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Main Sights in Costa Del Sol, Spain
The Costa Del Sol’s sun-drenched climate and excellent coastline location, as well as its impressive landmarks, parks and areas of stunning natural beauty across the region make for an exceptional destination for tourists looking for a setting where they can enjoy adrenaline-rush activities to the fullest or holidaymakers who simply want to combine a relaxing stay with activities that are somewhat outside the traditional travel mainstream. Either way, you are unlikely to get bored considered the wealth of things to do in the Costa Del Sol.
Antequera
A visit to this historical Andalucían town is a journey almost 5,000 years back in time, beginning with the Bronze Age and the native Iberians. The timeline is there to be traced in this fascinating city's profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers. The first sighting of Antequera in the distance is that of a typical medieval town, with the spires of her many churches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress silhouetted against the sky. Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River. For centuries this has been one of Andalucía's most fertile areas, and is currently a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers. The town and valley are overlooked by an enormous crag of limestone, 880 metres high, called La Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Leap". The name comes from a local legend about an impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona, who were driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers, where, rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.
The Ancient City of Acinipo
Those visiting Ronda or travelling to Seville should consider this detour. The impressive stone build entrance gate looks out of place as it leads into a farmyard complete with chained but friendly dogs. Don't be put off. Walk up the hill in the direction of the large monument past numerous large piles of stones marking the location of houses. The piles of stones were made by farmers over the ages to recover arable or grazing land area. There is a little evidence of excavation in this area named "Domus". The ruins of this 32 hectare city are located at 1000m above sea level. This is an urban are that thrived in the first century AD when it had a population of 5000. It was mentioned in Plini and, inscriptions to Geninn Oppidi, to the god Marse and to Victoria Augusta have been found. The city even minted its own money, which features bunches of grapes. It later gave way to the town of Arunda where Ronda now sits, probably because the new site was easier to defend. Acinipo fell in 429 AD. There was also a Bronze age settlement here between 1100 and 750 BC. Near the car park the visitor can see the foundations of circular huts with the floor paving still in place. In one area a sign identifies the forum. Some large foundation stones and troughs can be seen. In this area excavations have found numerous buildings with emblems. This has lead archaeologists to believe that they must have belonged to public buildings. Reaching the top of the escarpment behind the large monument, the visitor is suddenly rewarded with the sight of the Roman theatre, large enough to seat 2000 people and in good condition - complete with an orange tiled orchestra pit and actors' changing rooms. It is suggested the theatre was started in 65 AD and completed about 200 AD. A modern steel stage has since been constructed.
Aqualand
Aqualand is the largest water park on the Costa del Sol and is situated close to the centre of Torremolinos. The new Boomerang ride is extremely popular, although not for the faint-hearted. Other amenities at Aqualand include a mini golf course and Kamikaze, an extremely high water slide. For famlies, the Mini Park is especially designed for children. The park is open between May and September.
Benalmádena
This town in the province of Málaga is situated between Torremolinos and Fuengirola. Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Visigoth and Arab influences have all shaped Benalmádena, which consists of three areas: Benalmádena-Pueblo, in the mountains, Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmádena-Costa, a first-class tourist resort. Tapas bars, a wide range of cuisine and the open character of the people make this town a fun place to be with a nightlife which is second to none. The beaches, Bil-Bil Castle and the delightful marina, declared one of the world's finest for its housing complex, make Benalmádena a charming place to spend a holiday. Totally devoted to the tourist world, Benalmádena has developed a magnificent structure to that purpose; its good hotels and urbanisation, golf courses and the well known amusement parks, its pleasure crafts harbour and other installations of high level, make this town one of the main attraction in the Costa del Sol for the international tourism. The beaches, as all the others in the Costa del Sol, are clean and nice and the mildness of the climate conduce to a complete enjoyment. Something important to visit is the Archaeological Municipal Museum where a very interesting collection of Neolithic and pre-Columbian pieces are exhibited. Among its traditional dishes are the roasted baby pork, fried fish, grilled sardines, shell fish, gazpacho, etc.
Bobastro
Bobastro is an ancient village so don't expect to find any people living there today. It is located near the village of Ardales in Malaga's lake district. The site commands exceptional views of the surrounding countryside. The legend of Bobastro goes back to the time when the Moors ruled Al Andalus. The fortified village was the headquarters of Umar ibn Hafsun who led a revolt against the caliphal government at Cordoba between 879 and 918 AD. By 899, he had converted from Islam to Christianity and some time in the early tenth century, he commissioned the construction of a church.
