| Fuengirola Costa del Sol |
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When to
go 
Our view Fuengirola's line of tower-block hotels stretches right along the long sandy beaches as far as Los Boliches, the only Blue Flag beach in the area. While the beaches are not especially pretty and the sea can sometimes be murky, the shops, children's attractions, numerous restaurants and proximity of the hotels to the beaches make this excellent for families. Teenagers too will have a ball from May-Oct, when the town comes alive. Behind the modern front lies a Spanish heart and the town centre retains some of its old character, the fishermen's cottages converted into boutiques. The main square is the place to watch the world and his moped roar by. What to do Golf is the number one pursuit. Watersports are limited though you can go paragliding, or jet skiing, hire a pedalo or take a boat trip to Benalmádena marina and aquarium or to see dolphins (sightings are rare). Banana Beach is the place for live music on Sundays. Open-air concerts are held at the Moorish castle in summer. There are several beachfront playgrounds for the kids, ten pin bowling, amusement arcades, tennis, an aquapark and go-karting track. There are market days on Tuesday (at the fair ground) and Sunday (at the marina) - good for cheap, new clothes and fake designer perfumes and watches - and a Dunnes Stores - a kind of Irish Marks & Spencer. What to see Local excursions (within one hour by road) include Marbella and Málaga for shopping, and the mountain village of Mijas, famous for its donkey taxis. Gibraltar (for duty free goods, olive oil and silver), Ronda (famous for its gorge), Andalucía's quaint white villages, the underground caves at Nerja and Granada, home of the spectacular Moorish Alhambra Palace, are just over 2 hours by road. After dark Restaurant Alley in the pedestrianised town centre is wall-to-wall with international eateries or, for better quality, head into the back streets. 'Must tries' include air-dried serrano ham, gambas (fresh prawns), tapas (bite-sized Spanish specialities), and roast suckling pig. A strip of disco bars and clubs on the seafront caters for young trendies and there are plenty of karaoke bars for older folk. Sophisticated nightlife is in short supply though some of the golf clubs out of town have live shows. The Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol has three things going for it - the climate, the lifestyle and its breathtaking countryside. With an average temperature of 16ºC and 320 days of sunshine a year, a tan is pretty well guaranteed. With good roads, plenty of family entertainment, a ridiculous choice of restaurants and a frenetic nightlife, boredom is never a factor. And while some other parts of coastal Spain are flat and uninteresting, the beauty of the Sunshine Coast is its rugged sierras. Here, for those who seek it, the real flavour of Spain is waiting to be discovered in lush valleys, deep gorges and sky-scraping mountains where nature runs riot, and in remote white villages where time has stood still. On the downside, some will feel there are too many highrise hotels, British bars and building sites - all by-products of its huge popularity. 
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