Costa del Sol Property

The Costa del Sol and Andalucia.

The first tourists to the Costa del Sol in the real sense of the word were the romantic travellers of the XVIII and XIX century. The good climate and the famous wines of Málaga and the trading associated with them helped to attract many visitors to the region.

By the end of the XIX century, people were already starting to arrive in large numbers for the winter season, the fair in August and the celebration of the Semana Santa, thanks to the improvement in transport links by land and sea.

The history of tourism in the Costa del Sol is closely linked to the development of Torremolinos. Tourism exploded in the Costa del Sol after the opening of the airport "El Rompedizo" and the introduction of the charter flight. The person responsible for this invasion was considered to be George Langworthy, popularly known as "El Inglés" who at the end of the century, bought a property called "Castillo de Santa Clara", where both he and his wife lived happily for many years until she died. After this point he started to spend all his fortune helping the poor in the area, in particular the fishermen of La Carihuela. Later, the "Castillo de Santa Clara" was converted into a residence for foreigners. Carlota Alessandry Tettamanzy, who at the time was a considerable landowner in la Carihuela, also decided to convert one of her farmhouses into a guesthouse that was later called Parador de Montemar... It had seven bedrooms and did so well that in the 1940s they opened the Hotel La Roca.

The tourist 'boom' did not actually occur until the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s, when large groups of people started to go religiously each year to Torremolinos. 1959 is the key date in the history of tourism in the Costa del Sol. This is the year in which they opened the first luxury hotel "Pez Espada", shortly afterwards famous people started to arrive... Frank Sinatra, Orson Wells, Julio Iglesias,... Just one decade later the district of Málaga had 32 hotels and 10,000 available vacancies. The beach holiday was invented and the Costa del Sol was born.

As the area grew successful, tourism increased massively (also because the destination appeared in many popular films) and suddenly everybody wanted to go to the Costa del Sol to get their picture taken on the beach or on the famous street of San Miguel. This same phenomenon was also happening to the nearby Benalmádena (for many people this area was only an extension of Torremolinos and was already known worldwide); Fuengirola (popular with Spanish tourists); Mijas (where people were starting to buy second homes) and many other locations in the east of the Costa del Sol.

Then the new 'boom' area became Marbella... There was a time that the only villa belonging to a famous person in the city was that of the flamenco artist Lola Flores, a few years later the area was inundated with numerous famous people. Sometimes they would buy summer residences or they would just come to spend their holidays here. The forerunners of these famous people were Norberto Goizueta, José Luque and Alfonso de Hohenlohe the individual who helped to establish the "Marbella Club". Later on James Stewart, Rock hudson, Gina Lollobrigada, Ringo Starr, Onassis and María Callas, the Duke of Windsor, Thyssen, Bismarck, Rostchild, the Kennedys and Sheiks from Arabia were regular visitors to this exclusive hotel.

At the time Puerto Banús, designed by José Meliá, was considered the centre of high-class international tourism. Meanwhile, The Costa del Sol was busy developing secondary facilities: golf courses, the Tívoli fairground, the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones in Torremolinos, aquatic parks and the valuable cultural and rural tourism of the Serranía de Ronda and La Axarquía.

There are a number of elements that have contributed to the success of the Costa del Sol as the primary tourist destination in Spain and the place with highest density of golf courses in Europe. Last year there were over 8,200,000 visitors to the Costa del Sol.

In more recent years real estate and residential tourism has also boomed along the Costa del Sol. The Costa del Sol property market is one of the most active in the World.

What to See and Where to Go on the Costa del Sol and Andalucia

As well as the option of simply sun bathing and making the most of the weather this region of Spain offers many places of interest worth exploring.

There is plenty to choose from whether you are interested in a playing golf in Marbella and other local courses, doing other sports, having fun on a family holiday in theme parks such as Selwo, Aqualand and Tivoli World or simply exploring the fabulous scenery and history.

Benalmadena Marina

Benalmadena Marina is excellent for night shopping and offers very good restaurants, bars and clubs surrounded by the luxury yachts moored at the Marina.

Tivoli World one of Spain's largest amusement parks is in Benalmadena and will keep the whole family entertained for hours, as will the Sea Life Centre at the Marina.

A ride on the Benalmadena Cable Car from next door to Tivoli World up to to the top of Calomorro mountain is a lazy way to quickly get excellent views over the local area.

