Málaga province · Andalusia, Spain
Costa del Sol travel guide: where it is, towns and beaches
More than 150 km of Mediterranean coast from Manilva to Nerja: Málaga’s old town, Blue Flag beaches and white villages in the hills.
Maro cliffs, Nerja · Photo: Alexander Wagner García, CC BY-SA 3.0 es
The Costa del Sol is the coast of Málaga province in Andalusia, southern Spain: more than 150 km of Mediterranean shore from the border with Cádiz province in the west to Nerja and the Maro cliffs, at the border with Granada province, according to Andalusia’s tourist board. Málaga, the provincial capital, sits in the middle, and Málaga-Costa del Sol airport is about 9 km from the city centre. This guide splits the coast into four areas from west to east, with the beaches, sights and campsites that have their own CostaMap page.
At a glance
- Where the Mediterranean coast of Málaga province, Andalusia, from the Cádiz border to Nerja at the Granada border.
- Length more than 150 km of coastline (Andalusia tourist board).
- Coastal towns Manilva, Casares, Estepona, Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Torrox and Nerja.
- On CostaMap 16 coastal town guides, 23 places on the coast and three campsites on the coast (one inland).
- Airport Málaga (AGP), about 9 km from Málaga and 39 km from Marbella in a straight line; the C-1 train stops at the terminal.
- Sunshine 2,905 hours a year at Málaga airport (AEMET, 1981–2010).
Map of the Costa del Sol
The map shows the places on this coast that have a CostaMap page. Tick a place type to filter it, and click a marker to open the page. The full-screen version, with every layer, is the Costa del Sol map.
Place type
Area · next level
Coast guideCosta del Sol
Click a marker to see the place here. Four areas from Manilva to Nerja, with Ronda and Antequera inland.
Choose your areaOpen the full Costa del Sol map →
Choose your area
Andalusia’s tourist board lists the coastal towns from east to west as Nerja, Torrox, Vélez-Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva and Casares (Andalucía.org). Below they are grouped into four areas from west to east. Only towns on or close to the sea are in the lists; the inland towns follow as day trips.
West: Manilva, Casares and Estepona
The western end, towards the Cádiz border: the coastal path finishes at the Castillo de la Duquesa in Manilva, and Casares watches from the hills.
- Manilva – the end of the coastal path at the Castillo de la Duquesa, and one of the two areas that dry Pasas de Málaga raisins.
- Casares – a white hill village about 10 km from the sea; its municipality is one of the coastal towns on the tourist board list.
- Estepona – La Rada, 2,630 m of fine grey sand on the promenade, and the sheltered cove of El Cristo by the port.
Marbella, Mijas and Fuengirola
The most famous stretch: Marbella’s marinas and mountain, the white village of Mijas above the sea, and Fuengirola at the end of the train line.
- Marbella – Puerto Banús with 915 berths, the protected Artola dunes at Cabopino and Sierra Blanca behind the town.
- Mijas – the white village about 421 m above sea level, with old watchtowers on its stretch of coast.
- Fuengirola – 7 km of beaches, all four with a Blue Flag, Bioparc, and the last stop of the C-1 train from the airport.
Málaga and the central coast
The busy middle, around the airport: Málaga city and the resorts on the C-1 train, with two quieter towns just inland.
- Benalmádena – three Blue Flag beaches in 2026, the 33 m Stupa and the Castillo de Colomares.
- Torremolinos – four Blue Flag beaches, among them La Carihuela, about 6 km from the airport in a straight line.
- Málaga – the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro, the cathedral and the Museo Picasso, about 12 minutes from the airport by train.
- Alhaurín de la Torre – a town about 7 km from the sea, close to the airport, for a quieter base with a car.
- Alhaurín el Grande – about 12 km from the sea, a country base with Málaga and the beaches in reach by car.
East: the Axarquía to Nerja
East of Málaga the coast is lower-rise, with long dark-sand beaches, then the coves and cliffs around Nerja and Maro.
