The Costa del Sol takes up about 300 kilometres of the Mediterranean littoral that corresponds to the province of Malaga.   Protected from the northern winds by a mountain chain that in some parts comes down to meet the sea, this sheltered coast is shaped by a succession of extensive beaches and coves almost hidden between cliffs.   There is much natural anchorage for fishing which has been used for generations.   The breath-taking beauty of the Costa del Sol is beyond question.

The mild climate, infrequency of rainfall and the sea breeze make for semitropical vegetation in which palm and cypress trees, bougainvillaea, oleander and hibiscus are common.   The proximity of such different landscapes - the mountain, the valleys blanketed in vegetable gardens and the sea - is, without a doubt, one of the greatest attractions of this coastline which combines all the appeal of the Mediterranean landscape and culture.   Residential areas, marinas, golf clubs, entertainment centres, nightclubs and many more tourist attractions have been built and now coexist within the peaceful ambience of country villages, which have astonishingly conserved their traditional town centres.

Summer beach holidays and all the appeal that this can offer along this stretch of the Mediterranean is not, however, the only attraction offered by the Costa del Sol.   You will have the chance to uncover the most genuine, authentic features of the Andalusian culture very close by.   In addition to the folkloric displays in the tourist centres, you can also experience the lively and popular celebrations.   The fiestas, Easter parades, song contests and the bull runs without a doubt claim first place on the list of recommendations for travellers who want to see beyond what first meets the eye.   Tasting country wines in the intimate cellars of yore and having some traditional fried fish (cooked to perfection by the local folk) are some of the temptations that will seduce all visitors, especially those that prefer the wonders of local gastronomy over the ever-present international fare.

The outstanding feature of the Costa del Sol is its ease of access.   Hundreds of flights arrive here every week and Málaga airport is positioned midway between Málaga, the main city on the coast, and Torremolinos, its most popular resort.   You can easily reach either town by taking the electric train which runs every thirty minutes (daily 0700 to 2345) along the coast between Málaga and Fuengirola, 20km to the southwest.   Frequent bus connections also link all the major coastal resorts while a new toll autopista between Málaga and Estepona has taken the strain off the often-overloaded coastal highways.   Inland, Granada, Córdoba and Sevilla are all within easy reach of Málaga; so too, are Ronda and the “White Towns” to the west, and a handful of relatively restrained coastal resorts such as Nerja and Almuñecar to the east.   The sea is reliably clean.

Economically, the coastal hinterland is undergoing a resurgence, far outstripping the more sluggish progress in the rest of Andalucía.   Over the last decade, cultivation of subtropical fruits such as mangos, papayas, guavas, lychees and avocados has replaced the traditional orange, lemon and almond trees, whilst in the province of Almería a plastic-greenhouse revolution has turned this zone into one of northern Europe’s main vegetable and fruit suppliers.   Most farm labourers can’t afford coastal land; those who buy are often former migrants to France and Germany who have been forced to return because of the unemployment situation there.

WARNING

A special note of warning has to be made about the Costa del Sol’s main highway – Carretera Nacional N340 – which is one of the most dangerous roads in Europe.   Nominally a national highway, it’s really a 100km city street, passing through the middle of towns and urbanizaciones.    Drivers treat it like a motorway, yet pedestrians have to get across, and cars are constantly turning off or into the road – hence the terrifying number of accidents including, on average, over a hundred fatalities a year.   A large number of casualties are inebriated British package tourists unfamiliar with left-hand drive vehicles and traffic patterns.   The first few kilometres (between the airport, with its various car rental offices, and Torremolinos) are among the most treacherous, but worse still is the stretch heading west from Marbella.   Around thirty accidents a year occur on each kilometre between Marbella and San Pedro.

A new four-lane toll motorway to relieve this road of traffic – the Autopista del Sol (A7-E15) linking Málaga with Estepona in the west – has recently been completed with an extension planned to reach Almería in the east in the next few years.   Due to misleading road signs, it’s easy to end up on the motorway without intending to, forcing you to pay the toll to get off.

If you do use the N340 don’t make dangerous (and illegal) left turns from the fast lane – use the “Cambio de Sentido” junctions which also allow you to reverse direction.   Also be particularly careful after heavy rain when the hot, oily road surface can easily send you into a skid.   Pedestrians should only cross at traffic lights, a bridge or an underpass.

Málaga

Nerja