Coast of the Sun - Exploring Spain All Year Round

Most of the former fishing villages in this part of Spain have turned into tourist resorts. One of the most prestigious is Puerto Jose Banus, which has been attracting world celebrities for decades. It has a large marina for luxury yachts, and is surrounded by restaurants, shops and high-end hotels. Fortunately, the nearby city of Marbella is already much more affordable. Along the 200 kilometres of mostly sandy coastline, there are many more pleasant places that offer accommodation for those on a budget.

Seafood specialities in Picasso's City

The Coast of the Sun is more than two thousand kilometres away from Slovenia, but it is good to take at least a week to travel with your car. The cheapest flights to Malaga are available from Venice, Treviso and Zagreb. If you wanna go further than that, it would be best to rent a car. Malaga is by far the largest city in this part of Spain. It is a port city with a Mediterranean charm, and you can enjoy it in both the historic area with its labyrinth of narrow streets and the more modern seaside area with trendy restaurants and nightclubs. Malaga has plenty of museums, and my favourite one was the Picasso Museum. Although they don't keep the most famous works of art, it was fascinating to learn about the painter's early days. In this part of the city there is also the house where he spent his youth. It has a study centre with literature related to the famous artist. You can see a statue of Picasso sitting on a bench in the nearby square.

Malaga also has many kilometres of sandy beaches. The closest ones are only a short walk from the old city centre. They are lined up with restaurants called chiringuitos. On the coast, they used to sell mostly freshly caught sardines baked on braziers. The traditional method of baking on special boat-shaped racks is still a common practice today. There's manily seafood: crustaceans, shellfish, fried fish, calamari and octopus. As starters, they serve prosciutto or excellent cheeses. There's also a large variety of beer and wine offered. At the very least, you should try the sweet red wine the region is famous for. Along with drinks, they usually serve snacks called tapas. Sometimes they are even free inside in some small towns, but usually you have to pay for them. But it's very different: in the bars where the locals go, two euros is enough for a small sandwich, fried fish, olives or something similar, and a little more for larger portions.

Magical underground world

Living in Malaga has become relatively expensive over the last decade. As a result especially young people are looking for renting options in the surrounding area. A great option is the nearby coastal town of Rincon de la Victoria. Only two hotels are located along the long sandy beach, so despite the development of tourism, the city has preserved its characteristic Spanish atmosphere. The town and the seafront are home to lots of restaurants, and it's also lively at night, when you can visit several music venues. However, they open late, often after midnight. In their neighbourhood, locals pointed out to me a special gastronomic offer: baked potatoes in their skins with various toppings. They sell it in converted trucks or at stalls that are only open on weekends and at night. Their offer is particularly popular with young people who visit the nearby clubs.

This part of the coastline is surprisingly appealing, with its many coves and rocky shores. There is a scenic footpath along the coast and a cycle path that follows the route of the former railway line. The underground is also surprising because of its karst landscape. I pretty much found the entrance to the Tesoro Cave in the middle of the town. The cave is surprisingly big, and a river flows through the tunnels, settling in smaller pools. It is easy to visit, as the paths are very well maintained. However, I thought of a more adrenaline-filled option and went with a guide to the unlit, difficult-to-reach tunnels and the nearby Victoria Cave. Visiting these parts is limited to only a few dozen visitors per day, so booking is recommended. The ruins didn't show off particularly rich karst formations, but I was able to admire the more than 30,000-year-old wall paintings up close! Prehistoric wall paintings were also found in the Nerja Cave near the tourist town of the same name. These are even larger and better preserved, but for their protection, visiting the part of the cave with paintings is not allowed. But Nerja Cave is still worth a visit, as its natural beauty is not less beautiful than the most famous karst caves in Europe.