spaincolours.com, A bridge towards spain - Savor the exotic offerings of Spain's Costa del Sol

Looking for a real vacation? Come to "Costa del Sol" .

Looking for a real vacation where the golfing choices are mind-boggling, the weather perfect enough to play year round and the food and wines delicious? A spot where the nightlife is popping, and there are more things to do off the course than you have time for? Let me introduce you to Spain's Costa del Sol.

Sometimes dubbed the Costa del Golf, this golfer's heaven occupies the southernmost coastline of the region of Andalucia, maybe one of the most perfect spots in the world for a true vacation, where golf can play as important or as minor a role as you choose.

Over 50 courses lie scattered along a 150-mile stretch of the Costa del Sol's Mediterranean washed shores, a heavier concentration than can be found in any other part of Europe.

This is where many of Spain's top-ranked courses are located -- Valderrama, Sotogrande, Las Brisas, Aloha, San Roque, Alcaidesa and Monte Mayor, as well as a cornucopia of other superb layouts.

But the beauty of this delightful part of Spain is that golf is only the beginning. Unlike some other parts of the globe where golf exists when little else does, on the Costa del Sol there is an endless selection of off-course activities to keep even the most energetic more than busy.

Base yourself in the lively resort town of Marbella, and most of the golf you want to play will be little more than a 30-minute drive away -- and the delights of the town right at your doorstep.

Marbella alone could occupy a week's worth of off-course activities. The wonderful Old Town is a maize of narrow cobblestone streets and whitewashed buildings draped in flowers and filled with restaurants, boutiques and galleries.

For the shopaholic, there are bargains aplenty to be uncovered with perhaps as much fun hunting them down as there will be in buying them.

The choices are many -- from local handicrafts to an original oil painting by an aspiring local artist to antiques or famous Spanish leatherwear and the latest in resort fashion from Spain's most popular designers. Most boutiques will happily accept credit cards and with Spain offering very good value for your money, it will take longer to shop yourself into the poor house than in most other European countries.

Wonderful dining experiences abound in Marbella as well. From delightful small restaurants and outdoor cafes with just a few tables to the most elegant of Michelin-rated dining establishments, the food is consistently excellent. Andalucian specialties, one of the best regional cuisines in a country that ranks gastronomy at the top of life's finer pleasures, are not to be missed.

Gazpacho will never taste the same after you have sampled the original that comes from Andalucia, and the freshly harvested Mediterranean fish dishes of the region have no comparison. Prawns, mussels, clams, scallops, crab, lobster, sea bream, skate, grouper, mackeral and hake can all be found in Andalucia's seafood dishes.

Meat eaters are also in luck as the mountains surrounding the Costa del Sol are rich in furred and feathered game. Wild boar, hare, deer, partridge and pheasant are all featured in Andalucian cuisine. The Iberico pork, native to the area and fed exclusively on acorns, makes one of the most outstanding Serrano hams.

The world's finest olive oil is produced in the region. Combine that olive oil with the freshest of fish, game and vegetables, and it is small wonder that the food of Andalucia is considered as one of the healthiest in the world.

But there is much more to be experienced and explored in the Costa del Sol, so resist the temptation to while away your days in Marbella and get out into the neighboring countryside and discover more of the real Spain.

Just an hour's drive away is the charming and historic town of Ronda, situated high in the mountains. This is the most famous of the so-called pueblos blancos (white towns) that are scattered throughout the hillsides of Andalucia. These historic fortressed communities, built to repel bandits and protect the inhabitants from the invading Moors, are all whitewashed in the Moorish tradition.

Spectacularly built across the plunging gorge of the River Guadalevin that separates the medieval from the 18th century town, Ronda is also home to Spain's oldest and most beautiful bull ring. When no bullfights are scheduled the Plaza del Toros is open to the public as a museum of the sport. Ernest Hemingway spent time with the bullfighters of Ronda, researching his novel "The Sun Also Rises."

Make a full day excursion of your trip to Ronda, and visit a couple of the other pueblos blancos in the area. Nearby Arcos de la Frontera is especially worthwhile, with an amazing Gothic church and ruined castle.

The south of Spain gave the world flamenco, and nowhere is flamenco more in evidence than along the Costa del Sol. An evening spent in a flamenco club or tablao will provide some wonderful memories of your Spanish vacation. One of the best tablaos in Marbella featuring top-rated stars of the art is Flamenco Ana Maria.

There is much to savor and enjoy on the Costa del Sol, not the least of which is to kick back and enjoy a pace of life which is so Mediterranean, so laid back and so relaxing it could make you feel guilty. Now how about all that golf?