Andalusia and the Costa del Sol: location, capital, flag, climate and coast

Andalusia is an autonomous community in southern Spain and the most populous in the country: at 1 January 2025 it had 8.68 million residents, almost one in six people living in Spain. The capital is Seville, the community is made up of eight provinces, and in the south it faces both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Andalusia’s best-known coastline is the Costa del Sol in the province of Malaga. Below: where Andalusia is, its provinces, capital and flag, its language and climate, what is on the UNESCO list, what the Costa del Sol is and which towns stand on it. If you are choosing where to live, go to the articles moving to Malaga and moving to Marbella.

Where Andalusia is

Andalusia occupies the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The country is Spain, and its status is an autonomous community within Spain (Article 1 of the Statute of Autonomy). Its area is 87,597 km², or 17.3% of the country’s territory. The provinces of Huelva and Cadiz face west onto the Atlantic Ocean, while Malaga, Granada and Almeria face south and east onto the Mediterranean. How Andalusia relates to the country’s other regions is shown in our overview of Spain’s provinces and autonomous communities.

Under Article 2 of the Statute, Andalusia is made up of eight provinces. Each provincial capital has the same name as its province:

Population is from the INE annual census. Andalusia is ahead of Catalonia (8,124,126) and the Community of Madrid (7,113,886). Foreigners make up a smaller share here than the Spanish average (14.1%); only Almeria and Malaga are above average.

Capital, flag and symbols of Andalusia

• The capital is Seville. The Statute names it the capital explicitly: the Parliament, the President and the Government of Andalusia sit there (Article 4.1). The High Court of Justice of Andalusia is in Granada (Article 4.2).
• The flag has three horizontal stripes of equal width: green, white and green. This flag was adopted by the Ronda Assembly in 1918 (Article 3.1).
• The coat of arms is approved by an act of parliament and bears the motto “Andalucía por sí, para España y la Humanidad” — “Andalusia for itself, for Spain and for humanity” (Article 3.2).
• The anthem follows the text published by the Junta Liberalista de Andalucía in 1933 (Article 3.3).
• Andalusia Day is 28 February (Article 3.4).

What language is spoken in Andalusia

There is one official language: Spanish. Andalusia has no second official language, unlike Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Basque Country or Galicia. The Statute calls the local speech the “Andalusian linguistic variety” and sets the goal of protecting, studying and promoting it, including in public media (Articles 10.3.4 and 213). This does not create a separate language or compulsory lessons: schools and public offices use Spanish.

Climate of Andalusia

The climate is Mediterranean, but it varies noticeably within the region: hot valleys, a mild coast and cool highlands.

• The hottest summer is in Seville: the average daily maximum in July is 36 °C.
• The mildest winter is on the coast: the January average is 12.1 °C in Malaga and 12.6 °C in Almeria.
• The coldest is Granada at 560 m above sea level: the January average is 6.5 °C, with nights around 0 °C.
• The driest is Almeria: 200 mm of rainfall and 25 rainy days a year.
• There is plenty of sunshine everywhere: about 2,900–3,000 hours a year.

To compare with other Spanish cities by winter and summer temperatures, sunshine and rain, see our ranking of the climate of Spain by region and city.

UNESCO World Heritage sites in Andalusia

• The Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín in Granada — inscribed in 1984, with the Albayzín added later.
• The Historic Centre of Cordoba — the Mosque-Cathedral (Mezquita) was inscribed in 1984, and the site was later extended to the whole historic centre.
• The Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville — 1987.
• Doñana National Park — a natural site, 1994.
• Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin — 1998, a site shared by six Spanish communities.
• The Renaissance ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza in the province of Jaen — 2003.
• The Antequera Dolmens in the province of Malaga — 2016.
• The Caliphate City of Medina Azahara near Cordoba — 2018.

Costa del Sol: where it is and which towns it includes

The Costa del Sol (“Sun Coast”) is the tourist name for the coastline of the province of Malaga. It has no single legal boundary. Andalusia’s official tourism portal describes it as more than 150 km of shoreline from the Maro cliffs near Nerja in the east to Casares and Manilva in the west. The western part is grouped in an association of 11 municipalities, Costa del Sol Occidental, from Torremolinos to Manilva; the eastern part is the Axarquia, with Nerja, Torrox and Vélez-Málaga. The tourism portal calls Marbella the capital of the western Costa del Sol.

The main towns of the coast from west to east, population at 1 January 2025 (INE):

These 14 municipalities have 1,385,378 residents in total — 77% of the province’s population. In 2026, 45 beaches in the province of Malaga received the Blue Flag, out of 143 across Andalusia. The share of foreigners is highest in Fuengirola, Mijas and Marbella, where they make up about a third of residents.

• Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport handled a record 26.8 million passengers in 2025, the fourth highest figure in Spain; most passengers came from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.
• The C-1 commuter train runs from central Malaga via the airport, Torremolinos and Benalmádena to Fuengirola: 11 minutes to the airport and 45 to Fuengirola. There is no railway further west: people travel to Marbella and Estepona by car or bus.
• The AP-7 toll motorway Málaga–Guadiaro runs along the western part of the coast; tolls rose by 3.64% from 2026.

