Is Costa Del Sol
 

Really as beautiful as it looks on the internet?? If so, how many nights would you suggest staying there?

Fletch,<BR>I am not trying to be negative but Costa del Sol is not beautiful. Spain is an incredible country with so many wonderful places but Costa del Sol is overrun with tourist places, ugly highrises and terrible beaches. <BR>The food is not authentic and I would never return (been there twice).<BR>My favorites in Spain are Barcelona, Seville and Grenada.<BR>For beaches, you are better off going to the Southern coast of Greece or Greek islands.

Agree with Chris. Costa del Sol is the ugliest thing on the Meditarranean. It's about as beautiful as Atlantic City.

I LOVE Marbella, Tormelinos and the area. If I won the lottery, that's where I'm headed! I was stationed in Rota Spain for 5 years so I'm not talking out of my butt.

I agree with Berry Berry about Porto Banus. I did like that area and if Fletch is set on going Porto Banus is the best of the region.<BR>Sorry you didn't like my answer but I stick to it. Why waste your time when the only half decent area in the region is Portos Banus? <BR>

We stayed in the hills of Estepona for two weeks last summer and enjoyed every minute of it. There are a lot of high rises along a stretch of the highway, but there are a lot of special places, too. We went to several beaches all along the coast, including Marbella, Puerto Banus, Estepona (Med Sea) and even Tarifa (Atlantic Ocean) and all were great. There are a lot of interesting places to visit - Marbella's Casco Antiguo (old town) - we swam in a Roman sulfur spa, well hidden in the hills outside of Casares where noone but us spoke English and Gibraltar was 45 minutes away. We had a great time and would love to go back.

I agree with BerryBerry. I've been all over the Mediterranean and there are some beautiful places in Spain in the Costa Del Sol, especially around the Marbella area. There are also some towns that I didn't find so nice, such as Fuenigirola, but there were also towns on the Mediterrannean in France and Italy that weren't so wonderful either (such as Marseille in France and Vertimigla in Italy). But there are some beautiful places on the Costa Del Sol.<BR><BR>Having said that, I would add that if you only have a limited time in Spain and want to get a more authentic feel for the country, Seville and Barcelona are even better places to visit.<BR><BR>But if you want a more leisurely (and yes, it does get touristy, but so do the sights in all the big cities) time where you can also make day trips to some of the worthwhile sights such as Alhambra and Nerja caves, as well as the white villages, the Costa Del Sol can be a good base.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.<BR>

We have stayed in Marbella for the past 3 years, and have enjoyed it immensly. The white villages are also delightful. Mallorca is also beautiful, and much less crowded.

here is my question about marbella (since there are such conflicting opinions and i need to figure this out) - is marbella anything like nice, france???? (a group of us is going to seville for one week, and are planning our itinerary for the 2nd week - it is between marbella and cadiz)

Marbella is like Miami

The old city of Marbella is charming. The new city is so-so. The area along the beach is beautiful, especially Avenida del Mar.<BR><BR>I've never been to Cadiz, so can't compare.<BR><BR>It felt smaller than Nice to me. There's a terrific outdoor market on Mondays.

Fletch,<BR>I agree with BerryBerry. I went to Spain on my honeymoon in 2000. We were nervous about Costa del Sol due to reports that it's run down and too touristy. We stayed in Marbella at the Los Monteros hotel, part of Le Meridien chain. It was a luxury hotel and at an unbelievable price--I think $150/night. All the homes in the area were clearly owned by very wealthy people--very well-kept with beautiful blooms--gorgeous! <BR>We visited Puerto Banus, with all its yachts and pretty shops and hung out there for nightlife. <BR>But if you're visiting Spain, please don't miss Seville! It was the highlight of our trip. Truly magical!<BR>Have a great time!

Fletch,<BR>I agree with BerryBerry. I went to Spain on my honeymoon in 2000. We were nervous about Costa del Sol due to reports that it's run down and too touristy. We stayed in Marbella at the Los Monteros hotel, part of Le Meridien chain. It was a luxury hotel and at an unbelievable price--I think $150/night. All the homes in the area were clearly owned by very wealthy people--very well-kept with beautiful blooms--gorgeous! <BR>We visited Puerto Banus, with all its yachts and pretty shops and hung out there for nightlife. <BR>But if you're visiting Spain, please don't miss Seville! It was the highlight of our trip. Truly magical!<BR>Have a great time!<BR>Oh, and we stayed in Marbella for three days. That was perfect.

