Costa del Sol Travelers Recommend

With excellent weather, beaches and villages, the 90 miles (150km) of Malaga known as the Costa del Sol is an enduring favourite. A trip inland deeper into Andalucía rewards with pretty villages and great scenery. Malaga itself houses the Picasso Museum. Head west to Torremolinos, which has the widest and longest beaches on the coast, an aquarium and amusement park. Clubbers head to the marina Puerto Doportivo. Fuengirola is family friendly with a pretty old town. Glossy Marbella has good museums. Pop into Puerto Banus marina and pretty seaside Estepona, which also boasts a wildlife park. At the far west of the Costa is Alcaidesa, a village protected by a strict architectural code boasting a spectacular golf course. The fishing village of Nerja, with a clean beach backed by dramatic mountains, is a highlight of the eastern Costa del Sol. Just out of town are famous caves, Cueva de Nerja, with pre-historic paintings, site of an annual International Cave Festival.

Just a couple of hours from the Costa del Sol by road or train, Granada is another world away. Granada is a student town with a multicultural vibe and a vibrant bar and flamenco culture, while also boasting one of the most remarkable buildings in the world. Granada is home to two of Spain's best-known UNESCO World Heritage sites: the gardens of the Generalife and the exquisite Moorish architecture of the Alhambra Palace. The Alhambra is a breathtaking monument to Moorish architecture and is easily seen on a day tour from Costa del Sol. After the Alhambra, visit the Charles V Palace and the gardens of the Generalife, framed by the stunning backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.