Costa del Sol towns where Russians live

Of the 9,867 Russian citizens in the province of Málaga, the largest groups live in Marbella (2,794) and in Málaga itself (1,717). Next come Estepona, Mijas, Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Torremolinos — all on the western coast — and, among the smaller municipalities, Benahavís in the hills above Marbella. Russian citizens are counted by the INE annual census at 1 January 2025, and for Benahavís by the municipal register at 1 January 2022. Housing prices are the average mortgage valuation (valor tasado) published by the Ministry of Housing for the second quarter of 2026. Rents, everyday life and a price comparison for every town are in the section on suburbs and coast near Málaga; Marbella itself is covered in the guide Marbella.

Estepona

Estepona is the westernmost of the large Costa del Sol towns, between Marbella and Casares: an old town of white houses with flowers on the balconies, a fishing harbour, a long seafront promenade and new residential complexes by the golf courses. There is no railway — people reach Málaga and the airport on the AP-7 toll motorway or by bus.

At 1 January 2025 the town had 1,376 Russian and 1,712 Ukrainian citizens. That is the third-largest Russian community in the province after Marbella and Málaga, and it has grown by a third in three years: there were 1,022 Russian citizens in 2022. Homes are valued at €3,518/m² (Q2 2026), 12.1% more than a year earlier and about 22% less than in Marbella. The British school The International School Estepona (a NABSS member) teaches children aged 2 to 12; for secondary school families drive to San Pedro Alcántara and Marbella. The public high-resolution hospital HAR de Estepona is part of the Costa del Sol University Hospital. Estepona suits those who want Marbella’s international setting, only quieter and cheaper.

Mijas

Mijas is a municipality of 95,104 residents made up of three very different parts: the white village of Mijas Pueblo on a mountainside, Las Lagunas, which has merged with Fuengirola, and the coastal strip of Mijas Costa with La Cala de Mijas. A third of residents are foreigners and the British community is the largest on the coast, so English-speaking doctors, gestores and estate agents are easy to find.

There are 1,111 Russian and 1,358 Ukrainian citizens (1 January 2025); in 2022 there were 933 Russian citizens. Of the resort towns on the western coast, Mijas is the most affordable: homes are valued at €3,365/m² in Q2 2026, up 11.6% year on year. There are many villas and townhouses with gardens. The British school St Anthony’s College (ages 3 to 18) is on the Coín road in Mijas Costa. Specialist care is provided by the public CARE de Mijas centre, and the hospital is the Costa del Sol University Hospital in Marbella. Mijas is chosen by families who want a house with a garden near a British school and the sea, without resort crowds.

Fuengirola

Fuengirola is a dense town of 85,211 residents with a long promenade and the highest share of foreigners on the coast — 37.5%. It is the terminus of the C-1 commuter train: 45 minutes to central Málaga with a stop at the airport, so in Fuengirola you can live without a car.

There are fewer Russians here than in the neighbouring towns: 488 Russian and 1,342 Ukrainian citizens at 1 January 2025, and the number of Russians fell by 30 during the year. Scandinavians are more visible: the town has a Swedish school (since 1969) and a Finnish one (since 1991), both teaching their national curricula. Housing is mostly flats rather than villas; homes are valued at €3,758/m² in Q2 2026, up 14.8% year on year — faster than in Mijas and Benalmádena. Fuengirola falls within the area of the Costa del Sol University Hospital. The town suits those who want year-round town life, a train to Málaga and everything within walking distance.

Benalmádena

Benalmádena lies between Torremolinos and Fuengirola and has three parts: the old village of Benalmádena Pueblo on the hillside, Arroyo de la Miel with its C-1 train station, and the resort of Benalmádena Costa with the Puerto Marina yacht harbour. It has 78,338 residents, 29.2% of them foreigners.

At 1 January 2025 it had 632 Russian and 951 Ukrainian citizens; in 2022 there were 541 Russian citizens. Homes are valued at €3,783/m² in Q2 2026, up 12.8% year on year — higher than in Torremolinos and Fuengirola. The British College of Benalmádena teaches children aged 1 to 18 and prepares them for IGCSE and A-Level exams; there are also the private schools Novaschool Benalmádena and Internacional Torrequebrada. The public high-resolution hospital HAR de Benalmádena has reported to the Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital in Málaga since 2022. Benalmádena suits families who need a full-cycle British school and a train to Málaga.

Torremolinos

Torremolinos is the first resort west of Málaga, next to the airport and with a C-1 train station. It has 71,329 residents, and foreigners make up 21.9% — less than in the neighbouring towns. The town lives on tourism: many hotels, busy beaches and nightlife, and it is noisy in summer.

There are 362 Russian and 878 Ukrainian citizens (1 January 2025); a year earlier there were 383 Russian citizens. Homes are valued at €3,758/m² in Q2 2026, up 7.9% year on year — slower than in the neighbouring towns. Sunny View School teaches children aged 2 to 18 on the English National Curriculum with IGCSE and A-Level exams, and pupils can also obtain the Spanish ESO certificate. The nearest large public hospitals are in Málaga. Torremolinos suits those who fly often or work in Málaga but want to live by the sea.

