Costa

THERE’S no better feeling than sipping a glass of sangria under the blazing sun, while relaxing on the Spanish coastline.

Except this time, I was paying in pounds in and I’d taken a train instead of a plane to get there.

Because I was on the Sunshine Coast of Essex, which is often compared to Spain thanks to it being one of the sunniest, driest spots in the country.

According to the annual Which? seaside towns survey, August average highs are 21C, while water temperatures are 18C.

Even rainfall is low, with just 45mm in Frinton-on-Sea.

So I headed to the Essex Sunshine Coast for an Easter getaway to see how this unsung seaside staycay compares to its continental cousin.

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I’ll be honest, I had no idea that England had its own version of the Costa del Sol until recently, although has been dubbed this for at least a quarter of a century.

Other than the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and East Devon, we don’t seem to have many named coastlines in this country, unlike places like Portugal, where every bit of seafront has an exotic name.

And if I’d taken a guess at where in the country the Sunshine Coast might be, I’d probably have gone for a much-touted tourist hotspot like Cornwall or Norfolk rather than this coastal corner not far from the capital.

But with new staycay stats showing that foreign trips are off the cards for many of us this year, holidaymakers looking to swap sangria for sticks of rock might actually be wowed by just what is on offer.

We visited on the warmest week of the year so far and temperatures here hit 22C, with blazing sunshine for most of our stay, so the area really did live up to its name for us. 

But what I really loved about exploring the Essex seaside is the sheer variety of experiences on one relatively small stretch of coast, bookended by Brightlingsea in the south and Harwich in the north.

If you drove direct between the two, it would only take half an hour, although following the meandering coastline obviously increases the distance.

So it’s pretty impressive that you can find something for all staycay styles here, whether you prefer caravan parks with full-on family fun, charming cottages set by quiet beaches in calm countryside or hotels and a bit of history and heritage.

Some stretches feel like going back in time to seaside holidays of the past.

My husband spent his childhood summers staying in a caravan at Walton-on-the-Naze, renowned for its rows of colourful beach huts that have been here for more than a century.

Watching our boys exploring the shallow slope of Eastcliff Beach, not much seems to have changed over the years, with visitors still combing the sand for the prehistoric shark teeth that have always been found in abundance here.

Frinton, just a few miles away, is another timeless coastal classic, with its sleepy air of seaside chic.

A couple of years ago, we stayed at Haven Orchards on Point Clear, where you can catch a ferry for the three-minute trip across the harbour to Brightlingsea.

Even though we were surrounded by caravans and chalets, walking on the shingly shoreline felt like we were miles away from the madding crowds.

We even stumbled across the hidden gem that is the East Essex Aviation Museum, chock-a-block with airplane artefacts, inside one of the Napoleonic martello towers, a circular coastal defence that is a feature of this area.

Of course, you’ve always got the hustle and bustle of Clacton if you want a bit more of a kiss-me-quick vibe with its pier packed with rides and attractions.

Plus it’s incredibly easy to get to – trains from London’s Liverpool Street station to Clacton-on-Sea take from 1 hour 26 minutes, with one-way advance tickets available from £12.60

But there’s so much more to the Sunshine Coast than the Costa del Clacton.

We’ve still got the two towns that mark either end of this coastline to explore on our next visit – Brightlingsea has a lovely lido run by volunteers, while Harwich offers seal-spotting trips from its charming Ha’penny Pier.

There’s lots of ideas of where to visit at essex-sunshine-coast.org.uk

Ironically, for a county made famous in The Only Way is Essex for being a bit brash and loud, I found the best bits of the Sunshine Coast are a little bit understated, like the Naze tower and nature reserve near Walton.

If you’re after an unsung spot for your summer staycay, you really can’t go wrong with catching the rays at the Naze and making the most of our very own Sunshine Coast.

Serving, blocking, passing and hitting.

