The Costa del Sol has it all | part 1

Off to the Costa del Sol, for centuries a bunch of peaceful fishing villages, nowadays one of the most inviting tourist destinations in the world. Blessed by the sunny Mediterranean weather and the warm hospitality of its people. With over 70 golf courses, sophisticated installations for business conferences, modern shops and exclusive boutiques, a rich culture, historic centres, walking and hiking routes and over 160km of spectacular Mediterranean beaches, the Costa del Sol has it all.

I’m traveling the Costa del Sol in 4 days, with Málaga, El Caminito del Rey (Ardales), Marbella and Ronda as main spots. So excited to make this round-trip. Starting in Málaga, the capital of the area, with over 500.000 habitants and, nice to know, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. Málaga has a cultural, botanical and gastronomic heritage and is known for its’ sweet wines and delicious tapas.

Malaga nights
As a big fan of wines and tapas, our first night in Málaga is perfect. Dinner at Bodega Bar El Pimpi. This typical Spanish restaurant in the old town of Málaga, is surrounded by museums, historic buildings, and boutiques and loved by the locals. After the lovely diner we head to the hotel, Barcélo Málaga, in the heart of Málaga. This modern and colourful hotel has a 6-metre slide in the bright lobby, trendy & comfortable rooms, a restaurant featuring healthy dining and a lounge-bar with a terrace. It’s just a 10-minute walk from the nearest beach and across the street from the María Zambrano train station.

El Caminito del Rey
The next day we have an adventure planned. The hiking tour of El Caminito del Rey! I did some research about this route, but what I didn’t know upfront (and I’m glad I didn’t), El Caminito del Rey belongs to the 10 most dangerous bridges on the planet. OMG, I crossed that bridge! The path, in English; The king’s little pathway, is a walkway pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Ardales in Málaga. It’s one of the most impressive and dangerous walkways of Spain. I don’t know if you want to know this, but the walkway had fallen into disrepair and was partially closed for over a decade. After four years of extensive renovations, the walkway re-opened in 2015. It has been known in the past as the “world’s most dangerous walkway“, many hikers who dared lost their lives before the opening of the fully restored and protected path. Nowadays if you keep the safety rules, nothing should go wrong. I survived;) It’s a fantastic hiking tour with beautiful, breathtaking views!

After all this excitement there only one option. Eat. At Bar-Restaurant La Garganta, a cute Spanish restaurant at the end of El Caminito del Rey. After a delicious tapas lunch it’s time for siesta in the car while we head to Marbella. Curious about my experiences in Marbella?

You can read all about it in my second article, Málaga part 2, on the 25^th of November!

Het bericht The Costa del Sol has it all | part 1 verscheen eerst op GirlsLove2Travel.