Mum-daughter duo takes on the Costa del Sol

Stuck for ideas for your next holiday? Look no further, because the Costa Del Sol’s got you covered. With 320 days of sunshine a year, it’s a dream destination. That’s why, after my year studying abroad in Córdoba, I decided to take my mum on a gals’ trip along the Andalusian Coast. Having already travelled around southern Spain myself, I couldn’t wait to show Mum my favourite spots.

Day 1 – Malaga

On our first morning, we decided to take it easy and soak up the sun. Malaga boasts over 180km of coastline, so it wasn’t a struggle finding a spot on the sand. First things first, though – for breakfast, we enjoyed a banging eggs benny and café con leche from The Club Málaga. Belly’s full, we headed straight for La Malagueta beach to make the most of the morning rays. All set with sunloungers and shady parasols, we chilled and yapped to our hearts’ content. Early to mid-morning’s perfect for beach time before the heat really sets in!

Before the afternoon’s activities, we stopped at El Merendero for tapas and cocktails – think enough seafood to sink a ship. This fuelled us for a stroll through Calle Larios, Malaga’s famous shopping street. Shoutout to the massive umbrellas that keep the road cool – my mum loved having a bit of shade from the afternoon heat.

To round off a perfect day, we grabbed an obligatory llao llao (Spain’s answer to fro-yo, it’s heavenly). Then, we wandered across Plaza Mayor, admiring Malaga’s stunning sea views with a very welcome evening breeze. Malaga’s the perfect combo of urban, beachy and historic, so it suits every holiday type.

A tourist standing next to a viewpoint.

Day 2 – Torremolinos

Torremolinos has a rep for being another Benidorm – AKA full of Brits abroad – but there’s so much more to it than that. With its classic Andalusian aesthetic and narrow, cobbled streets, it’s a must-visit. If you get the chance, visit the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel – a bit of a mouthful, but totally worth it. Mum and I can’t resist a pretty church and a slice of history, so we were obsessed.

We hit up the local shops, which included all the tourist tat you’d expect. We even found a charity shop, where Mum decided she needed a coffee bean grinder which she beat the Italian tourists to – you snooze you lose. Then, we then headed to the seafront for a pre-lunch stroll along the golden sweep in the sunshine.

We were on the hunt for paella and El Taller didn’t disappoint – the rice was packed with all the flavour, and the seafood was cooked beautifully. It definitely helped that the host was a gem – Mum nodded along while we yapped in Spanish. The café con leche (yes, again – we’re hooked) was the perfect end to a perfect meal, and we walked out into the hazy afternoon satisfied and happy.

Day 3 – Caminito del Rey

Last but not least was Malaga’s Caminito del Rey, a walking path that’s suspended a staggering 300 metres above the floor and features over 20 caves. Translating to ‘little walk of the king’, its name comes from King Alfonso XII’s visit to the site in 1921. With 300,000 visitors each year, it’s loved by tourists and locals.

Mum had her doubts, but I managed to persuade her. The combo of mini wooden bridges above steep heights was dizzying at first, but we got more confident the further we went. Wearing our hard hats, we managed to move our shaky legs across the bridge – I told mum to look out instead of down and when we saw the white rocks against the blue sky, it was all worth it. We could see mountains for miles above a turquoise lake, which made all our fears disappear. We actually loved it so much, we’re planning on visiting again on our next trip to Malaga!

If you get the chance, I’d 100% recommend a trip to the Costa del Sol. Not only do you get a gorg seafront, but you’re also within easy daytrip distance of everything southern Spain has to offer.