Costa del Sol. What attractions are worth seeing on the Costa del Sol in Spanish Andalusia?

Name: Costa del Sol in Spain
Rating: 5

Costa del Sol is Spanish for "Coast of the Sun". It is a famous tourist region in southern Spain, Andalusia. It stretches along the Mediterranean coast. The Costa del Sol has been our dream for several years, after all, it is famous for its beautiful beaches, wonderful landscapes, rich history and unusual monuments. And the icing on the cake, there are over 300 sunny days a year, it is also the perfect direction for November to escape from the cold and darkness for a while. In fact, we experienced a lot of sun, warm moments and unforgettable views. Check out what Costa del Sol has to offer!

Attractions on the Costa del Sol. What to see on the Sunshine Coast of Andalusia? Experience map

Azure and navy blue ponds, luxurious resorts, idyllic pubs on the beaches, but also unique monuments of various cultures and wonderful nature. This place is teeming with life all year round, but after the season it is definitely pleasant, warm, but also intimate. Explore the best attractions of the Costa del Sol!

Malaga - the most important city on the Costa del Sol in Spain

Málagais a wonderful city. It reminded us of Palma de Mallorca, although in my opinion Malaga does not match its beauty. On the other hand, it impresses with its interesting architecture, a labyrinth of charming streets and countless pubs. What to see in Malaga?

Alcazaba - the most beautiful Moorish fortress in Spain. You will see lace portals, gates and nooks full of vegetation. Sightseeing is paid and next to it it is worth combining it with the Roman theater and Gibralfaro castle (common ticket)
Roman Theatre - was founded in the 1st century AD and was used until the 3rd century, later it was buried for many centuries until it was discovered in the middle of the 20th century. Today it is a modern stage for events, free entrance, entrance next to the fortress
Gibralfaro Castle - towers over the fortress and the city. It is also called the mountain of light, because there was a lighthouse used for navigation. Currently, it is a beautiful viewpoint, with a joint ticket with the fortress, it is worth entering
Picasso bench and his museum - the famous Cubist painter was born in Malaga
Malaga Cathedral - the city's tallest building, built on the foundations of the Great Mosque. It is a Renaissance gem, great and powerful, built over many years. Interestingly, it has only one tower, because the funds for the second one went to another purpose. For this reason, it is called "La Manquita", or "the One-Armed Lady". The interior is available for a fee
Málaga Park - going from the temple to the sea, you can stroll through a tropical corner with green parrots hidden among numerous palms, royal strelica and down trees, called a lizard tree
Mercado Central de Atarazanas market - the building was erected in the 19th century on the site of an Arab shipyard, from which an ornate gate has been preserved. Today you can buy fresh seafood, vegetables, exotic fruits, meat and local delicacies here
Soho district with street art - you will find many murals here, both small and large-format

Benalmadena with a fairy-tale castle and the most beautiful yacht port. Discovery of the Costa del Sol!

Benalmadena may not be the first choice of tourists on the Costa del Sol, but I assure you that it is worth a look here. Amazing experiences await here:

Colomares Castle - one of the most fabulous places in the world. It is the largest monument ever erected to commemorate Columbus' discovery of America. "The Castle" was created in 1987–94 thanks to Esteban Martín, it is extremely impressive and combines different styles. Available for a fee, every day except Mondays
Stupa - a Buddhist temple, the largest not only in Europe but also in the entire Western world. It is white, which refers to Andalusian white towns and the district in which it stands. The stupa was designed by a Pole, Wojtek Kossowski
Benalmadena Yacht Harbor - one of the most beautiful in the world, luxury yachts from all corners of the globe shine in the sun. Up to 1000 units can moor here. On several artificial islands connected by beautiful bridges, they create an unusual image, along with unusual architecture
Beaches - nice, sandy beaches, long and landscaped, as well as more wild and intimate, even in November we enjoyed their charm at temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius
Parque de la Paloma - a very nice park with flora that you will only see in our palm houses. There are downers with huge flowers, numerous cacti and other green plants throughout the year. Ducks bathe in charming ponds, there is a mini zoo and a dolphinarium