Mira Costa put it all together over the final three sets of its Bay League boys’ volleyball showdown with Redondo Union on Monday night, prevailing 26-28, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22 to avenge a five-set loss in the teams’ first meeting and stake its claim for the No. 1 seed in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

“Last time we didn’t think they were as good as they were, but we’ve watched a lot of film since then and saw where they like to go,” said outside hitter Mateo Fuerbringer, who finished with a match-high 27 kills and four of his team’s nine aces. “We didn’t pass that well in the first set, but after that we started spreading the ball around more and our serving was really good tonight. We got them out of system a lot.”

Colby Graham had nine kills and three blocks and ended each of the middle sets with a kill as the Mustangs (31-2, 7-1) totaled 15 stuff blocks. Wyatt Davis added eight kills and three blocks and Enzo Barker finished with five kills and two aces.

Redondo Union’s Vaughn Flaherty, left, and JR Boice try to block a hit from Mira Costa’s Colby Graham.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Mira Costa snapped Redondo Union’s 18-match winning streak and evened up the league standings, but the Mustangs gained the tiebreaker by virtue of fewer sets lost head-to-head.

Mira Costa saved three match points in the first set before Mavrick Essert ended it with one of his eight kills for the visiting Sea Hawks (26-3, 7-1). His older brother Cash Essert had 11 kills and JR Boice added 10 but Redondo Union was unable to maintain its momentum, never leading once in the last three sets.

Redondo Union keyed on Fuerbringer to win the first encounter 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 on its home court March 26, but Monday’s match was a different story as Mira Costa varied its attack to keep the Sea Hawks on their heels.

“We were gassed the first time because that was right after we played Loyola,” Mustangs setter Jake Newman said. “Loyola took a lot out of us even though we won. So we weren’t prepared for Redondo, but this time around we had two weeks to practice and study their tendencies.”

Mira Costa libero Dane Del Riego returns a serve in a four-set victory over Redondo Union on April 20, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Newman said closing the match in four sets was critical.

“At 24-22 we were telling each other we have to win, we’re not letting this go five,” he said. “We needed to beat them in four for the league championship.”

Mira Costa lost to Corona del Mar in tournament play early in the season but has since defeated the Sea Kings twice. It also has victories over Huntington Beach, Loyola and Newport Harbor — all of which will likely make the highest division.

Redondo Union won its own Varsity Invitational tournament Saturday, rallying to beat Loyola in the finals, and swept Newport Harbor at home March 21.

Coach Greg Snyder praised the Mustangs for executing the game plan to near perfection but warned it may not be the last time they have to face their archrival.

“That’s a really good team we just beat … we could very well see them again the playoffs,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens.”

IF you want a taste of Central America without the long-haul flight, then there is somewhere a bit closer to home that is compared to it.

La Palma is a great alternative for anyone who wants the experience of Costa Rica without the 15hour flight, according to TUI.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @suntravel.

In fact, heading to La Palma from the UK takes just four hours and 40minutes.

La Palma is nicknamed “La Isla Bonita”, which translates to ‘the beautiful island’ – and during peak summer months it experiences delightful highs of 31C.

Its capital is Santa Cruz de La Palma on the eastern coast, where streets are lined with colourful homes.

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Heading further inland, the landscape of the island can be compared to Costa Rica with lush forests and even volcanoes.

Tajogaite Volcano on the Canary Island was formed just five years ago after the eruption of Cumbre Vieja.

One popular activity on the island is to take on the four-mile hike.

La Palma is littered with walking trails too – one of the top recommended is through the island’s natural park, Caldera Taburiente.

This is where you’ll see Cascada de Colores, a waterfall that’s rich in iron so it creates a rainbow effect.

Another popular spot for hiking is to the island’s highest point Roque de Los Muchachos which is 2,426 metres high – so it is quite the trek.

Around the coastline on La Palma are volcanic black sand beaches – some of the most popular include Playa Nogales which is described as being “remote” and “quiet”.

Another is Playa de Los Cancajos where one visitor went snorkelling and saw cucumberfish and octopus.

While Costa Rica tends to have ones with golden sand, it does have a number of black sand beaches too.

What Costa Rica has in abundance is National Parks filled with wildlife, but you can see lots in La Palma too.

