Costa del Sol, Costa Dorada and Gibraltar

You’ve decided you wish to visit the extraordinary golden coastlines of Miami, Florida or Queensland, Australia. Well what if you had more accessible and cheaper, but just as breath-taking, alternatives because there is. The Costa del Sol, Costa Dorada and the beaches of Gibraltar in Spain.  



View of Costa Del Sol from the air.

Translated as the Sun Coast, this shoreline has been under infrequent but long ownerships and incorporated into their many Empires. From 218 BC, it was ruled by the Roman Republic, which used the Costa del Sol as a transit port for the Via Herculea, which also boosted the economy and culture of the cities dotted along this ancient oceanfront. Centuries after the decline of Roman power, the trade industry dominated the source of income in the Malaga province in the 18^th Century. Since then, the Costa del Sol has been introduced to and see the benefits of the tourism industry. The region is situated in the south of Spain between its two younger sister coasts, Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) and Costa Tropical (Tropical Coast) along the Mediterranean. Along this renowned coast, there is the city of Malaga itself, the capital of the province with the same name. The city was founded in the 6^th Century BC whilst under the rule of Ancient Carthage but received its name during the leadership of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire from 218 BC. With a populous of over 569, 000, the city is the sixth largest in the whole of the Spanish Kingdom.

Map of Gibraltar.



Rock and City of Gibraltar -
an Overseas British Territory.



Near to this coastline is the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, located on the southern tip of Spain. Known in Grecian mythology as one of the two Pillars of Hercules, after he created the Strait of Gibraltar, this section holds an importance not many people are aware of. With a population of 32.2 thousand nowadays, Gibraltar also has a long distant memory intertwining with that of Carthage and Romans. However, Gibraltar has always remained under British sovereignty during and after the fall of the British Empire, which was reaffirmed during the referendums of 1967 and 2002.  

Flag of Gibraltar.

Unlike its two fellowships, Costa Dorada (Golden Coast) is a relatively medium sized coastline included within the province of Tarragona and the region of Catalonia, between Cunit and Alcanar facing the Spanish island of Ibiza, Malta and Mallorca. One of the many metropolises on its doorstep is Salou. With a population of just under 26.6 thousand, the history has a long past as a port city for the Greeks and Romans, but it also regained its infamy in 1229, after James I of Aragon departed Salou’s harbour to conquer the Balearic Islands to create the Kingdom of Majorca. Because of the increasing tourism industry, Salou’s main attractions are the Costa Dorada, the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, the Monument of Jaume I and the Fountains of Font Iluminosa.

Costa Del Sol Map.

Costa Dorada Map.

In 2012, I visited the Costa Dorada and the city of Salou in the Autumn Half Term School Break with my family. Once we arrived, it was a whirlwind of “visit this place, visit that place.” But I enjoyed the holiday as it was – a simple holiday with a raw breath-taking view of the Mediterranean Sea, broken up by the Balaeric Islands, which could be seen in the distance from the rocky crevices and soft sand beaches at the shoreline. The Costa Dorada is the personification of that image in your head of a cloudless sky,

View of Costa Dorada.

magnificent coast with a natural sense of awe and an endless horizon. These contrasts and simultaneous compliments that of the Costa del Sol and Gibraltar shorelines. These two coasts I visited two years after, in 2014 on a separate trip to see the Costa del Sol in its entirety. Whilst the Costa Dorada has the raw magnificence of a rugged shore, these two smooth, gentle beaches really are staggering in their individual perfections and are definitely, from a writers viewpoint, the scene of many character reflective scenes and sections in a story, with the Strait of Gibraltar drawing your attention to the output of Morocco and the African Continent. With the Rock of Gibraltar in the background and the Strait of Gibraltar in the foreground, the local shoreline is unquestionably and categorically the place where you can lose yourself and all the built up stresses for a while until that burden of work is replaced with a sense of content and belonging. As a part of Spain, the Sun and Golden Coasts, including Gibraltar despite it being a British Overseas Territory, have a very easy acceptance about them, allowing those disadvantaged to relax and enjoy their holidays, not intruding with uncomfortable questions about anything they perceive to be different.