- Rincón de la Victoria – 7.7 km of coast just east of Málaga, including the 1,500 m beach of La Cala del Moral.
- Vélez-Málaga – the town behind Torre del Mar, whose beach runs for 3,333 m of dark, coarse sand.
- Torrox – between Torre del Mar and Nerja, about 50 km from the airport in a straight line.
- Nerja – the Balcón de Europa, the Caves of Nerja and four Blue Flag beaches in 2026, Burriana and Maro among them.
- Frigiliana – a white village in the hills about 5 km behind Nerja, best combined with the caves.
Inland day trips
Ronda, Antequera and the Guadalhorce valley are inland, so their pages are not in the lists above. They work as day trips:
- Ronda – the Puente Nuevo, 98 m high, finished in 1793 across the Tajo gorge.
- Antequera – the Antequera Dolmens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.
- Álora – a castle above the Guadalhorce valley; the Caminito del Rey ends here.
- Cártama – a valley town between Málaga and Álora, with the Ermita de los Remedios.
- Coín – 36 km south-west of Málaga at 210 m, a town of almost 24,000 people.
Explore by interest
Six ways into the coast. Each tile opens the part of this guide that covers it.
Best beaches and coves
The selection below is ours, ordered from west to east. Lengths, sand and Blue Flags are from the town halls and tourist offices, checked in October 2026.
La Rada and El Cristo
La Rada is 2,630 m of fine grey sand along the promenade; El Cristo is a sheltered 680 m cove about 500 m from the port (Turismo Estepona).
Artola dunes, Cabopino
A protected Natural Monument since 2003, with fossil and moving dunes over 192,715 m² and the Torre de los Ladrones watchtower (BOJA).
La Carihuela
About 2 km of beach. All four Torremolinos beaches, also El Bajondillo, Playamar and Los Álamos, fly the Blue Flag in 2026 (Torremolinos town hall).
La Malagueta, Málaga
The city beach: 1,200 m long and 45 m wide, medium-grain sand and a Blue Flag (Málaga city council).
Burriana, Nerja
Nerja has four Blue Flag beaches in 2026; Burriana also holds the Q de Calidad for its services (Nerja town hall).
Maro
The beach below the village of Maro, also Blue Flag, borders the protected cliffs of Maro–Cerro Gordo at the eastern end of the coast.
Also on the coast: Fuengirola has 7 km of beaches, all four with a Blue Flag; Benalmádena has three Blue Flag beaches in 2026 and a naturist area; Torre del Mar is 3,333 m of dark, coarse sand; and La Cala del Moral in Rincón de la Victoria is 1,500 m long. The nature spot at the eastern end with its own CostaMap page:
Torre de Maro
An old watchtower above the coves at Maro, where the Costa del Sol ends at the Maro cliffs.
Read the guide →Where to stay by town
What decides the base is the train. The C-1 line from the airport covers Málaga, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola; Marbella, Estepona and Nerja are reached by bus.
Estepona
La Rada beach on the promenade, El Cristo cove by the port, and Avanza buses from the airport.
A calmer base in the west
Marbella
Puerto Banús, the Artola dunes and Sierra Blanca behind the town; Avanza runs from the airport to the bus station.
Marinas, restaurants, hiking
Fuengirola
The end of the C-1, about 34 minutes from the airport, with 7 km of beaches and Bioparc.
Families without a car
Torremolinos and Benalmádena
Blue Flag beaches on both sides and C-1 stations; Benalmádena is about 18 minutes from the airport.
Short stays, beach and train
Málaga
About 12 minutes from the airport by train, with the Alcazaba, the museums and La Malagueta beach.
A city break with a beach
Nerja
The caves, the Balcón de Europa and four Blue Flag beaches; Alsa runs the bus to the airport.
Coves and the quieter eastCampsites
Four campsites on this coast have a CostaMap page. Three are within about 2 km of the sea between Fuengirola and Marbella; Finca Colores is in the hills north of Málaga, about 18 km from the coast (distances from CostaMap’s own coordinates).
