Costa del Sol - Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol located in Andalusia at the Mediterranean Sea and includes the coast of the Málaga Province.

background

The Costa del Sol, in German sun coast, is an approximately 160 km long coast in Andalusia. It borders on that in the west Campo de Gibraltar, this is the Mediterranean coast of the Province of Cadiz and in the east to the Costa Tropical in the Granada province. The entire Mediterranean coast of Andalusia is often referred to as the Costa del Sol, but it is not true. The Costa del Sol is limited to the coast of the Málaga Province. The section in the southwest from Manilva (near Estepona) to Torremolinos (just before the capital) is referred to as "occidental", the section from Málaga to Nerja as "oriental".

Tourism began on the Costa del Sol as early as the 1920s. The reason for this was the very mild climate with a guarantee of sunshine. The mountain range behind the coast protects the Costa del Sol from the winds from the Atlantic Ocean. It was wealthy Spaniards who built a summer residence here. In the fishing villages on the coast, people looked for relaxation and, above all, for nice weather. During this time, the country estates were built that can still be seen today in the original parts of the coastal villages, for example in Benalmáden-Pueblo. During this first wave of tourism, the original villages were preserved as they were, which was due to the fact that only a few Spaniards could afford to build a domicile here.

In the 1960s, the Costa del Sol became famous when more and more film actors and musicians came to the beaches. Well-known examples are Frank Sinatra and Liz Taylor. They came here to enjoy the peace and quiet and the excellent climate of the area, but also made the Costa del Sol famous in Europe. It was during this time that Central Europeans began to travel south. Many came to Spain by car. In addition, many airlines suddenly offered affordable flights to this region.

This is how the tourism industry discovered the Costa del Sol for itself. The first large hotels were built and package tours were offered to the beaches. The construction boom grew unchecked, control was hardly possible from the start. There were also many politicians in the area who won the building boom with bribes. So every place, no matter how small, was built that was somehow possible. All the towns on the coast were partially built over by the hotel castles and holiday complexes. Some villages were newly created. In the course of time the villages grew closer and closer together. This is especially true for the holiday area west of Malaga.

When the construction bubble burst, the Costa del Sol was plunged into a serious crisis. Many jobs depended on the construction industry and were lost. At many construction sites, work was stopped overnight. People jokingly say that there would be so many construction vehicles here that would no longer belong to anyone that they just had to be fetched. Since then there has been a very high level of unemployment on the Costa del Sol. In addition, many people are impoverished because they invested all their money in holiday apartments that were worthless from one day to the next. Many of these apartments were also financed and were intended to serve as retirement benefits.

Today the Costa del Sol is west of Málaga until almost continuously after Estepona built on. Almost everywhere hotels were built in such a way that they did not fit into the landscape. Further in the hinterland, one golf course after the other was built, up to now more than 80 in number. This attracts wealthier visitors, for whom country houses have been built in the hinterland. It's not that bad east of Malaga, but even here the buildings are often anything but beautiful.

places

View of Nerja

Malaga port

Marbella Playa

Benalmadena

Holiday resorts on the Costa del Sol from northeast "oriental" to southwest "occidental":

• 36.75176-3.874881 Nerja at the Balcon de Europa
• 36.75877-3.952582 Torrox with the longest promenade
• 36.760556-4.0453 Algarrobo
• 36.778611-4.1005564 Vélez-Málaga
• 36.74176-4.093885 Torre del Mar , belongs to Vélez-Málaga, but is also used as a seaside resort by many of the residents of Málaga
• 36.716667-4.2833336 Rincon de la Victoria
• 36.71667-4.416677 Málaga
• 36.62219-4.499948 Torremolinos , just southeast of the capital
• 36.595-4.5733339 Benalmadena , about 20 km down the coast
• 36.54428-4.6249110 Fuengirola , With 36.59556-4.6372211 Mijas , a white village above
• 36.51016-4.8899112 Marbella a glamorous seaside resort with a pleasant climate
• 36.42761-5.1492913 Estepona is the up-and-coming neighboring city of Marbella,
• 36.44431-5.2726914 Casares a white village above
• 36.37726-5.2503715 Manilva , last place in the province of Málaga, a white village above the Rio Manilva, also with the district 36.358226-5.2368416 La Duquesa on the coast

