However you prefer to spend your time – whether on land or water, active or passive, white-knuckle or chilled out – the Costa del Sol has got it covered... And, however many times you’ve visited, the region always surprises and inspires with excitingly tempting new attractions! To get you started, come with the Costa del Sol Guide on a whirlwind tour of where to go, and what to do...
Wet ‘n Wild
With soaring temperatures and clear blue skies, it’s only natural to head for the beach, the thrills of a waterpark, or the pleasures of the open sea. Andalucía boasts 800 kilometres of beaches, with a choice of sheltered Mediterranean sands, or bracing Atlantic shores such as Tarifa, a windsurfer’s paradise.
Choose from rocky coves and intimate bays, or quiet dunes and broad expanses of fine sand. There are also Naturist beaches at Costa Natura (Estepona), Playa de las Dunas-Carib (to the west of Cabopino, Marbella), Benalnatura (west of the Torrequebrada Hotel, Benalmádena Costa), and Guadalmar (between Málaga city and the Parador del Golf). All Costa del Sol beaches are wellmaintained, and many enjoy prestigious EU Blue Flag status.
Larger beaches, usually near town, provide a good choice of facilities including showers, sunbeds and parasols, as well as a range of inviting
chiringuitos (informal beach bars serving snacks and family meals), while various chic Beach Clubs – where you can enjoy silver service without so much as moving from your lounger – will indulge your every whim. Days are long and as the sun slips into the sea, the mood becomes more upbeat with some of the best sounds around, often featuring live music.
The calm, blue Mediterranean Ocean is the perfect setting for action-packed watersports ranging from jet skis, parasailing and scuba diving... to the gentler pursuits of fishing, boat trips, dolphin safaris and yachting.
Aqualand Torremolinos (Summer season only)
Just five minutes’ from Málaga airport, on the bypass encircling Torremolinos, the popular Torremolinos waterpark was the first to be built on the Costa del Sol. This 70,000 square metre park is open from May to September and offers unlimited enjoyment, as well as large relaxing areas, outdoor performances, food and restaurant services, gift shops and lots more. Attractions include the Black Hole, Rapids, Kamikaze, wave pool, children’s minipark and an 18-hole minigolf course.
Tel: 952 38 88 88.
On the N340/A7 Torremolinos bypass, next to the Palacio de Congresos.
Aqua Vista
Operating from Fuengirola Port, the state-of-the-art Aqua Vista vessel is equipped with an underwater viewing chamber with plenty of glass making it possible to observe the wealth of life beneath the sea, and if you’re lucky enough, you may also be able to enjoy at close hand the unforgettable sight of fun-loving schools of dolphins. Aqua Vista takes to the Med several times daily with her programme of 90- minute (approx.) sailings - or enjoy an evening cruise followed by a barbecue, with powerful lighting switched on to attract a huge variety of passing fish not otherwise visible to the naked eye, you’re in for a very special treat!
Tel: 952 66 66 07 / 679 55 40 67.
Fuengirola Port. aquavistafuengi@hotmail.com
Fuengirola Parasailing
If you’ve always wanted to experience the thrill of parasailing... look no further! You’ll be in the safest of hands, and having flown children as young as four years of age, this is family entertainment at its best.
The company uses only the very latest equipment, including parachutes with a capacity for five people, and a comfortable parascending boat seating 12.
Tel: 952 58 18 61 / 630 13 12 34. Fuengirola Port.
Parque Acuático Mijas (Summer season only)
This ever popular waterpark promises fabulous family fun with ‘Adventure River’ – more than 300 metres of winding raft slide – and the thrill of navigating the ‘Wild River’ in a monster-sized rubber ring, or surf the wave pool, try the giant kamikaze slide, and body-ski down endless tiers of water chutes. Other exciting attractions include water aerobics, children’s shows, volleyball, mini aquatic park for the little ones, a spacious lake-like swimming pool, interactive games and parrot shows, while facilities include sun bed, float and air mattress hire, changing rooms, showers, and safety deposit boxes.
Tel: 952 46 04 04. By McDonald’s on the N340/A7 (Fuengirola bypass).
SPORT & LEISURE
If you prefer to spend your time near the beach, but want to keep in shape and do more than merely surrender yourself to the sun everyday, you’ve come to the right place!
