Spain's Famed Costa del Sol: Our Quick Take

This is our first time to Spain’s “Riviera” - the famed Costa del Sol. It is a region in southern Spain in the autonomous community of Andalusia.Having arrived in Andalusia several days ago, we can report that the people here are exceedingly friendly, hospitable and extremely helpful. No matter where we have journeyed - from Jerez de la Frontera to the towns closer to Gibraltar to Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol - the reception we have received has been outstanding. And with average annual sunshine of about 3,000 hours chances are you can work on your tan here any time of year, including winter!

While we arrived here by road from Portugal’s Algarve - and it was four-lane, divided highway all the way - most visitors arrive here via Malaga Airport.

So has the food, whether at a high-end tapas establishment in Jerez to the gas station stop on the way to the Costa del Sol. While hotel food and beverage prices go up in hotels in the Costa del Sol, we found them mostly tolerable.

One of our biggest and most pleasant discoveries is the ease of getting around Andalusia: the highways are first class, safe and not exceedingly congested.

This beach bar is in Benalmadena. As elsewhere along the Costa del Sol, the prices are what one would expect in a European resort town.

Visiting the Costa del Sol in wintertime is actually a rewarding experience: while temperatures can be high enough to stroll in shorts and a tee-shirt, you also have the added benefit of lower accommodation prices, less vehicle and pedestrian traffic and few queues at popular establishments. We don’t know about summer, but the seaside does tend to attract a more senior crowd and one hotel bar resembled a cruise ship bar with bingo, Flamenco performance and a predominantly seniors crowd. However, via Hotel Tonight, we saw prices for decent-looking hotels and resorts in the low US$40 range.

Having said that be prepared for huge numbers of visitors from the UK - many of whom can be seen commencing their day with a “pint” well before noon, interacting minimally with locals - and seem to prefer British cuisine, no matter where they travel.

Further away from the Costa del Sol, Jerez has its charms as a smaller Spanish city and with friendly inhabitants and great prices for hotels and food - especially in winter. An inland city, it has enough attractions to keep visitors busy. It can even serve as an affordable and convenient base to explore the region. We highly-recommend the Soho Boutique Hotel and Spa in the centre of the city. In winter, prices hovered in the US$60 range and we found the staff courteous and friendly. There are at least two well-priced and high quality tapas joints on the same block.