The southernmost resort coast of Spain was chosen by wealthy tourists. The hotels here are solid and expensive, the restaurants boast first-class service, the beaches are proud of the Blue Flags for their cleanliness, and the many activities make for a fun and varied vacation. The excursion program on the theme "What to see in the Costa del Sol" is offered to guests by dozens of tourist offices, although it is not difficult for an independent traveler to get to local attractions.
TOP 10 attractions of the Costa del Sol
Central square of Marbella
The square in the historical part of the Marbella resort on the Costa del Sol is a great place to go for a walk, meet friends or have lunch in one of the restaurants. Its construction began in 1485, after the Christians drove the Moors from Marbella and from the entire southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Orange Square was created to become the political and social center of the city.
The perimeter of the Plaza de los Naranjos is surrounded by typical white Andalusian houses, among which there are three historic buildings: the Casa Consistory of the 16th century, the Casa del Corregidor with a Gothic arcade and Renaissance gallery, and the Hermita de Santiago, dating from the 15th century. In the center of the square is a Renaissance fountain surrounded by orange trees. They were landed in 1941, and thanks to them the square got its current name.
Sierra de las Nieves park
The natural park just north of Marbella covers a huge area. 300 sq. km, the diverse flora of the Sierra de las Nieves mountain range in Andalusia is protected. In 1995 the park was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
The park contains a large number of underground caves, some of which are of particular interest to keen explorers. For example, the Sima Honda Cave, located at an altitude of 1640 m above sea level, is an almost vertical shaft with a depth of 133 m.
You can see the caves as part of an organized excursion, although only speleologists can go down into the deepest of them.
Tivoli World Amusement Park
The Tivoli World amusement park, on the other hand, is designed for active recreation for all comers of all ages. It was built near Malaga in 1972 and has been visited by tens of thousands of people every year.
Tivoli World offers a variety of attractions and entertainment devices and devices: swings and carousels, laughter and horror rooms, an open-air theater, playgrounds for children. There are souvenir shops, ice cream and soft drinks cafes in the park. The food court presents cuisines from different countries of the world, and in the local menu you will find dishes from the Mediterranean, the East, Europe and other regions of the planet.
Bioparc Fuengirola
The zoo of the Fuengirola resort in the province of Malaga, recently renamed a biopark, opened in 1978. Its specialization is representatives of the tropical fauna of Africa and Asia. Representatives of more than 100 species of exotic animals are kept in spacious open-air cages in conditions close to their natural habitat. Often the inhabitants of the zoo are quite common animals on the planet: lions and elephants, rhinos and panthers, flamingos and antelopes. Other species are on the verge of extinction and scientists of the park are engaged in their conservation and reproduction.
Fuengirola Park is a member of the Old World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Scientists within the framework of European programs are taking part in breeding the Madagascar lemur, the western lowland gorilla, and the pygmy hippopotamus. In the park, you can celebrate a children's birthday or hold another family event.
Soyal Fortress
On the outskirts of Fuengirola, on a low hill at the place where the river of the same name flows into the Mediterranean Sea, stands an old fortress. It was built in the middle of the 10th century by the Arabs who founded the Cordoba Caliphate on the Iberian Peninsula. The order to build the citadel was given by the Caliph Abd al-Rahman III, who preferred to secure their own borders and prevent the enemy from entering the mouth of Fuengirola. In those days, the river was navigable, and its mouth was a strategically important point on the southern coast. For the construction they chose a place where a Phoenician settlement existed in antiquity, and later a Roman one.
During the Reconquista, Soyal went to the Spaniards and from 1485 began to serve the kingdom, defending the coast from the raids of the Berber tribes. In the first third of the 18th century. the citadel became the property of the Count de Montemar, who invested a lot of effort and money in its reconstruction and modernization. Then the Napoleonic Wars broke out, and Soyal once again found herself in the thick of things: the Battle of Fuengirola was fought at its walls.
After 1812 Soyal began to gradually retire and become covered with the dust of oblivion. But in the late 80s. of the last century, the city authorities put the old fortress in order. It now serves as a venue for concerts and theatrical performances, which are staged in large numbers in the Costa del Sol at the height of the summer season. You can also watch the show or listen to music: the schedule of events is usually at the reception desk in resort hotels.