All along the Coast you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to leisure sports – not only in terms of firstclass golf courses. There’s a vast range of options: tennis, paddle, minigolf, crazy golf, lawn bowls, volleyball, squash, gyms, bowling alleys, horse riding... you may even have the opportunity of watching a game of cricket.
Mini Golf Benalmádena Costa
Boasting fabulous views from its elevated location on the Benalmádena seafront - between the ‘windmill’ roundabout and Puerto Marina – this exciting Mini Golf attraction has been established for seven years and also features petanque and pool tables. Toasties and freshly-baked baguettes with a choice of appetising fillings are served at the onsite licensed Bar. A relaxed family atmosphere ensures a happy day out for all. Open daily from 10.30am ‘til late.
RIVER DEEP... MOUNTAIN HIGH
Inland from the Costa del Sol’s cosmopolitan resorts and shimmering sea, there’s another alluring but lesser-known world awaiting your discovery, where soaring peaks and plunging valleys, pine-scented forests, fast-flowing rivers and scenic land-locked lakes combine to offer myriad rural pursuits varying from horse riding, rambling, off-road 4x4 safaris, canoeing, paragliding and birdwatching... to adrenalin-charged challenges such as climbing, abseiling, paintballing and caving.
The foothills and mountains forming a spectacular background to the coastal towns are only a short drive away and offer countless opportunities for getting off the beaten track and immersing yourself in nature at its best. Further afield, the Sierra Nevada – a leading skiing resort in winter – at this time of year is also a popular choice for lovers of the countryside, with a comprehensive range of summer activities.
Marbella Gun & Country Club
Set amid the spectacular Sierra de las Nieves mountain range – on the outskirts of Monda, just above Marbella – the 140-acre Marbella Gun & Country Club offers a wide range of activities including clay pigeon shooting, quad biking,, air rifle shooting, mountain biking and archery. With its own outdoor swimming pool and excellent restaurant, it’s just the place to enjoy quality family time.
Tel: 952 11 21 61, Fax: 952 11 21 62. By car, Monda is just 20 minutes inland from Marbella, on the Ojén road.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
The Coast’s state-of-the-art theme parks and major attractions bring together an unusual and unlikely array of animal life, from crocodiles and penguins, to seahorses and sharks, and from hippos, primates, big cats and zebras, to bats and snakes. For animal lovers, there are also various pet rescue centres (see the classified ads in the local press for details) where, even if you only have an hour or two to spare, walking a dog or cuddling a cat can make a huge difference to their lives.
SeaLife Centre
Based at the Puerto Marina yacht harbour in Benalmádena Costa, the SeaLife Centre features a ‘Touch Pool’ where visitors can carefully handle crabs, starfish and sea cucumbers and, with the aid of magnifying glasses, watch tiny sharks and rays swimming in their egg cases. Hand-feeding sting rays is another memorable experience, as is a walk through the 10-metre underwater glass tunnel from which you can safely observe 20 species of shark only centimeters above your head! SeaLife campaigns on important global issues via its SOS Conservation & Rescue programme, of which the successful breeding of captivating seahorses forms a part.
Tel: 952 56 01 50. Puerto Marina, Benalmádena Costa.
Fuengirola Zoo
Since its inauguration in June of 2001, the Fuengirola Zoo has been synonymous with quality, a reference for other Spanish entertainment centres, as well as for the zoos of all of Europe. Fuengirola Zoo is a modern zoo, with unparalleled exhibits and a new concept of zoo that allows you to enjoy the flora and fauna of the tropical forest. The exhaustive representation of the habitats of the tropical forest makes Fuengirola Zoo a unique zoo in all of Europe. Its extraordinary recreation of this ecosystem, where the vegetation and water features are a constant theme, will carry you to places as remote as Madagascar, Equatorial Africa and Southeast Asia.
Leaving behind the concept of a “house of wild animals,” Fuengirola Zoo becomes the “guardians of the ark.” The park opens a window to a magical world. Conservation, research and education are the pillars that support the Zoo.
Fuengirola Zoo has recreated a jungle clearing and aims to give a closer look at some of its inhabitants. In the Clear of the Forest you can see birds and small mammals of the tropical forests and observe how they behave in an environment, similar to its natural habitat and learn a little more about these unusual animals. Visitors can enjoy the exhibition twice a day, morning and afternoon, and also at night during July and August.
