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Costa del Sol... and the rest of Andalucía
We have compiled a series of concise and useful Costa del Sol area guides to help you find the location that is just right for your dream home and lifestyle.
Whether you are looking to settle down permanently or buy a property to spend your holiday on the Costa del Sol, you’re spoilt for choice in terms of the vast array of amazing Andalusian areas!
The Spanish Sunshine Coast is waiting for you!
Costa del Sol areas
Click on any area to discover the authentic Spanish culture, gastronomy, what to do, best advice, video guides, pictures and much more!
Explore popular areas
Do you want to know which are the 10 most popular areas of the Costa del Sol?
We’ve studied the number of online visits to determine what were the 10 most popular Costa del Sol areas and we think you’ll find the results quite surprising. Let’s kick it off…
1. Benalmádena
The original Costa del Sol tourist resort and home buying destination. Popular with foreigners since the late 1960s – when nearby Málaga airport was first inaugurated and sun-seekers came in their droves – the town has not looked back. It has enjoyed years of development and is, today, home to thousands of residents of many different nationalities.
Perhaps it is because of this history that so many people associate it with the Costa del Sol. Regardless, read more below about the quaint hillside town (Benalmádena Pueblo), the beachfront resort and its emblematic marina (Benalmádena Playa).
2. Fuengirola
Just ten kilometres down the coast from the aforementioned Benalmádena lies Fuengirola, a buzzing metropolis with a vast, sandy beach that draws in visitors from all over the world.
It’s the perfect place to go for dinner and drinks on a budget and has lots of nightlife and places to while the night away for younger people seeking a livelier atmosphere. Take a look at what we say about it in our...
3. Mijas Costa
It’s no surprise that Mijas Costa is high up on this list, given that it actually includes several other “sub-areas”, if you like. La Cala de Mijas (number 7 on this list), El Faro (number 10 on this list), Riviera del Sol and Calahonda are just some of the areas that are covered by its remit.
All of which are less than half an hour from the airport and, as such, have a very international populace. Holiday homes and investment properties are rife, since property prices tend to be lower than in the municipality of Marbella and the tourist demand is consistently high year after year.
Want to find out more? Take a look at our...
4. Estepona
Yes, Estepona makes it in just before Marbella! A favourite for foreigners as an alternative to the Starlite city (a name I just invented, referring to Marb’s annual music festival), Estepona is a picturesque town that has managed to retain its essence of a small Andalusian fishing village.
Simply a gorgeous place to visit, let alone live year-round, we’ve made a video (that we hope does it justice) as part of our...
5. Marbella
“Finally!”, you’re thinking. “Yes, for sure, Marbella had to appear on this list, but why so far down?” Well, there could be any number of reasons for this, including the fact that the four preceding areas are extremely popular property buying locations…
To take a walk around Marbella with a presenter and take a look at what there is to see and do there, go to our...
6. Mijas Pueblo
Anyone who’s ever been up to Mijas Pueblo – I say up because it’s a seven-kilometre ascent into the hills above Fuengirola – will realise why this is a completely justified position for the typical Andalusian town turned municipal capital.
The views alone are simply stunning. And then there are the donkey rides, walking trails, wine bodegas, museums, restaurants serving locally sourced food… Read all about it in our...
7. La Cala de Mijas
Popular with English-speaking tourists since the dawn of time, La Cala de Mijas is awash with bars, restaurants, snack bars and, down on its attractive seafront, chiringuitos (beach bar/restaurants) that make it a well-established social hub for expats on the Coast (including myself).
If you’re looking for a large new build and second-hand property supply and want to be near the beach as well as multiple golf courses, you can do no better than La Cala, as it’s commonly known.
If you want to find out what benefits it could bring to you and your property search, have a look at our...
8. La Duquesa
The only western-Sunshine Coast location to feature our list of the most popular Costa del Sol areas in 2019, La Duquesa is the pretty port area close to Sabinillas, around 12 kilometres from Estepona.
Sometimes dubbed “New Puerto Banús”, it’s not as showy – or expensive – as its jet-set cousin. There is, however, loads to do, see and eat; and you won’t burn a hole in your wallet going for lunch and a vino.
Check out this splendid marina in our...
9. Elviria
I’d wager that our web users searched Elviria a lot this year because they wanted to know more out about a place that’s within easy reach of Marbella yet has its own top-class amenities and a thriving property market. Tick.
From its beautiful stretch of coastline – that runs past the fashionable beach club Nikki Beach – to the more tranquil and peaceful heights of Elviria Hills and its golf courses, Elviria genuinely offers something for everyone.
If you want to see what tickles your fancy, check out our...
10. El Faro
Perhaps the surprise package of this list. One of the areas that make up Mijas Costa, as I mentioned before, El Faro is the small, yet charming, zone around the iconic lighthouse just before you reach Fuengirola.
Although limited in size, its properties are held in high esteem and it’s a very sought-after postcode indeed. Find out more in our...
Immense but accessible
As you will see from the Costa del Sol map above, its renowned 100-kilometre coastline extends from San Roque near Gibraltar to Nerja at its easternmost point, while the province of Málaga also envelops lots of picturesque inland towns and white villages set into the mountainside. All areas are remarkably accessible from Málaga-Costa del Sol airport; as a popular destination, Malaga airport is the Spain’s fourth largest and busiest airport with over 100 worldwide destinations and most visited during summer months.
Ideal for all types of buyer
The Costa del Sol offers homebuyers a rich diversity of options: from urban living in cosmopolitan centres to frontline golf resort complexes, coastal fishing villages transformed into classic tourist havens, ultra-modern gated residential estates and serene countryside paradises. In all cases, you’ll enjoy the famed Costa del Sol weather of 320 sunny days a year and an unbeatable quality of life near the Mediterranean Sea.
Plenty to do nearby
Further afield, Andalucía’s seven other provinces are conveniently located for a day trip or longer visit: from enjoying a day in any of the hundred sandy beaches, or in a theme park like Tivoli World, playing a round in any of the best golf courses in Europe, clubbing in the most cosmopolitan bars and clubs, shopping at the best designer shops, the ski pistes of Sierra Nevada to Europe’s surfing capital of Tarifa... and cities steeped in history such as Sevilla, Granada and Córdoba. You can even check out Gibraltar or hop over to north Africa on the ferry if you fancy a complete change of scenery!
Is your mind already made up?
If you are in no doubt as to where you would like to buy a Costa del Sol property, let your search commence!
If not, keep exploring the Coast below...
Would you like to find the property that's perfect for you?
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