The Local Area

The residential area of Nueva Alcantara is located on the beachside of San Pedro de Alcantara and is a truly wonderful holiday spot that offers something for everyone –families, young people and the more mature alike. Your time here can be as relaxing or as lively as you desire. Take a long, idle saunter along the paseo, laze on the beach, pop into one of the vibrant beach bars or get active at Nueva Alcantara’s own luxurious Paddle and Tennis Club.

Just a few minutes’ stroll away lies the town of San Pedro where you’ll find a selection of restaurants, cafes, tapas bars and shops. Thursday is market day when the locals make the streets a hive of Andalucian activity and it’s the ideal time to enjoy the spirit of this town which has retained much of its original, sleepier Spanish atmosphere and authenticity.

Amazing that a 5 minute drive – or even half hour walk – away is the ‘millionaire’s paradise’ of Puerto Banús, where legions of big boats and spectacular sportscars provide the backdrop to a life less ordinary. Take a seat at one of the many portside bars and enjoy a drink as you watch the beautiful people go by.

Weather

However, the Costa del Sol has so much more to offer than just bars, boats and beaches.

Activities

A five-minute drive takes you to Selwo Safari Park, where the children will be amazed by the rhinos, lions and zebras. If they prefer their animals underwater, then 20 minutes in the other direction is Sea World Centre at Benalmadena Marina and the Selwo Marina Dolphin Centre.

Tivoli Adventure World and the Aqualandia water park are all nearby, while the more adventurous might like to try the crocodile park.

Active adults won’t go home disappointed, especially those that enjoy a round or two. Often dubbed ‘the Costa del Golf’, this is the best and most varied place to play golf in the whole of Europe, with over 60 courses within an hour’s drive including the legendary Valderrama, which hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup.

The coast is framed by beautiful mountains, providing a great escape for fans of hiking, mountain biking or even just picnicking, and one of the Costa del Sol’s best kept secrets lies just a couple of hours north – the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range which, during winter months, is Europe’s southernmost ski resort.

If you decide to turn your back on the sumptuous sun and head inside for a while, there are several fantastic shopping centres, such as La Cañada which is less than 10 minutes from Nueva Alcantara, where there is plenty on offer.

As well as all the best Spanish and international stores, there’s bowling, arcade games, cinemas and an assortment of restaurants and fast food outlets.

Towns and Cities   With so many activities, the local towns and cities are overlooked by many visitors. Avoid making that mistake and head for Ronda – less than an hour away – which is the ultimate picturesque town and boasts some of the finest restaurants around. Or try visiting Casares, the kind of typically Spanish sugarcube village that adorn so many postcards. The views alone are worth the short trip.

Benahavis is known as the ‘Garden of the Costa del Sol’ and has more restaurants per square metre than any other place in Europe – all of them are fantastic too.

Marbella is, of course, the largest and closest town and is becoming a real metropolitan hub – its population is around 75% Spanish with the other 25% coming from approximately 34 different nationalities. Most people speak English, so it’s easy to find your way around the spectacular ‘Old Town’ and try the tapas bars of the captivating ‘Orange Square’. It’s a delightful place to stroll with its flower-filled streets, neat houses and small squares; the evidence of the Moorish, Christian and Roman past remains in many of the buildings. Finally, Málaga – the capital of the Costa and one of Spain’s largest cities – is a must-see. It is an intriguing artistic and cosmopolitan centre where a whole day can be whiled away wondering the shaded streets that combine the air of a bygone era with the excitement of the galleries, museums (the Picasso Museum is a masterpiece in tis own right) and theatres.

Every town and city in Andalucia holds its own ‘feria’ or ‘fiesta’ celebrations and, for the locals, having a lot of fun is very serious business. They are wonderful, lively, family events – some centred on food or drink, others around music and dancing. It’s well worth discovering if any ferias are being celebrated during your visit.