Costa del Sol Tourist Information

A guide to the Costa del Sol

The 'coast of the sun' or better known by its Spanish name the Costa del Sol is probably one of the most popular tourist destinations in whole of Spain. The Costa del Sol is situated in the province of Andalucia and essentially stretches from Algeciras in the west right up to Nerja in the east.

All along this stretch of coastline are many popular Spanish holiday resorts including famous resorts such as Marbella, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and the World famous playground to the rich and famous, Puerto Banus.

Costa del Sol History 

History indicates that the Costa del Sol started its tourist industry towards the end of the 19th century. It is widely believed that it all started with an englishman named George Langworthy who settled in Torremolinos with his wife. The couple took up residence in the Santa Clara castle and at the beginning of the 20th century converted it in to a type of hotel for foreigners charging just 1 peseta per night. Many years later a lady by the name of Carlota Alessandri Tettamanzy converted one of her properties into the Parador de Montemar and not long after opened the La Roca Hotel. From these few properties the hotel industry on the Costa del Sol was born and boomed. Within a short space of time, Torremolinos became one of the most popular tourist destinations throughout the whole of Europe.

East and West Costa del Sol

The coastline of the Costa del Sol stretches for about 160 kms throughout the province of Malaga and also rolls over into the provinces of Cadiz and Granada. Malaga is really the centre and capital of the Costa del Sol and the areas either side are known as West of Malaga and East of Malaga.

Over the years the more popular area for tourists and property buyers was the Western Costa del Sol, especially around the Marbella area. Nowadays, the Eastern Costa del Sol such as Nerja and Torrox are resorts in themelves attracting a high number of tourists and property buyers every year.

The infrastructure throughout the whole region is getting better year by year All areas are easily accessible via the N-340 highway, which runs the length of the Costa del Sol and beyond. In addition a toll road, the AP 7 has also been constructed and is being extended all the time. Currently you can travel from Benanlmadena to Algeciras using the toll road.

There is a new road infrastructure underway around the San Pedro de Alcantara area as this has always been a major bottle neck. The new underpass will elviate much of the congestion and make journey times west of Marbella much simpler and faster.

The Airports of the Costa del Sol

Although many people think there is actually a Mabella Airport sadly there is not. The main airports serving the Costa del Sol are Malaga Airport (Malaga Airport Information) and Gibraltar Airport.

Currently Malaga Airport is undergoing a huge expansion with the building of a new termnial (terminal 3 Malaga Airport) and a new runway which will double the number of flights to and from the Costa del Sol.

Costa del Sol Weather

The climate on the Costa del Sol is one of the main reasons it has become a popular tourist destination with an average temperature of 18 degrees. During the summer months the temperature rises to above 30 degrees and in the winter it very rarely drops below 14 degrees. Rainfall is generally limited to a short period during the winter allowing for around 300 days of sunshine per year.

Some other useful pages about the Costa del Sol include:

Information on English Magazines on the Costa del Sol »
Distressed property Costa del Sol »
Costa del Sol Holidays »
Nikki Beach Marbella »

Costa del Sol Area Guides

For more information on some of the main resorts and towns of the Costa del Sol, please click on an area to view the relevant information.

Coastal Towns on the Costa del Sol

Inland Towns on the Costa del Sol

Costa del Sol Guide »