Costa del Sol holidays

Thanks to its 161-kilometre coastline, the Costa del Sol is overrun with beaches. When you choose your favourite stretch of sand, you’re making a personal statement. A preference for Puerto Banus’ beach declares a like for the finer things in life, while a soft spot for El Cristo says you’d rather build sandcastles than a social empire.

There’s stiff competition for the title of the biggest beach in the Costa de Sol. In this part of the world, long and wide sands come as standard. In terms of reputation, Puerto Banus’ east beach has the largest. Barely a week goes by without a celebrity being paparazzi-ed on the sand. Peter Andre, Calum Best and Simon Cowell are just a few of the faces that appear in the Puerto Banus Hall of Fame.

After more than six decades of tourism, the cover has been blown from all the Costa del Sol’s beaches. Having said that, some beaches have less footfall than others. El Canuelo, an hour’s drive east from Malaga, is one such beach. It’s part of the Los Acantilado de Maro-Cerro Gordo National Park and you can only reach it by parking your car and taking a shuttle bus. The snorkelling here is some of the best in southern Spain.

The Costa del Sol crams its diary full of street markets. Marbella’s stall holders set up shop on Calle Limones on a Monday morning. The market comes to town in Fuengirola’s Boliches area on Tuesdays. And Puerto Banus attracts the traders to Nueva Andalucia on a Saturday. The latter is Dickenson’s real deal territory, so keep an eye out for antiques.

El Corte Ingles is Spain’s answer to Debenhams. And, like its English counterpart, you can find branches in most of the big cities, including Avenida de Andalucía in Malaga and Calle de Ramón Arecesin Marbell. In Benalmadena, the Puerto Marina Mall is the shopping bulls-eye. There’s everything from clothing stores to DIY shops here.

You can blow the budget sky high in the Costa del Sol. Head to Porto Banus marina to browse the rails of Bulgari, Prada and Armani. Marbella is no stranger to designer boutiques, either. You’ll find some couture collection shops around Calle Muelle de Ribera and Plaza de la Victoria.

After-dinner entertainment comes in all shapes and sizes in the Costa del Sol. Head to the Golden Mile between Marbella and Puerto Banus to find cinemas and casinos. Or, for some of the best cabaret in this part of Spain, make your way to the plaza near Bonanza Square in Benalmadena.

The Costa del Sol is Spain’s party piece. Most clubs here stay open until the sun rises. In Benalmadena, the best address for a night out is 24-hour Square. The clubs here are multi-level and open all night. In Torremolinos, the hottest tickets are issued in the big brand nightclubs on Aveida Palma de Mallorca. Bespoke nights out, meanwhile, are to be had in the Champagne bars and open-air terrace clubs around Puerto Banus marina.

This dish is often a victim of mistaken identity – it’s easy to pass it off as paella. However, where the original Valencian paella recipe calls for rabbit and snails to be cooked with rice, this dish is strictly fish. Only clams, squid and shrimp are allowed on the ingredients list.

This artisan cheese spends the first seven months of its life in the Pedroches Valley, a two-hour drive north of Benalmadena. It’s made from sheep’s milk, it’s got a buttery consistency a little like Edam, and it tastes slightly spicy.

Andalucia is the birthplace of Spain’s hallmark chilled soup. The traditional recipe calls for stale bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and garlic to be blended together. But chefs are always looking for ways to reinvent the dish. The really rebellious do away with the tomatoes and use avocados instead.

You should really need ID to buy these cakes, because most of the time they’re soaked in alcohol. The recipe comes from Granada and the finished product is made up of two parts – a squidgy pastry cylinder and a toasted cream top.

The Costa del Sol can’t claim copy write for this drink, but they can definitely say they’ve contributed to the PR campaign. This quirky mix of red wine and cola is served as a cocktail in some of the region’s most elite clubs.