Destination: Spain
BLOGGED LOCATIONS
Traveling from the Balearic islands to mainland Spain and then heading west to Gibraltar, you travel through five Spanish ‘Costas’ or coasts: Costa Blanca, Costa Calida, Costa Almeria, Costa Tropical, and Costa del Sol. Most people refer to the entire southern coat as Costa del Sol but that is not correct as Costa del Sol is only part of the Andalusian area. What used to be a string of small, sleepy, small fishing villages the southern coastal region is one of the worlds most famous tourists destinations. The Costa del Sol is one of the most important tourist areas in Spain and around 35% of Andalusia’s tourism comes from that region bringing in over 20 million overnight stays. had 17 million overnight stays.
It has the largest concentration of golf courses on the European continent, fifteen marinas, nine theme parks (including amusement parks, aquariums and zoos), as well as an information and communication technology business park (PTA), a Google cybersecurity center and a Vodafone research and development center. The view of the coastline from a sailboat though has little to be desired and doesn’t match the beautiful coastline found in the Balearic Islands.
Of course, there is a lot more history and beauty to Spain that exists outside this coastal area, but those areas are more than enough covered as far as their attractions in numerous other websites and blogs.
Average costs in this area
Transportation - Train travel in Spain is a great way to get around but is not always the fastest as you then need to transfer to a taxi or bus to get to your final destination as the trains stations were not always centrally located. A potentially faster and cheaper option is the wide network of different bus companies that service the area. To get to the region by air depending on where your final destination lies, the best airports are in Seville or Málaga. Most budget airlines service airports along southern coast destinations.
Accommodation - All accommodation tastes and budgets can be found via online sites. Whether you want a vacation home rental, and all inclusive resort, a 5 star, a small BnB, a pool, WIFI .. its all there at different price points.
Food - Southern coast of Spain food offers plenty of fresh seafood, cured ham, local produce, traditional tapas, sugary sweets, and unique drinks such as sherry wines. Regional specialties include salmorejo, rabo de toro, mojama, torrijas, and pescaÃto frito, among many more.
Suggested daily budget – Of course this depends on where you stay, what you do, and where you eat as it all makes a difference. We like to walk the streets to see the ‘real’ stuff going on and to call in at interesting street food vendors for lunch. If many locals eat at a place that means the food is usually good and inexpensive and you should eat there too. Buying from a local grocery store and having a picnic is also an affordable and fun option. The Balearic islands offer one of the most fun, affordable, and safest places to visit in Spain.
TIps for first visit
1. Getting Around – What do you want to see or do? Is it going to be a cultural, culinary, or adrenaline junkie trip? How much time do you have? Organized tour for optimizing time, or do-it-yourself to optimize flexibility, or something in between?
2. Get tour and entrance passes – Doing your research in advance, gives you MANY benefits: Allows you to prioritize activities, allows you to know costs in advance for budgeting, and gives you some idea of time needed at each activity. When you know what you want to do, reserve a ticket in advance so that when you turn up you will not be turned away!
3. Check where the locals eat – PRO TIP: If you forgot to make a reservation then this holds true … walk a MINIMUM of THREE blocks away from a tourist attraction. If you still see restaurants with photos of food plastered along their fronts, keep on walking until you dont see them. When you dont see any ‘photo menus’, you have just entered the ‘local’ zone! The food here will be cheaper, better, fresher and you are more likely to meet locals than other tourists. Good food will sell by itself and doesnt need a photo to sell it. These restaurants without the ‘photo menus’ stay in business because the food is good and they want your repeat business, NOT because they have an endless supply of tourists coming through that they dont need to impress.
Do’s and don’ts
Be respectful and be kind. Learn some local lingo. Always remember that you are a GUEST in their country. You are in the southern coast of Spain, so .. relax and watch this part of the world open up in front of you. Go for an early walk, have a coffee or tapas at a corner cafe and people watch. Some of the best times are before and after the work day when you can see food being delivered to restaurants, linens being washed, families going off to activities. Sit, watch, and listen, its free and fun!
What you shouldn't do?
Be smart with your bags and gear. Cars get broken into in each country in the world and not just Spain so do advertise to would be car thieves. Carry just enough cash for a couple of days, and use your credit card for as many purchases as possible. Use the local ATM machines to get out more euros when you need them.
Hopefully the tips above will give you enough information to start your own planning. If you want to check out some of the locations we visited in the Balearics and what we though of them, then click the [EXPLORE LOCATIONS] button below, or select a specific Balearic island location from the list on the right.
