Most of the Costa del Sol reminds me of costal Florida but with mountains in the background. Like costal Florida, a major highway runs down the coast connecting a number of small, continuous, almost indistinguishable from each other, urbanized communities.
Photo Above - A view of the Costa del Sol as seen from my room at the Don Carlos Resort.
It is easy to understand why this is an area favored for vacations/holidays by Europeans, particularly the British. Sun, beach, golf, an active night life, and a number of theme parks, bring in the young and old to the area.
For USA traveler seeking to experience the culture and history of Spain the Costa del Sol is not the ideal place to find it. Yes, you will hear Spanish spoken, you can have some excellent meals, you will even run in to natives enjoying their seaside holiday. The good news is, for what Costa del Sol lacks as a Spanish experience you can easily find by traveling just a few miles north in to the mountain by visiting Ronda and other non-costal villages.
View the resort I stayed at near Marbella. |
If you are spending a number of days in Spain, the Costa del Sol can provide a relaxing respite from the road, particularly if you are traveling with children. Just keep in mind, most resorts have minimum stays, usually 3 or 5 days. Also beaches become packed in late July, August, and early September. As some resorts also host major golf events, cost of hotel rooms for some resorts do not drop dramatically in the off season.
Marbella is consider to be one of the better resort communities. Malaga has an international airport used by many to enter the Costa del Sol Region but Malaga is not the city with the best resorts and beaches.
Go to the Marbella or Malaga pages. |
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