Costa Del Sol, Spain | An Honest Review

This was my first time staying in the Costa Del Sol and we stayed in quite a nice hotel that was very popular with German pensioners. Our hotel was a 25 minute walk to the local parade of shops and marina but it was on a private bit of glorious beach so that made up for it.

At night the streets are very dark and empty so walking to the town was a no no. If you don’t mind getting buses and taxis then staying a little way out of the town in fine but I would highly recommend staying near the town.

Unlike Torremolinos, Benalmadena has a bit more class to it so is therefore a bit more expensive. But its character, beach and harbour is definitely much nicer than any of the other towns along the Costa Del Sol.

Fuengirola

Fuengirola was an absolute hole, it was dirty, smelly and really rather unpleasant. The bus station was as most bus stations are around the world; beyond disgusting. So our first impressions of the place were pretty low. There’s not really much else to say about Fuengirola apart from saying it’s too busy, it’s not fun and don’t go there.

Torremolinos

If you like tourist tat and general holiday shops then Torremolinos is perfect for you. There’s so many shops, bars and restaurants; a lot of which are tailored to the British tourist. With great nightlife and a fun and holiday atmosphere I would normally recommend a place like Torremolinos. HOWEVER, the beach and hotels are down the biggest bloody hill and the shops, bars and fun stuff are at the very top.

Not ideal if, like me, you’re a complete lazy bum and walking up and down hills ain’t your idea of a holiday. Besides the hill it’s definitely a place you should visit.

Marbella

We got on a bus from Benalmadena to Marbella and it took 90 minutes and stopped at EVERY SINGLE STOP. I wish I was exaggerating when I say it stopped at every stop, but it really did. When we got to Marbella we were expecting a swanky marina, exclusive posh bars, gorgeous beaches and celebrities. We must have been in the wrong part of Marbella because we didn’t see any of that.

When you go to Marbella make sure you go to the bit where there’s sandy beaches, prestigious nightclubs, luxury yachts and boutique bars. Because otherwise it’ll feel like a bit of a let down and you’ll come home thinking that you went to the wrong bit.