Costa Del Sol

Costa Del Sol -

The name 'Costa del Sol' (Coast of the Sun) refers to around 160 kilometres (100 miles) of coastline located in southern Spain, in the region of Andalucia, and within the province of Málaga. The Costa del Sol has been for many years a popular holiday destination and also a prime location for Brits and other northern europeans wishing to buy a holiday home in the sun.

While the Costa del Sol does have a reputation for over development, it does boast some fabulous coastal resorts with a great range of facilities and also includes a fascinating hinterland, with many beautiful and interesting places to visit. The region enjoys a wonderful temperate all-year round climate, making it suitable for visiting even during the winter months.

There was human settlement in the Costa del Sol region as long as 25,000 years ago when Stone Age man walked the surrounding shorelines and inhabited caves along the coast. In about 1000 BC the local Iberian tribes (early Spanish peoples) traded with Phoenicians who sailed these coasts and also with Greeks who set up commercial centres all along the Mediterranean coastline.

After this came the Carthaginians from North Africa, they set up their capital in Cartagena, some distance to the north (Murcia region) and were involved in the Punic Wars with the Romans by whom they were eventually defeated. With Roman sovereignty came civilisation and stability for many centuries and the region became known as Baetica, the Romans introduced irrigation systems to improve agriculture, built roads, aqueducts and towns. With the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD the Romans were replaced by the Visigoths, a strange race of Germanic peoples about whom little is known. the Visigoths were in turn defeated by the Moors who were destined to remain in the region (and most of Spain) for many centuries. The Moors named the area Al-Andalus and made further improvemens to systems put in place by the Romans and also made their mark on the culture and architecture of the region.

While the Christian re-conquest of Spain began in the 13th Century much of the region remained under Arab control until the 15th Century, Granada being the last to fall in 1492. after the defeat and expulsion of the Arabs, the region went into economic decline and took many years to recover.

Tourism to the Costa del Sol began in earnest during the 1960's and it is hard to believe that resorts such as Torremolinos and Fuengirola were no more than tiny fishing villages up until this time. Some grotesque over-development has occurred since, turning many areas into 'concrete jungles', though perhaps in recent years a little more care has been taken to develop the area sympathetically.

At the centre of the region is the city of Málaga, the arrival point for the vast majority of visitors to the Costa del Sol with its busy international airport. Málaga has been a significant port ever since the times of the Phoenicians and was particularly important for fish salting.

Apart from the previously mentioned Torremolinos and Fuengirola, the Costa Del Sol has some famous and superb seaside resorts including the jewel of the region - Marbella, destination of the rich and famous. Other well known resorts include Benalmádena, Mijas, Estepona, Calahonda, Almunecar, Torrox and Nerja.

The inland areas of the region feature some superb Natural Parks and reserves and some wonderful historical towns and cities. A visit to the city of Granada would be a must, other suggested excursions would include Cordoba, Seville, Ronda, Casares and Antequera to name but a few.

The large number of golf courses in the area has led to it's being nicknamed 'Costa del Golf' by golfing enhusiasts, there are over 50 in the region and many of the best ones are gathered around the Marbella area. The interest in golf has boosted both tourism and development in the area with the growing demand for golfing properties.

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