The Costa del Sol (literally “sun coast”, map) is a long stretch of Mediterranean coastline in the Andalucia region. It one of the most important tourist areas in Spain, drawing northern Europeans and Spaniards for its beaches, beautiful weather, and relaxed attitude.
103 towns and villages. 103 ways of travelling. Sun, culture, nature, gastronomy, history, tradition, avant-garde, luxury… The province of Málaga and the Costa del Sol are home to all the landscapes you can imagine, a diversity of contrasts, and a virtually endless travel offer.
The region has no official limit, but it is generally accepted that the Costa del Sol stretches from the municipality of La Línea de la Concepción (map) in the west to Nerja (map) in the east, spanning around 150 km of coastline.
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The Costa del Sol includes the city of Málaga and also the towns of Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, San Pedro de Alcántara, Estepona, *Manilva, Casares, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Nerja, *Frigiliana and Torrox.
The busiest place is definitely in Malaga. The largest city on the Costa del Sol, Málaga has a typical Mediterranean climate and is also known as the birthplace of the artist Picasso.
*Elviria (map) — a low-density residential area surrounded by a UNESCO biosphere reserve called La Sierra de las Nieves. It is a ten-minute drive from the centre of Marbella, is close to the many amenities of the bustling town of Marbella (map).
The most famous buildings from the Moorish period can be seen in Málaga. The *Alkazaba (map) and the Castillo de Gibralfaro (map) date from the Moorish period. Both can be visited and guided tours are offered. The buildings testify to the great prosperity of the city in the Moorish times.
Trains are operated by Renfe, buses to Malaga by EMT and to most cities elsewhere in the region by Avanzabus.
High-speed trains serve the coastal region and inland areas, the AVE service reaches the Málaga-María Zambrano railway station in 2 hours and 46 minutes from Madrid.
Getting around Spain (spain.info)
Always check whether the bus or the train is more convenient. The least expensive way to get around most parts of Spain is by bus.
BUS > Virtually all companies operating Intercity buses in France including Ouibus and even German players Flixbus offer buses to/from Spanish destinations. ALSA • Grupo Avanza • Socibus and Secorbus. You can also see what is all available on Movelia.es.
RAIL > The main train operator is RENFE, including AVE (Spanish high speed train) or Talgo intercity services. (*Rail travel in Europe)
AIRPORTS > Information about Spanish airports > aena.es.
WATERWAYS > Baleària • Grimaldi Lines • Trasmediterranea. Spain’s main sea connections (spain.info)