Province
and Villages - Malaga - Alameda
Costa del Sol western, Malaga spain information
The Western Costa del Sol
The visit of the western half of the Costa del Sol is the most representative
sector: between Torremolinos and Marbella the journey passes through
a real display of tourist attractions near beaches and yacht clubs.
However, the visit, which begins in Malaga,
must not omit many less known places, often still unchanged despite
their proximity to more cosmopolitan and sophisticated places. (Total
length of the trip: 213km.)
Malaga is a city with an attractive
personality consisting of the most refined essence of Mediterranean
traditions. It is no competition for other Andalusian capitals as
regards sights - such as Granada, Seville and Cordoba-, but it does
have a valuable series of buildings from each of the different periods
of its history. A walk through the old part shows the visitor the
different features of this friendly city. Beginning with the two
Muslim fortresses - the Alcazaba and the castle of the top of the
hill of Gibralfaro- and the nearby Roman theatre, the visit continues
with the Cathedral, an excellent example of renaissance and Baroque
architecture. A stones throw away lies the Paseo del Parque and
the 18C Alameda, which - together with El Marques de Larios St -
are the centre of Malaga. The
Parish Church of Sagrario, next to the Cathedral, and the Churches
of El Cristo de la Salud, San Juan, Santiago, Los Martires and the
Sanctuary of La Victoria, which has an interesting crypt, are the
most outstanding buildings apart from the Episcopal Palace. El Pasaje
de Chinitas, La Merced and La Constitucion squares are other key
places in Malaga.
As far as Torremolinos - once a fishermen's area of the capital
- a busy motorway is used. About 8km from Malaga the Parador del Golf on the seashore has one of the best courses
on the Costa del Sol. Torremolinos (12km from Malaga)
is very near. The enormous concentration of recent buildings surrounds
the former hamlet of La Carihuela, once a small seaside village,
which was to turn into the summer paradise called Torremolinos today.
In la Carihuela it is still possible to taste the Pescadito (deep
fried fish and the fino (a sherry) as in the past. Apart from that
the discotheques, night clubs, restaurants and other places of leisure
practically occupy the whole extension of the multifaceted tourist
centre, which includes recreational activities and entertainment
of every kind, from the most sophisticated to the most informal.
The beaches of La Carihuela, El Bajondillo, Montemar and El Lido
stretch as far as the mouth of the Guadalhorce.
Almost without noticing, the traveller enters Benalmadena-Costa,
a kind of natural extension of Torremolinos. There, however, the
visitor should go in search of the old part of Benalmadena inland,
a whitewashed, friendly village on the slope of a 2km beach. A huge
funfair provides entertainment of all kinds. Further along the road
skirting the coast, Fuengirola (17km from Torremolinos) comes into
view almost immediately. It stretches along a very long beach. From
there a road leads to Mijas which is so picturesque that it has
produced an excessive surge of excursions. A visit is nevertheless
worthwhile. The setting is a prototype of rural Andalucia: the impeccably
whitewashed little streets, the small squares perfectly suited to
the village and the two modest Mudejar style churches. The observation
platform in the upper part provides a magnificent view over a good
part of the Malaga coast.
Back in Fuengirola, the road passes through housing developments
and continues skirting the coast. On the left there is the old Castle
of Sohail, built by Abd el-Rahman III in the 10C and rebuilt in
the 18C. A little later the traveller reaches the boundary of Marbella
(17km). High hedges isolating the villages and luxury housing developments
appear on either side of the road. The town still preserves its
Moorish layout and the small whitewashed façades around a pleasant
tree-lined square. The most outstanding sights of this important
seaside and agricultural town are the walls of the medieval caste,
the 16C Casa del Corregidor (town hall) on the main square, San
Juan de Dios Hospital and the Parish Church of la encarnacion from
the 16C, 17C and 18C, apart from the 16C Hermitages of Santo Cristo
and Baroque El Calvario. A slow walk through Marbella and along
its beaches is a must for every visitor. The babel of languages
and the string of attraction along the way turn the town into one
of the most cosmopolitan and colourful places on the Costa del Sol.