Other goals

Nature parks

• The Montes de Málaga Natural Park, Parque Natural Montes de Málaga
• The Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, Parque Natural Sierra de las Nieves
• The Natural Park of Sierras de Tejeda, Alhama and Almijara, Parque Natural Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama
• The cliffs of Maro, Paraje Natural Los acantilados de Maro
• The Gaitanes Gorge, Paraje Natural El desfiladero de los Gaitanes
• The Natural Park of Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja, Paraje Natural Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja
• The places of the Sierra Crestellina, Paraje natural Sierra Crestellina

language

Is the official language Spanish (Castilian). English is very widespread in the tourist areas, German and French to a lesser extent.

getting there

By plane

The central airport is located in Málaga. Alternatively, you can also use the airport in Seville or the airport in Gibraltar arrive. Seville is a bit away from the Costa del Sol, but it is a good idea if you want to spend a few days in the Andalusian capital before going on a beach holiday. The only way to get to Gibraltar is actually via England of Birmingham, London or Manchester out.

By train

Malaga is now connected to the RENFE high-speed network. The AVE runs here every hour. You can come from Malaga Barcelona and Madrid. The next transfer station is in Cordoba. There are only a few other trains to the Costa des Sol. A train goes to Seville every two hours, one to Seville every now and then Ronda.

By train C-1 der Renfe you can drive from there to the center of the capital or southwest along the coast to Fuengirola. The trains run every 20 minutes from early in the morning to late in the evening, the fares range between € 1.70 and € 2.60. See also Timetable, Map, Stations.

By car

Well-developed motorways (Autovía del Mediterráneo) and expressways run along the coast, mostly the A-7 (toll), and in Málaga also the MA-24 and MA-20. At the same time there are also good country roads, on which you need a little longer to get to your destination. You can get to Malaga on the A-45 from Cordoba. The traffic is distributed in the vicinity of Antequerawhere the east-west connection A-92 from Seville to Cordoba crosses the A-45.

By bus

The bus network on the Costa del Sol is quite well developed. You always try to be on time, but this is often hardly possible because the buses always drive through built-up areas and are often delayed due to traffic. Also, if you want to cover longer distances by bus, you have to change frequently. The buses are quite modern and have air conditioning. Every larger town also has a bus station where you can change trains. Since many Spaniards also use these buses, the buses can get quite full.

mobility

In the street

It is said that the Spaniards who live here on the Costa del Sol have a very aggressive driving style. But that's not as bad as one would often like to believe. Normally you won't have any problems in traffic. Even when parking, the stories of dumped cars are often fairy tales. However, the toll booths on the autobahn are unusual for German drivers. Here you first have to get an overview and then go to the right counter.

For the most part, there are no or only a few parking spaces in the villages. Often times, if you have a parking space, you have to take it, who knows when the next parking space will be available. This also and especially applies to the so-called white villages. They are not designed for so many people to drive here. And there are certainly no parking spaces. It is often better to use public transport.

In the seaside resorts of the Costa del Sol there is actually a lot of traffic all day long. The road network is actually not intended for the mass of cars that drive here. It's not just the holidaymakers who travel here, it's also the people who work here everywhere but don't live here. If you drive on the coastal road, you often only make very slow progress. The general rule is that you should get onto the motorway as quickly as possible, because the traffic rolls better here.

By bicycle

You can see many racing cyclists on the Costa del Sol who train here. A lot of teams prepare for the season here, especially in spring. This has the advantage that there is a pleasant climate here and the routes can also be quite demanding when it comes to the mountains. Even in summer you can still ride a bike here. In addition to the road riders, you can also see a lot of people here on their mountain bikes. Here, too, there are some very challenging routes that can be tackled. Many are also signposted. All in all, it has to be said that on the Costa del Sol the bicycle is seen as a piece of sports equipment. As a means of transportation, it is more or less unknown. Therefore, in most cities on the Costa del Sol, with a few exceptions, bike paths are usually not available or are not taken into account.

