57 Best Sights in Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria, Spain

On the Atlantic coast, 24 km (15 miles) north of Tarifa, stand the impressive Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia, once a thriving production center of garum, a salty, pungent fish paste appreciated in Rome. The visitor center includes a museum. Concerts are regularly held at the restored amphitheater during the summer months.

The highlight of Nerja, this tree-lined promenade is on a promontory just off the central square, with magnificent views of the mountains and sea. You can gaze far off into the horizon using the strategically placed telescopes, or use this as a starting point for a horse-and-carriage clip-clop ride around town. Open-air concerts are held here in July and August.

Clinging to the cliff side in the valley, the "King's Walk" is a suspended catwalk built for a visit by King Alfonso XIII at the beginning of the 19th century. It reopened in March 2015 after many years and a €9 million restoration and is now one of the province's main tourist attractions—as well as one of the world's dizziest. No more than 400 visitors are admitted daily for the walk, which includes nearly 3 km (2 miles) on the boardwalk itself and nearly 5 km (3 miles) on the access paths. It takes four to five hours to complete, and it's a one-way walk, so you need to make your own way back to the start point at the visitor center at the Ardales end (shuttle buses take you back). A certain level of fitness is required and the walk is not permitted for the under 8s or recommended for anyone who suffers from vertigo.  This is one of the Costa del Sol's busiest attractions; book well ahead.

These mysterious prehistoric megalithic burial chambers, just outside Antequera, were built some 4,000 years ago out of massive slabs of stone weighing more than 100 tons each. The best-preserved dolmen is La Menga. Declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2016, the Dolmens offer an interesting insight into the area's first inhabitants and their burial customs, well explained at the visitor center. Regular events include Equinox and Solstice meetings, and the MengaStones Festival, June–Sept. Details are available at the tourist office. Note that gates to the dolmens close 30 minutes before closing time.

On an inland mountain ridge overlooking the sea, this pretty village has spectacular views and an old quarter of narrow, cobbled streets and dazzling white houses decorated with pots of geraniums. It was the site of one of the last battles between the Christians and the Moors, whose story is told through mosaics throughout the village. Frigiliana is a short drive from the highway to the village; if you don't have a car, you can take a bus here from Nerja, which is 8 km (5 miles) away.

This important archaeological site is about 2½ km (1½ miles) southwest from the village of Santa Fe de Mondújar and 19 km (12 miles) from Almería. These ruins, scattered on a windswept hilltop, were the birthplace of civilization in Spain nearly 5,000 years ago. The large, dome-shape tombs are evidence of a fairly advanced society, and the formidable defense walls show that it had something to protect. A series of concentric fortifications shows that the settlement increased in size, eventually holding some 2,000 people. The town was inhabited from 2700 to 1800 BC. Free guided tours are available: email to book. 

Part of the charm of this art gallery, one of the city's most prestigious museums, is that its small collection is such a family affair. These are the works that Pablo Picasso kept for himself or gave to his family, including the exquisite Portrait of Lola, the artist's sister, which he painted when he was 13, and the stunning Three Graces. The holdings were largely donated by two family members—Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the artist's daughter-in-law and her son. The works are displayed in chronological order according to the periods that marked Picasso's 73-year development as an artist. The museum is housed in a former palace where, during restoration work, Roman and Moorish remains were discovered. These are now on display, together with the permanent collection of Picassos and temporary exhibitions.

Guided tours in English are available; book at least five days ahead.

This lush green space in the middle of Estepona houses Europe's largest orchidarium. More than 1,600 species and over 4,000 plants, from South America and Asia, are exhibited under a futuristic 100-foot glass dome containing a giant cascade. Guided tours are available.

Well-marked walking trails (stay on them) guide you at this park, where you can walk among eerie pillars of pink limestone sculpted by eons of wind and rain. Guided hikes (in Spanish only) can be arranged, as well as stargazing in July and August. The visitor center has a small museum.

Almería, the last bastion of the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War, was hit by 754 bombs launched via air and sea by Nationalist forces. To protect civilians, 4½ km (2¾ miles) of tunnels were built under the city to provide shelter for more than 34,000 people. About 1 km (½ mile) can now be visited on a guided tour that covers the food stores, sleeping quarters, and an operating theater for the wounded, with its original medical equipment.

Just beyond the ruins of a Roman theater on Calle Alcazabilla stands Málaga's greatest monument. This fortress was begun in the 8th century, when Málaga was the principal port of the Moorish kingdom, although most of the present structure dates to the 11th century. The inner palace was built between 1057 and 1063, when the Moorish emirs took up residence; Ferdinand and Isabella lived here for a while after conquering the city in 1487. The ruins are dappled with orange trees and bougainvillea and include a small museum; from the highest point you can see over the park and port.

Dominating the city is this fortress, built by Caliph Abd ar-Rahman I and given a bell tower by Carlos III. From here you have sweeping views of the port and city. Among the ruins of the fortress, which was damaged by earthquakes in 1522 and 1560, are landscaped gardens of rock flowers and cacti.

About 8 km (5 miles) from Antequera's Lovers' Rock, the village of Archidona winds its way up a steep mountain slope beneath the ruins of a Moorish castle. This unspoiled village is worth a detour for its Plaza Ochavada, a magnificent 17th-century octagon resplendent with contrasting red and ocher stone.

In this modern zoo, wildlife live in a cageless environment as close as possible to their natural habitats. The Bioparc is involved in almost 50 international breeding programs for species in danger of extinction and also supports conservation projects in Africa and several prominent ecological initiatives. Four different habitats have been created, and chimpanzees, big cats, and crocodiles may be viewed, together with other mammals such as white tigers and pygmy hippos, as well as reptiles and birds. There are also daily shows and exhibitions, and various places to get refreshments. In July and August the zoo stays open until 11 pm to allow visitors to see the nocturnal animals.