Camping Cabopino
About 1.4 km from the sea at Cabopino, near the Artola dunes.
See the campsite →
Camping Marbella Playa
About 1 km from the sea on the east side of Marbella.
See the campsite →
Costa del Sol Glamping Village
About 1.6 km from the sea, on the Fuengirola side of the coast.
See the campsite →
Finca Colores
About 18 km from the coast in the hills; a quiet stop, not a beach base.
See the campsite →Things to do
Castles and the cathedral in Málaga
The Alcazaba is first mentioned in 755; the Gibralfaro castle above it dates from the 14th century under Yusuf I. Entry is €7, or €10 for both, and they open 9:00–18:00 from November to March and 9:00–20:00 from April to October (Alcazaba y Gibralfaro, checked Oct 2026).
Málaga Cathedral, by Diego de Siloé on the site of the main mosque, opened for worship in 1768 with its towers never finished; entry is €10 (Catedral de Málaga).
Sohail Castle
Fuengirola’s castle, on our day 2 with Mijas Pueblo.
Read the guide →
Marbella Lighthouse
The lighthouse on Marbella’s seafront, on our day 4.
Read the guide →
Mijas Pueblo
About 421 m above sea level, with its historic centre on the hill.
Read the guide →
Picasso and the museums
Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881. The Museo Picasso Málaga opened in 2003 in the 16th-century Palacio de Buenavista; tickets are €13 (reduced €11), and the last two hours on Sunday are free (Museo Picasso Málaga).
The Carmen Thyssen Museum is in the early 16th-century Palacio de Villalón (€12, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–20:00). The Museo de Málaga, in the Palacio de la Aduana, is free for EU citizens and €1.50 for others, and the Museum Jorge Rando is free and closed on Sundays.
The Caves of Nerja
Five young men discovered the Caves of Nerja in 1959. They open 9:15–16:30, to 17:30 in summer and on holidays, and close on 1 and 6 January, 15 May and 25 December (Cueva de Nerja, checked Oct 2026). In town, the Balcón de Europa is the viewpoint in town; the coastal path of Málaga province starts there.
Family days on the central coast
The Benalmádena Stupa, 33 m tall, was inaugurated on 5 October 2003; the Castillo de Colomares is close by. Bioparc Fuengirola opens 365 days a year, with adult tickets at €29.50 (Bioparc, checked Oct 2026).
Further along are the Bajondillo Cave in Torremolinos and the 4th-century Basílica de Vega del Mar in San Pedro Alcántara, open Saturday and Sunday 11:15–13:00. The Calaburras Lighthouse stands on the coast south of Fuengirola.
Espetos, wine and raisins
An espeto is sardines skewered on a cane and grilled over embers on the beach, ideally of olive wood; Andalusia’s heritage institute lists it in its Atlas of Intangible Heritage for Málaga (IAPH). One regulatory council looks after the DOP Málaga and Sierras de Málaga wines and the Pasas de Málaga, Moscatel raisins dried in the sun in the Axarquía or Manilva (Consejo Regulador).
Málaga’s Mercado Central de Atarazanas reuses the marble gate of a Nasrid shipyard as its entrance (Málaga archaeological routes).
Mountains behind the beaches
Sierra Blanca rises behind Marbella to the Lastonar (1,279 m) and La Concha (1,215 m) (Turismo Marbella). Above Nerja, the Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park covers 40,663 ha, and the Montes de Málaga Natural Park lies north of the city.
From 1 June to 15 October all use of fire is banned in Andalusia’s forests and the land around them.
When to go
Average temperature and rainfall at Málaga airport, from Spain’s weather agency AEMET for 1981–2010 (AEMET).
The airport records 2,905 hours of sunshine a year, from 180 hours in January to 347 in July, and 109 clear days. The annual mean is 18.5 °C. Rain falls mostly from October to April; November and December are the wettest months, with about 100 mm each. July and August are the hottest and busiest months, and the fire ban in the hills runs from 1 June to 15 October.
Itineraries
Both plans use only places with their own CostaMap page.
