Travel to Costa del Sol

Tips on getting to the Costa del Sol and how to travel around the Costa del Sol

Flying to the Costa del Sol
The most popular mode of transport to get to the Costa del Sol is by plane. There are a large number of flights and operators now serving the Costa del Sol from various airports.

The main airport is Malaga (AGP) Airport as it fairly central for all destinations on the Costa del Sol. The choice of other airports for travelling to the Costa del Sol include the newly opened international Granada Airport, Gibraltar Airport and Jerez Airport (on the Costa de la Luz).

Recommended airports for the eastern section of the Costa del Sol would be either Granada Airport or Malaga Airport. For the western section of the Costa del Sol we would recommend Malaga Airport, Gibraltar Airport or Jerez Airport (on the Costa de la Luz).

Roads
The main road that runs the entire length of the Costa del Sol is the N340 / A7. In the majority of sections it is dual carriageway but does reduce to one lane as it passes through some towns. The N340 does miss most towns now as it was split from the former route which went directly through the majority of towns on the Costa del Sol. The old route is now referred to as the N340a.

Although it is more of a motorway now, there are still some major bottlenecks on the route. The main one is the Malaga City sections and Malaga Airport sections. In the summer allow extra travelling time to and from the airport as it can get very busy. Another major bottleneck is the section at San Pedro. This section has numerous traffic lights and can back up to past Puerto Banus in the east and Cancelada in the west. There has been talk and many protests about the construction of an underpass for this section of the N340. There has been a lot of red tape but it does look hopeful that the go ahead has been given.

The AP7 toll road is a very good option in the summer months if you want a much quieter route and without delays. The toll road continues to be extended and rejoins the N340 in areas that it does not run through. The AP7 toll road starts just by the Mijas / Fuengirola exit of the N340 if you are heading west (towards Cadiz / Algeciras). The N340 splits off to the right and the AP7 continues straight on. The toll road will continue until Marbella where it will rejoin the N340 for a short period before splitting off once again. From the Mijas section to Marbella you will have one toll to pay which varies during the seasons. Expect to pay around 5 euros for a car in the summer. If you want Marbella or Puerto Banus then you should not rejoin the toll road after the Marbella section of the N340. If you are heading for Estepona and beyond then it is recommended that you take the toll road after Marbella as the major bottleneck through San Pedro de Alcantara will surely hold you up.

The toll road will now run through to Sotogrande where it will once again rejoin the N340. If you want Estepona you should exit at the Estepona section. The toll from Marbella to the San Pedro toll booth will be around 3,60 euros for a car in the summer. Around the Estepona area the toll road will once again rejoin the N340 for a short time until it splits once again and continues to just before Sotogrande. The section between Estepona and Sotogrande will cost around 5 euros for a car in the summer.

Ports on the Costa del Sol
The main port is at Malaga where many luxury cruise liners make a stop on their journies allowing for new people to join the ship or people to leave. The other main port of this size and type is that of Gibraltar although you will have to cross the border into Spain.

Smaller ports are scattered all over the Costa del Sol, the most famous of which is Puerto Banus. Others are located at Sotogrande, Puerto de la Duquesa, Marbella, Cabopino, Fuengirola and Benalmadena. All f these are smaller and will have a limit as to the size of craft allowed in.

Trains
The far western section of the Costa del Sol is not yet served by a rail network. The rail services start at Fuengirola and run through to Malaga, from where you can get connections to the RENFE trains and the major cities of Spain.