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In 1932, the first official move to launch the Costa del Sol in the tourism industry was undertaken -- the tourist board invited some key people from Madrid, together with international journalists to witness and report on the benefits and beauty of the area. This publicity stint opened up the Costa del Sol to the rest of the world. Consequently, in 1940, the first plane from Iberia landed, commencing a regular service to Malaga, Seville and Melilla. In 1942, the Hotel la Roca opened and full boarding was tagged at 32 pesetas a day. That time, a parasol on the beach would cost 30 pesetas a month and a chair, an extra 15 pesetas a month.
In the early 1950's, the coast was able to attract popular personalities such as Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando and members of Royal families. This raised the Costa del Sol on a pedestal, secured its future in tourism. In 1959 the famous Pez Espada Hotel opened. More celebrities came flocking in -- Sean Connery, Frank Sinatra, Orson Wells and Julio Iglesias to name a few. Then, in 1960 the caves in Nerja were discovered, and a couple of years after, four airlines launched regular services, successfully linking European cities. In 1965 the paradores in Malaga and Nerja were opened and the township of Marbella became the trendy place to be seen in. An influx of rich and famous people was witnessed in Marbella, and what used to be a little fishing village became a full blown tourist destination, making it in effect, a thing of the past.
Malaga opened its new terminal and control tower in 1968 and during the same year, approximately 100,000 passengers passed through its airport. The beach bars were developed into posh restaurants and the fishermen began to exchange their so called “out of date” nets for the modern knives and forks. The first language school opened in Malaga in 1971, with 400 students and 10 teachers. Ever since, the Costa del Sol has grown and developed exponentially (and continues to do so), almost at an alarming rate.
Some milestones in the history of Costa del Sol:
1970 Puerto Banus is opened to a select public
1972 The new ring road is opened, linking Malaga and Torremolinos
1974 Hiper Malaga is opened, the foremost hyper market in the area
1975 The new railway between Malaga and Fuengirola is launched
1978 Two casinos on the coast are opened
1979 El Corté Inglés opens
1993 Shopping centers start mushrooming everywhere
1994 Princess Diana visits the coast
1999 A first on the coast, a racecourse is opened in Mijas
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Hotel Madrid España
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