On the way out of the town, there is a modern mosque built by a
Saudi sheik, which is proof of the presence of really exclusive
neighbours. From Marbella a good, though winding road leads into
the Sierra Blanca as far as Ojen, a peaceful mountain village. The
Parador lies 10km away from Ojen. It is the meeting point of hunting
sportsmen in search of a rare species, the capra hispanica. A visit
to Ojen should include the 16C/18C La Encarnacion church with a
good Mudejar coffered ceiling.
Back on the coast, there is yet one more place on the left where
the temporary Marbella society loves to meet: Puerto Banus. The
same as other nearby housing developments, it was built in a style
designed to be reminiscent of the old fishing harbours, where the
most dazzling yachts as well as luxury restaurants and shops are
found. San Pedro de Alcantara lies 10km from Marbella. It is an
old seashore village where valuable Roman and palaeo-Christian remains
are preserved. The excellent beach has attracted modern housing
estates.
After another 15km, the traveller reaches Estepona, an important
fishing village, which has managed to preserve a peaceful village
atmosphere next to the modern buildings of the Paseo Maritimo (promenade).
The Baroque façade of Los Remedios church, which stands out among
the roofs and whitewashed houses, is charmingly attractive. A walk
around the harbour is a standing invitation. Behind the village
lies Bermeja Sierra, a part of the spurs of the Ronda mountains,
with beautiful views.
A visit to the Malaga coast
cannot be considered complete without going to a certain village
inland. Casares (25km from Estepona) is unquestionable one of the
most attractive of the famous so-called white (whitewashed) villages
of Andalusia. It clings to the slopes of a hill at the foot of a
castle in ruins and commands a magnificent view. The most remarkable
buildings are the parish church and San Sebastian church (both from
the 17c). the detour, 14km from the coastal road, is well worth
the effort.
With Sabinillas beach and the small Castle of La Duquesa (18C) the
journey through the Province of Malaga comes to an end. At this point the road turns away from the coast
and passes through more solitary countryside.
A short detour is required to enter the Cadiz part of the Costa
del Sol On the right there are the housing estates of Guadiaro,
among them especially Punta Europa and Sotogrande. The key attractions
of these summer resorts are a golf course and long beach ideal for
water sports.
The mountain pass of El Higueron leads to San Roque (10km), a small,
orderly place founded in the 18C by the inhabitants of Gibraltar
in full view of their place of origin. It deserves a leisurely visit
to see Santa Maria la Coronada Church, the Palace of the Governors
and the whole of the old part in general. At a distance of about
5km, half way round the bay of Algeciras, there are the ruins of
Carteya, an extraordinarily well preserved, first Phoenician and
later roman, colony.
There is an industrial centre between San Roque and La Linea de
la Concepcion. La Linea at the foot of the Rock of Gibraltar is
yet another of the austere, rectilinear places with good beaches
along the coast of Cadiz. Skirting the bay, the traveller reaches
Algeciras, an important port and an obligatory meeting point for
passengers to Ceuta and Tangier. It is recommended to visit Alta
Square in Algeciras: the palm tree, the ceramic fountain in the
centre as well as the Baroque façades of San Isidro Chapel and the
parish church lend the a vague colonial air, which the traveller
will come across again in other places in this province. Other parts
to be visited are the promenade and the beaches of the bay.
There are only 22km left for the traveller to reach Punta Tarifa
on the border of the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) and the only
gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. The road lined with cork oaks,
which grow on the rugged slopes of the cape, passes through two
small harbours. Upon arrival, the Arab walls point the way towards
the seaside area and the magnificent observation platform overlooking
the African coast. The most outstanding sights in this ancient city
are the Castle of Guzman el Bueno (10C) and the Churches of San
Mateo (16C), San Francisco (16C/18C) and Santa Maria.
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