The Costa Del Sol
Southern Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, it’s miles of beautiful sandy beaches and fantastic weather have kept tourists flocking back year after year, young and old alike.
The famous Costa del Sol consists of various regions, namely Marbella, Puerto Banus, Nueva Andalucia, San Pedro de Alcantara, Benahavis and Estepona. Each location has its attractions, as they all have very different appeals and aspects.
Marbella
Marbella is renowned for its sophistication and quality lifestyle. The “Casco Antiguo” in the centre of the Old Town of Marbella is centred around “Plaza de los Naranjos” – The Orange Square, which is permanently busy with day and nightime activity, offering a variety of cafes and restaurants, shops and general bustle. Exclusive boutiques line the narrow cobbled streets; it is a kaleidascope of colour with tropical flowers and trees flanking a magnificent square where one can sit for hours watching the world go by.
Marbella’s Marina is neither as famous nor as glamorous as it’s counterpart, Puerto Banus, but the Marina Marbella area is the place to find fresh fish, with it’s live fish market providing many of the restaurants in the area with their fish. The Paseo Maritimo borders the sandy beaches and stretches from Marbella right along to Puerto Banus. The promenade offers a perfect location for strollers, serious walkers, cyclists and runners alike. On one side you have the Mediterranean lapping at the shore, on the other side, you have a selection of some of the most stunning Villas in the area.
Marbella’s Golden Mile
The Golden Mile, just a short stroll from the beach, is an oasis of luxurious shops and nightspots, along with five star Hotels and exclusive Villas offering a combination of incredible scenery, with the famous La Concha mountain as a backdrop. Any beachfront property enjoys the view of the Mediterranean with the Riff Mountains, Gibraltar and North Africa on the horizon.
Puerto Banus
From millionaire’s luxury super yachts to small rowing boats, Puerto Banus is the epitome of the five star lifestyle which attracts the rich and famous. The port is lined with restaurants, bars and nightclubs offering everything from take-away Haagen Dasz to Caviar and champagne. Another perfect location for sitting supping cocktails, enjoying the view (other than the Limousines, Ferrari’s and Harleys), and general people watching – not to mention famous people spotting. It is very trendy and chic, but be warned, the bars and clubs don’t get busy until near midnight and stay open till dawn!
In addition to all the incredible shopping in Puerto Banus, which also caters for people with not such deep pockets, there is the national store El Corte Ingles. This is a shopping maze of designer ware, specialist delicatessen, sports equipment, flowers, music, books, supermarket, pharmacy, dry cleaners, key cutting and car repairs – to name but a few! Nearby is a large Cinema Complex, showing a choice of Spanish and Original Version films. In the Plaza nearby, the summertime craft market offers quality fayre from local artists and Moroccan craftsmen. On Saturdays, the meeting place is around the Bullring in the Rastro Market, where people choose to meet and catch up on the weeks events and gossip, and also buy their fresh produce, local ceramics, designer clothing, watches and sunglasses or barter for rugs and earthenware from Morocco.
Nueva Andalucia – Golf Valley
Tucked into the hills behind Puerto Banus, less than a kilometre inland is the heart of Golf Valley, Nueva Andalucia. Amongst the four golf courses in the valley (three of which are championship courses) are some exceptional villas all sharing the same stunning view of La Concha mountain. Additionally, this area offers an excellent selection of fine restaurants of all nationalities. There is also shopping, banks, hairdressers, supermarkets, video shops and more, without having to venture into Marbella or San Pedro de Alcantara.
Marbella Golf
Marbella has been called a golfing paradise, and now boasts in excess of 30 golf courses, and thanks to the micro-climate, the golfing season never ends.
San Pedro de Alcantara
Moving along the coast south-west, we come to San Pedro de Alcantara. This little town, which has retained much more of its traditional feel as far as the restaurants and shops go, while still providing all the services one could need. There are a plethora of restaurants of all nationalities, bars, shops, supermarkets, banks and some of the best fish restaurants, at very affordable prices.
The nightlife in the town is buzzing in the summer, with tapas bars and clubs brimming over with people enjoying themselves and taking advantage of the warm summer evenings. The climate lends itself to a very different lifestyle.
Along the seafront there is a long promenade scattered with restaurants and chiringuitos, offering some of the best local fish and seafood, in varying qualities of establishments, from casual to smart.
Benahavis
The Costa del Sol has become very cosmopolitan, but a short trip inland will take you to the beautiful white villages that dot the Andalucian countryside. From a distance, they seem to hang in mid-air like a vision shimmering in the sun, but as you draw nearer you see that they are in fact a tightly-packed cluster of whitewashed houses precariously balanced on the steepest of slopes. A walk around the narrow, winding streets brings all the sights and sounds of the real Andalucia to life. Just round the corner from San Pedro de Alcantara, a short drive up into the hills, lies the tiny mountain village of Benahavis. One of the original “Pueblos Blancos” (the famous Andalucian white villages), home to a number of artists, the village boasts warrens of cobbled streets, craft shops selling local fayre and quaint restaurants serving mountain delicacies including the infamous shoulder of lamb.
As well as the large variety of high quality restaurants, there are two beautiful rustic 5 star Hotels, the smaller of the two is a converted house. Each bedroom has a theme and they have a very fine restaurant. David Marshall’s incredible selection of fine sculptures in bronze and silver are on show in a very impressive showroom at the top of the village. For nature lovers, hidden slightly off the road on the way to the village are incredible rock pools with fresh mountain water surrounded by lush vegetation. Benahavis also offers beautiful scenery and interesting mountain walks with a very fascinating collection of flora, fauna and birdlife of the region. There is nothing beyond the village, bar mountains and valleys!
Marbella Boat on Beach
Estepona and the New Golden Mile
Driving back along the coast through the New Golden Mile, past a further selection of 5 star Hotels, you come to the next town of Estepona. This has superceded San Pedro de Alcantara in size, and like all the other towns has the well visited “Mercadillo” – the local weekly market, selling a vast selection of various local farmer’s fresh produce, flowers, ceramics, clothing and footwear. The seafront boasts a promenade with interesting landscaping and play areas for children. Further along the beach are a variety of wooden chiringuitos, serving Argentinian, Moroccan and Dutch dishes, as well as the Paellas and local fish that are so mouth watering in Spain.
Estepona’s nightlife is also worth a mention. The beach Chiringuitos in the summer rock with D.J.’s from all over Europe playing the best dance music. One can eat dinner, and dance the night away watching the sun go down over the Mediterranean – what more could you wish? There are many bars and clubs in the town centre, with great atmospheres frequented by a melange of locals, Spanish and many other European nationalities, many of whom have chosen to make their lives in southern Spain.
Selwo National Park
Selwo National Park is nestled up in the mountains west of Estepona, the coasts’s only Safari Park offering tours on foot and in 4×4’s. This is much more than a zoo, it is a theme park of adventure, fun and nature. There are more than 2,000 animals from every Continent living semi-free, in a large wild territory of more than one million metres. They boast the largest aviary in Europe and one can prolong the visit by staying in the Watu or Massai Villages – comfortable African lodging in incredible surroundings. For the younger visitors, there is a Nature School and Summer Camps.
Come to Southern Spain, and see it for yourself! With 300 days of guaranteed sunshine, how could you go wrong?