Lined with low-rises and plenty of greenery, this urban beach is between Benalmádena and Fuengirola. One of the Costa del Sol's Blue Flag holders (awarded to the cleanest beaches with the best facilities), the 1¼-km (¾-mile) beach has yellow sand and safe swimming conditions, which make it very popular with families. Beach bars rent lounge chairs and umbrellas, and there's regular live music in the summer. Playa Carvajal is packed throughout July and August and most summer weekends, but at any other time this beach is quite quiet. The Benalmádena end has a seafront promenade and street parking, and the Carvajal train station (on the Fuengirola–Málaga line) is just a few yards from the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (mid-June–mid-September); parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunrise; swimming.

This charming museum occupies the former ayuntamiento. Its themed rooms, including an old-fashioned bakery and bodega, surround a patio, and regular art exhibitions are mounted in the upstairs gallery.

A Roman fortress once stood here, later enlarged by the Moors, but the castle's present aspect, crowning the city, owes more to 16th-century additions. The building was bombed during the Peninsular War in the 19th century, and what was left was used as a cemetery until the 1990s. You can wander the ramparts and peer into the dungeon; the skeleton at the bottom is a reproduction of human remains discovered on the spot.

On the hill at the far west of town is the impressive Castillo de Sohail, built as a fortress against pirate attacks in the 10th century and named for the Moorish term for Fuengirola. Don't miss the views of the valley, sea, and coast from the battlements. The Marenostrum festival featuring Spanish and international artists is held here during the summer months ( marenostrumfuengirola.com).

Tarifa's 10th-century castle is famous for the siege of 1292, when the defender Guzmán el Bueno refused to surrender even though the attacking Moors threatened to kill his captive son. In defiance, he flung his own dagger down to them, shouting, "Here, use this"; they did indeed kill his son. The Spanish military turned the castle over to the town in the mid-1990s, and it now has a museum about Guzmán and the sacrifice of his son. There are impressive views of the African coast from the battlements and towers.

Below the alcazaba (citadel) is the local cathedral, with buttressed towers that give it the appearance of a castle. It's in Gothic style but with some classical touches around the doors. Guided tours are available, and admission includes a visit to the ecclesiastical museum.

One of the four branches outside France of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this outpost opened in March 2015 in the striking glass cube designed by Daniel Buren at Muelle Uno on Málaga port. The museum showcases 20th- and 21st-century modern art, with semi-permanent exhibitions that change every two years and always include works (paintings, sculptures, videos, and installations) by renowned artists such as Accardi, Ernst, Léger, and Matisse. There are also regular temporary exhibitions each year.

This museum includes photographic studies and paintings, some of them immense. The 7,900 square feet of bright exhibition space is used to showcase ultramodern artistic trends—the four exhibitions feature changing exhibits from the permanent collection, two temporary shows, and one show dedicated to up-and-coming Spanish artists. The gallery attracts world-class modern artists like Phil Frost, KAWS, and Don Bergland. Outside, don't miss the giant murals behind the museum painted by the street artists Shepard Fairey (aka Obey) and Dean Stockton (aka D*Face).

Beneath the Castillo de San Miguel is this large, vaulted stone cellar of Roman origin, now Almuñécar's archaeological museum. The collection is small but interesting, with Phoenician, Roman, and Moorish artifacts.

Between Almuñécar and Nerja, these caves are on a road surrounded by giant cliffs and dramatic seascapes. Signs point to the cave entrance above the village of Maro, 4 km (2½ miles) east of Nerja. Its spires and turrets, created by millennia of dripping water, are now floodlit for better views. One suspended pinnacle, 200 feet long, is the world's largest known stalactite. The cave painting of seals discovered here may be the oldest example of art in existence—and the only one known to have been painted by Neanderthals. The awesome subterranean chambers create an evocative setting for concerts and ballets during the Nerja Festival of Music, held annually in July. There is also a bar-restaurant near the entrance with a spacious dining room that has superb views.

Visits are with self-guided audio tours (available in English). All ticket prices are cheaper online.

Playazo literally means "one great beach," and this sandy cove is certainly one of the gems in the Cabo de Gata nature reserve. Just a few minutes' drive from the village of Rodalquilar (once home to Spain's only gold mine), the yellow-sand beach is surrounded by ocher-color volcanic rock; an 18th-century fortress stands at one end. These are sheltered waters, so bathing is safe and warm, and the offshore rocks make for great snorkeling. This beach is deserted during most of the year, and its isolation and lack of amenities mean that even in the summer months you won't come across too many other beachgoers. Although nude bathing isn't officially allowed here, it is tolerated. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunrise.

Something of a Costa del Sol secret, this quiet 4-km (2½-mile) beach of gray sand has long, empty stretches with plenty of room for towels, even in high summer, making it a great place to relax, walk, or swim. The water's safe for swimming when waves are low, but watch out for the undertow when it's windy. Between San Pedro and Estepona, and flanked by residential developments, El Saladillo has the occasional beach bar. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (mid-June–mid-September); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

Surrounded by magnificent vistas and floodlit at night, these fortifications were built for Yusuf I in the 14th century; the Moors called them Jebelfaro, from the Arab word for "mount" and the Greek word for "lighthouse," after a beacon that stood here to guide ships into the harbor and warn of pirates. The lighthouse has been succeeded by a small parador.

This delightful village church, up the hill from the bullring, is worth a visit. It's impeccably decorated, especially at Easter, and the terrace and spacious gardens have a splendid panoramic view.