Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol lies in the Málaga Province of Andalusia and famously enjoys the warmest and sunniest climate in Europe. Once there were just a few quiet fishing villages, with most of the region’s population living in the pueblos blancos on hillsides a little distance inland. During the second half of the 20th century, however, the region was transformed, and in many places, disastrously overbuilt. Although beaches on the Costa del Sol are generally lackluster, some of the golf courses are notable. April-May and September-October are the best travel months for sightseeing rather than sunbathing. But we also found the region enchanting in late February, just on the cusp of spring, when days were sunny, nights cool, crowds absent and room rates lower.