Spain Holidays

However for many, Spain holidays is all about the sand and sea of the Costa Del Sol - a sun-kissed and sheltered stretch of the Mediterranean coastline offering endless sandy beaches, marinas, golf courses, shopping and entertainment close to spectacular mountain scenery with quaint villages, lively fiestas and traditional ways. Whether you're looking for Blue Flag swimming beaches, glitz and glamour, or genuine, Andalusian culture, you'll find it all at the heart of the Costa del Sol.

Highlights include cosmopolitan Marbella, a two-and-half-mile coastal stretch that offers plenty of style and boasts some of the best restaurants, bars and boutiques in Europe. The resort also has an interesting old town area with a traditional feel and historic buildings dating back to the 16^th century. For a change of scenery from the coast, explore the old town with its small plazas lined with fragrant orange trees and local bars.

In Marbella's main resort area, yachting, shopping, sunbathing and dining are very much on the menu, perhaps followed by a stroll around nearby exclusive Puerto Banus, which boasts arguably the finest marina in Europe along with plenty of designer boutiques, bars and restaurants. Puerto Banus lives up to its reputation as a millionaires' playground and is easily accessed from Marbella by the legendary 'Golden Mile' that is well worth a visit if you enjoy shopping, café culture and fine dining.

Golf Spain, the Costa Del Sol is well known as a golfers paradise with around 60 courses nearby that are playable year round. Dame de Noche is a 24-hour course on the fringes of Puerto Banus, with floodlights enabling round-the-clock play. And golfers heading for Marbella holidays shouldn't overlook El Paraiso - a prestigious development with an 18-hole golf course on site that holds a celebrity Pro-Am every year. The golf club has sparkling sea and mountain views, one of the best championship course layouts on the coast and has a reputation for also being one of the friendliest. With tennis courts, lawn bowls club a wellness centre and all amenities on site; El Paraiso is paradise for those who seek relaxation through activity.

Other sports well catered for in the area include tennis and horse riding, and even paragliding. The micro-climate here means that on average the area receives some 320 days of sunshine each year and a average temperature of 19 degrees centigrade.

San Pedro Beach (San Pedro de Alcantara) is just 10km west of Marbella and a good place from which to access the Sierra da Ronda mountain range. This refreshingly unspoiled village offers a traditional feel with narrow streets, historic buildings, small shops and a Thursday street market. It's known for its excellent local beachside restaurants and tropical beach club Bora Bora, which has the reputation of being one of the best on the coast. A popular residential area on this stretch of the coast is Benamara, with Benahavis  - known for its 30 or so exceedingly good restaurants - just a 20-minute drive away.

West of San Pedro Beach is authentic Estepona, worth visiting for its variety of fine beaches, wide palm tree-lined promenade, early morning fish market and Sunday morning souvenir market. The most westerly resort of the Costa del Sol, Estepona is a good looking, largely low-rise resort with many typical white washed Andalusian-style houses. It offers excellent access to the Sierra Bermeja Mountains. It's a relatively quiet and traditional resort, popular with families.

Our holidays in Spain are all located in the exclusive area of Marbella between Puerto Banus and Estepona and range from Andalucia Del Mar at Puerto Banus to El Presidente - an outstanding development near Estepona set in tropical gardens with an array of exotic flowers. Paraiso Hills, Lorcrimar, El Pilar, and Senorio de Aloha are also all locations worth looking if you're interested in a Spanish holiday in the Puerto Banus / Marbella area of the Costa Do Sol.