All Inclusive Costa del Sol Holidays
All Inclusive Costa del Sol holidays will sort you out with just about every holiday must-have – from Blue Flag beaches and golf courses to theme parks and top-notch weather.
All Inclusive holiday playground
The Costa del Sol is sandwiched between Malaga and Gibraltar in Andalucia – just about as low as you can go in Spain. This means you can rely on the sun to show its face 320 days a year. After all, it’s not called the Sunshine Coast for nothing. And it’s probably one of the biggest reasons so many British ex-pats have set up shop on its shores.
Traditional taste
You’ve probably heard of the big names on this region’s CV, but the little-known ones deserve a shout-out, too. San Pedro de Alcantara is 10 minutes’ drive from plush-as-anything Puerto Banus, but a totally different ball game. Think Roman ruins, narrow streets and tapas bars. Nearby Estepona’s got cultural clout, too, thanks to a snow-white old town. And they both come with a couple of sandy beaches to boot.
Classic Costas
Torremolinos and Benalmadena are the big personalities around here. Beach-wise, pretty much the whole coast is coloured in with sand. And they work the family-friendly angle, too. Between them, they round up a theme park, a waterpark and a crocodile zoo. Plus, Malaga’s just up the road for even more action.
Things to See and Do in Costa del Sol
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Sunshine Coast
With a name that translates as the Sunshine Coast, you can guess that this place does a nice line in beaches. All along the coast, from Nerja in the east to Estepona in the west, you’ll find wide ribbons of sand bordered by palm trees and swimmer-friendly waters.
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The Big Beach
If we’re talking popularity contests, Torremolinos’ Playacar Beach would win hands down. Come summer this place is packed with sun-seekers. The slate-coloured sands stretch along the coast for a kilometre, though, so there’s always room to lay out your beach towel. There’s pretty much everything you could need here – sunbeds, showers, watersports, and even a playground for the kids. And when lunchtime rolls around there are shedloads of chiringuitos and beach bars serving up fried fish and ice-cold San Miguels.
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The Secret Beach
If you prefer your sand with a bit more of a ‘do-not-disturb’ feel, Nerja’s Playa Carabeillo is a good shout. It’s a small, sand-and-shingle bay fringed by palms and bookended by jagged cliffs. It tends to stay pretty empty, as most holidaymakers settle down at Burriana Beach, Playa Carabeillo’s famous neighbour. You won’t find any noisy beach bars or cafés here, either, although there are a couple at the top of the cliff, so there’s not far to go if you’re peckish.
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Laid-back evenings
The nightlife doesn't really get going ‘til late on the Costa del Sol, so a quiet evening revolves around dinner and a drink in a bar. Estepona's old town has a good selection of bars that aren't too booming. Elsewhere, the La Carihuela area of Torremolinos still has a quiet, fishing-village vibe about it, with a slew of low-key bars and good restaurants along the prom.
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Lively evenings
Although Torremolinos still wears the nightlife crown when most people think of the Costa del Sol, Benalmadena is actually livelier. In both places the clubs start late – they don't open ‘til 11pm – and go on past dawn. In Torremolinos, head to Avda de Palma de Mallorca, and in Benalmadena go for the aptly-named 24 hour Square.
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Gazpacho
This rustic, tomato-based soup is packed with raw vegetables, garlic, vinegar and olive oil, and served with crusty bread. It was introduced to region in pre-Roman times and quickly became a favourite throughout the Spanish empire. Farmers used to eat it at lunch to cool off from the midday sun as, famously, it's served cold.
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Ajoblanco
Like gazpacho, this soup is served cold, usually as an appetiser with grapes or melon. It's made of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, olive oil, water, and sometimes a splash of vinegar. You’ll find it on menus all over Costa del Sol, with a few interesting variations to keep things interesting. In Granada, for example, they like it with baked potatoes.
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Pescaíto frito
This is rumoured to be the inspiration behind British favourite, fish and chips, and apparently it originated in Torremolinos. The secret to its success lies in the batter – the fish is fried in a special mixture that keeps it nice and light. The type of fish may vary from place to place, but you’d be hard pushed to find a menu that doesn’t offer it.
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Huevos a la Flamenco
Flamenco eggs, as this is better known, is a big favourite in these parts. Onions, garlic, peppers, and chopped tomatoes are made into a thick sauce and used as a base to poach the eggs in. It goes down well with crusty bread and a hearty red wine.
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Tinto de verano
This alcoholic drink is a bit like sangria, but simpler. It contains an even mix of red wine and gaseosa, a low-sugar, lightly flavoured lemonade. There might sometimes be a dash of rum or a slice of lemon added, but the locals love it however it comes, especially on warm summer afternoons.
Benalmadena
This Costa del Sol stretch is divvied up into three. Benalmadena Pueblo – the oldest part – is all about narrow streets, whitewashed houses and cafés that spill out onto the pavements. The Arroyo de la Miel area’s more modern and brimming with bars and restaurants. Then, there's the town’s famous 24 Hour Square, which brings the party people flocking. The final piece of the puzzle is, of course, the coast, with its lively marina and chain of 12 prom-backed beaches.
Torremolinos
Torremolinos has put in the hard yards to cement a spot among Spain’s holiday elite. It’s no fluke that it’s leapt from fishing village to up-tempo town over the years – the bar-lined beach, tip-top shopping and late-night party scene have made sure of that. And despite competition from its coastal counterparts and international rivals, the crowds keep coming back for another slice of the action.
San Pedro De Alcantara
San Pedro de Alcantara – or San Pedro, for short – is anchored in the west of the Costa del Sol, in Andalucia, about 10 kilometres from Marbella. It’s got a bit of a split personality – along the beachfront, it’s all hotels, cafés and souvenir shops, while the town centre is more like traditional Spain, with sieasta, tapas bars lining narrow backstreets and a big weekly market.
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This week-long festival is one big hats-off to culture of the Costa del Sol. Throughout the week, the paving stones of Plaza…
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This festival is held in honour of John the Baptist. It begins at midnight when fireworks are let off over Benalmadena Beach.…
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Approximately four kilometres from Benalmadena Port, Las Yucas Beach is a picnic hotspot. The 700-metre ribbon of sand and…
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Spain’s stereotypes have been fortified in Seville. In this city, tapas bars are ten-a-penny, shops sell castanets, and silk-suited…
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Just a 10-minute drive from central Torremolinos, this mammoth waterpark is one of Spain’s largest. It’s got the full works,…
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There are two sides to Ronda’s story. This mountain-top village, an hour’s drive from Marbella, is split in half by a canyon…
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These caves are home to two record-breakers. First, some walls are daubed with Spain’s oldest cave paintings, which may date…
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Just five minutes from the centre of Torremolinos, La Carihuela is an example of beach best practice in the Costa del Sol.…
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