The Costa del Sol (Sun Coast) is located in the south of Spain between Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical. Stretching for more than 90 miles, it includes the city of Malaga and the resorts of Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Marbella, Fuengirola and Nerja.

Costa del Sol

Originally made up of fishing villages, the Costa del Sol became a popular tourist destination back in the 1950′s.

The Costa del Sol has something for everyone, including great hotels, beautiful beaches and clear, calm blue Mediterranean waters, restaurants, bars, nightlife, golf courses, theme parks, waterparks, amusement parks, safari parks, zoos, casinos, flamenco shows, history, culture and architecture.

Places to visit and things to do

The following are just a few of the many attractions and places to visit in the Costa del Sol.

Tivoli World – Benalmadena
For a great day out for all the family, Tivoli World is an amusement park with lots of rides, entertainment and an open-air theatre.

Dolphin Watching – Benalmadena
There are many dolphin watching areas in the resort of Benalmadena which will be enjoyed by the whole family.

Crocodile Park – Torremolinos
The park has over 300 crocodiles which can be safely viewed from a distance of under 2 metres. An African museum, small zoo, small cinema, reptile house, kid’s playground and restaurant are also found at the park.

Marbella Beaches
Marbella not only has great nightclubs but it also has over 17 miles of glorious beaches.

Puerto Banus – Marbella
This is a luxury marina and shopping centre which is also home to a very interesting aquarium where you can see lots of different species of mediterranean sealife. There is also a great market here on Saturdays.

The El Pimpi – Malaga
A visit to the the El Pimpi restaurant is worth visiting, not only for it’s good food (which is reasonably priced) and great wine (make sure you ask for it from the barrell, not from the bottle) but most of all for its wonderful atmosphere and decor.

The Picasso Museum – Malaga
The museum, named after Pablo Picasso who was born in Malaga, houses many of the famous artists works.

Alcazaba – Malaga
This well preserved Moorish fortress in the capital Malaga has a the ruins of a 2nd century roman theatre at its entrance and is well worth a visit.

Gibralfaro Castle – Malaga
Perched on a hill overlooking the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro Castle is a fine example of 14th century architecture.

Golf
With more than 30 golf courses, the Costa del Sol is the perfect location to polish up on your golfing skills.

Climate
The Costa del Sol enjoys dry, hot summers and mild winters. The average temperature in May and June is 22-27C which is probably the best time to visit as temperatures soar to an average of 29C until early October when they drop back to an average of 23C.

No matter what your age, one of the cheap package holidays to Spain will be ideal for all the family.

With it’s mild climate and beautiful sandy beaches, the Costa del Sol is a popular last minute holidays tourist destination choice all the year round.

Located in central Spain, 70kms south of Madrid, Toledo is steeped in history and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The city stands on a granite hill surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River.

SIGHTS TO SEE

The Alcazar Fortress
Located in the highest part of town, overlooking the city. Built in the 16th century, burned down by the French in 1810 and restored as a military college in 1882. It is now home to a museum on the Civil War.

Castillo de San Servando
A medieval castle next to the banks of the Tagus river and was originally built as a monestary in 1088. In 1874 it was named a national monument.

The Gothic Cathedral
Dating from the 13th century, the cathedral is considered one of the greatest Gothic structures in Europe. The cathedral is home to a spectacular baroque high altar and paintings by El Greco.

Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes
Founded by King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile to commemorate their victory at the Battle of Toro (1476) over the army of Afonso V of Portugal.

Santa Maria la Blanca
The oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing, now owned by the Catholic Church. Located in the old Jewish quarter of Toledo, the synagogue was built at the end of the 12th century and was converted into a church of the Order of Calatrava at the start of the 15th century.

Synagogue de el Transito
Founded by Samuel ha-Levi in 1356, the synagogue became a church in 1492 after the expulsion of the Jews from the city. Today it is part of the Sephardi Museum which explores the Jewish culture of Medieval Toledo.