Marinas

• Puerto Marina Alcaidesa (Sports)
• Puerto de la Duquesa (sports)
• Estepona Port (yacht and fishing port)
• Puerto Banus (sports)
• Marina Marbella
• Marbella Port (yacht and fishing port)
• Port of Cabopino (Sports)
• Fuengirola port (marina and fishing)
• Puerto Deportivo de Benalmádena (Sports)
• Port of Málaga (sport and commercial fishing)
• Real Club Med (Sports)
• Port The Lock (Sports)
• Puerto de La Caleta (yacht and fishing port)
• Puerto de Sotogrande (sports)

Tourist Attractions

Seaside resorts

(From Malaga to the west)

• Torremolinos
• Benalmadena
• Fuengirola
• La Cala de Mijas
• Calahonda
• Marbella
• San Petdro de Alcantara
• El Paraiso
• Gualdalmansa
• Estepona
• La Gaspara
• Bahia Dorada
• Buenos Noches
• Bahia de Caesares
• Sabinillas
• La Duquesa
• La Chullera
• Torreguadiro
• La Alcaidesa

(from Malaga to the east)

• El Palo
• Rincon de la Victoria
• Benajarafe
• Torre del Mar
• Caleta de Velez
• Algarrobo Costa
• Lagos (Costa del Sol)
• El Moche
• Torrox Costa
• Nerja
• Maro

White villages

• Alfarnatejo
• Alhaurin el Grande
• Alhaurin de la Torre
• Alpandeire
• Antequera
• Archez
• Carratraca
• Coín
• Frigiliana
• Júbrique
• Loja
• Mijas
• Pujerra
• Sedella
• Totalán

Traces of the Roman settlement times

• The most famous is the Roman amphitheater in Malaga. You can find it at the foot of the Alkazaba, very close to the port. The complex was found by chance while building a house and then excavated. It dates from the first century AD. During the Moorish period, parts of the theater were integrated into the Alkazaba fortress.
• In Fuengirola you can get the Finca del Secretario visit. The excavation dates back to Roman times and contains a curing facility that is still in good condition, but also a thermal bath and a pottery workshop. The Roman apartments and the baths are not originals, they are replicas. The excavation can be found on Avda. Nuestro Padre Jesús Cautivo west of the Pajares river.
• You can find them in Marbella Villa Romana de Río Verde at the mouth of the Rio Verde, in the west of the city. All that remains of the villa is unfortunately only the floor, a mosaic of black and white tiles. In addition, the beginnings of the walls can still be seen. The archaeological site can be found on Calle del Rio in the east of the Rio Verde river. The site can be visited.
• In Torrox, at the end of the beach promenade, if you go east, you will find a small excavation from Roman times. The excavation is divided into several small parts. The remains of the Roman city of Caviculum were excavated here. Unfortunately there is not that much to see. But at least the ancient building remains have been preserved here and not simply built over them.
• The Banos de Hedionda can be found at Casares. They are the remains of a sulfur bath from Roman times. Here even Julius Caesar is said to have healed his wounds from the long marches on his expeditions of conquest. His troops also revered the bath for its healing properties. The baths, which are open to the public and can be visited and used, can be found in the vicinity of the village Gaucín to the right of the Albarra stream.

Traces of the Moorish settlement times

• The most famous buildings from the Moorish era can be seen in Málaga see. The Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle come from the Moorish times. Both can be visited and guided tours are offered. The buildings testify to the great prosperity of the city in the Moorish times.
• All over the coast there are still watchtowers that date back to Islamic times. These Atalaya The towers mentioned were warning towers that were supposed to detect fleets in the Mediterranean. This would then be reported by beacon that troops could be mobilized to repel the impending attack. The towers were manned by only one or a maximum of two soldiers. They usually stand on elevations directly on the coast, so that a good view of the Mediterranean was possible and an uninterrupted chain was created between the individual towers. Many names of other buildings and districts still refer to these watchtowers.
• The fortress can be found in the southwest of the city of Fuengirola Sohail Castle. The original place Fuengirola is said to have formed around them. The name of the city is also said to be different from Fuen For Fuerte so derive fortress. The fortress dates from the time of the Muslim occupation and is said to have been built around 900 AD. You can visit the fortress today. It also serves as a venue for concerts and festivals. They are known Noches de Castillo, the castle nights, when pop and rock concerts take place here.
• The original town centers of many localities on the Costa del Sol come from the Moorish settlement phase. You can recognize them by the narrow streets that run like a labyrinth through the whole place. These places are also often decorated as it was customary in Moorish times. A nice example is Frigiliana near Nerja or Mijas Pueblo in the north of Fuengirola.

