Holding out until autumn this year to visit your holiday home in Marbella will ensure that you can enjoy the activities and festivities at the Costa del Sol without having to put up with the record numbers of tourists expected to arrive this summer. Temperatures will still be very pleasant, prices will start go down in restaurants and shopping centres at the end of summer, and there will still be many tourist attractions like theme- or water parks open until end of October this year. Spread your wings a little and try out different activities, visit new places!
Walking along the Balcony of Europe
The ambitious plan to link fourteen resorts along the Costa del Sol to create the world's longest board walk is mid-way to being completed. For hikers, cyclists and marathon runners alike, this is an exciting new destination. The new footpath, La Senda Litorial, will run the entire length of the Costa del Sol, linking Nerja's Balcony of Europe to Manilva beach when completed.
Although you won't be able to tackle the whole blister-inducing 160 km of the footpath just yet, around 65% of the scenic footpath is already finished. Eventually, it will start off from Axarquia in the east, running all the way to Castilla de la Duquesa in Manilva in the west. Perhaps the greatest transformation of the coastline's walking trail can be seen in Mijas, where some 5 km of the footpath has been completed, since work started on the project in 2014. Head there for an afternoon and have a wonderful time with the family, for this stretch is suited to all levels of fitness.
More challenging will be the new 3 km length of trail that links the rock-strewn shores of La Cala to Riviera del Sol, with Playa del Bombo sitting snugly in between where one can take a breather. The new strip enables families with children to get to the rock pools and sands with greater ease, and provides fitness fans with a place to go jogging, walking or cycling when the sun sets and the day's temperatures ease off.
For older tourists and families with small children the footpath opens up a whole new way of spending the summer in activities that include a gentler type of sightseeing. Nobody races from resort to resort here. For residents and those who visit their holiday homes in Malaga province for longer stays, this is what they dreamed about when they first looked for a holiday home at the Costa del Sol. Fresh air, lovely views and a healthy change in lifestyle that is neither too taxing nor isolating, such as visits to the gym might be back home in Britain.
Celebrating the Saints in Granada Province
Just an hour and a half drive from Marbella lies beautiful Granada province, with the ancient city of Granada's historic treasures, the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the sunny shores of the Costa Tropical just waiting to be discovered.
September sees one one of Granada's largest festivals, the Nuestra Señora de las Angustias feast day, one of the highlights of the religious calendar. Held on the last Sunday of the month, the Our Lady of Sorrows fiesta is the feast day of the city's patron saint. The streets are filled with colourful processions, dancing and live music; flowers bedeck the facade of the most important church, namely the one dedicated to the patron saint, in a beautiful vertical mosaic of colours and fragrance.
If you're travelling with kids, a trip outside of the city to Parque de las Ciencias, Granada's science park ( www.parqueciencias.com), is a must. Boasting hands-on exhibits, an observation tower and planetarium, a butterfly house and ever-changing exhibitions, the Parque is located in the Avenida del Mediterraneo, south-west of the city centre, and easily accessible via bus lines, 4, 5, 10 and 11.
Seafood Heaven in Torremolinos
Lovers of seafood won't be able to resist the lure of La Carihuela, the old fishing quarter of Torremolinos. La Carihuela is easy to reach from Marbella, and still manages to exude traditional Spanish charm. Famous for its authentic seafood restaurants, the old quarter's fare is quite an eye- and taste bud opener to anyone who has only ever tasted what is euphemistically referred to as “Mediterranean cuisine” in Costa del Sol beach front bars. If you ask nicely, the La Carihuela chef might even tell you how to recreate your favourite dish back at your Marbella holiday home!