Church of Santiago del Arrabal
Dating back to the 12th century the church is built in the Mudejar style. The church is home to a beautiful wooden ceiling and an ornate gothic Mudejar pulpit.

Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz
Dating back to the 10th century, this small former mosque is located in a park above the northen ramparts of the city. It is the only surviving mosque in Toledo.

Museo de El Greco
This is a house-museum which was designed as a recreation of the artist’s home and is home to several important paintings.

Iglesia de Santo Tome
Santo Tome was built in the 14th century in the Mudejar style and is home to El Greco’s famous painting The Burial of Count Orgaz.

Church of San Roman
This 13th century Mudejar church is home to the Museum of the Councils and Visigoth culture.

The Renaissance Museo-Hospital de Santa Cruz
Built in the 16th century as a hospital, it is now a museum housing paintings by El Greco, Zurbaran and Ribera.

The above are just a few of the historic sights to see when you visit Toledo. There are always cheap holidays available to Spain, why not take advantage and visit Toledo whilst holidaying in Spain, you won’t be disappointed!

For more information on Spain and to view my latest articles please visit my Spain Blog.

catedral de la seu

Catedral de la Seu
This magnificent building reaches a height of 305 feet. The spire in the centre is 230 feet high.

The Catedral de la Seu was completed in 1460 and is a prime example of Catalan Gothic architecture. The cloister gardens are an impressive sight, surrounded by a pond, tropical gardens and 13 geese which symbolize the 13 horrifying tortures endured by St  Eulalia.

Near the choir stalls, there are some sculptures of St Eulalia, who was a 13 year old Roman Christian Vigin who refused to recant her Christianity and eventually resulted in her martyrdom. She had to endure 13 horrifying tortures among them: cutting off her breasts, putting her into a knife with barrels and rolling her down the street, and finally decapitation.

santa maria del mar

Santa Maria del Mar
With huge ocatagonal towers, this magnificent cathedral is another great example of Catalan Gothic Architecture (comprised of huge bare walls, heavy columns, ornate sculptures, soaring pointed arches).

This cathedral was built to fulfill a vow made by James I to build a church to the Virgin of Sailors when he defeated the Moors in 1229. Santa Maria del Mar was built to protect Catalan fleet. The cathedral has simple beauty with soaring slender columns and a peculiar southwest facing rose window.

casa mila

Casa Mila
Also known as La Pedrera, the building is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is completely supported by pillars and arches on the bottom. If you look at it from the outside it is very wavy looking, some people claim it looks like a mountain with caves. 

In the attic, there is Espai Gaudi, a museum dedicated to the famous architect Antoni Gaudí, who built it.

Guell Palace

Palau Güell (Guell Palace)
A town mansion built again by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí. This mansion was built for industrialist Eusebi Güell. The stone and iron building has two parabolic arched gates with the Spanish coat of arms in between. The gates allow horse drawn carriages to enter and continue down via ramps to stables located in the basement. On the first floor, a staircase leads to the main floor of the house.

The roof is where Antoni Gaudí’s work shines, with twenty sculptures on top majestically ornated around structures such as the chimneys and ventilation covers. There is also an interesting flying-bat weather vane in the roof.

temple exiatori de la sagrada familia

Temple Exiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family)
Another work by Gaudi, which took 40 years to make and this work is still continuing today.

  There are 18 spindle shaped towers representing the twelve apostles, the four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and the tallest structure which is symbolized by Jesus Christ. Gaudi’s intent was to evangelize to people through this work.

la rambla

La Rambla

The place is filled with artists, shops, theatres, cafes and lots of people. It goes from Plaça Catalunya (the city centre) to Christopher Columbus monument. The street is about 1.2 km. long.

La Rambla was once a river and, after it dried up, buildings were erected around it.

Sarcrat Cor Church

Tibidabo
This is the highest peak in the city and where you will find Sarcrat Cor church. On top of this church is a large statue of Jesus Christ.