Three days
Day 1
Málaga
Begin in Málaga at the Alcazaba, first documented under Abd al-Rahman I in 755, and walk up to Gibralfaro, the 14th-century castle built to protect it. A combined ticket costs 10 euros, and from April to October both open 9:00–20:00. After lunch, the Museo Picasso fills the 16th-century Palacio de Buenavista (13 euros; free on Sundays in the last two hours before closing). Spend the evening on La Malagueta, the 1,200-metre Blue Flag beach close to the historic centre.
Day 2
Mijas and Fuengirola
Take the morning in Mijas Pueblo, a white village whose Plaza del Ayuntamiento sits at about 421 metres; the Mijas coast below was guarded by watchtowers built between the 16th and 18th centuries. In the afternoon go down to Fuengirola, walk to the Sohail Castle and finish on the town’s 7 km of beaches, all four of which fly the Blue Flag. Cercanías line C1 reaches Fuengirola about 34 minutes from the airport, and Bioparc, open every day of the year, suits families.
Day 3
Nerja and Frigiliana
Be at the Caves of Nerja for the 9:15 opening: they close at 16:30 most of the year and at 17:30 in summer (June–September), and are shut on 1 and 6 January, 15 May and 25 December. Five local young men found the cave in 1959 while looking for bats. Have lunch up in Frigiliana, then return to Nerja for sunset on the Balcón de Europa, the planned starting point of the Senda Litoral coastal path to Manilva. Alsa buses link Nerja with Málaga airport.
Seven days
Days 1–3: as above, based in Málaga.
Day 4
Marbella
Move west to Marbella; Avanza runs buses from the airport to Marbella bus station. Spend the morning in the old town below La Concha, the 1,215-metre peak that dominates the skyline, then walk the seafront to the lighthouse. In the evening head to Puerto Banús, the best known of Marbella’s four marinas, with 915 berths. On a Saturday or Sunday, the 5th-century basilica of Vega del Mar can be visited 11:15–13:00, booked through the Centro Cultural Rosa Verde.
Day 5
Estepona and Casares
Spend the morning on La Rada, Estepona’s 2,630-metre beach of fine grey sand along Avenida España, a step from the town centre; Playa del Cristo, a sheltered 680-metre cove, lies 500 metres from the marina. Avanza also runs buses from the airport to Estepona. In the afternoon go up to Casares, then finish at Manilva and the Castillo de la Duquesa, the planned western end of the Senda Litoral. Manilva is one of the production areas of D.O. Málaga wine and a sub-zone for Pasas de Málaga raisins.
Day 6
Ronda
A day inland in Ronda. Start at the Puente Nuevo over the Tajo gorge, built between 1751 and May 1793 to designs by José Martín de Aldehuela, from stone quarried at the bottom of the gorge. It stands 98 metres high and links the newer Mercadillo district with the old town. The bridge houses an interpretation centre on its construction, with its own ticket and an address on Plaza España. Cross into the old town in the afternoon, and in the evening look for wines labelled Serranía de Ronda.
Day 7
Caminito del Rey or Antequera
Choose one of two outings. The Caminito del Rey is an 8 km one-way walk from Ardales south to Álora that takes 3 to 4 hours; tickets (10 euros) must be booked online in advance, children under 8 are not allowed, and the shuttle bus costs 2.50 euros. Cercanías line C-2 links Málaga with Álora. Or visit the dolmens of Antequera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016: Menga, Viera and the Tholos of El Romeral, plus the natural monuments of El Torcal and La Peña de los Enamorados. Then return to Málaga airport.
Getting there and around
By air
Málaga-Costa del Sol (AGP) is the coast’s airport: about 9 km from Málaga, 19 km from Fuengirola, 39 km from Marbella and 56 km from Nerja in a straight line (coordinates from OurAirports). Granada (GRX) is about 86 km away and Seville (SVQ) about 149 km. Road distances are longer.
