Where to stay on the Costa del Sol: the best resorts and hotels

Torremolinos was the Costa del Sol's first big resort, and it still has the energy to prove it. The centre is a buzz of shops, bars and clubs, including one of Spain's best-known LGBTQ+ scenes, while the old fishing quarter of La Carihuela serves fried fish and grilled sardines a few steps from the sand.

Hotels line the long beaches either side of town, from the historic Pez Espada on the promenade between La Carihuela and Solymar to family resorts in Playamar. It is the easiest place on the coast to arrive: the airport is 5 to 20 minutes away, and the local train runs to Málaga and Fuengirola.

Benalmádena comes in three parts: the resort strip of Benalmádena Costa, the fanciful Puerto Marina with its restaurants and bars, and the whitewashed old village of Benalmádena Pueblo up in the hills. A cable car climbs from the coast to the summit of Monte Calamorro for huge views along the coast.

It's great for families, with Selwo Marina and the Sea Life aquarium to keep children busy, and good for nightlife around the port. Hotels such as Palmasol sit a few steps from the marina, while Sunset Beach Club is right at the water's edge. The airport is 15 to 20 minutes away.

Fuengirola is a working Spanish town that happens to have a superb beach. A promenade runs for miles along golden sand from Los Boliches to the Moorish Sohail Castle, lined with bars and restaurants, and the town has markets, shops and a big international community that keeps it lively year-round. Bioparc, a well-regarded zoo, is right in the centre.

Seafront hotels such as the IPV Palace put you on the sand and a walk from everything, and the airport is 15 to 20 minutes away by road, with a direct train too. Up in the hills, the Higuerón resort offers five-star rooms, suites and residences with a free shuttle to the beach.

Mijas is two places. Mijas Pueblo is the archetypal Andalusian white village, clinging to the mountainside above Fuengirola with geranium-hung balconies, a tiny bullring and views down to the sea. Mijas Costa, below, runs along the shore to La Cala de Mijas, a low-key resort with sandy beaches and a fishing-village feel.

In between lie the golf courses that make this a favourite with players. La Zambra sits on a gentle hill between two 18-hole courses, La Cala Resort is surrounded by fairways and natural park, and Hacienda de Mijas gazes over the sea from its hilltop. Hire a car.

Marbella is the Costa del Sol in designer sunglasses. Its old town is a delight, all whitewashed lanes and flower-filled balconies around the orange trees of Plaza de los Naranjos, while the Golden Mile to the west is lined with grand hotels and villas all the way to the superyachts and supercars of Puerto Banús.

This is where the coast's most famous hotels live: the Marbella Club, the original glamour address; Nobu and the Don Pepe Gran Meliá; and Kimpton Los Monteros, a short walk from the beach east of town. Up in the hills of Benahavís, the Anantara Villa Padierna Palace has golf and more than 1,200 works of art. Málaga airport is about 35 to 45 minutes away.

Estepona has quietly become one of the loveliest towns on the coast. Its old quarter is famous for its flower pots, with whitewashed walls hung with bright geraniums, and for the giant murals painted across apartment blocks. A long promenade runs beside a sand-and-shingle beach, and the pace is gentle.

Between Estepona and Marbella, a string of five-star beach resorts offers serious luxury without the bustle: Las Dunas, in a traditional Andalusian hacienda; METT, with a 52-metre heated pool; and Ikos Andalusia, an all-inclusive in landscaped gardens on Guadalmansa beach. In town, Elba Estepona has a thalasso spa by the sea.

East of Málaga, the mountains crowd down to the sea and Nerja sits on the cliffs above a string of coves. Its centrepiece is the Balcón de Europa, a palm-lined promontory with views along the coast, with small beaches such as La Caletilla and Calahonda tucked into the rocks below. Burriana, the biggest beach, is a short walk east, and the vast Nerja caves are just outside town.

Hotels are smaller and more personal than on the western Costa: Balcón de Europa sits right on the promontory, the Parador looks over Burriana beach, and the Riu Monica is an adults-only hotel on Torrecilla beach. Málaga airport is about 45 minutes away. For a more Spanish, budget-friendly seaside town, Torre del Mar, on the way back towards Málaga, has a long promenade and excellent fried fish.