Marbella - the famous Costa del Sol resort

Marbella is considered the pearl of the Costa del Sol. It lies about 45 km west of Malaga, on the very coast. Today, it is a popular luxury tourist resort, but the turbulent history makes the city combine Christian and Muslim culture. The old town called Casco Antiguo was located around the Castillo de Marbella castle, built in the Middle Ages in the Andalusian style. Orange Square also includes other monuments, the town hall from the 15th century and the Mayor's House from the 17th century. I recommend the Avenida del Mar pedestrian street with an open-air sculpture gallery, whose main attraction is the works of Salvador Dali. The outskirts of the city also hide traces of the ancient past, such as the baths of Las Bóvedas or the Puente Romano bridge, which in the first century was part of Via Augusta, the route from Rome to Cádiz. Tourists are, of course, attracted by the beaches, stretching along the length of the entire city to the neighboring resorts. Everyone will find their place here, depending on their preferences. The central beaches of Marbella are El Pinillo, Bounty Beach and adjacent to the port of Del Cable and Bajadilla. The further from the center, the less popular the beaches, where you can experience peace, especially after the season. Interestingly, famous Poles such as Doda, Dowborow or Wojciech Szczęsny have their homes in Marbella.

El Faro - a neighborhood with beaches and a lighthouse

El Faro is a district of Mijas Costa, on the eastern outskirts of Marbella. She took her name from the lighthouse standing here. It is a very nice part of the Costa del Sol, offering a rocky shore in places, and beaches with golden sand and beach bars in places. You can get here very easily and even find a parking lot, at least after the season. It is an ideal place for walks by the sea, with picturesque views. Playa del Charcón, Playa de la Campana and Punta de Calaburra. We in this area experienced a very beautiful sunset, during which we were completely alone. The whole beach for us!

Torremolinos - a town with traditions of a fishing village on the Costa del Sol

Today, Torremolinos, located 12 km west of Malaga, invites tourists with beautiful beaches and tasty, traditional fish, but formerly this place was inhabited by the oldest civilizations of the Mediterranean, including Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs. Attractions of Andalusian Torremolinos include:

Fantastic beaches: Bajondillo, Carihuela, Los Álamos or Playamar, the city makes good use of its tourist potential in the form of a beautiful coastline and a mild climate
The defensive tower of Torre de Pimentel, also called Torre Molinos - it is from it that the original and current name of the city comes
Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Casa de los Navaja - a beautiful example of aristocratic architecture from the 19th century
Festivals, holidays and processions - the city strongly cultivates traditions. There is a market and holidays related to St. Michael, the patron saint of the city, celebrated at the turn of September and October. The Romería de San Miguel procession is also famous. Carihuela celebrates Feria del Carmen with a procession on July 16
La Carihuela - traditional fishing district
Pescaíto frito - traditional fried fish
Cortijo del Tajo - important archaeological sites from the Neolithic, Pre-Roman and Roman periods were discovered here

Somewhat distant from the coast of Andalusia attractions

Not only the coast is attractive, you will also find extremely valuable natural attractions and beautiful towns away from the Mediterranean coast.

Mijas Pueblo - one of the famous white Andalusian towns with corrida, flamenco and donkeys

Mijas Pueblo is a charming, beautifully located town in Andalusia, which hides a chapel carved in rock, associated with Marian apparitions. Horse-drawn carriages and characteristic donkey taxis squeeze through the narrow climatic streets. However, we decided to torture our legs, not the animals. And then there's the corrida. Mijas Pueblo is home to one of the oldest bullfighting arenas on the Costa del Sol. Such a tradition, known since antiquity, although the current form with a red coat gained in the 18th century. It is hard to agree with it, the only consolation is the fact that it is currently held mainly at festivals and you usually do not kill a bull. Either way, it has become firmly rooted in the traditions of Andalusian Spaniards and is still legal in Andalusia. I like the milder version of their culture, i.e. flamenco, much more. The town itself is worth visiting, because it has an amazing climate, beautiful, narrow streets and white buildings, which, whitewashed, was once supposed to protect against epidemics.

Caminito del Rey - The King's Path - a hit of Andalusia and all Spain!