Have you come to your decision yet? These three Spanish awe-inspiring coasts or the more expensive versions over across the Atlantic and on the other side of the world? You may find yourself surprised with what you find on the European continent, closer to home.

Alhambra, Nerja and Barcelona

Are you seeking an adventurous and relaxing city break on the continent of Europe? Well, Barcelona may be your ideal holiday destination, with the Alhambra in Granada a place to visit should your holiday be in Southern Spain!

Map of Spain -
showing Barcelona and Nerja.

On paper, Barcelona sounds like the same old boring European city, but that couldn't be further from the truth. With a population of 1.6 million, and with the nickname of 'City of Counts', Barcelona is filled with historic wonders like the Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia and the Coloumn of Christopher Colombus. Built, sometime before the 3rd Century BC, one of the legends dictates that the father of Hannibal, Hamilcar Barca, founded the city and named it Barceno after his family the Barca's. However, since the 12th Century, Barcelona became a political powerhouse when Ramon Berenguer IV married Petronilla of Aragon (the same Aragon as the first of Henry VIII's six wives Catherine of Aragon - the mother of Mary Tudor) and their titles were merged by their son and heir Alfonso II of Aragon when he ascended the throne in 1162. Located on the north-eastern shore of Spain and deep within the crevis of the Municiple of Catalonia, Barcelona is the third most sought after European city holiday break destination.

Nerja.

Likewise, Nerja has all the markings of an historical town developed into a city. With a much smaller population of 21, 000, Nerja is the permanent address to the Balcon of Europa, the Nerja Aqueduct and the Church of El Salvador. However, unlike Barcelona, Nerja was built during the peak of the Roman Empire and its dominance of all the territories surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. They built three settlements, including Detunda, which is now a large archaeological site with seen remains. The area was later taken by the Arabs in the early 8th Century, during which the town was given its original name Narixa, which translates as 'abundant spring.' Nerja is situated on the southern tip of the Spanish Kingdom along the Costa del Sol.

Palace and Gardens of Alhambra.

In contrast to both of these modern-day cities, Alhambra is not a city by the standards through which we view cities today but is one in its own rights. Built and completed by Yusuf I and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada in the 1300s, the Alhamra reflects the cultures of its makers and their influences. The Alhambra also shows its intended usage as the ideal place for refugee artists and intellects as the whole place incorporates natural site qualities with man-made structures and gardens. In each set of buildings, there is a quality about the place which leaves both residents in the nearest metropolitan area and tourists alike breathless at the centuries-old craftmanship which stands against the test of time. This wonder is located in the centre of the county of Granada, in southern Spain and is a magnificent complex to behold and visit.

Barcelona - View of City
from Parc de Guille,
its mosaic masterpiece. 

Flag of Barcelona.

Barcelona remains stuck in my mind and has done since I experienced its natural wonder in 2010, whereas Nerja, unfortunately, doesn't quite remain as clear as I visited the town six years previous in 2004. The Alhambra also remains stuck in my mind as a potential muse for my writing as a setting for my characters in case I wish to write about them as something different than what they are currently. This was because my visit to its magnificence was more recent in 2012. As a hemiplegic, I noticed a lot of differences in how I was treated in Nerja, but a lot more in Barcelona. The residents treated me as an everyday person going about my normal day. Yes, they asked me questions, more leaning on how I find Barcelona from a tourist point of view. But there was zero questions about my disability, no uncomfortable questions and no close analysing scrutiny. Spain, and Italy now I think about it, have a very easy acceptance about them, allowing those disadvantaged to relax and enjoy their holidays.

If you're worried about either of these three locations not being up to scratch, don't worry as these are bound to blow all of your expectations out of the water.