There are plenty of lizards like the Canary Gecko, various bird species, and beautiful butterflies.

As for marine life, around the island are bottlenose dolphins and short-finned pilot whales.

TUI offers a ‘flipper whale watching‘ boat tour around the west coast of the island to Cueva Bonita which is a natural grotto carved into the cliff-face from £49.

For more TUI holidays, here are our favourites…

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Globales Montemar, Ibiza

This hotel sits on a quieter side of Ibiza, so you can soak up the island’s natural beauty away from the party crowds. This family-friendly option has a large pool that curves around the resort, surrounded by plenty of sunbeds, plus a kids zone. Here you’re just a 10-minute stroll from a horseshoe-shaped bay with clear waters.

BOOK HERE

Hotel Club Jandia Princess, Fuerteventura

This resort is set up like a small village, with low-rise buildings set among palm trees and six different swimming pools. Entertainment spans from DJ nights to bingo and live sports screenings, plus sports on offer include water polo, rifle shooting and shuffleboard.

BOOK HERE

Gavimar Cala Gran Costa Del Sur, Majorca

This hotel sits on Majorca‘s Cala Gran Beach, a beautiful cove just a short drive away from the coastal town centre, with its trinket shops and relaxed bars. The hotel itself has all the activities and entertainment you’d expect, including bingo and live music – as well as some unique extras like mini golf and archery. Week-long breaks start from £478pp.

BOOK HERE 

Riu Baobab, Senegal

The Riu Baobab is the only TUI hotel in the country, sat on the Pointe Sarane coastline. There are the four huge pools overlooking the beach, swim up pool bars and a copious amount of sunloungers to choose from. The sushi at the Asian Dorayaki and the pasta dishes at Veneto are the highlight meals of this standout hotel. Week-long breaks start from £883pp.

BOOK HERE

One great thing about La Palma is that it’s affordable too – you can grab a beer from as little as €1.50 (£1.31).

Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, these cost on average £2.41, according to Wise.

You can stay on the island with TUI and seven- night all-inclusive holidays start from £567 per person.

TUI also seven-night holidays to  Fuencaliente, La Palma staying at La Palma Princess on an all inclusive basis from £567per person.

It has six swimming pools, multiple restaurants and entertainment through the day and into the evening.

Price is based on two adults sharing a Twin Room with Balcony or Terrace flying direct with TUI Airways from London Gatwick on April 23, 2026 with 20kg hold luggage.

Or if you fancy going self-catered, you can do so at Apartamentos El Cerrito.

TUI offers seven-night holidays here at Los Cancajos on a self-catering basis from £545per person.

It has bright apartments with little kitchenettes, an outside pool, a separate one for kids, and gardens.

Price is based on two adults sharing a one Bedroom Apartment with balcony or terrace flying direct with TUI Airways from London Gatwick on June 11, 2026 with 20kg hold luggage.

For more Canary Islands, here’s one that’s yet to have mass tourism with quiet beaches.

And here’s more on Spain’s youngest island where tourism is yet to hit, it has red sand beaches and natural lidos.

U.S. government attorneys on Tuesday told a federal judge the Department of Homeland Security still intends to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, despite a new agreement with Costa Rica to accept deportees who cannot legally be returned to their home countries.

The Salvadoran national’s case has become a focal point in the immigration debate after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year. Since his return, he has been fighting a second deportation to a series of African countries proposed by Homeland Security officials.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, of Maryland, previously barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting him or detaining him. She has written that the agency has no viable plan to actually deport Abrego Garcia, referring in February to “one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success.”

Abrego Garcia has argued that if he is going to be deported, it should be to Costa Rica, which previously agreed to accept him. But Todd Lyons, the acting head of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, said in a March memo that deporting Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica would be “prejudicial to the United States.” Abrego Garcia should be sent to Liberia because the U.S. has spent government resources and political capital negotiating with the West African nation to accept third-country nationals, Lyons wrote.

At a Tuesday hearing in Xinis’ court, Ernesto Molina, director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation, suggested that Abrego Garcia could “remove himself” to Costa Rica.

