Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean coasts lays the Spanish region of Andalucía. It is an area of stark contrasts, from the white peaks of the Sierra Nevada to the low lying green plains and from the bright lights of the coastal resorts to the volcanic landscapes of the Tabernas Desert. Often referred to as 'the bridge between two continents', Andalucía, with a population of more than seven million, covers more than seventeen per cent of Spanish territory, making it the largest single region in the whole country.
Home to a large number of towns and beaches, the Andalucía coast is almost 900km long. With the quality and warmth of the water plus 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, this coast has become a favourite spot for holidaymakers from all over the world. For luxury holidays Costa del Sol offers a wealth of things to do and a range of different areas to visit. The region of Andalucía is divided into eight provinces and we are delighted to feature a selection of the very best hotels in our favourite coastal province of Malaga, on the Costa del Sol.
At Classic Collection holidays we offer a range of accommodation in each resort including one of the most famed in the Malaga province – Marbella. Located close to the main city, holidays in Marbella are hugely popular with beach-lovers, with the town ideally positioned on the stunning Andalucía coastline. We have a range of luxury hotels in Marbella all chosen with the aim of enhancing your luxury Mediterranean experience.
Golden beaches, beautiful mountain ranges with a wealth of flora and fauna, white-washed villages plus a host of cities to rival any in Europe, and with recently improved developments to the infrastructure; all are now easily accessible from the coast. Malaga, Seville, Granada and Cordoba are well worth a visit and provide a taste of real Spain. With so many beautiful areas to explore such as; Fuengirola, Marbella, Estepona, Nerja, Puerto Banus, Benalmadena Costa and the Casares Mountains, Costa del Sol holidays are a fantastic way to experience southern Spain.
Golf
Costa del Sol holidays offer its guests more than just relaxing on a beach. Boasting the highest density of golf courses in Europe, with many designed by celebrities such as Severiano Ballesteros and Gary Player, there is without doubt a course to suit all levels of play. Golf however is not the only sporting activity on offer with an abundance of tennis clubs, equestrian centres and various water sports available up and down the coast.
Cuisine
The Arab presence throughout the course of history has made a profound impression on the Andalucían gastronomy. Birthplace of tapas (small plates of deliciously tasty snacks traditionally served with a glass of wine or beer), these delicious titbits are varied and widely available throughout the region.
Probably the best known Andalucían dish, renowned for its nutritional value as well as its ease of preparation and a dish highly recommended on luxury holidays in Costa del Sol, is gazpacho, a mouth-watering chilled soup of which tomatoes are the main ingredient.
An abundance of good restaurants lays testimony to the wealth of choice of recipes and, in general, Andalucían cookery can be divided in to two main categories; cuisine based on produce from the sea and recipes based on ingredients from the mountains. And, of course, one must not forget to mention the grapes!