The Coast is a golfers paradise with arguably the greatest concentration of courses in Europe. There are around twenty five courses within a half-hour drive of Casa Santiago, and many others not much further away, reaching along the coast to the west, as far as famous Sotogrande. Several new courses are under construction which will boost the numbers yet further over the next two years.

With comfortable temperatures throughout the winter months, this is the ideal destination for golfers who want to play a few rounds in pleasant conditions. Many return year after year with the period from October to March being the peak time for the regions courses.

Water based sports are of course the other big attraction in the area, and whether you're into swimming, snorkeling, scuba-diving, windsurfing, jet-ski-ing, water-ski-ing, power-boats or big-game fishing, you'll easily find what you're looking for here.

The Lew Hoad Tennis and Fitness Centre is close by, and if you fancy a spot of horse riding - no problem, there are many equitation centres on the Coast. For the more extreme sports fans, canyoning, river-rafting and the like are also available.

Unbelievably, snow-skiing is also a very real option for much of the year due to Andalucia's micro-climate. Just an hour and a half drive away, some of Europe's best skiing conditions are to be found in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Granada.

For those sports fans who prefer to spectate, there are two obvious treats in store. Fuengirola has its own racetrack, the Mijas Hippodrome, with full licenced facilities, a selection of restaurants and floodlit evening racing (most meetings start at around 10pm). Enjoy a drink and a flutter, with racing most weekends throughout the year.

For football fans, a real bonus is the current standing of the Spanish League, which presents some of the most entertaining, skillful and competitive football in the World right now.

Malaga are one of the teams in 'La Liga' , boasting an international squad, with opponents like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Deportiva la Caruna lining up against them every week of the season.

Half an hour ( and a return ticket costing a couple of pounds) takes you by train from Torreblanca to Malaga Central, where the train terminates, and 'La Rosaleda' football stadium is a comfortable 20 minute walk ( or a short bus ride) away. Tickets are reasonably priced, starting at around £10 for an adult, and the atmosphere is enthusiastic, but very non-threatening.

Generally tickets are available 'on the day' for most games, but for fixtures against Barcelona and Real Madrid games tend to sell out well in advance.

Why not include a night at the races and a day at the football to give you a perfect itinerary for your golf holiday?