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.

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.

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.

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).
• 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.

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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.