This church the highlight of the ancient village is a church cut directly out of the rock. Its primative structure can still be seen as three sections separated by horseshoe shaped arches. The church is perfectly orientated towards the East and measures about 16.5 metres long and 10.3 metres wide. The ruins are located in an area known as Las Mesas de Villaverde between the hills called Tintilla, Castillón and Encantada.
Castillo de Gibral
This magnificent building dates back to the beginning of the 14th century when it was built by Yusef 1 of Granada on a former Phoenician site and lighthouse from which the castle's name was derived - gebel-faro (rock of the lighthouse).
The castle is famous for being the site of a three month siege by the citizens of Malaga against the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. This came to an end only when hunger led to capitulation, after which Ferdinand occupied the site while his queen took up residence in the town. All that remains of this historic monument today is the series of solid ramparts which rise majestically among dense woods of pines and eucalyptus.
Malaga
Málaga is the second largest city in Andalucia (after Sevilla), with a population of half a million. Malaga has been transformed over the last 20 years, heavy investment in infrastructure, the airport , foreigners settling in the are or simply buying holiday homes and other major commercial investments have turned Malaga into one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Spain. At first glance the city may seem uninviting and many people get no further than the train or bus stations, yet Malaga, specially the old part in the centre offer many attractions to visitors. The elegant central zone has a number of interesting churches and museums, not to mention the birthplace of Picasso and the new Picasso Museum, housing an important collection of works by Málaga's most famous son. Around the old fishing villages of El Palo and Pedregalejo , now absorbed into the suburbs, are a series of small beaches and a paseo lined with some of the best fish and seafood cafés in the province. And overlooking the town and port are the formidable Moorish citadels of the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro - excellent introductions to the architecture before pressing on to the main sites at Córdoba and Granada.
Marbella
World-famous for its gardens and beaches, the jewel in the Costa del Sol's crown offers the visitor a most special panorama, a contrast of sea, mountains, village and cosmopolitan city, where fishermen rub shoulders with wealthy tourists in summer.
Marbella is unique: A sun drenched historic town, at the foot of Europe, it is blessed with a specially mild microclimate, thanks to the protection of the impressive Sierra Blanca mountain range, which rises majestically behind Marbella just one mile inland from the shore. Surrounded by luxuriant semitropical vegetation, bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean, cooled by sea and mountain breezes, Marbella has a very special feel. Marbella is a wonderful blend of old and new, historic and modern. Its carefully conserved historic monuments include the beautiful 16th century parish church with its outstanding organ, built ten years ago by public subscription, its Moorish, whose walls border the eastern perimeter of the Old Town - itself a fascinating collection of old houses and quiet streets. Marbella's archaeological treasures and sites have been carefully catalogued, restored and protected.
Tivoli World
The Costa del Sol's leading amusement park is Tivoli World, with rides, Wild West shows, and 40-odd restaurants and snack bars. A 4,000-seat, open-air auditorium showcases international stars alongside cancan, flamenco, and Spanish ballet performances. You can take a cable car to the top of Calamorro Mountain for hiking trails.
Torremonlinos
One of the Costa del Sol's most famous resorts. As well as boasting the most extensive range of hotels on the coast, Torremolinos has geared its infrastructure to attracting congress-related tourism. Proof of this is the Torremolinos Congress and Exhibition Centre, the first on the Costa del Sol. Torremolinos' climate is exceptional all year round, making it the ideal place to enjoy long days on the beach and fun nights out to suit all tastes. The Romería de San Miguel open-air festival, at the end of September, is considered to be one of the best in Andalusia. Torremolinos' climate is exceptional all year round, making it the ideal place to enjoy long days on the beach and fun nights out to suit all tastes. The Romería de San Miguel open-air festival, at the end of September, is considered to be one of the best in Andalusia.
Torremolinos has thankfully long outgrown its Monty Python spam and chips image and, over recent years, has evolved as an attractive and appealing resort noted for its clean sandy beaches, wide choice of hotels and restaurants and unparalleled variety of entertainment, activities and nightlife available. More than one thousand species of trees have been planted in the town, ranging from the exotic magnolia and banana tree to vibrantly colourful beds of roses and azaleas. On the outskirts of the town there are three forests with freshwater springs and barbecue facilities and highly recommended for those seeking a little reprieve from the bucket and spade scenario on the coast. At the same time, if it's family fun you want, Torremolinos is hard to beat with seasonal seasports including windsurfing, paragliding, water skiing and pedal boats. If this sounds all just too energetic however, then of course there is the sunlounger alternative or plenty of places where you can while away the hours sitting in picturesque surrounds, sipping a glass of sangria and simply watching the world go by.