“Tibi Dabo” means “I give you”, which are the words the devil used to show Jesus the vast land before him and tempt Jesus to worship him in exchange for the land.

Park Güell
On top of a hill overlooking Barcelona, you will find Park Guell. Commissioned and named after Eusebi Guell, Gaudi set out to create a park for commercial housing. Its attempts failed and it now belongs to the city of Barcelona.

Initially 60 housing plots were designed to be built but only two homes were actually builty. The buildings and sculputres are amazing with intricate detail and beauty.

The pavilions, look like gingerbread houses with wavy roofs and brightly coloured tiles. Near the staircase at the entrance is a lizard which is a symbol of the park. There is also the world’s largest bench, the serpentine bench, which circles around a plaza like a snake.

boqueria market

Boqueria market
An outdoor market with an amazing selection and variety of food. It is the largest food market in Barcelona, you will find an enormous variety of any type of food you will ever need. The market goes back as far as 1217.

Spain is the world’s nation with the second most designated World Heritage Sites. In order to receive this privileged designation, a site must form a unique artistic achievement, have influenced a specific period in history or constitute an exceptional testimony to a culture no longer in existence. These are just some of the requisites.

Alcalá de Henares
This is the birthplace of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. His house is an excellent example of the typical 16th century Castilian home. Here you can also see the corral de comedias, Europe’s oldest comedy theatre. The university and the historic centre receive the UNESCO designation.

Avila City Walls

Ávila
A typical Medieval city. Its city wall is the best conserved in Europe. The old town and the churches, found outside the walls, are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Cáceres
With Fortresses, Renaissance palaces and medieval town squares, this city has an amazing catalogue of different monuments. Its old town is designated World Heritage. A night time visit is also highly recommended on account of the beautiful illumination.

The Great Mosque

Cordoba
Its historic centre is designated World Heritage. This city, which was a major centre of world power and culture under Moorish rule, is home to one of the Caliphate’s most spectacular works of art, the Great Mosque.

Cuenca
This city seems to be suspended in mid air. Its unusual “casas  colgadas” (hanging houses) are an example of man’s capacity to transform his surroundings in perfect integration with nature. Its historic fortified centre has the UNESCO distinction.

Historic Ibiza

Ibiza
This island is a treasure that was coveted by all the peoples of the Mediterranean Sea over the ages. Its valuable archaeological deposits stand out especially in this wonderful heritage site. UNESCO makes special mention of the island for its biodiversity and culture.

Mérida
This city inherited all the splendour of the ancient Roman Empire. Its emblematic buildings, such as the Roman theatre and the Amphitheatre, make its archaeological site, which has the UNESCO World Heritage designation, one of the best conserved in Spain.

Plaza Mayor Square

Salamanca
Its University was founded in 1254 and is one of the world’s oldest. Since then it has been at the centre of the life of this city, along with another of its monumental jewels,  the Plaza Mayor (Main Square). Its historic centre is catalogued on the UNESCO list.

San Cristóbal de la Laguna
The origins of Latin American urban architecture are to be found in this city in the Canary Islands. The frugal beauty of its buildings speak of its past as a link between cultures.

Cathedral

Santiago de Compostela
This is the final destination for thousands of pilgrims who do the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) every year. It is said that the remains of the apostle St. James are inside the cathedral, a splendid example of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. Its old town is designated World Heritage.

Segovia
This old city and its Roman aqueduct have also received the prestigious UNESCO designation. The aqueduct, especially, is a marvel of engineering. It is built using only blocks of stone, without mortar, held together simply by a perfect, ingenious balance of forces.

Tarragona
The city, known as Tarraco in the ancient Roman Empire, now has an impressive archaeological site with the UNESCO World Heritage designation. Its Circus and Amphitheatre are an example of the importance of its monuments.

Toledo
Moors, Jews and Christians lived together in harmony here for centuries, leaving their indelible mark on Toledo’s streets, monuments and buildings. Its historic centre has the UNESCO distinction.

