Over 500 miles to the south of Barcelona, the jewel of Catolonia – past the ancient Spanish settlement of Valencia and the Moorish stronghold of Granada, lies one of the most visited destinations in all of Europe: The Costa del Sol. With the straits of Gibraltar to the west and the easily viewed coastline of Africa off out in the horizon to the south, it is easy to see why the Spanish Riviera has long been thought of as the gateway to the Mediterranean.
The Costa del Sol is unique in many ways. The land itself is part of the autonomous community of Andalusia and its name translates literally as ‘the coast of the sun’. Historically the area has been ruled by various cultures. Throughout the Middle Ages the land was under Moorish control, but this was to change forever during the events of the Reconquista and the unification of Spain. However, a great deal of the Moorish culture and Islamic aesthetics can still be viewed within the art and architecture of the region, giving the area a unique and distinct look to it.
In recent years the area has become a tourist hotspot for well off Europeans due to a rapid change in development throughout the late part of the 20th century. There are now hundreds of resorts up and down the coast; some of the most famous examples are Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Torremolionos, all of which are easily accessed by road and by organising some form of car hire. Marbella and Malaga are perhaps the most well known of these resorts, and both destinations attract thousands of visitors each year.
In the early 20th century Marbella was transformed from a small fishing town with roughly 900 residents to a luxury aristocratic resort after Prince Max Egon zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his heir Alfonso de Hohenlohe broke down on the outskirts of the town in 1940. Shortly after their discovery of the town the pair began to buy up the land and built the world renowned Marbella Club Hotel. The site soon became a hit amongst Europe’s aristocratic and rich elite, and to this day it still plays host to the world’s rich and famous.
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Posted by: James | 07/21/2010 at 10:09 PM