By train and bus
The C-1 Cercanías train runs from Málaga Centro-Alameda via the airport to Fuengirola: about 12 minutes from the airport to Málaga, 18 to Benalmádena and 34 to Fuengirola (Aena). The C-2 runs from Málaga to Álora. An express bus to central Málaga costs €4; Avanza runs from the airport to Marbella and Estepona, and Alsa to Nerja (Aena, buses).
By car
The train stops at Fuengirola. For Marbella, Estepona, the white villages and the inland day trips, a car saves time; plan the Caminito del Rey around its timed ticket.
Practical and safety
- Fire: from 1 June to 15 October all use of fire is banned in forest areas and the land around them (Junta de Andalucía, Plan INFOCA).
- Caminito del Rey: tickets are sold online only, in advance, not at the visitor centre; children under 8 are not allowed (Caminito del Rey).
- Burriana, Nerja: part of the promenade was damaged by storms; in April 2026 the town hall asked the ministry to rebuild it.
- Artola dunes: a protected Natural Monument, so treat the dunes with care.
- Sundays in Málaga: the Museo Picasso is free for its last two hours, and the Museum Jorge Rando is closed.
FAQ
Where is the Costa del Sol?
In southern Spain: it is the Mediterranean coast of Málaga province in Andalusia, more than 150 km long, from the Cádiz border near Manilva in the west to Nerja at the Granada border in the east. Málaga and its airport are in the middle.
Is Málaga on the Costa del Sol?
Yes. Málaga is the provincial capital and the largest city on the coast, with the airport about 9 km away and the C-1 train to Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola.
Which towns are on the Costa del Sol?
From west to east: Manilva, Casares, Estepona, Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga with Torre del Mar, Torrox and Nerja.
Is there a map of the Costa del Sol?
Yes. The map above shows every place on this coast with a CostaMap page, and the full-screen version is on the Costa del Sol map page.
Is the Costa del Sol sunny in winter?
Málaga airport averages 12.1 °C and 180 hours of sunshine in January, against 2,905 hours over the year (AEMET, 1981–2010). Winter is also when most of the rain falls.
Costa del Sol or Costa Tropical?
The Costa del Sol is the longer coast, with Málaga airport and a train along its central part. The Costa Tropical, east of Nerja in Granada province, is smaller and quieter.
Which towns are near Málaga airport?
Torremolinos is the closest, about 6 km from the airport in a straight line, then Málaga city (about 9 km), Benalmádena (about 11 km to the old village) and Fuengirola (about 19 km); coordinates from OpenStreetMap. The C-1 train from the airport takes about 12 minutes to Málaga, 18 to Benalmádena and 34 to Fuengirola, stopping at Torremolinos on the way. Marbella, Estepona and Nerja are reached by bus.
Neighbouring costas
Costa Tropical
Granada province, east of Nerja: Almuñécar, Salobreña and Motril.
Costa Tropical guide →
Costa de la Luz
Cádiz province, west of Manilva, on the Atlantic side of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Costa de la Luz guide →Sources and freshness
Checked 5 October 2026 · 13 sources Show
Checked 5 October 2026. New sections checked 6 November 2026. Airport and town distances: OpenStreetMap. Official:
- Andalucía.org on the Costa del Sol and the coastal path
- beaches from Estepona (El Cristo), Marbella (Artola-Cabopino, BOJA), Torremolinos (La Carihuela, El Bajondillo, Blue Flags), Málaga, Nerja (Blue Flags, Maro, Burriana), Torre del Mar, Rincón de la Victoria, Fuengirola (beaches, Blue Flags) and Benalmádena (Blue Flags, beaches). Sights: Alcazaba, Gibralfaro and their tickets
- Museo Picasso Málaga (visit, building) and Picasso’s birthplace
- Málaga Cathedral (history, tickets)
- Carmen Thyssen (tickets, building)
- Museo de Málaga (visit, history)
