Discover the best beaches on the western Costa del Sol! Tourism on the western Costa del Sol has been in full swing since its beginnings.
And when we think of the “Costa del Sol”, the images that come to mind are in fact of the western Costa del Sol: Wide sandy beaches and lots of tourist infrastructure.
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The best beaches on the western Costa del Sol
The western coast of Malaga stretches from Malaga to Manilva, where it borders on our neighbouring province of Cadiz.
The concept of tourism has been perfected over the decades: If you simply feel like dropping your bags into your hotel room and going straight to the lounger on the beach, enjoying cocktails, good food, an abundant nightlife, the best beaches on the western Costa del Sol are your place of choice!
The best beaches in Malaga city
La Malagueta – Malaga
You’ve probably already seen pictures of La Malagueta with its characteristic sign.
This large urban beach is located in the heart of the city, a few metres from the old town and the port (Muelle Uno – Pier One) and therefore very popular with both tourists and locals.
La Malagueta offers a wide range of services and many beach bars where you can enjoy the typical Malaga cuisine.
The best beaches in Torremolinos
We can say that tourism on the Costa del Sol was conceived in Torremolinos. The municipality stands out for its long beaches of fine sand and some of the best beaches on the western Costa del Sol.
La Carihuela
La Carihuela is located in the old fishermen’s district of the same name.
It is an urban beach with a very high level of occupation due to its great popularity and great tourist offer of services, gastronomy, shops of accessories, clothes, ice-cream parlours etc.
Last but not least, it is the best place to try some of the delicacies offered by the sea, in the form of sardine skewers or Malaga fried fish.
Los Alamos
This long and wide beach of fine sand is not only fashionable among the surfers of the area.
During the last years it also acquired a somewhat negative reputation for being an area of massive influx of nightlife with several outdoor discos.
Today, the area is still fashionable, but the “Disco-bars” have mostly become beach clubs where you can enjoy good international food, cocktails, music and Balinese beds.
The best beaches in Benalmadena
Bil-Bil
Bil-Bil is an urban beach of fine sand in the heart of the most touristic part of Benalmadena.
Next to its promenade and the homonymous neo-Arabic castle, this beach with high occupation offers all the services of leisure, restaurants and beach bars that the tourist can wish.
La Viborilla
The south-western part of the Benalmadena coast has charming small coves that are normally only found on the eastern Costa del Sol (Axarquia).
In spite of the massive construction, these coves have kept their beauty.
Due to the rock formations that filter the water, it is often extremely transparent, ideal for snorkelling.
The best beaches in Fuengirola
Playa de Carvajal
As a personal comment, this is the best beach in Fuengirola.
While the rest of its wide beach had to give way to a growing urban pressure, resulting in a narrow strip of purely urban beach along its impressive promenade of more than 7 km long, in this last stretch of beach bordering Benalmadena you can still breathe some “more relaxed” air and own style with excellent beach bars as “La Cubana” and “El Kalifato”.
The best beaches in Marbella
Cabopino – Artola Dunes
This beach has a peculiarity that normally we can only find in other provinces like Almeria or Cadiz: The sand dunes.
These dunes, declared natural monument and their location a little further from the centre make this beach very popular, both for families and for nudists.
Playa del Cable
This beach is named after the 19th century mining and steelworking remains that you can find on many sunset photos of this popular beach.
Although it has become a landmark, personally I think that they could start removing this old rusty thing… Be that as it may, it is one of the most popular beaches in Marbella.
With 40 meters width, it has the Blue Flag, beach bars frequented by celebrities, many activities and at the same time this beach is also very suitable for families.
Playa El Ancón
Here is another beach that you have probably already seen in a photo.
Fine golden sand with the impressive views of the Sierra Blanca in the background: El Ancón.
This extensive beach is located in the middle of the Golden Mile between Puerto Banus and the Marbella Club Hotel, but because it is bordered by luxury urbanizations, we can enjoy a low occupation even in the middle of the high season.
Playa de Guadalmina
Yes, Marbella is a place of contrasts. Guadalmina beach is another open secret regarding the best beaches in Marbella.
If you like tranquility, here you have a lonely beach due to the limited access for cars and with magnificent views of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Guadalmina is the beach of great fortunes, and it is very possible that you will find some former president walking his dogs there.
The best beaches in Estepona
Playa del Cristo
Of the many kilometres of beach in Estepona, the winning beach with the most charm remains Playa de Cristo.
This beach located next to the marina of Estepona offers impressive views of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Its crescent-shaped bay protects from strong currents and makes it ideal as a family beach.
The best beaches in Manilva
Playa de Chullera
Already bordering the neighbouring province of Cadiz, Chullera beach is a natural beauty with rock formations. With stones and thick sand this long but narrow beach offers crystal clear waters ideal for snorkelling.
This beach with low occupancy rate compared to other beaches in the province is popular with families and young people.
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