activities

• The Costa del Sol is also called the Costa del golf known. It has the greatest concentration of golf courses in Andalusia and on the European continent, distributed as follows: 21 in the municipality of Marbella, 11 in Mijas, 10 in Estepona, 6 in Benahavis and San Roque, 3 in Malaga, 2 in Casares, Rincon de la Victoria and Benalmádena and 1 in Vélez-Málaga, Fuengirola, Nerja, La Linea de la Concepcion and Manilva. There are also others in the cities of Alhaurin el Grande, Alhaurin de la Torre and Antequera. Unfortunately, this large number of golf courses has the advantage that it attracts an incredible number of wealthy tourists, but on the other hand you should not forget that you need a lot of water to irrigate such a golf course. And there is not very much water here.
• The wonderful wind and the beautiful waves attract a lot of surfers to the beaches of the Costa del Sol. There are true surfer's paradises here that are in the same breath as the beaches of Fuerteventura to be named. There is a beach west of Fuengirola that is teeming with kite surfers.
• There are several ports for private boats. The Costa del Sol also attracts people who want to sail the Mediterranean with their boats. There are ports, for example, in Benalmádena, Fuengirola or Marbella.
• The area of ​​the Costa del Sol is quite mountainous. So it drives many cyclists here who train in this demanding area. You can also rent bicycles in the seaside resorts, even if the quality of these bicycles is not very high. People who like to ride a mountain bike will also find their way here. Many are even signposted in the localities. It goes from easy to very demanding.

kitchen

The cuisine on the Costa del Sol has adapted to the tastes of its visitors. You can actually find everything you would expect in a holiday resort, from the well-known fast-food chains to stalls, from small to large restaurants. In addition to Spanish cuisine, Asian cuisine and Italian cuisine are particularly well represented here. The prices very often have a lot to do with the location. It is significantly more expensive in busy places than in the back streets. It is therefore worth taking a look around before choosing a restaurant. The quality also fluctuates very significantly, but the quality does not always have to have something to do with the price. Here, too, it is worth taking a look around first.

Spanish cuisine also follows demand here. Almost every Spanish restaurant offers tapas platters, which then represent a whole meal. Paella is also always offered. Here, too, you have to be careful, because to save time, some of it comes from the freezer. You always have to wait about half an hour for a paella made on site. If you really want to have good Spanish food, then you should go into the hinterland. They are also geared towards holidaymakers here, but the quality is usually better than in the middle of the seaside resorts.

If you really want to eat tapas, you shouldn't be satisfied with the tapas platters that are offered again and again. In the bars off the beaten track of the tourists, when ordering a beer, wine or even a soft drink, you get a tapa, as is tradition. Which one that is in the case remains a surprise. There are olives, Andalucian bread (toasted white bread with tomato, garlic and olive oil) or just toasted toast with olive oil. With every order you get something different. These are tapas based on the original tapas culture. Tasty and easy.

nightlife

As a holiday paradise, the Costa del Sol naturally also has a lot of nightlife to offer. Everyone will surely find something to pass the time at night. It never gets boring here. On the contrary, you are almost spoiled for choice as to what to do, because the possibilities are so diverse.

But first, a few general tips. Nightlife in Spain starts relatively late. You first go to a bar or bodega and eat and drink something. You don't actually stay in a single bar, but wander from bar to bar, have a drink and move on. The clubs and discos open around midnight. Now you can throw yourself into the disco where you like the music best, but here, too, the general rule is that you don't stay in a disco or a club, but rather move on. In the clubs and discos women usually have free entry, while the men often have to pay. The night ends at dawn and you meet again in a bar to have breakfast.

But even those who want to take it easy will always find a restaurant or bar on the Costa del Sol where you can sit and chat until late at night. And in fact there are also many very beautiful ones. You can often sit outside, often near a beach. You can hear the waves and let the wind blow around your head. You can always eat something in most bars. Usually they have very nice little things (tapas) to offer.

The busiest place is definitely in Malaga. In the old town there are lots of small bars and pubs, all of which invite you to linger and whoever wants to go dancing will always find something that suits their taste. If you have a little more money in your pocket, you can visit the exclusive clubs in Marbella. Here you can be lucky enough to come across a star or little star. There is also something going on every night in Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Benalmádena. Here you will find something for every taste and you can party all night long.

trips

Since there are hotels in every price range on the Costa del Sol and the connections to public transport and road traffic are very good, the area is very suitable for visiting all of Andalusia from here. Many destinations can be easily reached from here by bus, train and car. You can also rent cars here on every corner. The hotel is then only the starting point for trips in Andalusia. If you like, you can also book guided tours to the most important cities of Andalusia from the Costa del Sol. This often already includes the entrance fees for the sights. Destinations for excursions from the Costa del Sol are:

