GuidesThe information provided on this website has been checked carefully and is updated regularly. However, we accept no liability nor do we guarantee that all of the information is complete, correct and up-to-date at all times. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or discover any factual errors and we will endeavour to correct them promptly.
Our directories are updated whenever we hear of something new & different! Your input is welcome and we appreciate all kinds of feedback, so send us an email and let us know your thoughts.
Costa del Sol – Costa del Golf!
Even some of the road signs on the highway use that terminology! Not surprisingly though, considering there are approximately 70 golf courses within a radius of 1,5 hours drive, stretching from Sotogrande in the west, to the lesser known Velez-Málaga in the east. They all have one thing in common - the fantastic, sunny, dry climate allows golfers to play all year round. For those who are used to playing golf in the cold, wet weather of a northern European winter, it will be a real luxury to play on a Costa del Sol winters' day.
There are golf courses to suit all levels of players set in some beautiful surroundings, many with views of the sea and mountains. We have not visited all of them, but those listed in our Golf Directory are well worth giving a go!
Costa del Sol – Costa del Food!
Although no road sign states the above, it does not mean that the Costa del Sol cannot be branded as the Costa del Food as well!
Spain is recognised the world over for the quality of its gastronomy and the restaurants featured in our Restaurant Directory are testament to that. The restaurant scene in Spain has seen enormous growth over the last few years and has become diverse and exciting, with restaurants appealing to all tastes and styles. Not only Spanish food lovers will have satisfaction guaranteed! There is no shortage of restaurants catering towards the gourmet palates from all over the world. Have you eaten somewhere and believe it should belong in our directory? Let us know, as we are constantly updating our directory as new restaurants burst onto the gastronomic scene!
Costa del Sol – Costa del Out & About
During a visit the Costa del Sol you will not only discover beautiful landscapes, fine gastronomy and the hospitality of the Spanish people, but also the extensive cultural heritage which eludes even some of those that live here! Its dazzling beaches are so distracting that the coasts' diversity gets lost in the equation. Yet the Costa del Sol is a destination for everyone, so ensure that during your visit, you tear yourself away from the beaches with their relaxing beach bars and experience the full impact of what there is on offer on the Costa del Sol and in the surrounding areas. In our Out & About Directory we have a number of suggestions which we believe are well worth the visit. All activities marked with Ice Cream Cone(s) are particularly great for kids!
Costa del Sol – Costa del Attractions
In this section we will emphasise on what attractions the Costa del Sol has to offer on a yearly (and regular) basis! Not all events are held every year; some are special one-off events which we will try to keep on top of and bring you up to speed on. Those that are regular occurrences and which we recommend you take advantage of and are mentioned in this directory!
Our Attractions Directory pinpoints the ‘ferias’ on the Costa del Sol! Each municipality along the Coast HAS to have their OWN feria which the Town Hall stages with pride each year and it is enjoyed by locals, residents, long term visitors and holiday makers alike. Ironically, the word 'feria' translates directly to ‘trade show,' but thanks to the diversity and evolution of the language, in this context it is commonly translated to festival/fair! It is part of what makes Spain such a beautiful place to live or visit. The Spanish do not need an excuse to celebrate - we have a lot to learn!
It is fair to say that the Feria season really starts to kick off with the Marbella Feria in June, after which it's one party week after another, starting from the east going all the way down to the west of the Costa del Sol. San Pedro de Alcántara feria in October, is traditionally the last feria of any given year.
If you are planning your holiday on the Costa del Sol, we strongly recommend that you refer to our Attractions Directory so that your visit coincides with any of the weeks during which one of the wonderfully colourful and lively traditional Spanish Ferias takes place! Get dressed and go dancing in the streets – DAY and NIGHT!
Costa del Sol – Talk the Talk
Here we are, in Europe, in Spain. Now what? How do we get to where we want to go; the order we want to make; understand the locals in their language? Alright, it is no secret that 90% of the Costa del Sol speaks English, and really there is no real need to master fluent Spanish, but as the saying goes… "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" So, take advantage of a little tried and tested insider knowledge and refer to our Talk the Talk Directory for some useful phrases! Go ahead!! Impress the locals!!
The Spanish are delighted when they see that an effort is being made, and even though quick to correct, they do it in such a charming manner that learning Spanish suddenly becomes a pleasure! The locals recognise the effort and are grateful for it, because despite the fact that you can get by in English, it is not taken for granted that you do! So, when you do try and converse with the locals in their own language, you generate a lot of smiles and appreciation, and as an added bonus you learn as you go!
We have compiled a few useful phrases which always come in handy! Add your own if you feel that is was useful to you in the early days! Our phrases are set up phonetically for those who, like most of us, need to learn by the sound and not by the spelling!
Medical
No matter how much we take care and want to make the most of our time relaxing, enjoying and trying out new activities, accidents do happen! Should this be the case, you, your family or your friends who have come for a visit, are in very good hands!
The Costa del Sol has a superb infrastructure of medical clinics and best of all, they usually work together with the most established health insurance companies known to Europe! Within any medical facility, a translator is at hand to help out!