Xinis pointed out that the Justice Department is prosecuting him in Tennessee on human smuggling charges. She called it a “fantasy” to say that he can remove himself anywhere while the criminal case is pending. Xinis set a schedule for a briefing on the matter and scheduled a new hearing for April 28.

Abrego Garcia, 30, has an American wife and child and has lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador because he faced danger there from a gang that had threatened his family. By mistake, he was deported there anyway last year.

Facing public pressure and a court order, President Trump’s administration brought him back in June, but only after securing an indictment charging him with human smuggling in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty and asked the judge to dismiss that case.

Loller writes for the Associated Press.

Call it instinct. Call it mentality. Call it a pressure gene.

Whatever it is, Mateo Fuerbringer has it.

“I was born with it,” he says.

When the pressure is on and Mira Costa High’s volleyball team needs someone to step forward and deliver, Fuerbringer doesn’t need to raise his hand or ask for permission.

He just delivers.

“I’m able to be good under pressure in tough moments.”

Maybe it has something to do with being a volleyball player since he could walk, though a basketball was put in his crib. He quickly switched sports favorites.

His mom, Joy, played at Long Beach State and has her own club program. His dad, Matt, played at Stanford and is head coach for the 2028 Olympic Games men’s beach volleyball team. His sister, Charlie, plays at Wisconsin.

“My parents run a volleyball club, so I always came with them to work,” Fuerbringer said. “I’d always be around volleyball and got into it.”

He has grown to 6 feet 5 as a 17-year-old junior and is committed to UCLA, which is No. 1 in the nation with a 21-1 record.

Mateo Fuerbringer (8) of Mira Costa, a UCLA commit, delivered 37 kills in a five-set win over Loyola.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Mira Costa is ranked No. 1 in Southern California, and stopping Fuerbringer from rising up and coming through with a kill is always the challenge for opponents. He’s certainly not perfect, but his power and knowledge of the sport puts him on a path for future success at each level he competes.

“I really love playing,” he said. “I really love the sport.”

That kind of passion and commitment combined with talent is reflected during matches. When he smiles, you can see his joy and satisfaction after he or a teammate comes through.

Loyola coach Mike Boehle has been watching Fuerbringer for years.

“It was in his blood since he was born,” Boehle said. “To watch him as a 12-year-old you could see he was special. He was playing up. He’s probably the best outside hitter in his class. The thing I appreciate about him is he’s pretty even keel. It’s not cockiness. He just plays the game. Nothing worries him. Playing against us, he got better as the match went on. He didn’t say a lot but spoke volumes with his play.”

Boehle said he’s looking forward to seeing Fuerbringer play alongside former Loyola star Sean Kelly at UCLA.

“It could be one of the best duos in a long time,” he said.

Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa High tries to deliver a kill against Loyola. He had 37 for the match.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

He lives walking distance from the sand in Hermosa Beach, which means he’ll be receiving even more lessons when top beach players are training under his father this summer. He’ll be hanging out just like when he was young.

He’s just getting started. He has a jump serve that can be tough to handle. And he’s always looking to improve.

“I’ve been getting in the weight room to get stronger and increase my vertical,” he said.

There used to be two-on-two family volleyball matches, mom and dad vs. Mateo and his sister. Or card games, board games, pickleball games.

“It’s pretty feisty in the family,” Matt said.

So where do things go from here?

“One of Mateo’s big things is he wants to play with friends,” his father said. “He wants to play at the highest level with people he knows and likes.”

Redondo Union didn’t care that Mira Costa’s volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in California. This was their South Bay rival coming to their gym Thursday night, and anything can happen when a team digs deep and doesn’t fear losing.

The Sea Hawks (14-2) were aggressive from the outset and came away with a 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 victory.

“Chemistry,” setter Tommy Spalding said about the Sea Hawks’ triumph. He’s one of three players headed to MIT, and all three had big matches.

At one point on back-to-back plays, Carter Mirabal had a block and Vaughan Flaherty followed with a kill off an assist from Spalding. Chemistry.

