The Costa del Sol is the ideal tourist destination to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea as well as villages in the hinterland and charming towns with a powerful history. Out where Andalusia meets the sea lies the city of Malaga and its Costa del Sol, a glimmering coastline warmed by the Andalusian sun and refreshed by Mediterranean breezes. A sea that witnessed the birth of Picasso extends a broad array of options to accompany its incomparable climate—326 days per year with more than eight hours of sunlight and pleasant temperatures.
Thanks to its 160 kilometres of coastline, the province of Malaga’s beaches come in an enormous variety—broad and sandy or wild and rocky, nudist beaches and small coves, far removed from the urban hustle and bustle, or highly developed beaches with every kind of tourist amenity such as showers, beach umbrellas, sunbeds, bars, etc. The attractions of the Costa del Sol go far beyond sun and sand; however its cultural heritage has Picasso as its primary point of reference, with the Picasso Museum representing the artist’s return to his native city.
This art gallery features more than two hundred original works including oil paintings, sketches, sculptures, engravings and ceramics that are of supreme international significance, and their greatest complement is only to be found in this city: the painter’s Birth House Museum. Malaga’s Historical District has also preserved the architectural evidence of more than 3,000 years of human settlement, from the Phoenicians down to the present age. The Roman Theatre, the Nazarite Alcazaba, the Gibralfaro Castle, the Malaga Cathedral and the surrounding streets themselves attest to this rich heritage.
Special note should also to be taken of two majestic cities that stand on the borderline between legend and reality: Ronda and Antequera. The former is the cradle of bullfighters and bandits and a symbol of Romanticism with artistic treasures of incalculable value. The latter is, in the words of Gerardo Diego, “the city of white and gongorian churches”, an ancient town filled with architectural landmarks. The picturesque White Villages that dot the province’s interior shouldn’t be ignored either.
