Best Winter Disc Golf in Europe
Updated: 6 days ago
The Costa del Sol has long had a reputation for being a tourist trap.Mid-summer and there's thousands of sunburnt tourists on the beaches and it turns into a place with hardly any accommodation and where you’ll battle to get a place for lunch.
So, to avoid the crowds, try the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn or even winter. It’s probably going to be too hot to play Mijas & Sunview disc golf courses in peak summer anyway. Off season is when you see many of the top European disc golf players heading to the Costa del Sol to escape the snow and make use of the milder winter temperatures.
Malaga, Spain | Average temp C High/Low | Average temp F High/Low |
Winter | 17°/8° | 63°/46° |
Spring | 22°/11° | 71°/52° |
Summer | 31°/21° | 87°/69° |
Fall | 24°/15° | 76°/59° |
MALAGA
But let’s start in the Costa del Sol’s biggest city and the place you’ll likely fly into. Explore the city centre to get your bearings and soak in the Spanish vibe. Find yourself a great Tapas bar, then walk a picturesque but steep climb up to the Gabralfaro Castle, a 14th century Moorish fortress that overlooks the city. If art’s your thing, there’s the Picasso Museum. Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga and some of his lesser works, not the important and well-known ones, are in this museum. It’s recommended to get tickets to this museum early and online if you plan to go. But if you’re itching to explore, then head out along the Uno Muelle, a promenade around the Port of Malaga where there’s shops, restaurants, bars and you’ll experience Playa del la Malagueta - the main city beach. In summer there’s live music, open air cinema and craft shops. If you’ve never seen Flamenco dancing, you may be lucky to catch street performers in the old town but book a show if you want to guarantee seeing this Spanish dance.
MIJAS DISC GOLF
You’ve tried tapas, bustled along the Uno Muelle with all the tourists and thrown yourself into the Mediterranean for a cool dip. Now, you’re probably itching to get in some disc golf and avoid the crowds. Mijas DiscGolfPark consistently ranks as the top Spanish course. Finnish disc golf promoter Panu Paunonen is the man behind the park and recommends staying in Fuengirola, the vibrant coastal town near the course, and 15 minutes from Malaga airport.
It has 7km of beaches and a resort town feel but with the bonus of being very close to Mijas Disc Golf. Base yourself here and explore the Costa del Sol with a rental car. Panu explains that if you are heading to Mijas in July and August, you’ll need to bring a lot of water as it can be a bit scorchio. The park has two 18 hole courses with fun holes throwing up and down hills that have no real cover with mostly stony terrain. He recommends a post round sunset drink at Mijas Pueblo or even trying out your chocolate making skills at Mayan Monkey Mijas nearby. Read more of his recommendations here.
HIKE THE CAMINITO DEL REY
Finnish disc golf promoter Panu Paunononen on the Disc Golf Europe website also recommends this 7km hike, formerly known as the walkway of death. It’s one of the most popular things to do on the coast, so you need to book well in advance - especially in the busy season. The Caminito Del Rey isn’t hard, unless you don’t like heights. It was originally made for hydroelectric works and fell into disrepair. However, that didn’t stop people trying to walk it. You can find out more about the history of the walkway and the logistics of walking it here. But over the years it was officially closed there were fatalities so eventually, with people flouting the laws to try and walk it, the local government built a new walkway that was launched in 2015.
It’s now no longer the dangerous one-way walk it used to be and it’s become one of Spain’s top tourist attractions for the views, cool boardwalks and bridges you cross.
Less crowded but with stunning views over the coast and the Mediterranean is the La Concha hike out of Marbella.
Make it a full day trip and spend some time in the Andalucian old town of Marbella. To hike La Concha, start just out of Marbella and spend 4-6 hot and sweaty hours hike up to the summit and back. Once you reach the summit you might get rewarded with clear views of the Mediterranean and if you’re lucky, across to Africa and Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. It’s around 13km round trip, take plenty of water and leave early to beat the heat.
SUNVIEW DISC GOLF
On the outskirts of Malaga is a disc golf course that’s number nine in Spain according to UDisc. It’s part of the Sunview Park, so it’s pay to play and if you want to take a look at some of the holes and what you’re in for, check out this video. The Sunview Park has a number of activities including ziplining and horseback riding but also has a bar with a view that you can cool off with a beer afterwards, giving you great views out to the coast.
THE ROCK & AFRICA
Once you’ve spent some time either playing disc golf or hiking up those Costa del Sol hills, you might be tempted to explore more. Gibraltar or The Rock as it’s known, is a 7km square British territory that’s around one hour 45 minutes from Malaga south down the coast. It’s famous for many things, but mostly the huge towering Rock of Gibraltar, Barbary macaques monkeys and among the Brits, cheap tax free booze, cigarettes and perfume. Remember to take your passport. You can hike up the rock or get a shuttle or taxi and then cross the spectacular Windsor Suspension Bridge to access St Michael’s Cave. St Michael’s is actually a series of limestone caves that you’ll need a ticket to access in Upper Rock Nature Reserve. If you haven’t been to Africa or Morocco then you’re so tantalisingly close that it could be an extremely long day trip or a side trip across the Mediterranean to another continent. It’s actually pretty easy to do via the Port of Tarifa, further south down the coast past Gibraltar. Fast ferries go regularly across to Tangiers in Morocco and take about an hour. You could book accommodation and stay in Morocco to avoid rushing around the city and ferrying back to Spain. If you book a tour, be warned that this could be a cheesy touristy experience that might involve you riding a grumpy camel or in the carpet shop of the tour leader’s friend sipping tea and listening to their sales spiel.
BEST BEACHES
In between disc golf rounds at Mijas and Sunview, you’re probably going to end up at the beach at some point. How do you know which one’s best? With 150km of coastline, there are many to choose from on the Costa del Sol. From family-friendly strips, the busy Golden Mile or quiet secluded coves - it just depends what you’re up for on your holiday. This helpful guide breaks down the best beaches and what to expect.