Benahavís

Benahavís is a mountain municipality of 9,472 residents in the hills above San Pedro Alcántara and Estepona. It is a place of villas and gated estates: La Zagaleta, one of the most expensive on the coast, is here, along with several golf courses. According to the INE municipal register at 1 January 2022, Benahavís had 495 Russian citizens out of 8,763 residents — almost one resident in eighteen.

The Ministry of Housing publishes valuations only for municipalities with more than 25,000 residents, so rent is the guide here: according to 2024 landlord tax returns, the median rented flat is 123 m² at €1,115 a month, and the median house 181 m² at €1,246. Benahavís itself has only a public primary school and a nursery; British schools are in San Pedro Alcántara, Marbella and Estepona. The hospital is the Costa del Sol University Hospital in Marbella. Benahavís is chosen by villa buyers who value privacy and quiet with Marbella next door.

Other coasts of Andalusia

• Costa de la Luz — the Atlantic coast of the provinces of Huelva and Cadiz: from the mouth of the Guadiana on the Portuguese border to Tarifa.
• Costa Tropical — the coast of the province of Granada between the Costa del Sol and Almeria: Almuñécar, Salobreña, Motril.
• Costa de Almería — the Mediterranean coast of Almeria, with the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.

Cordoba, Jaen and Seville have no coastline.

Where the British and Americans live on the Costa del Sol

Málaga province had 56,019 British residents on its municipal registers in 2022 and took 3,076 of the 18,434 British arrivals in Spain in 2024, second only to Alicante. They are concentrated west of Málaga city, along the coast towards Gibraltar.

The passport mix is changing. British arrivals in the province fell 55% between 2021 and 2024, while American arrivals rose 52% and Canadian 40%. The English-speaking infrastructure — international schools, English-speaking gestores, doctors and estate agents — stays; the people using it increasingly come for remote work rather than retirement.

Andalusia is why many wealthy buyers choose this coast over the Costa Blanca: the region rebates the wealth tax in full, as Madrid does, while the Valencian Community charges it. See the difference province by province on our map of regional income and property purchase taxes, with rent per square metre and community sizes on the province map. The routes in are covered in the guides to moving from the UK and the United States.

Living in Andalusia as a newcomer

• The Russian and Ukrainian community lives mainly on the Costa del Sol: of 16,724 Russian citizens in Andalusia, 9,867 live in the province of Malaga, and of 28,655 Ukrainian citizens, 18,923. Almeria is second by number of Russian citizens (2,875): where they live in the province, in Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido, is covered in the article Almería.
• Taxes. The regional income tax scale runs from 9.5% to 22.5%, transfer tax on resale homes is 7%, and inheritance and gifts to close relatives get a 99% rebate. The law also provides a 100% wealth tax rebate, but while the state tax on large fortunes remains in force, the full rebate applies only to those who do not pay that state tax.
• Rent. Andalusia has no zones with rent caps. Town halls may suspend new tourist flats for up to three years — Malaga did so across the whole city from 23 August 2025.

Which residence permit to choose, which area to live in, how much housing costs and which schools are available is covered in the articles moving to Malaga and moving to Marbella. You can compare Andalusia with other regions by rent and income in the ranking of Spanish cities.

Read next

Provinces and autonomous communities of Spain: list, capitals, population and map

15.09.2026

Frequently asked questions about Andalusia and the Costa del Sol

Where is Andalusia?

In southern Spain, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Andalusia faces the Atlantic Ocean through the provinces of Huelva and Cadiz, and the Mediterranean through Malaga, Granada and Almeria.

Which country is Andalusia in?

Spain. Andalusia is one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities and the most populous of them, with 8.68 million residents.

What is the capital of Andalusia?

Seville. This is set out in Article 4 of the Statute of Autonomy: the Parliament and Government of Andalusia sit in Seville. The region’s High Court of Justice is in Granada.

How many provinces does Andalusia have?

Eight: Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaen, Malaga and Seville. The most populous is Seville, with almost 2 million residents.

What does the flag of Andalusia look like?

Three horizontal stripes of equal width — green, white and green. The flag was adopted by the Ronda Assembly in 1918 and is enshrined in the Statute of Autonomy.

What language is spoken in Andalusia?

Spanish is the only official language. The Statute calls the local speech the Andalusian linguistic variety and protects it, but it is not considered a separate language.

What is the Costa del Sol and where is it?

The tourist name for the coastline of the province of Malaga in southern Spain: more than 150 km of shoreline from Nerja to Manilva. The main towns are Malaga, Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos and Estepona.

How many Russians live in Andalusia?

At 1 January 2025, 16,724 Russian citizens and 28,655 Ukrainian citizens. More than half of them live in the province of Malaga, mainly on the Costa del Sol.

Which Costa del Sol town has the most British residents?

Mijas, with 8,804 British residents. Next come Fuengirola with 5,507, Marbella with 5,232, Estepona with 4,838 and Benalmádena with 3,719. Málaga province holds 56,019 British residents in total, second only to Alicante, and they live west of Málaga city rather than in it.