Costa del Sol

A journey along the coast

On a car journey of around 180 kilometres, it is possible to discover at a gentle pace some of the loveliest places in the coastal area. One essential stopping point is the capital, Málaga, which in recent years has invested heavily in culture which, in addition to the Picasso Route (the painter was born there), offers an interesting variety of museums: Pompidou Centre, Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Collection of the Russian Museum... It is lovely to take a stroll round this increasingly fashionable city and discover how the Alcazaba, the Castle of Gibralfaro and the Cathedral blend in with alternative urban art neighbourhoods such as Soho, with terraces where you can enjoy brunch, or with streets like the Calle Larios for those who love to shop. Other coastal tourist spots with beaches where you can relax are Nerja, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Estepona and Marbella. This last location and the nearby Puerto Banús are ideal places to find haute couture brands, prestigious restaurants and beach clubs where you can lay back on a Balinese bed and watch the sun set. For travellers looking to recharge their batteries or disconnect, there are luxury accommodation options with nutrition programmes or boats to hire in the marinas.

Slow travel through the interior

The Costa del Sol seduces visitors with its cliffs, beaches, and coves and also surprises them with its stunning interior, home to villages of whitewashed houses with narrow, winding streets adorned with flowers and which conserve centuries-old traditions. They are built in the middle of the mountain range and discovering them means fully disconnecting in the heart of nature. Among the most beautiful of these villages are Frigilana and its charming old quarter, Antequera and its stunning prehistoric dolmens, and Ronda and its mythical bridge over the cliff which, in their day, captured the hearts of figures such as Hemingway, Orson Welles (whose ashes are buried here) and Rike. In addition to visiting these villages, we recommend a visit to some of the region’s wineries and attending a wine tasting, admiring the landscapes along the Caminito del Rey path or visiting nature reserves such as the Sierra de las Nieves or Sierra de Grazalema, staying in a centuries-old traditional Andalusian farmhouse or a rural house that offers massages and natural therapies, relaxing at historical spas such as the one in Tolox or the Carratraca thermal baths, and of course sampling the local cuisine with its unmistakable rural flavours.