I can only conclude that people who think the Costa del Sol is attractive have really limited travel under their belts. It's really gross, overrun with tourists, dirty, and not at all authentic. There is much to do and see in the rest of Spain and on other parts of the Mediterranean. Travel a bit and make comparisons. The Costa del Sol truly is the Miami of Europe. Yuck.

"yuck" also known as "carol" & "eddie", since you bash Spain every chance you get, we all disregard your prejudices and just blow you off. Spain is a beautiful country with wonderful people. And, Marbella was quite lovely. We all know you have never even been to Spain.

People from all over the world travel to Miami Beach because it is very hip & exotic. The same goes for Marbella which is a haven for wealthy Europeans and Americans that love to party, and are used to the finer things in life.

Didn't care for it at all.

Marbella is definitely not Miami. It's gorgeous, as is Puerto Banus. <BR><BR>Cadiz, on the other hand, was disappointing. It is an industrial town and a place for cruise ships to dock for excursions to Seville.

Dated, but very funny.<BR><BR>To be read out loud without taking a breath<BR><BR>http://bau2.uibk.ac.at/sg/python/Scr...eTourComplaint

I think some of you dummies believe that hectic Miami and beautiful South Miami Beach are one and the same. Well, they are not! South Beach is a paradise for models, celebrities, the beautiful & wealthy. That is why you ugly, poor fools don't know what your talking about. You're out of your league. Marbella attracts the same crowd. I'm sure most of you haven't been to either of these chic places.

Many people visit Marbella and don't even know about the old town.It is probably the most charming to walk throughin the early eveningall the twinkling lights ,the church bells,the balconies with flowers,the oudoor restaurants,breathtaking.After a couple of days there,we continue on to Nerja,fabulous but getting too well known but still a gem.

We're visiting Marbella next month and I can't wait to see which side of this debate I will agree with. We'll be in Granada and Seville too so I think that the trip will have a nice variety. <BR><BR>Does anyone have more information about the Monday market? Is it a flea market with antiques and such or more produce and flowers?

One comment. I have lived in Miami, and visited COSTA DEL SOL. Here´s the thing. Stay lower budget, and you´ll hear about cool low budget activities from the people surrounding you. High-end hotels hold your hand only if you have the money to pay for it. It you are looking for a unique experience, be experiemental. I enjoyed many sites on Costa del Sol. Mallega included, but it took time to LOOK for the unique experience, and with a limited time trip that is really tough. If you must go to the beach and you are looking for that authentic experience, try Portugal, who´s beaches are more deserted. NERJA,on the west end of the strip, is easier to navigate than most.<BR>Otherwise, Seville, Rhonda...these are the heart that you are looking for.

Costa Del Sol IS A DUMP!!! It is nothing like Marbella..which is west of Costa Del SOl. We took a company trip there, and about DIED when we got there. The hotel was a high rise dump with plastic furniture and orange shag carpet. The elevator got stuck for 20 minutes with us on it. The area was GROSS! My husband turned to me and said "We are getting out of here!" So we booked a plane to Madrid and finished out the trip there at the Palace Hotel. When we met up with everyone at the end of the week, we were happy and they were disgusted that they flew all the way over to Costa for this!<BR>Stay away from Costa! If you are going to spend the money to go overseas, at least go somewhere nice...and with nice surroundings!

Elizabeth,<BR>The Monday market in Marbella is in a newer part of town and is huge. They sell everything from fruit and vegtables to sunglasses and leather jackets. I'm not sure about antiques though. Your hotel should be able to give you the exact address. Parking is tough--plan on a hike. Hope this helps.

