Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol is the Mediterranean coast of Málaga province in Andalusia, stretching about 150 km from Nerja in the east to Manilva in the west. Marbella and Puerto Banús (the marina was launched in 1970 by José Banús) are the luxury centers. The climate is subtropical with around 320 sunny days a year. For travelers, the Costa del Sol has gone through three phases: mass beach tourism in the 1960s, a golf-and-resort upgrade in the 1990s and 2000s (Marbella Club, Puente Romano, Finca Cortesin), and a new ultra-luxury wave today (W Marbella opened 2024, Four Seasons Marbella in pipeline). Direct competitors include Portugal's Algarve, Sardinia, and Saint-Tropez.