

Useful Almunecar Links: Almunecar Weather | Almunecar Estate Agents | Almunecar Webcams |

Benalmadena Tourist Information - Benalmadena is 15 km west of Malaga and close to the similar huge tourist resorts of Torremolinos and Fuengirola. Benalmadena has 8 km of beach is very large with mostly high-rise buildings (very built up).

Coin Tourist information - Located about 30 minutes inland from Malaga and situated at the foot of the Sierra de Mijas mountains.

Useful Coin Links: Coin Webcams

Estepona Tourist information - Tourists come to Estepona because of it's 8 kilometres of beautiful beaches with it's marina lined with yachts, restaurants and bars..

Useful Estepona Links: Estepona Weather | Estepona Long Term Lets | Estepona Estate Agents

Fuengirola Tourist Information - Once a sleepy fishing village Fuengirola is now a thriving tourist destination west of Malaga.

Granada Tourist Information - Granada is famous for its stunning Moorish Alhambra Palace at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains from which you can ski at Spain's most southerly ski resort. .

Useful Granada Links: Granada Webcams

Malaga Tourist Information - Málaga is the gateway to the Costa del Sol coast of Spain. Malaga is a port city with a very mild climate - the average yearly temperature is approximately 19 °C.

Marbella Tourist Information - Marbella on the Costa del Sol is one of the most luxurious resorts in Spain. It has a reputation as a destination for the rich and famous.

Mijas Tourist Information - Mijas is the Costa del Sol's largest municipality consisting of three main parts; Mijas Pueblo, Mijas Costa and Las Lagunas.

Useful Mijas Links: Mijas Weather | Mijas Estate Agents | Mijas Webcams |

Motril Tourist Information - Motril is a large coastal town an hour and a half's drive east of Malaga International Airport. Motril is a bustling town with a port and two beaches. At the foothills of the Sierra Lujar mountains it is worth a drive inland up to historic Granada.

Useful Motril Links: Motril Weather | Motril Webcams | Motril Estate Agents

Nerja Tourist Information - Once a sleepy fishing village Nerja is now a thriving tourist destination located 50 km east from Malaga on Spain's Costa del Sol. The new road means it is only half an hour from Malaga airport.

Puerto Banus Tourist Information - Puerto Banus is immediately west of Marbella and shares many similarities with its better known neighbour. Puerto Banus also has many designer shops, a marina full of luxury boats and yachts and many wealthy residents and visitors.

Useful Puerto Banus Links: Puerto Banus Weather | Puerto Banus Hotels | Puerto Banus Apartments For Rent | Puerto Banus Long Term Lets | Puerto Banus Estate Agents

Ronda Tourist Information - From Malaga on the Costa del Sol you travel 60km inland and you find the historic and visually stunning town of Ronda in the mountain range of the Serranía de Ronda..

Useful Ronda Links: Ronda Webcams

Sotogrande Tourist Information - Sotogrande is located on the far left-hand side of the Costa del Sol just before Gibraltar after which the Costa del Luz begins..

Useful Sotogrande Links: Sotogrande Weather | Sotogrande Estate Agents | Sotogrande Webcams

Torre del Mar Tourist Information - Torre del Mar is a small coastal town with good sandy beaches situated on the coast 28 km east of Malaga International Airport.

Useful Torre del Mar Links: Torre del Mar Weather | Torre del Mar Estate Agents | Torre del Mar Webcams

Torremolinos Tourist Information - Torremolinos is one of the best known resorts in Spain with thousands of holidaymakers flocking here every year for its beaches and nightlife..

Torrox Tourist Information - Torrox is located in the sunny region of Andalucia 65 kilometres east of Malaga and is protected by the Sierra de Almijara mountains.

Useful Torrox Links: Torrox Weather | Torrox Webcams | Torrox Estate Agents

If you are visiting the Costa del Sol on holiday, if you live on the Costa del Sol or are thinking of moving to the Costa del Sol then we hope this Costa del Sol tourist information has been useful.