Information about the Costa del Sol

Sports on the Costa del Sol

Football

Football is a favourite spectator sport in Andalucia amongst a huge number of British and Spanish alike. The foreign influence has increased the popularity of football over the years and there are usually local matches, where you can support or even join the team. For foreigners living abroad, a football match can be a great way to meet like-minded local people in a relaxed, yet lively atmosphere. You might learn a few choice Spanish phrases that you should check out before you incorporate them into your everyday vocabulary!

Tennis

Andalucía's Costa del Sol is not only the Costa del Golf but also provides the ideal combination of climate, coast and countryside for virtually any other major sport you can think of, ranging from para-gliding to polo. Among these, tennis remains consistently popular and attracts players from all age brackets.

According to Segar Bastard, tennis coach at El Madroñal Tennis Club in San Pedro de Alcantara, the great advantage of the game is "the ability for anybody at any level to play and enjoy at a reasonable price for court and equipment." In his opinion, the tennis facilities here have inspired many great players in the past and attracted at least one great player today - Monolo Santana, the former French, US and Wimbledon Champion, hosts the Marbella open tournament each summer at his Raquets Club near Puerto Banus.

Skiing

The ski resort of Sol y Nieve is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalucia. It is the most southerly ski resort in Europe and is small in comparison to other European resorts, even so, the resort hosted the 1996 world ski championships.

The Sierra Nevada ski resort has numerous runs of varying difficulties to satisfy all skiing desires. Natural snow is supplemented by snow cannons on some runs. Being so far south, many skiers are pleasantly surprised to find the air temperature is usually warmer than other resorts.

Polo

Though not many of us can afford to play, watching is free. And there's nowhere better to see a game than the famous Rio grounds, dubbed the 'Wimbledon of polo pitches.'

Protected by mature trees and adjoining the luxurious estate of Sotogrande, these pitches are renowned as the best in the world. This is partly due to their location they are flanked on various sides by a tropical nursery, the Guadiaro River (from which the grounds take their name), and a vista of blue skies, sun and distant mountains, yet are close to the main CN340 highway - and partly because of the ideal climatic conditions which make upkeep easy.

Sailing

For a country whose border is, principally, shored up by water, boating has come late to Spain. Particularly in Andalucia, the sea was, to a great extent, the province of working fishermen. The feudal economy which marks Spain's largest autonomous region has a history of land-locked pursuits, such as hunting and horse riding. Yet, in the past two decades, the Spanish have taken to the sea with a will. The only frontiers that are not seaborne are those to the west with Portugal and to the north with France. Apart from those, Spain's coastline is washed in varying degrees of ferocity by the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, which has led to a wonderful variety of opportunities for leisure and pleasure on the high seas.

Water Skiing

Waterskiing is a water-sport that suits all ages. Some other sports, such as wakeboarding and surfing can sometimes seem a little intimidating to the uninitiated, whereas waterskiing has many facets and can be enjoyed by the whole family. In Andalucia along the many different stretches of coastline and inland on lakes, waterskiing is a very popular sport that can be practiced during 12 months of the year.

Climbing

Those who find hiking not quite exciting enough, may like to try mountaineering, rock climbing or caving, all of which are popular in this part of Spain with a wealth of challenges and some of the best areas in Europe outside the Alps. The most popular and spectacular mountain range for climbers is the Sierra Nevada. Its peak, Mulhacén is the highest peak in the Iberian peninsular. ( 3.482m) There are many possible locations for climbing in this area ....

Cycling

Coming Soon ....

Horse Riding

The world's most aristocratic equine population owes its fame to the Andalusian horse, along with the Arab and, much later, the Thoroughbred. Its history goes back long before the birth of Christ - to 200 BC, at the time of the Roman Conquests in and around Spain. Roman writers praised the native Spanish horses' qualities, which were recognised by Spain's Moorish conquerors, who naturally cross-bred them with their own Arab and Berber breeds.

Hiking

The countryside in much of Andalucía is breathtaking and, one of the best ways to appreciate the diversity and beauty of the natural scenery here, is via foot. However, unlike other parts of Europe, (in particularly the UK), it is sometimes hard to determine exactly where it is safe to just park your car and trek off into the rustic unknown. There are few designated footpaths, aside from within the national and natural parks and it can be a disquieting experience, to say the least, to find yourself suddenly surrounded by a field of bulls or wandering though an area which has apparently been designated for hunting purposes ....

Saltwater Fishing

The Atlantic and Mediterranean shorelines are ideal for fishing. many of the marinas provide everything required for a day of open sea fishing. Swordfish fishing is most spectacular, it is immortalised in several feature films. From July to September swordfish are found off the coasts of Almería, Granada and Málaga, as well as in the Bay of Cádiz.

Freshwater Fishing

Fishing in rivers and dams in Andalucía is also a popular sport, where trout, pike and black bass are found, as well as ciprinidae family, barbel and carp. Trout fishing is the most attractive to anglers, owing to its difficulty, no doubt. There are 64 fishing preserves in the Nature Parks of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas and of Sierra Nevada.

Carp Fishing

Coming soon ....

Windsurfing

The history of windsurfing is short. Apparently, in 1967 a Californian called Hoyle Schwritzer placed a sail on top of his surf-board so he could keep moving when there weren't any waves. Today there are national and international championships, including several regularly held in Tarifa in Cadiz province like the Ballentines Championship and the Toro Andaluz race which takes place during Semana Santa (Easter Week) which is when the windsurfing season really takes off.

Bowls

There are only a few quality lawn bowling clubs in Andalucia. Lawn bowling is a popular sport amongst the international community on the Costa del Sol where most of the clubs are situated. Follow link foe club details, location and contact details ....

Paragliding

This is not one of those sports that you can just turn up and do, like tennis or lawn bowls. However, Andalucia provides some near-perfect terrain for those who have mastered the basics and for beginners wishing to learn more. Paragliding is very similar to hang-gliding, except that, in the latter, the pilot hangs beneath a parachute in the sitting position and flies with the wind, whereas hang-gliders fly in a horizontal position beneath a framed wing.

Microlighting

A licence is required for this sport. This will prove, among other things, that you know how to take off and land plus more or less in which direction you are headed when you are airborne. Microlights come in one and two-seater versions, so you can experience all the thrills of flight while letting someone else do the donkeywork. Microlights require a decent length of flat ground from which to take off, so the coast is ideal for the purpose. This also allows you to fly along the shoreline and get stunning aerial views of the land to one side and the Mediterranean to the other.

Diving

Southern Spain offers some of the best scuba diving in the country and there are many diving centres and clubs that welcome new members and visitors alike. It is very easy to take a diving course whilst in Spain on holiday. Most centres offer BSAC and PADI courses, right up to instructor level and what better place to start diving. The Mediterranean offers a varied selection of sealife and marine plants and very few are harmful and present any danger. There are also many wrecks worthy of investigation.

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