JR Boice, a Long Beach State commit, was delivering kills, and Cash Essert’s serving and all-around play kept Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer looking frustrated. The Sea Hawks’ focus was on Fuerbringer, who came alive in the fifth set with six kills, but Redondo was able to come back from an 11-9 deficit.

It was only Mira Costa’s second loss in 25 matches. Redondo Union took over first place in the Bay League.

Baseball

Orange Lutheran 3, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian 2: The Lancers advanced to the semifinals of the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., behind a walk-off single in the eighth inning by Andrew Felizzari. Brady Murrietta had tied the score with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh. CJ Weinstein had two doubles for the Lancers.

Venice (Fla.) 12, Harvard-Westlake 0: The Wolverines were limited to three hits at the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C.

Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.) 3, St. John Bosco 2: The Braves suffered their first defeat in North Carolina. Jack Champlin threw five innings and also had two RBIs.

Chatsworth 6, Taft 3: Tony Del Rio Nava threw six innings and had two RBIs in the West Valley League win.

Granada Hills 4, El Camino Real 3: A two-run single by Nicholas Penaranda in the seventh inning keyed a three-run inning for the Highlanders in their West Valley League upset. JJ Saffie had three hits for ECR.

Cleveland 4, Birmingham 3: The Cavaliers pushed across a run in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie in the West Valley League win. Joshua Pearlstein finished with three hits, including a home run.

Sun Valley Poly 4, San Fernando 2: Fabian Bravo gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Parrots, who are tied with Sylmar for first place in the Valley Mission League. Ray Pelayo struck out eight for San Fernando.

Verdugo Hills 15, Kennedy 1: Cutlor Fannon had two doubles and four RBIs in the five-inning win. Anthony Velasquez added two singles and four RBIs.

Westlake 9, Agoura 4: Jaxson Neckien hit a three-run home run to power the Warriors.

Thousand Oaks 7, Calabasas 5: Gavin Berigan, Jeff Adams and Cru Hopkins each had two hits for the Lancers.

Oaks Christian 11, Newbury Park 2: Dane Disney contributed three hits in the Marmonte League win. Carson Sheffer had two doubles and three RBIs.

Santa Monica 12, Simi Valley 4: Ryan Breslo and Johnny Recendez had two RBIs and a triple for Santa Monica. Ravi Chernack had three RBIs.

Dana Hills 7, Corona Santiago 0: Gavin Giese finished with eight strikeouts over six innings and gave up one hit for Dana Hills.

Softball

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0: Kelsey Luderer contributed three hits and two RBIs while freshman Ainsley Jenkins threw five scoreless innings.

Chaminade 15, Louisville 2: Norah Pettersen had two hits and four RBIs.

Carson 10, San Pedro 0: Atiana Rodriguez finished with three hits, including a double and triple, and three RBIs.

Huntington Beach 6, El Modena 2: Willow Kellen had three hits for the Oilers.

Murrieta Mesa 15, Chaparral 0: It’s a 16-0 start for the Rams. Tatum Wolff hit two home runs.

The CIF championship was not on the line, but it may as well have been Friday night in the annual boys’ volleyball showdown between Mira Costa and Loyola.

Showing why they entered their grudge match in Manhattan Beach ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, two of the Southland’s most storied programs battled for five scintillating sets as the host Mustangs rallied for a 18-25, 26-28, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11 win in an instant classic that lasted over two and a half hours.

Leading the comeback was junior outside hitter Mateo Fuerbringer, who finished with 37 kills, five blocks and three aces. Considered the top recruit in the nation, he committed to UCLA in December.

“They came out hot and we weren’t playing our best,” said Fuerbringer, whose sister Charlie was a setter for Mira Costa and just wrapped up her sophomore season at Wisconsin, leading the Badgers to the Final Four. “We knew if we just stayed with it and played out the game we could win it.”

The Mustangs, who won their ninth Southern Section crown last spring and subsequently captured the inaugural Division I state title in Fresno, notched their 15th consecutive victory and improved to 22-1.