- Museum Jorge Rando (museum, visit)
- Cueva de Nerja (visit, the cave)
- Bioparc (park, tickets)
- Benalmádena Stupa (facts, history)
- Turismo Mijas (old town, watchtowers)
- Turismo Marbella (Sierra Blanca, ports, Puerto Banús, Vega del Mar)
- Junta de Andalucía on the Tejeda and Almijara park (BOJA) and forest fires. Food: Andalucía.org on espetos, IAPH, the Consejo Regulador on DOP Málaga, Sierras de Málaga and Pasas de Málaga, and Atarazanas. Inland: Turismo de Ronda, UNESCO, Caminito del Rey, Álora (history), Cártama and Coín (facts, history). Transport: Aena on trains and buses, CTMAM. Climate: AEMET, 1981–2010. Airports: OurAirports for Málaga, Gibraltar, Granada and Seville. Locations and straight-line distances: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Photo credits · 47 photos from Wikimedia Commons Show
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, not altered except for cropping: Maro cliffs, Nerja by Alexander Wagner García (CC BY-SA 3.0 es); Estepona by Turista Inglesa (CC BY-SA 4.0); Marbella by Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Málaga from Gibralfaro by Ввласенко (CC BY-SA 3.0); Nerja by Tuxyso (CC BY-SA 3.0); Puente Nuevo, Ronda by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a (CC BY-SA 3.0); Nerja by Michelle Maria (CC BY 3.0); Mijas Pueblo by Alan Grant (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mercado de Atarazanas, Málaga by Christian Schmitt from Lohr, Deutschland (CC BY 2.0); Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama by Eliza Saroma-Stepniewska (CC BY-SA 4.0); Desfiladero de los Gaitanes by Anthiro 57 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Puerto de Cabopino by Concepcion AMAT ORTA… (CC BY 3.0); Estepona by Turista Inglesa (CC BY-SA 4.0); Dunas de Artola, Cabopino by Concepcion AMAT ORTA… (CC BY 3.0); La Carihuela, Torremolinos by DODO DODO (CC BY 2.0); La Malagueta, Málaga by Jeff Hitchcock from Seattle, WA, USA (CC BY 2.0); Playa de Maro, Nerja by Dguendel (CC BY 4.0); Torre de Maro by Dguendel (CC BY 4.0); Estepona old town by Turista Inglesa (CC BY-SA 4.0); Marbella old town by Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Fuengirola by Partonez (CC BY-SA 4.0); Torremolinos by ianpudsey (CC BY 3.0); Málaga Cathedral by Cgbpict (CC BY-SA 4.0); Nerja, Balcón de Europa by LANOEL (CC BY-SA 3.0); Torre de los Ladrones, Cabopino by joselito2311 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Las Chapas, Marbella by joselito2311 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Los Boliches, Fuengirola by Falk2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Almogía by Daniel Capilla (CC BY-SA 4.0); Alcazaba, Málaga by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada (CC BY-SA 2.0); Castillo Sohail, Fuengirola by Concepcion AMAT ORTA… (CC BY 3.0); Faro de Marbella by Senormunoz (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mijas Pueblo by Seko Naotomo (CC BY 3.0); Puerto Banús, Marbella by LANOEL (CC BY-SA 3.0); Museo de Málaga, Palacio de la Aduana by Luis García ( Zaqarbal ) (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cueva de Nerja by Pedro J Pacheco (CC BY-SA 4.0); Castillo de Colomares, Benalmádena by LANOEL (CC BY-SA 3.0); Torre del Mar by gildemax (CC BY-SA 2.5); Río Chíllar, Nerja by Liberaler Humanist (CC BY-SA 3.0); Málaga by Fernando (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mijas by Ato ARAKI from Tokyo, Japan (CC BY-SA 2.0); Frigiliana by Paolo Trabattoni from Saronno (CC BY 2.0); Marbella old town by Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Casares by ZC.Marbella (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ronda by Tesla Delacroix (CC BY-SA 4.0); Antequera by Olaf Tausch (CC BY 3.0); La Herradura, Costa Tropical by jlpino (CC BY 3.0); Bolonia, Costa de la Luz by El Pantera (CC BY-SA 4.0).