Costa del Sol Map and Information

The Costa del Sol ("Coast of the Sun") is in the region of Andalusia in the south of Spain. It spans the province of Malaga and, pushing into the eastern edge of the province of Cadiz, is bordered by its lesser known neighbours of the Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical. The 20th century has seen the Costa del Sol transform itself from a region of tiny fishing villages into one of the worlds premier tourist destinations where there is almost continuous urbanisation along the whole stretch of this coastline.

Many well known towns and cities can be found in the Costa del Sol region of Spain such as Malaga, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas along with the wealthier Puerto Banus and Marbella.

Many cultures have called this region home over the centuries and the remains of civilizations such as the Romans, Moors, Phoenicians and Vandals amongst others can still be found both in ruined buildings or influences in the local cuisine. Away from the coastal resorts the traditional Andalucian white villages are common and despite the heavy urbanisation which replaced the fishing villages nearby, there is still the charming and authentic 'real' Spain to be found on the Costa del Sol.

With the influx of foreign tourists, mainly since the 1950s, the area developed rapidly and towns such as Marbella have grown to the point where they now have a reputation as being a destination for rich and famous film stars.

The Costa del Sol has recently been dubbed as the "Costa del Golf" due to the proliferation of world class golf courses, many of which are centred on Marbella, which attract golf enthusiasts from all over the world which only adds to the tourist numbers.