I LOVE SPAIN, I'VE BEEN THERE SEVERAL TIMES-GRANDPARENTS WERE FROM MADRID. <BR>MARBELLA IS OKAY! NICE TO SPEND 2 FULL DAYS SO YOU CAN SEE-PUERTO BANUS(TO HAVE<BR>DRINKS, DANCE @ NIGHTCLUBS AND TO EAT)<BR>AND TO GO SHOPPING WITH THE RICH @ THE <BR>CORTEINGLES( CHANGE STORE) IN MARBELLA.<BR>TORREMOLINOS IS ALSO NICE AND MALAGA IS<BR>BEAUTIFUL ALL THESE TOWNS ARE AROUND COSTA DEL SOL, BUT IF YOU ARE THINCKIN<BR>ON GOING TO THE BEACH "SORRY" NOT THE PLACED, WATER IS COLD AND DARK , GO TO <BR>CADIZ(BETWEEN COSTA DEL SOL AND CEVILLA) OR IBIZA , ALSO IN SPAIN. <BR>BUT THE SOUTH OF SPAIN IS DEFINITLY AND<BR>AWSOME PLACE TO GO , PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY<BR>AND VERY SAVE.<BR> HAVE A GREAT TIME.<BR><BR><BR>

EXCUSE MY MISTAKE "SEVILLA" I'M VERY TIRE AND STRESS OUT ABOUT MY TRIP TO PRAGUE. I WOULD STAY @ COSTA DEL SOL NO MORE THAN 3 FULL DAYS JUST FOR SIGHTSEEING.<BR> DON'T FORGET THE "GIBRALTAR ROCK." IS <BR>HISTORY.<BR>

Marbella has beautiful old town, with shops and restaurants. Beach is so-so<BR>compare with Florida or Carribean. It's<BR>a good base to discover small towns around. We took a bus to Ronda for a day<BR>trip. Don't miss Grenada in southern Spain.<BR>

As always, I guess much of it is a matter of taste. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by Costa del Sol even if the weather was a disappointment (it was cold and rainy for much of the time in late March, early April). Here are my impressions:<BR><BR>Malaga: Very lovely, especially the long, palm tree lined avenue by the harbor and the grand cathedral. The Easter Sunday parade (Semana Santa) was fascinating to say the least!<BR><BR>Torremolinos: After hearing T-Town described as honkey-tonk, I found that it wasn't that at all. It may be a bit touristy and the highrise hotels by the beach are not always pretty, but there was plenty of charm to be found and some very Spanish areas, although so much of it has been colonized by Germans, Scandinavians, Finns, Brits and other Europeans - which made it even more interesting in a way. The people were friendly and the walk along the beach area with its volcanic rock and the scores of cats living along its crevices lent T-Town its own charm. <BR><BR>Fuengirola: Not nearly as nice as T-Town, but the zoo was interesting!<BR><BR>If you want to see more of the "real" Spain, by all means go inland and see the beautiful Andalusian country side with its little white towns, olive and almond trees and friendly people. Gibraltar was also an interesting day trip. Those Gibraltar monkeys are cute, but they are also thieves, so watch your jewelry! I think one of them stole my earring after jumping onto my back. <BR><BR>

Hey Kelley, Costa del Sol is a region and Marbella is located within this region as is Malaga. Learn your geography before making an ass of yourself. There are good, bad & upscale areas within Costa del Sol. It's your problem that your petty company decided to put you up in a dump! We have always stayed at the upscale resorts in Marbella and have also enjoyed the other lovely villages.

Fletch,<BR><BR>I stayed in Torremolinas for a week in May and did day trips from there. It was wonderful to wake up and look out at the sea and walking on the beach in the evening was very nice. Also, there is a very nice selection of restaurants in the area.<BR><BR>From there we took day trips to Malaga, Gibraltar, Ronda, Granada, & Mijas. My personal opinion is it's a beautiful region of Spain and I would go back in a hot minute!

Hey Erin, thanks for pointing that out..but no need to be such a jerk about it. It just goes to show how mad I was about the trip that I just didn't make a better effort to get the "geography" right. I did like Marbella and Seville, butyou are right, the actual area that I was in was Torremolinas. I just found it gross, touristy and dirty. I was upet that I flew all the way over there for THAT. After leaving Madrid, I felt better about Spain. Unfortunately for the others, they said they would never go back to Spain. I felt otherwise. ANd no, it wan't OUR company that sent us there. If it was our company trip, we would have been staying in a five star hotel like the Palace Hotel!!! It was a company that does business with our company. I am sure that others have had better trips there. I just wasn't that impressed with Torremolinas. I felt I could get that back in the states if I went to Panama City Beach, FL! But stil..no need to be a jerk about it.

After reading your first post, Kelley, I think it is clear that you are the jerk. Erin just set you straight. You were out of line bashing Costa del Sol. You should have just appoligized and left it at that. It's a shame that you ended up in Torremolinos. You missed out on so much beauty and culture.