Welcome to Costas Online, your guide to the mainland and coastal areas of Spain. Our website provides many useful articles about some of the top places to visit. This includes both island archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
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Costas Online also covers many of the best attractions and things to do during your holiday. The focus of our sister site Spanish Costas is to provide extensive weather pages. These all relate to the climate across this country for given months. Much of the content we create is from experience during our twenty years living here. We still live on the eastern coast of the Spanish mainland.
Forming the Kingdom of Spain are 17 autonomous regions, 15 of which lie on the mainland. The other two regions are the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. There are also two smaller territories in northern Africa. The colonies of Melilla and Ceuta are the gateway from Africa to Europe.
The massive region of Andalucia forms most of southern Spain. This is the biggest region which consists of 8 provinces and 8.5 million inhabitants. Catalonia, Madrid and Valencian Community are also large regions. Galicia, Castile and León and Basque Country come next after the bigger mainland regions. Following these are Murcia, Castilla La Mancha and several smaller regions.
Other Spanish Costas
The Spanish Costas are the coastal areas of the mainland but also both sets of islands. Many often confuse these for belonging to the mainland only. The Spanish word “Costa” means coast so will include any territory with a coastline. For arguments sake, we will explain about those that are part of the mainland first.
There are 10 main Spanish Costas and several smaller coastlines in total. In the southern areas the most popular are the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca. Our map on this page shows most of these areas if you need a visual reference. Tossa de Mar and Blanes are two other super destinations here.
In the northeast is the Costa Brava which shares a border with France. There are several top locations here with Lloret de Mar being the most popular. Tossa de Mar and Blanes are two other super destinations here. This part of Spain was the first to undergo major improvements as part of the tourism boom in the 1950’s.
If you follow the coastline south you will come to the Costa Dorada which is also in the northeast. The literal translation is “Golden Coast” a reference to the sun shining on the beaches. Salou is not only the top location here but in all Spain. If you want to sample traditional Spain then the town of Cambrils is not far.
Some 2,500 kilometres southwest of the mainland is the Canaries archipelago. Forming this part of Spain are the 7 Canary Islands which lie in the Atlantic Ocean. These islands are among the top holiday destinations in the world.
This part of the Atlantic enjoys a sub-tropical climate where it rarely gets cold. In fact, this archepelago is well known for being one of the warmest destinations in Europe during winter and spring. Some call the Canaries the “Islands of Eternal Spring” a reference to the weather here. The climate is one of the main reasons these islands attract so much tourism. As it gets cold further north, tourist travel south to enjoy the warm weather on offer.
The most popular island is Tenerife which also has the biggest population. It’s close neighbour Gran Canaria is next which also see plenty of tourism. Next we have Lanzarote and Fuerteventura which are closest to Western Africa. Making up the 7 there are La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
The Balearic Islands are a smaller archipelago off the eastern coast of the mainland. There are 4 main islands in total with over one hundred smaller islets. These islands lie in the Mediterranean Sea where the climate is very different. As a result, there is more tourism here when the weather is warmer.
By far the most popular islands is Majorca with over 40 resorts to choose from. This island rivals Tenerife for tourism although not during the colder months. Ibiza is the next busiest which is world famous for it’s amazing nightlife. Making up the 4 main islands is Menorca and Formentera.
Orihuela Costa
The Orihuela Costa is one of the top tourism locations on the Costa Blanca. This super holiday spot also happens to be the home of the creators of this website. Here you will find many of the top beaches in southeast Spain. Forming The Orihuela Costa are many beachside suburbs stretching for miles. Some of the most popular are Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig and Dehesa de Campoamor. A few minutes inland is Villamartin, home to the famous Plaza with the golf course next door.
