Great sunny weather more than 300 days a year. Fantastic sunrises over the Mediterranean nearly everyday. Wide range of excellent seafront hotels and apartments. Plenty of different bars, restaurants, snack bars as well as different recreational options. Good beach amenities. Lots of golf courses around. Good public transport. No wonder the beaches on Costa del Sol are a magnet for British holidaymakers and expats. Have a look at our list of the best beaches on the Spanish Coast of the Sun, from east to west.

Popular beaches on Spanish Costa del Sol

1. Playa del Cañuelo in Nerja – a real gem on Costa del Sol. This spectacular beach is located within the protected area of the national parkland which means you need to walk for about 1,5 km to reach the beach. Alternatively, in the season, you can take a ride down to the beach in a small shuttle bus. The beach boasts beautiful crystal clear water, great for snorkelling. There are some wonderful rocks scattered throughout the beach as well.

2. Rincon de la Victoria beach near Malaga – located in a coastal village only 12km east of Malaga. This beautiful wide sandy beach is loved by the locals. The beach boasts a lively sea promenade with some great bars and restaurants. On the minus side, Rincon de la Victoria beach tends to get very busy in July and August.

3. Misericordia beach in Malaga – one the nicest beach in the capital of Costa del Sol, 2 km long and 30 metres wide. Located on the southern outskirts of the city. Very wide beach with lots of parking space. Never overcrowded. There is a distinctive tall 19th chimney clearly seen from the beach.

4. Playa de la Playamar beach in Torremolinos – located only 7 kilometres west of Malaga Airport. Vast beach with plenty of quiet spots, however tends to get a bit crowdy during summer weekends. Kept in excellent conditions. Beautiful clean sand. Some great swimming spots.

6. Torre Bermeja beach in Benalmadena – wide and clean 700 metre long beach where you can enjoy sun all day long. Torre Bermeja regularly cleaned. The sand is darkish. Beach goers can rent sunbeds, umbrellas, boats, jet skis. There is a beach football and volleyball pitches prepared as well. In addition to that Torre Bermeja boasts some nice bars and restaurants.

7. Puerto Banús beach near Marbella – best beach in Puerto Banus, Marbella. Well taken care of, long, wide and family friendly. Within walking distance from the beach you will find some fantastic restaurants, bars as well as designer boutiques and jewellery shops.

8. Playa del Cristo in Estepona – located near the centre of Estepona. Unlike nearly all the beaches on the Costa del Sol that face east and south, El Cristo looks more to the west allowing for more sunshine in the evening hours. Playa del Cristo boasts mesmerizing sunsets and shallow water which is simply perfect for kids. It’s well protected from the wind as well. El Cristo would be a perfect beach were it not for it’s small size and low quality parking.

Read: Best beaches on Costa del la Luz