The Costa del Sol

As the name of our company implies we aim to extend our services to the whole of Spain in the near future however every oak tree has to grow from an acorn and we are no exception. At present our major zone of influence is Andalucía with emphasis on the Costa del Sol and inland. More information about other areas will be added to this page as we gather more clients from the peninsula.
Much has been written about this amazing and unique stretch of Mediterranean coast which offers something different to everyone who visits the area. The geographic beginning and end of the Costa del Sol has never been defined but most people think that Nerja on the East is a good start and Manilva on the West is where it should finish. In total the length of the Costa del Sol is some 180km whilst the width has increased considerably over the years thanks to major infrastructural improvements. So it is not unusual for people living in Coín, Alhaurín el Grande, Monda or even Álora to describe themselves as Costa del Sol residents. Living or holidaying on the Costa del Sol is a privilege and the infrastructural improvements carried out during the last few years have achieved something which many people thought would never happen. An example being the journey from Málaga to Madrid by high speed train in now just under three hours, to Sevilla in under two hours and anyone wishing to ski between late November and March will get to Sierra Nevada within one and a half hours from Málaga by motorway.

The Costa del Golf

The Costa del Sol is not just that, it is also the Costa del Golf. With more than fifty golf courses on the West side of Malaga alone that open all year round, it has become a golfer’s paradise. From the oldest course in Torremolinos built in the 1940’s to the latest called El Cortesin scheduled to host the next Volvo Masters, there are courses for every taste. Links, parks, hilly, flat some more challenging than others but sharing one common thing, the good weather which allows hundreds of thousands of Northern European and Spanish visitors to enjoy this marvelous sport.

Málaga

The undisputed capital of the Costa del Sol is Málaga which until twenty years ago was only known by European tourists for its international airport and for being near Torremolinos. Málaga is now deservedly attracting tourists in its own right not only to its lovely sandy and clean beaches or to the great fish restaurants on the sea front but to its superb museums, such as the Picasso and the C.A.C. and to the Cervantes theatre for international concerts and film festivals. Its pedestrian town centre is full of amazing shops and the majestic cathedral and the old town areas with typical Andalucian bars and restaurants makes Málaga one of those cities where many visits are needed before anyone can claim to know it.
From the best conference and exhibition facilities in Southern Spain and being the host of hundreds of cruise ships every year Málaga has finally opened its door to tourism of all kinds. Like an old Andalucían matron it offers hospitality without inhibition and ensures that everyone visiting her will want to return whenever possible. Two events which should not be missed in Malaga are “Semana Santa” during Easter Week and the Málaga “feria” in August. The first for anyone who wishes to experience raw religious culture and the second is a marathon of popular culture having fun 24x7 literally.

East of Málaga

The Costa del Sol to the East side of Málaga comprises towns and villages like Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez Málaga, Torre del Mar, Torrox and Nerja each of these places have their own unique style and characteristics and attract different types of tourism, for example Rincón de la Victoria and Vélez are very popular with Spanish holidays makers, whilst Torre or Torrox enjoy a tremendous appeal with Northern Central European’s many of whom have become permanent residents.
Nerja is by far the most famous resort on the East side, beautiful sandy beaches, great hospitality and a couple of TV soap operas filmed on site for German TV have helped to put up the fully booked signs year after year. The famous Nerja caves are the second most visited site in Andalucía and its concerts and dance festivals are not to be missed.

West of Málaga

West of Málaga is where the legend of the Costa del Sol really started. At the end of the 19th century an English couple settled in Torremolinos and started renting rooms to foreign travellers and then in the late 50’s the Pez Espada Hotel opened its door to great acclaim. Whilst in Marbella a visionary aristocrat opened the Marbella Club and promoted the resort to his jet set friends and the rest, as they say, is history or legend as the case may be.
Today anyone travelling from Málaga international airport West towards Marbella on the N340 would find it impossible to tell where Torremolinos finishes and Benalmádena starts or whether they are in Los Boliches or Fuengirola or for that matter La Cala de Mijas or Calahonda. Local authorities have gone to great lengths to define the entrances to their town with big signs (some resembling real works of art) but apart from this there is very little difference between these places to a passing traveller.
The difference is noted only when one bothers to stop. Torremolinos for example has one of the best conglomerations of fish restaurants in Spain in La Carihuela. Benalmádena boasts an amazing lively marina famous for all night parties. Fuengirola of which Los Boliches is a part of, has that genuine feeling of a seaside town and an amazing zoo not to be missed. La Cala and Calhonda belong to Mijas Council and have the largest foreign population on the whole Costa del Sol.

Marbella

Marbella deserves to be mentioned on its own as it is the jewel of the Costa del Sol. Despite its recent bad publicity (due to some real estate blunders) it is still a beautiful place to live and holiday in. That is thanks to visionary men and women such as Alfonso de Hohenlohe, José Banús and José Luque’s family (still going from strength to strength) and many more families, some more eccentric than others. Marbella is a mixture of class and glitter that works and will go on working for many generations. Its Michelin star restaurants live easily next door to inexpensive tapas bars, fashionable exclusive beach bars (where the clientele are subjected to icy mist spray jets) to chiringuitos.
A visitor to Puerto Banús could well believe that he has arrived into a Ferrari show room and boat and yacht enthusiasts will think that they have died and gone to heaven. It has been said by the followers of fashion that Marbella is not what it used to be well if that is the case someone has forgotten to tell Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Julio Iglesias, Antonio Banderas, Vargas Llosa, Fabio Capello and a host of celebrities who have businesses and homes in the area.
Leaving Puerto Banús behind heading for Estepona you get to San Pedro which itself has lovely beaches very popular with families of all nationalities. Estepona too has caught up with building development and tourism in the last fifteen years; some of the best five star hotels are built on Estepona’s beaches. Selwo Safari Park in Estepona boasts two hundred species of wild animals living in a semi free state, definitely worth a visit with the children. Past Estepona you will find Sotogrande with its impressive polo facilities and the home of one of the best golf courses in the world ‘Valderrama’ host to the Rider Cup, Volvo Master and the Spanish Open to name just a few. The Costa del Sol offers indeed something to suit everyone all the year round