The Costa del Sol is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for British holidaymakers and hordes of tourists from across the globe flock to the sunny coast every year.
Lengthy sunshine hours, a limited amount of rainfall and soaring high temperatures are almost a guarantee when coming to the Costa del Sol, as is vibrant buzzing nightlife, a glorious choice of restaurants and plenty of attractions and activities to enjoy.
Many will choose to holiday in Malaga, Marbella, Benalmadena and Fuengirola, while Torremolinos, Estepona and Nerja are other popular locations dotted around the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.
The Costa del Sol is a bona fide paradise when it comes to beach bumming and worshiping the big golden circle in the sky. The majority also have the coveted European Blue Flag status, which offers the assurance that they're clean and well kept.
Torremolinos top picks
Torremolinos has some of the best beaches in the Costa del Sol. A firm family favourite is Playa La Carihuela. This lovely beach is great all year round and is as perfect for sunbathing in the summer as it is enjoying an invigorating stroll come winter time. This is a flat beach with no steep climbs, so it's good for people of all ages and physical abilities. Pristine clean - Playa La Carihuela benefits from a quiet promenade with some good fish restaurants, bars and shops, it's also ideal for swimming. La Carihuela Beach is around 2,000 metres / 6,560 feet in length, with fine grey sand and plenty of recreational activities on offer including windsurfing, sailing and event fishing. There's a range of handy amenities; equipment and sports hire, volleyball nets, sun parasols, showers and a nearby car park.
Playa Los Alamos might be the quietest of the main beaches in Torremolinos but it still attracts plenty of happy beachgoers, especially in the peak times of June, July and August. Consisting of fine, medium-grey sand, the beach is close to the Guadalhorce River and San Julian Beach. The nearby beach bars are and restaurants are excellent with well priced food and drink available. Stretching for around 900 metres / 2,950 feet, Los Alamos Beach offers sun parasols, hammocks, showers and parking. Thanks to calm waters, Los Alamos Beach is suitable for safe swimming, and on windy days, windsurfing.
Situated right in the centre of the Torremolinos coastline, Bajondillo beach is accessible through the old fishing district. This clean grey sandy beach is flanked by some massive hotels and apartments and the promenade offers a host of good shops and restaurants. Due to its location, this is often the busiest beach in Torremolinos and is especially popular with locals in the area. It stretches for more than 1,050 metres / 3,444 feet and features a kids' play area, parasols and hammocks, nearby showers and sports facilities, including volleyball. Bajondillo Beach is also suitable for swimming, scuba diving, snorkelling and windsurfing.
Marvellous Malaga
Best of the bunch in Malaga is the Playa Las Acacias, which is located in the Pedregalejo district of Malaga. Playas de Las Acacias consists of a range of beaches and coves and is popular with families and the younger crowd. There is a good selection of eateries situated along the promenade, which is a bustling and lively spot. At 1200 metres long, this beach is among Malaga's longest.
Playas de La Malagueta stands in the La Malagueta district of Malaga, close to the city centre, and it stretches 1200 metres in length. A popular beach with sunbathers and swimmers alike, this beach offers a wide range of facilities including showers, toilets and lifeguards, plus a plethora of sports activities and plenty of bars and cafés. Perfect for all the family base yourselves here for the day andrelax.
Playas del Chanquete is a lovely spot situated in the El Palo district of Malaga. This beach is popular with families and locals. There are food and drink outlets here, including fresh fish stalls.
Situated next to the El Candado marina is Playa Palo Beach. This pretty beach offers a peaceful place to sit back and soak up some rays and is ideal for those wanting to try their hand at sailing and/or diving. The beaches of the Palo district are known for their fishing and sense of local charm.
Fantastic Fuengirola
The main beach in Fuengirola is right up there with the best throughout the Costa del Sol. The Playa de Los Boliches offers a great selection of shops, restaurants and various sport activities and offers a vast space for those who want to play ball games on the sand. It has maintained its Blue Flag distinction for many years, and all the body showers and taps are easily accessible for people with disabilities. It gets pretty crowded during the summer months.
A far quieter option is La Cala, which lies in-between Fuengirola and Marbella. This attractive semi-urban, Blue Flag beach is a perfect spot for couples and families seeking a quieter spot that won't get super crowded. It's 35 meter wide and almost 2,000 meters in length and benefits from a pretty promenade and plenty of good beach bars and restaurants along the way. Facilities include: beach beds and parasols for hire, public toilets, changing facilities, plus showers located at various points along the beach. In the summer period there is a lifeguard service and accessibility for people with disabilities. There is plenty of parking, but it can get very packed during the high season (July and August). There is a variety of water sports available, plus the hire of water sports gear. The choice of beach bars at La Cala is endless, too.
Playa del Castillo (Castle Beach) is situated right next to Sohail castle hence its name. Considered to be one of the best beaches in Fuengirola, this popular beach has a good range of facilities such as sunbeds and parasols for hire, showers, beach bars and restaurants and first aid services, plus there's nice campsite near the beach if you grow so attached to this stretch of sand that you want to make sure you're only a pebble's throw away from your favourite spot on the beach.
The best of the rest
The area of Torrox is one of the less well-known spots on the Costa del Sol, but it offers some good beaches. Cenicero beach near Morche is 40 metres wide and 1200 metres long. This beach can get pretty busy during the summer season and has some green areas and a moderate swell. It offers a number of services including a nice beach café, free parking and walkways for easy access. A good family friendly beach located in a handy urban area, Cenicero beach is popular with tourists and locals alike.
If you're seeking some peace and privacy head to Wilches Beach which is small and quite isolated. Still, it provides easy access and the basic facilities such sun loungers and parasols to hire, plus toilets and showers. It's easy to reach by foot however, there is parking available too.
The beaches of Benalmadena are less crowded than their busier counterparts, and on the whole that's down to their more modest size. Still, we all know size doesn't always matter and La Vibora provides clean, golden sand and good facilities such as a beach club and various water sports activities. One beach that hits its peak come summertime is Santa Ana. Measuring only 500 metres in length, you may have to jostle for a prime sunbathing spot and sunbed. Torre Bermeja is a good alternative if you don't manage to lay claim spot on the sand; it's close to Santa Ana the two beaches are separated by an artificial dyke only.
The Marbella region of the Costa del Sol offers a decent choice of beaches to enjoy on your holiday. Funny Beach is great for families, although it can get a bit expensive to stay for the whole day, especially if you have quite a few little ones in tow regularly demanding cold drinks and ice cream! While you can kick back with a cocktail and your holiday blockbuster of choice, the kids can go exploring, have a whale of a time on bumper boats, a bounce on the trampolines, or do their best motor racing impressions on the go-karts. You hire sun loungers, and just down the beach there is a place where you can hire pedal boats, banana boats and other watersport equipment.
Cabopino Beach in Marbella is the beach to beeline for if you prefer to get an all over tan. This clean lovely beach is set among the Artola dunes and borders the Cabopino marina. This is a deep sandy beach and gets incredibly popular as the year progresses. It's well sheltered and is protected from the elements, with artificial reefs on either side of the beach keeping the waves and wind at bay. Not only is the beach picturesque, safe and spotless, it boasts a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, a pleasant harbour and some excellent restaurants. 'Cabopino' meaning 'pine cape' this beach unlike many on the Costa del Sol which are dominated by towering blocks and swathes of nearby concrete this beach, thank to development in the area being strictly controlled, is fringed by pine trees and the surroundings are refreshingly lush and green. Parking is free and there are good facilities available. A real gem.