The Costa del Sol, part of Spain’s Andalucia, is dream location for any sun and sand worshipper.
The Costa del Sol stretches 110 miles from Manilva on the west, to Nerja on the east. It has been a popular resort area since the 1940’s, when early visitors included Hollywood celebrities, European aristocrats, and international tycoons and royals. Today, it is as popular as ever, with a growing population of vacationers, expats, and second home owners. Its original beauty has somewhat faded, as it is now a largely built up urbanized area with one town sprawling to the next, filled with shops and restaurants, highrise hotels and large resorts, residential complexes, and continuous sandy beaches. If you are looking for a remote seaside village with empty secluded beaches, the Costa del Sol may not be what you are looking for. But if you are looking for long stretches of beach, 300 days of sun, and a good location for exploring other areas of Andalucia, the Cost del Sol may be just your place. Just east of the Costa del Sol, a protected, undeveloped area between the towns of Nerja and La Herradura does offer a number of secluded and attractive beaches. Below are some of the places we visited along the Costa del Sol, as part of a trip to Andalucia.
Torremolinos
Torremolinos is essentially a suburb of Málaga that is a popular destination for tourists from throughout Europe and Great Britain. It has a five mile long sandy beach and wide promenade lined with hundreds of seaside restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and shops. The Old Town area of Torremolinos is located up a hill from the beach, and also has numerous streets and alleys offering restaurants and shops, some fronting large plazas. Getting to the old town from the beach requires climbing one of the numerous meandering stairwells lined with souvenir shops.
A favorite pastime is eating a late dinner followed by strolling the streets and people watching. Torremolinos has numerous bars, many aimed at British and Irish rugby fans, and several catering to the LGBT community in an area called La Nogalera. Eden Beach Club is a beachfront restaurant / bar / and beach lounge area popular with the LGBT community.
While many of the restaurants in town seemed to have similar menus with mediocre food, we did enjoy a few specific restaurants. Latierra is a beautiful, moderately priced restaurant perched on a cliff with a fantastic view of the Mediterranean and excellent service. Following a huge shared serving of caprese salad, I enjoyed a sweet and savory entrée of pouch shaped pasta (called sacchettoni) stuffed with pears and gorgonzola, with a gorgonzola cream sauce and hazelnuts. Another night we ate at Britta’s Casita, a German restaurant specializing in various types of schnitzel. Our friendly and talkative host, Josey, made our visit more enjoyable. Marmalade Café, run by an Irish woman and popular with Irish and British tourists, serves a very good breakfast, and the best marmalade I’ve ever had.
Málaga
Málaga, the second largest city in Andalucia, is situated along the Costa del Sol about 60 miles east of the Straight of Gibraltar. The birthplace of Picasso, as well as actor Antonio Banderas, Málaga is one of the oldest cities in Europe, dating back 2,800 years. It was founded by the Phoenicians, then ruled by the Romans, the Visogoths, followed by Islamic rule until 1487, when the Crown of Castille gained control.
Apparently, Málaga is the new Barcelona. Twenty years ago, the city was considered a less desirable, somewhat dirty industrial city, but more recently has been rediscovered and scrubbed clean, attracting an increasing number of visitors and residents each year. I was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful city filled with meandering alleys, large and small plazas, outdoor cafes, ancient Roman ruins, lush green parks, cathedrals and museums, and modern and historic architecture. Its waterfront is home to both an industrial port and popular sandy beach and public promenade, and the city’s outlying neighborhoods climb the numerous hills that surround it, including one that supports an ancient Moorish castle.
Getting to Málaga from Torremolinos was quick (about 30 minutes) and easy, using the light rail system.
Mercado Central de Atarazanas – I enjoy visiting markets wherever I go to get a taste of the local flavors and delicacies. Located in the historic center, this large covered market was constructed in 1879 on the site of a former shipyard, and the huge door of the original shipyard was included in the main façade of the market. It has a large glass atrium ceiling and stained glass window on one side. The market has three main sections, including a meat section, seafood section, and produce section, but there are plenty of other items sold including breads, gourmet items, and spices. There are also restaurants and bars within it.
Picasso Museum – There are dozens of museums within Málaga to explore, but we only had time for one, so we chose the Picasso Museum, located only a couple of blocks from the artist’s birthplace. The museum is housed in the Buenavista Palace, built in the 16th century, with galleries located off of a central courtyard. The museum has nearly 300 of Picasso’s works that were donated by his family. Tickets can be purchased via Booking.com or Viator. The entry fee was 9 Euros plus fee using these services, but it allows you to skip the purchase line.
Castillo de Gibralfaro – After walking through the attractive Parque de Malaga fronting the harbor, we worked our way up a series of switchback paths up a steep hill east of the historic center, called Mount Gibralfaro. Mount Gibralfaro has been used as a fortification since Malaga’s earliest inhabitants, including the Phoenicians. Today, atop the hill stands a walled Moorish fortress that was built in the 14th century to house troops and protect the Alcazaba below it (see below). Stunning views of Málaga and the Mediterranean are offered from both the fortress and path to it.
Alcazaba of Málaga – This palatial Moorish fortification sits below the Castillo de Gibralfaro, and was built in the 11th century by the Hammudid dynasty. The fortification includes both an outer and inner citadel, and the architecture, courtyards and gardens are reminiscent of the more famous Alhambra, located in Grenada.
Marbella
Located about 37 miles west of Málaga, Marbella exudes both charm and wealth. Marbella is known for being a popular destination of the jet set crowd. The most attractive part of Marbella is the Old Town, characterized by white painted buildings lavished in bright pink, purple and red bougainvillea, or faced with blue pots containing geraniums, all fronting narrow quaint alleys and plazas. We spent time sitting at an outdoor café on the city’s main plaza called Plaza de los Naranjos (Plaza of the Oranges). Fronting the plaza are the historic city hall, the mayor’s house, and the Chapel of Santiago, the oldest building in Marbella dating from the 15th century. While sitting, we were lucky to have a front row view of the parade of San Bernabe, the patron saint of Marbella. The parade was part of a week long festival (held every June) that includes food and drink events, entertainment, fireworks, flamenco dancing, and a King and Queen contest.
South of the Old Town is the Parque de la Alameda, an attractive square covered with dense trees and fountains. From there, a pedestrian promenade with Salvador Dali sculptures leads to the Playa de Venus, the city’s main beach. We ate lunch at Pizzeria Bocateria La Colmena, along the beachfront promenade. Our three-course meal included a choice of options, and I had a tasty appetizer of melon and ham, a lasagna, and creamy custard for dessert, all at a very reasonable price. The fastest way to get to Marbella is via Highway AP-7, which is a toll highway. A more picturesque, but much slower option is Highway A-7 which traverses along the built up coast.
Nerja
Nerja is a coastal resort community about 35 miles east of Málaga. One of the most apparent things in this very attractive town is the numerous coved beaches surrounded by cliffs that lead up to the historic town center. A great place to view the beaches from above is the Balcón de Europa. This large seafront promenade has spectacular views of the Mediterranean, and has stairs that lead to two of the beaches including Playa Calahonda and Playa el Salón. We ate lunch at a good restaurant called Portofino, that was perched on the cliff offering beautiful views of the beach and turquoise sea below. The best way to get to Nerja is via Highway A-7.
