Marbella & The Costa del Sol
With popular destinations such as Marbella, Puerto Banus, Nueva Andalucia, Estepona, Sotogrande, Mijas Costa and Fuengirola The Costa del Sol is one of the most visited regions in Spain.
The Costa del Sol is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, it's miles of beautiful sandy beaches and fantastic weather which have kept tourists flocking back year after year to resorts like Marbella, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas Costa. Its great diversity means that the Costa del Sol has something to offer for just about everyone, there is enough entertainment and variety to please both residents and tourists alike.
Marbella: Set against the stunning backdrop of the "La Concha" mountain Marbella is a mixture of old and new, with stylish apartments lining the seafront while typical Andalusian houses are to be found along the picturesque alleys of Marbella's Old Town. A favourite area to visit is the beautiful Plaza de los Naranjos in the Old Quarter, meaning "Orange Plaza" it is aptly named and especially beautiful when the orange blossoms are in bloom.
As one leaves the center of Marbella heading west one travels along the famous "Golden Mile", so called for the palatial beach front villas that make the area some of the most expensive real estate in Europe. The "Golden Mile" is also home to the Marbella Club Hotel, founded in the 1950's, the five star luxury hotel founded Marbella's reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. Nowaday's celebrities and dignities include the likes of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, who has a summer palace and mosque on the Golden Mile.
Marbella has a distinctly cosmopolitan feel to it, more so than the other main towns on the Costa del Sol, local celebrities include Sean Connery, Melanie Griffith & Antonio Banderas (who originally came from Malaga). It's not suprising then that it is often compared with the likes of Monaco and Portofino.
Puerto Banus: Puerto Banús is synonymous with wealth, fashion, glamorous parties and the 'highlife & nightlife'. It's reputation is high-class and high-price-tag. The "place to be" and "to be seen", this is where the "in crowd" are to be found.
The marina area is lined with designer boutiques, making shopping in Puerto Banus one of the main attractions. At night the area is popular for its restaurants, bars and clubs, including well-known venues such as Trader Vic's and Salduba while other well venues such as Dreamers and Oliviá Valère's nightclub are just down the road. The marina is home to large expensive yachts and smaller pleasure craft alike, Shaf - King Fahd's boat is moored near the old tower and is a well known point of reference.
In terms of othre leisure activities Puerto Banus is home to an Aquarium and a multi screen cinema showing films in English.
Mijas Costa: The Mijas municipality covers an impressive 148 sq km and includes two major urbanisations, Sitio de Calahonda and Riviera del Sol. Both are very popular with foreign residents and tourists the area is almost like a home from home, with pubs, international retaurants and super markets that sell those hard to find home comforts. The sports centre is also well equipped and includes an 18 hole golf course and thriving tennis club.The many complexes in Mijas Costa are home to many of the areas ex-patriot population, composed mainly of British, Germans and Scandinavians. The area is marked by lots of pretty coves and beaches with housing complexes (urbanizations) behind them.
Fuengirola: Probably most famous for its five miles of sandy beaches, with high-rise hotels and apartments offering magnificent views of the Mediterranean and the coastline. With a new wider promenade with plenty of palm trees interspersed with colourful flower bed’s and bench seating, Fuengirola sea front is a favourite place for tourists and local families alike. The beaches along Fuengirola, Los Boliches - Gaviotas and Torreblanca hold a European blue flag.
Fuengirola is particularly popular with tourists with a wide variety of entertainment and restaurants to choose from. Andalucian traditional tapas (snacks bars) to local fish restaurants to the British Fry-up's all make Fuengirola a popular choice for going out to eat. There is no shortage of things to do for holidaymakers in Fuengirola, ranging from such family fun activities as the Aqua Park, a trip to the zoo, a ride around town on "the little train" or on a horse-drawn carriage, right through to a host of water sports.