Mijas Village

Mijas Village is a beautiful traditional Spanish village set in the hills above Fuengirola with picturesque streets and white-washed houses.

If you visit Mijas Village be sure to venture beyond the main street into the old and winding streets to catch a glimpse of rural Spanish life.

Mijas Village is a 10 minute drive from Fuengirola.

Fuengirola

Just 10 minutes by car from Mijas, Fuengirola is a lively seaside tourist resort with all the usual attractions including a long sweeping beach, wide range of restaurants, bars, clubs and shops to entertain the holidaymaker whatever your age.

Up above the town itself the old Moorish castle, the Castillo de Sohail is worth walking up to for fabulous views of the local Costa del Sol coastline.

Offical Fuengirola Web Site
More about Fuengirola

Malaga

Malaga is the gateway to the Costa del Sol and the provincial capital. Most international flights arrive and depart through Malaga airport.

Malaga is a modern city with all the usual attractions including a vibrant street life and night life but it also retains its historical roots.

If you like modern art, the "Museo Picasso Malaga" (Picasso Museum) opened in October 2003. The museum is one of only 3 musuems in the world dedicated to Picasso and has over 200 pieces of his work on display.

Marbella

Marbella helped make the Costa del Sol famous worldwide. About 35 minutes by car from Malaga, Marbella offers the best of the old and the new. You can wander around the seafront and the harbour and admire the huge yachts or relax on the beach. There is an abundance of places to have a drink and eat along the seafront.

Alternatively you could explore the old town, Casco Antiguo with its little squares and narrow streets for a glimpse of a more traditional way of life.

Directory for Marbella
More about Marbella
More about Marbella

Puerto Banus

Puerto Banus, where the rich and famous hang out, offers designer shopping, night clubs, discos, piano bars, restaurants and an unforgettable marina with huge boats. The whole place buzzes with atmosphere day or night time. It is the ideal place for doing some serious celebrity spotting.

Ronda

Set high in the mountains north of San Pedro, a trip to Ronda provides a breath taking ride to this Spanish mountain village which is steeped in history. The town itself is divided into a new and old quarter by a split in the El Tajo gorge.

Ronda is great for wandering around and seeking out small tapas bars to try out the Spanish cuisine whilst admiring both the architecture and its dramatic location.

For days out further away the following places are also well worth a visit.

Cordoba

First settled in Roman times, Cordoba is a beautiful city on the banks of the Guadalquivir. Cordoba is best visited in spring and autumn to avoid the extreme temperatures at other times of the year. The city's sights are best explored on foot, as the streets are rather narrow.

The medieval town is immediately north of the river and houses the Mezquita, the Great Mosque. Built by the Moors between the 8th and 10th century as well as being one of the largest mosques in the world, it also surprisingly houses a Christian cathedral which was added in the 15th century on the orders of Emperor Carlos V.

The Jewish Quarter, the Juderia, which is also in the medieval part of the city offers tiny streets and attractive white houses with patios and courtyards full of flowers and the ever popular Bullfighting Musuem.

If you like gardens and patios the Palacio de Viana, a 14th century mansion with a large garden and 14 patios is worth a visit.

There are many restaurants, bars and shops in Cordoba. In general prices are highest around the Mezquita but drop as you wander back a few streets.

Gibraltar

Further afield Gibraltar is well worth a visit for tax free shopping, and a tour around the Rock which should include meeting the Gibraltar apes and looking at the caves and old military installations in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. You can take also a cable car ride for a view of the Bahia de Algeciras.

Granada

The main reason tourists visit Granada is to see the Alhambra Palace. The Alhambra Palace is simply the most famous example of the Moorish influence in Spain and is on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. For lovers of history this is one place that shouldn't be missed. Remember to leave plenty of time for this trip as there is so much to see.

As well as the Alhambra it is also worth visiting the cathedral and exploring the old Moorish quarter of Albaicin which is opposite the Alhambra.

Sevilla

Sevilla is the capital of Andalucia. Despite its size Sevilla is an ideal city to explore on foot and offers a rich choice of art and monuments to visit that reflect its Roman, Moorish and Christian history. The cathedral is a good place to start your sightseeing from.

Sevilla is also crammed full of bars, restaurants and is an excellent place for shopping with many, many shops to keep even the most fashionable and dedicated shopper happy.

More about Sevilla