Costa del Sol - Locale

Spain is a wonderful country to vacation in and to explore. At the present time, when compared to traveling in the United States and in Western Europe, Spain is still a bargain. The food is excellent, the people are very friendly and cordial, and the scenery and amenities are excellent. If you have never been to Europe before, then a villa in southern Spain is the best way to start to explore Europe.

The beauty of Spain, however, is not just in and around Marbella. The most interesting times are spent driving to and visiting the various small towns, which are anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes away from Marbella. These towns still have the flavor of old Spain and you can see fields of orange and lemon groves.

The food is wonderful in Spain. Meals are slightly more expensive in the coastal areas in and around Marbella; however, even there a full gourmet meal for two with wine and desserts will run about $50.00 total with tip. In the mountain towns the price can drip to as low as $35.00 for two.

North Africa is about an hour to two hours away by ferry. The time varies first by where you go in North Africa and the type of ferry which you take. Gibraltar is about a 60 to 90 minute drive to the west and Portugal is about a three hour drive west. The Iberian peninsula offers much in the way of European flavor and culture with a significant amount of the Moorish influence mixed in with it. The land is beautiful, the people are extremely friendly, the climate is very temperate except in the summer, and the costs are very reasonable: first, in comparison to the rest of Europe and second, when compared to many areas of the United States.