Baeza

Baeza
After it was wrenched away from the Moors in 1227, Baeza became a frontier town between the Christian and Moorish worlds, and a diehard symbol of the Catholic ambition to occupy all of Iberia. Today, a wealth of architecture survives as evidence of the splendor of Iberian history.

Cadaqués
On the Costa Brava, near the French border, this quaint little fishing village is dominated by a 16th-century church on a nearby hilltop. The beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean appealed to surrealist master Salvador Dalí, who built a suitably bizarre villa in the adjoining hamlet of Lligat.

Carmona
Pint-size, sleepy Carmona packs a historical wallop, evoking the Roman occupation of Iberia. The town claims an architectural legacy from every occupying force dating from 206 B.C., when the Romans defeated the resident Carthaginian army.

Cuenca
Set amid a landscape of rugged limestone outcroppings at the junction of two rivers, Cuenca is a fascinating combination of medieval masonry and cantilevered balconies that seem to float above the steep gorges below.
The angularity of the architecture here is said to have inspired early versions of cubism, a fact commemorated in Cuenca’s Museo de Arte Abstracto Español. This museum is considered to be one of the finest modern art museums in Spain.

Deya

Deià (Deya)
On the island of Majorca you will find this lovely old village where the poet Robert Graves lived until his death in 1985. Following in his footsteps, artists and writers flock to this haven of natural beauty, 17 miles northwest of Palma. The views of the sea and mountains are panoramic, with olive trees dotting the landscape.

Elche
Although famed as a charming medieval village, Elche is best known as the excavation site of one of the premier sculptures of the Roman Empire in Iberia, La Dama de Elche, now exhibited in Madrid’s archaeological museum. When visiting Elche you can still see date palms planted originally by the Phoenicians and a mystery play celebrating the Assumption of the Virgin, which has been performed in the village church every year since the 1300s.

Mijas

Mijas
Wander through streets and alleys once trodden by the Phoenicians, the Celts, and the Moors. Today, the town offers a welcome dose of medieval flair on the Costa del Sol.

Nerja
On the Costa del Sol at the Balcón de Europa (Balcony of Europe) lies this Mediterranean gem, with a palm-shaded promenade jutting out into the sea.
Lined with antique iron lampposts, the village overlooks a pretty beach and fishing fleet. The resort town is on a sloping site at the foot of a wall of jagged coastal mountains.

Ronda

Ronda
The site appears inhospitable — a gorge slices through the town centre and its twin halves are interconnected with bridges that are antiques in their own right. But the winding streets of this old Moorish town are perfect for wandering, and the views of the surrounding Andalusian countryside are breathtaking. Ronda is also revered by bullfighting fans, both for its bullring (the oldest and most beautiful in Spain) and the region’s skill in breeding the fiercest bulls in the country.

Santillana del Mar
Jean-Paul Sartre called it “the prettiest village in Spain.” Only 6 blocks long and just 3 miles from the sea, Santillana del Mar perfectly captures the spirit of Cantabria. It’s also near the Cuevas de Altamira, often called “the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art.” Romanesque houses and mansions line the ironstone streets. People still sell fresh milk from their stable doors, as if the Middle Ages had never ended, but you can stay in comfort at one of Spain’s grandest paradors, Parador de Santillana, a converted 17th-century mansion.

Sitges
South of Barcelona is Spain’s most romantic Mediterranean beach town, with a 2.5km long sandy beach and a promenade full of flowers and palm trees. Picasso and Dalí both spent time here. You can Wander down its little lanes and inspect the old villas of its Casco Antiguo, the old quarter. Apart from its romantic beach Sitges also has three very good art museums. Nowadays, many gay men and women flock to Sitges.

Zafra
Zafra’s 15th-century castle is the largest and best preserved in the region. It is set within the angular, stark white architecture of Zafra, which is also said to have inspired the cubists.