Once upon a time people only went to Spain- and in particular the Costa del Sol – for the warn sunshine and the beautiful beaches.

That is still the case today but people are also seeking other things to do other than sunbathe.


The Costa del Sol has something for everybody.


The Mediterranean climate lends itself to sports and outdoor activities. Sports enthusiasts would be amazed at the different choices available from golf to horseriding, paragliding, hiking, sailing, tennis,fishing,windsurfing and even ski-ing in the Sierra Nevada.


Culture vultures will be happy with the number of museums, theatres, concert halls, ancient churches, castles and palaces. There is the famous Picasso Museum in Malaga, bullfighting museums in Mijas Pueblo and Cordoba, cathedrals in Malaga and Seville, theatres and concert halls in Malaga and Seville, palaces and historical buildings in Seville as well as lots of local museums such as the sherry bodegas in Jerez or the hunting and craft musems in Ronda. Also there are many cinemas- these are oftern found in commercial shopping centres and there is always one screen showing English versions of the latest films.


Lots of tourists love visiting the traditional Andalucian ‘white villages’ with their quaint cobbled streets and colourful pots of geraniums and orange and lemon trees. Mijas Pueblo, Gaucin, Casares..to name but a few. Another place worth visiting is Nerja with its famous caves with formations of stalagltites and stalagmites.


Nature lovers will enjoy the protected natural parkland of Donana near Huelva with its wildlife and is ideal for bird watchers. Some of the parks in the Jaen region are home to rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The lakes in the Malaga province near Ardales are set amongst beautiful countryside with spectacular mountain views. The lagoon at Fuente Piedra on the outskirts of Antequera is a natural lake and home to a large colony of flamingoes.

There are also plenty of other green spaces to visit such as the Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of Malaga. Even the English cemetery in Malaga is worthy of a visit with its beutiful secluded garden of historical interest.


The gastronomes will be happy with the variety of food and drink from the traditional tapas dishes in local bars to fresh fish and seafood in the chiringuitos (beach bars/restaurants) to avante-garde cuisine in award-winning restaurants.


There is also a variety of accommodation to suit every budget ranging from the campsites, hostels, rural fincas (farmhouses), apartment and self-catering accommodation to top-of-the-range luxury spa hotels.


Children have little chance of being bored as there are many attractions to keep the kids happy. There is the Selwo Safari Park near Estepona, the Selwo Marina and Sea Life aquarium in Benalmadena, Tivoli World Amusement Park in Arroya de la Miel, Crocodile Park in Torremolinos, Fuengirola Zoo, Aqua Park with water slides and chutes in Mijas Costa and spectacular cable-car rides overlooking Benalmadena and Malaga. There is a wolf sanctuary in Antequera and donkey rides up mountain paths. All over the Costa del Sol you can find lots of parks with swings, slides, open spaces for bike-riding and seating areas for picnics etc..


The main airport is Malaga but there are other smaller aiports at Jerez and Granada. For travelling around there are plenty of car-hire companies, local taxis, excursion coaches, local buses, a regular train service from Malaga to Fuengirola and the fast AVE train which runs from Malaga to Cordoba and onto Madrid. The port at Malaga has many visits by large cruise ships and Fuengirola is principally a fishing port. Other ports such as Marbella, Puerto Banus, Benalmadena, Ducquesa and Cabopino are used by sailing clubs or to moor private yachts.


Lastly, but not least, Andalucia is the birthplace of flamenco. There are actually many different component parts to flamenco and styles vary from province to province and flamenco dance is still the main attraction for tourists to this region.