Caminito del Rey doesn't let you sleep at night, and that's because she's so terribly cool. The hanging path 100 meters above the bottom of the ravine is wonderful!!! It was a dream come true. There was adrenaline, delight and pride that we managed to do it. Memories will stay with us for a lifetime. And to think that today everyone wants to be here, and just over 100 years ago it was one of the most difficult routes in the world and a nightmare for power plant workers. As you can guess, the king himself crossed this way! We loved it! The path is not physically difficult, it does not climb high uphill, but there are a few stairs on the route. The footbridge did not cause us fear of heights, but it may be the case for others. It is about 1m wide. It leads at the beginning of the route, then wanders along the trail in the field and at the end the footbridge comes back again. This time it is all the more difficult because at the end you have to cross the bridge suspended between the rocks. It is about 40 m long, but the bridge swings because it blows a lot.

Tickets for this experience are two-fold, cheaper if you go alone, and more expensive with a guide. The cheaper ones spread quickly and you have to order them for a specific day and time up to 3-4 months in advance. More expensive ones can be ordered later, and apparently even on the spot, but I wouldn't risk it.

Torcal de Antequera - the most beautiful karst of Europe from the UNESCO list!

40 km from Malaga and 45 minutes by car, a truly wonderful rock city grows in front of your eyes! This is El Torcal, the best example of karst in Europe. Valuable natural landscape shaped over the last 200 million years and inscribed on the UNESCO List! It is such a combination of the Jury and the Table Mountains. Torcal is located above the village of Villanueva de la Concepción, near the city of Antequera. An asphalt road leads to the parking lot in the heart of the formation, climbing quite high uphill. In the summer, the parking lot fills up quite quickly and you have to stand lower and take a shuttle. In the parking lot you will find a bar and a small, free museum. Both the car park and the entrance to the reservation are free of charge.

We took the green route from the car park. It is 1.5 km and trekking takes about 45 minutes. You can choose a more difficult and longer, because the yellow route is 3 km long, but we did not have so much time. For it, you need to have a comfortable outfit and trekking shoes. I went green in a dress, although I also recommend a comfortable outfit. It allows you to enjoy the view of unearthly rocks and limestone formations, reminiscent of those from American national parks. Moving away from the green route, we also walked a few hundred meters to the Mirador Las Ventanillas viewpoint, where chamois lay on the rocks. It's cooler here than on the coast and more windy.

Costa del Sol in James Bond

The Malaga area starred in the famous film "You Only Live Twice". It's a classic Bond with Sean Connery. At that time, these neighborhoods played Japan, because the film was embedded there. In the country of the cherry blossom, however, they were not allowed to fly by helicopter and it was this famous scene that was filmed here.

Accommodation in Costa del Sol

Throughout our stay on the Costa del Sol, we slept at the MedPlaya Hotel Alba Beachin Benalmadena. It has a great location, just cross the road to get to the beach. It offers tasty and rich breakfasts and other amenities, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, bar and billiards. The hotel car park is paid separately (15 euros per night), but we managed to find a place on the street near the hotel.

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Where to rent a car in Costa del Sol?

We rented a car in Malaga, from Centauro near the airport, through Discover cars. Centauro takes customers from the headquarters to the airport free of charge, so after returning the car, we got to the flight quickly and without any problems. We rented a Fiat 500, it is economical, comfortable and tiny, so we did not have to pay for the hotel parking lot, because we always found a little space in the zones marked with white lines where you can park for free. The rental price is PLN 350 for 2 nights and PLN 80 for full insurance. When buying it, you do not have to worry about possible scratches. Of course, it also protects against financial consequences in the event of unpleasant events on the road. In addition, we paid a 44 euro fuel deposit, which was returned after 2 days.

Our video about the region

At the very end, we invite you to watch our video, which we created while traveling around Malaga.

What's worth seeing in the area?

If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.

Malaga, Spain, distance: 0.5 km
Benalmadena in Spain, distance: 16.7 km
Torcal de Antequera in Spain, distance: 28.1 km
Caminito del Rey King's Path in Spain, distance: 38.6 km