Aquapark Torremolinos
Not far from the center of Torremolinos, there is the largest water park in the Costa del Sol, where you can come for the whole day with the whole family. A huge number of water activities for young and adult visitors make this water park a favorite place for visitors to the coast.
More than two dozen water slides will keep fans of extreme pleasures bored. The steepest slide in Aqualand Torremolinos is called Kamikaze. For a long time she was ranked first in Europe in height, but even after her 22-meter record was broken, she remains very impressive and dangerous. The descent along the Black Hole tickles your nerves quite well, and the crazy loops of the Anaconda slide can bring even guests of the park with a persistent vestibular apparatus into awe.
For those who prefer to relax without unnecessary adrenaline, the park has quieter rides. For example, playgrounds for children, relaxation pools, the Rapids small slide under the waterfall and the Boomerang ramp.
A huge pool with artificial waves is another pride of Aqualand Torremolinos. The area of the pool is one and a half hectares, and the waves in it can rise up to a whole meter. The Niagara Pool, on the other hand, is calm and quiet. It is pleasant to relax in it after active classes.
The infrastructure of the water park will satisfy the most varied needs of visitors. The park has a cafe, changing rooms, storage rooms and its own parking.
Colomares castle
The first impression of the Colomares Castle in Benalmadena is a fairytale mirage! The castle is fantastically beautiful, and tourists from all over the Costa del Sol come to see the magnificent creation of architects. However, the seeming medieval splendor is in fact the result of the works of modern builders!
The castle was conceived in honor of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America and is dedicated, quite naturally, to Christopher Columbus. The construction was headed by the doctor Esteban Martin, who was assisted by two bricklayers.
The castle is a visual aid for learning the history and architecture of Spain. All sorts of styles are intertwined in it - Gothic and Renaissance, Byzantine and Moorish. The author of the project of the Colomares castle surprisingly harmoniously united the diversity of cultures and religious preferences of the peoples who inhabited Spain for many centuries.
Part of the castle depicts three ships that took part in the expedition of the great navigator. The entire crew of Columbus were natives of Andalusia and the ship "Santa Maria", which discovered the new World, was given a central place in the castle by the builders.
On the territory of the Kolomares complex, there is a building listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest chapel. The area of Santa Isabel de Ungria in Colomares is less than 2 sq. m.
Stupa of Enlightenment
The great teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, Lopen Tsechu Rinpoche, who grew up in a monastery in Bhutan, was engaged in spreading his religion and building stupas. His main achievement is the construction of a stupa on the Costa del Sol, which you can see in Benalmadena.
The Lopena Tsechu Stupa of Enlightenment in Spain is the largest in the western world. Its height is 33 meters, and a Buddhist cult building was opened in 2003. The Teacher did not live to see the consecration of the Stupa of Enlightenment just a few months. In total, he has 17 such buildings in the Old World.
The stupa in Benalmadena is built of stone. A staircase leads to the entrance, and at the top of the stupa there is a small dome with images of Buddha in niches. The gilded top is traditional for religious buildings of this kind.
Old center of Estepona
Even if you are vacationing in another Costa del Sol resort, a trip to Estepona should certainly be on your excursion plan. In the historical part of the city, there is something to see for lovers of ancient architecture.
The heart of the old city is the Square of Flowers, where they used to have a bullfight, and now they drink coffee and dine in cozy street restaurants. The architectural dominant of Estepona is the Torre de Reloj or the clock tower, whose height is 22 m. The Church of the Virgen de los Remedios, built in the 18th century, is also worthy of attention.
Crocodile farm
Another fun for thrill-seekers in the Costa del Sol is tactile contact with a live crocodile on a farm in Torremolinos. True, the mouth of the reptile will be reliably grabbed by the muzzle, but from this the gamut of sensations will not lose a single note.
The farm is famous for its show, which takes place three times a day to the delight of guests and inhabitants who are bored in the pools. The highlight of the program is Paco, the largest crocodile raised in captivity. Its "growth" from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail is 5 m.
