Ten unmissable destinations on the Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol stretches more than 150 kilometres along Andalusia's southern coast. It's the kind of place where you can have breakfast watching superyachts in Puerto Banús, lunch in a 16th-century mountain pueblo, and dinner with your toes in the sand. The diversity is what makes it special — and what makes it one of the most attractive regions in Spain to own a second home.

This guide covers ten places that, between them, give you the full Costa del Sol experience: the glamour, the heritage, the food, the nature and the slow-paced lifestyle that has drawn northern Europeans here for decades.

Málaga city

Often skipped in favour of the resort towns, Málaga has reinvented itself as a cultural capital. The Picasso Museum, the Centre Pompidou Málaga, the contemporary art at CAC — all in a walkable, beach-side city centre with the kind of food scene Spain is famous for.

Estepona

The quieter, more residential alternative to Marbella. The Old Town has been carefully restored with murals on every corner, and the marina is half the chaos of Puerto Banús with much of the same charm.

Sotogrande

Spain's most exclusive private community, where polo, sailing and golf define the calendar. The Valderrama and La Reserva golf courses are world-class. Vivla has homes in Sotogrande for owners who want to be part of this lifestyle without the friction of buying outright.

Nerja and the Caves

An hour east of Málaga, Nerja's Balcón de Europa offers the best Mediterranean view of the entire coast. The nearby Caves of Nerja are one of the most impressive prehistoric sites in Spain.

Frigiliana

Voted multiple times the most beautiful village in Spain, Frigiliana sits above Nerja with views of the sea and the Sierra Almijara. White houses, narrow streets, a thriving artisan scene.

Antequera and El Torcal

The geographic heart of Andalusia. Antequera has the prehistoric Dolmens (UNESCO World Heritage Site), and just outside, El Torcal is one of the most surreal landscapes in Spain — limestone formations shaped by 150 million years of erosion.

Casares

A bright white village dramatically perched on a hilltop, Casares is the kind of place that makes you stop the car and just look. The vista from its castle is one of the great Mediterranean views.

The Costa del Sol has more than 320 days of sunshine a year, the most international airport in southern Spain (Málaga), and a property market that has weathered every cycle better than the European average. It's also one of the only places in Europe where you can ski in the morning (Sierra Nevada is two hours away) and swim in the sea in the afternoon.

If owning a piece of this coast — without the friction and capital of buying outright — interests you, explore Vivla's homes on the Costa del Sol. From Marbella to Sotogrande, the homes are curated for the family that wants to actually live the destination.