Besides that, for a small yearly fee, a medical cover within the radius of the Costa del Sol is a service by helicopter. Our Medical Directory will be of fundamental use for sudden unforeseen surprises! Bookmark this page for any eventualities!
Our directories are updated whenever we hear of something new & different! Your input is welcome and we appreciate all kinds of feedback, so send us an email and let us know your thoughts.
Costa del Sol – Costa del Golf!
Even some of the road signs on the highway use that terminology! Not surprisingly though, considering there are approximately 70 golf courses within a radius of 1,5 hours drive, stretching from Sotogrande in the west, to the lesser known Velez-Málaga in the east. They all have one thing in common - the fantastic, sunny, dry climate allows golfers to play all year round. For those who are used to playing golf in the cold, wet weather of a northern European winter, it will be a real luxury to play on a Costa del Sol winters' day.
There are golf courses to suit all levels of players set in some beautiful surroundings, many with views of the sea and mountains. We have not visited all of them, but those listed in our Golf Directory are well worth giving a go!
Costa del Sol – Costa del Food!
Although no road sign states the above, it does not mean that the Costa del Sol cannot be branded as the Costa del Food as well!
Spain is recognised the world over for the quality of its gastronomy and the restaurants featured in our Restaurant Directory are testament to that. The restaurant scene in Spain has seen enormous growth over the last few years and has become diverse and exciting, with restaurants appealing to all tastes and styles. Not only Spanish food lovers will have satisfaction guaranteed! There is no shortage of restaurants catering towards the gourmet palates from all over the world. Have you eaten somewhere and believe it should belong in our directory? Let us know, as we are constantly updating our directory as new restaurants burst onto the gastronomic scene!
Costa del Sol – Costa del Out & About
During a visit the Costa del Sol you will not only discover beautiful landscapes, fine gastronomy and the hospitality of the Spanish people, but also the extensive cultural heritage which eludes even some of those that live here! Its dazzling beaches are so distracting that the coasts' diversity gets lost in the equation. Yet the Costa del Sol is a destination for everyone, so ensure that during your visit, you tear yourself away from the beaches with their relaxing beach bars and experience the full impact of what there is on offer on the Costa del Sol and in the surrounding areas. In our Out & About Directory we have a number of suggestions which we believe are well worth the visit. All activities marked with Ice Cream Cone(s) are particularly great for kids!
Costa del Sol – Costa del Attractions
In this section we will emphasise on what attractions the Costa del Sol has to offer on a yearly (and regular) basis! Not all events are held every year; some are special one-off events which we will try to keep on top of and bring you up to speed on. Those that are regular occurrences and which we recommend you take advantage of and are mentioned in this directory!
Our Attractions Directory pinpoints the ‘ferias’ on the Costa del Sol! Each municipality along the Coast HAS to have their OWN feria which the Town Hall stages with pride each year and it is enjoyed by locals, residents, long term visitors and holiday makers alike. Ironically, the word 'feria' translates directly to ‘trade show,' but thanks to the diversity and evolution of the language, in this context it is commonly translated to festival/fair! It is part of what makes Spain such a beautiful place to live or visit. The Spanish do not need an excuse to celebrate - we have a lot to learn!
It is fair to say that the Feria season really starts to kick off with the Marbella Feria in June, after which it's one party week after another, starting from the east going all the way down to the west of the Costa del Sol. San Pedro de Alcántara feria in October, is traditionally the last feria of any given year.
If you are planning your holiday on the Costa del Sol, we strongly recommend that you refer to our Attractions Directory so that your visit coincides with any of the weeks during which one of the wonderfully colourful and lively traditional Spanish Ferias takes place! Get dressed and go dancing in the streets – DAY and NIGHT!
Costa del Sol – Talk the Talk
Here we are, in Europe, in Spain. Now what? How do we get to where we want to go; the order we want to make; understand the locals in their language? Alright, it is no secret that 90% of the Costa del Sol speaks English, and really there is no real need to master fluent Spanish, but as the saying goes… "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" So, take advantage of a little tried and tested insider knowledge and refer to our Talk the Talk Directory for some useful phrases! Go ahead!! Impress the locals!!
The Spanish are delighted when they see that an effort is being made, and even though quick to correct, they do it in such a charming manner that learning Spanish suddenly becomes a pleasure! The locals recognise the effort and are grateful for it, because despite the fact that you can get by in English, it is not taken for granted that you do! So, when you do try and converse with the locals in their own language, you generate a lot of smiles and appreciation, and as an added bonus you learn as you go!
We have compiled a few useful phrases which always come in handy! Add your own if you feel that is was useful to you in the early days! Our phrases are set up phonetically for those who, like most of us, need to learn by the sound and not by the spelling!
Medical
No matter how much we take care and want to make the most of our time relaxing, enjoying and trying out new activities, accidents do happen! Should this be the case, you, your family or your friends who have come for a visit, are in very good hands!
The Costa del Sol has a superb infrastructure of medical clinics and best of all, they usually work together with the most established health insurance companies known to Europe! Within any medical facility, a translator is at hand to help out!
Besides that, for a small yearly fee, a medical cover within the radius of the Costa del Sol is a service by helicopter. Our Medical Directory will be of fundamental use for sudden unforeseen surprises! Bookmark this page for any eventualities!