• Seville
• Cordoba
• Granada
• Ronda
• Gibraltar

security

In the Spanish crime statistics, the Costa del Sol is very far ahead. Three cities with Malaga, Fuengirola and Torremolinos are in the top ten. Of course, there are also all sorts of crimes that have nothing to do with tourism, but street crime had assumed threatening proportions. Even in Marbella there was open street selling of drugs and open prostitution. In fact, you did something because you didn't want to drive away all of the holidaymakers. First of all, the police present tense has been greatly increased. If you go for a walk on the Costa del Sol, you will always come across a duo of police officers who are on patrol. And patrol vehicles are also part of the streetscape. This has brought open crime under control and the holidaymakers' feeling of security has also been significantly increased.

Well, holiday resorts, generally places where many people stay, belong to a worthwhile area for all sorts of theft and fraud, this is not only the case on the Costa del Sol, it is the same everywhere there are many holidaymakers. So you always have to take care of your things. The normal advice applies that you should heed on every vacation, no matter where you are going. You should only take as much money with you as you really need, valuables are best left in the hotel safe, neck pouches are not nice, but they are safer. Avoid street vendors and beggars, avoid crowds. Nothing new, not even on the Costa del Sol. If you observe these precautionary measures, you can get through your holiday well on the Coste del Sol, even if the number of cases seems to be very high here.

Due to its proximity to Africa, the Costa del Sol has other problems that should not go unmentioned. On the one hand, there is human trafficking from Africa to Europe, which is flourishing here on the Costa del Sol and kills many people every year. The route of marijuana from Morocco, one of the largest cultivation areas of this drug in the world, to Central Europe also leads over the Costa del Sol, no wonder, it is not far and there is a lot of shipping traffic. Then there is the rapidly growing unemployment. These unbelievably high numbers force many people to simply search their crime in harmony and it must not be concealed that corruption is still very widespread on the Costa del Sol.

To make matters worse, the police in Spain is organized very opaque. In a town you often see three different police authorities patrolling and you really don't know what one or the other is doing. But, as already mentioned, they are trying to increase the police presence and that has certainly been very successful.

climate

The Costa del Sol has a pleasant climate, with an average temperature of 19 ° C and more than 300 days of sunshine a year. The mountain ranges just behind the coastline protect against cold north winds. In summer it is warm during the day between 25 ° C and 30 ° C, in winter it rarely goes below 10 °. The amount of precipitation on the Costa del Sol is 500 mm, in the interior it can be twice as much.

However, it is a little cooler than on the coasts further east (e.g. area Almeria). This continues the further you go towards the grave altar, as the influence of the Atlantic can be felt there.

Real estate bubble

In addition, interest rates continued to fall after the turn of the millennium. So there was money in abundance. In addition, it had become established in Spain to invest money in real estate. The result were those huge complexes with holiday apartments that were created purely for investment purposes. Not only could Spaniards invest their money here, these investments were also very popular abroad. This created an ever increasing demand for these apartments. The spiral began to move. More and more new investors wanted their vacation home on the Costa del Sol, more and more new areas were opened up and new and bigger projects were started. The construction industry in Spain at that time had a larger production than that in Germany, France or Italy.

With the 2007 recession, money became more expensive and there were fewer investors who wanted to buy a property on the Costa del Sol. The bubble burst because there were already no users for the existing properties; they were only built for investment purposes. In just a few weeks, real estate prices fell by up to 70 percent. Nobody wanted to invest anymore, but everyone wanted to sell. As a result, of course, the construction industry collapsed. It was no longer built. There were mass layoffs and unemployment. As a result of unemployment, money became less and more and more people tried to sell what could no longer be sold. Since not only the Costa del Sol but all of Spain were affected by the bursting of the property bubble, investments from all of Spain also failed to materialize. There was also no money from abroad, as the real estate in Spain no longer promised any returns.

What remained are the sometimes huge holiday domiciles, in which hardly anyone really spends their vacation and which characterize the Costa del Sol today. The sign "Se Vende" (for sale) can be seen more and more often, even in the older complexes, which have also declined significantly in value. Many systems were also not completed or, in the worst case, the construction sites were simply left behind.

literature

Web links

• official tourism website of the Costa del Sol