This is the only Zoo in Europe which opens its gates until midnight in July and August, and only the second in the world after the one in Singapore. Through a complicated system of artificial lighting that replicates the effect of moonlight, the nocturnal tropical forest is recreated with a soft light giving little or no disturbance to the animals.
Tel. +34 952 666 301
Tivoli World Show & Amusement Park
The first and largest entertainment centre on the Costa del Sol, Benalmádena’s Tivoli World is in a class on its own, with something for everyone, irrespective of age, or the time of day! Set within attractive gardens featuring fountains and a wide choice of theme bars and informal restaurants, there are more than four dozen great rides, including sensational new attractions for the season.
But what makes Tivoli World truly unique are its wide range of fantastic shows and live performances. In the park’s Plaza de Andalucía, you can experience the best of Spanish Ballet, Folklore and Flamenco performed by famous names. While in the Western Square, the many regular shows are all included in the entrance fee.
Tel: 952 57 70 16. By Arroyo Train Station, Benalmádena. www.tivoli.es.
QUICK GLANCE AT WHAT'S ABOUT:
Aqua Park Torremolinos
Tel: 952 38 88 88
Torremolinos Bypass, next to the Palacio de Congresos
Aqua Vista & Aqua Speed
Tel: 952 66 66 07 / 630 13 12 34
Fuengirola Port. aquavistafuengi@hotmail.com
Cable Car – (Telecabina Benalmádena)
Tel: 952 57 50 38
Explanada Tivoli, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena
Cartujano del Arte Ecuestre
Tel: 696 66 59 92
Camino Campanales 71, Mijas Costa
Crocodile Park
Tel: 952 38 88 88
Torremolinos Bypass, next to the Palacio de Congresos
Discover Sailing
Tel: 609 55 51 68
‘Pikaced’, Berth 308/309, Puerto Marina,
Benalmádena Costa
Dolphin World
Tel: 677 278 845
Gibraltar Ferry Terminal (beside the Coach Park)
El Casco Tennis Club
Tel: 952 83 76 51
Urb. El Rosario, N340/A7, Km. 188, East Marbella
Fuengirola Diving Centre
Tel: 952 58 83 12 / 666 30 73 64
Port Ticket Agency, Fuengirola Port
www.divingspain.com fuendiving@mercuryin.es
Fuengirola Parasailing
Tel: 952 58 18 61 / 630 13 12 34
Fuengirola Port
Fuengirola Zoo
Tel: 952 66 63 01
Avda. Camilo José Cela 6, Fuengirola (near the railway
station). www.zoofuengirola.com
Funny Beach
Tel: 952 82 33 59
Ctra Málaga-Cádiz Km 184, marbella
Go Beyond 4x4
Tel: 609 01 36 55
infosales@gobeyond4x4.com www.gobeyond4x4.com
Hipódromo Costa del Sol
Tel: 95 259 2700
La Cala de Mijas. www.hipodromomijas.com
Lew Hoad Tennis Club
Tel: 95 247 4858
Ctra. de Mijas Km.2, Mijas
Marbella Gun & Country Club
Tel: 952 11 21 61 Fax: 952 11 21 62
20 minutes inland from Marbella, on the Ojén road
Mijas Museum
Tel: 952 59 03 80
Plaza de la Libertad, Mijas Village
Paint Ball Marbella
Tel: 647 51 06 60
Cañada de castillo, Polígono 4, Monda
Parque Acuático Mijas
Tel: 952 46 04 04
By McDonald’s on the N340/A7 Fuengirola bypass
Pirate Park
Tel: 952 05 18 04
El Pinillo Industrial Estate, Torremolinos
SeaLife Centre
Tel: 952 56 01 50
Puerto Marina, Benalmádena Costa
Selwo Aventura Safari Park
Tel: 95 279 2150
Ctra C-N340 Km. 162.5, Las Lomas del Monte, Estepona
Selwo Marina
Tel: 902 19 0482
Parque Paloma s/n, Benalmádena Costa
Tivoli World Show & Amusement Park
Tel: 952 57 70 16
By Arroyo Train Station, Benalmádena
www.tivolicostadelsol.com
Contact Us with your recommendations and suggestions and we’ll be more than happy to include them on our Costa del Sol – Fun in the Sun pages!
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