Wyatt Davis, a senior headed to UC Santa Barbara, added 13 kills and seven blocks and senior opposite hitter Enzo Barker pounded nine kills for top-ranked Mira Costa, which leveled the match at two sets on a right-side kill from Fuerbringer.

“We knew they’re a great team,” Davis said of Loyola. “Between sets two and three we made adjustments, guys came off the bench to make key plays, Enzo moved to the outside and we made less errors in the last set. We wanted it more than them.”

Mira Costa’s lone setback came Feb. 21 against Corona del Mar in the Redondo Classic final — a loss the Mustangs avenged four days later. Corona del Mar edged Loyola in the Best of the West semifinals March 7, but Loyola turned the tables on the Sea Kings in nonleague action.

Senior outside hitter and USC signee Blake Fahlbusch led Loyola on Friday with 15 kills and four blocks, senior libero and Loyola Chicago commit Matt Kelly was a whirling dervish on defense, hitter JP Wardy contributed 10 kills and opposite Lucas Posell had nine for the No. 2 Cubs (12-2). Fahlbusch’s brother Thatcher played for Mira Costa and is now a freshman outside hitter at Hawaii.

Mira Costa swept last year’s nonleague meeting at Loyola to end a four-year losing streak to the Cubs, who had handed the Mustangs their first loss in the Best of the West finals. Mira Costa lost only one more match (to Chicago Marist at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions) to finish 37-2 last spring.

The Mustangs are on pace to surpass that win total even after the graduation of Grayson Bradford, now a freshman at UCLA.

“It’s nice having a middle like Wyatt [Davis],” said Mira Costa senior setter Jake Newman, who had 55 assists. “He and Charlie give me great options. It’s a pretty easy concept.”

Loyola holds the section record with 13 titles, the last in 2024 when it beat Mira Costa 25-21, 25-22, 25-21, in the finals behind 15 kills from Sean Kelly, now at UCLA. The teams met three previous times in the finals, Loyola winning in 2005 and 2010 and Mira Costa prevailing in 2012.

“We knew we could do it,” Newman added. “We knew at some point we’d get that spot where we’re playing our best. I started to key in on their blockers to see who was switching on Mateo.”

Coach Greg Snyder, in his third season at Mira Costa, wants to pilot his squad to a repeat but knows it will not be easy.

“The first two sets we were predictable, we were passing poorly, they got us out of system and got a lot of touches on our swings,” Snyder said. “Mateo played great but we were too Mateo-heavy tonight. We have to run that middle because we’re better than them there.”

Snyder fully expects to see Loyola again this season.

“The gym was packed — this got more buildup than when we played them in the finals,” he said. “I felt whoever won tonight should be the No. 1 team in the country and whoever lost should be No. 2.”

A lesser-known Spanish resort is shaping up to be one of the more affordable escapes, with £3 pints and £15 flights, combined with its allure of reliable sunshine and dramatic landscapes

A beautiful Spanish region that enjoys a tropical climate is ‘cheaper than Costa del Sol’ with £3 pints and £15 flights, just three hours from the UK.

Costa del Sol is a popular tourist destination, with the city of Marbella attracting thousands of holidaymakers each year, yet it’s not always the cheapest. While there are more affordable areas to visit in Costa del Sol, there’s another beautiful resort in Spain while worth exploring, and it could save you almost £300.

Known as the ‘desert coast’, Costa de Almería offers almost year-round sunshine and is one of the driest climates on the continent, so you’ll rarely need to worry about the weather. With stunning volcanic beaches, azure waters and desert landscapes, it’s a haven for travellers seeking a quieter escape from the tourist crowds.

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Often overlooked by Brits, Costa de Almería has been hailed by the experts at First Choice as “significantly cheaper than Spain’s main holiday hotspots”. First Choice found that a seven-night stay at the four-star Best Oasis Tropical hotel in Almería during early May costs £281 per person, including flights – that’s around £290 cheaper per couple than a similar break in the Costa del Sol.

The travel experts also found that a beer could set you back just £3 (€3.50) in Almería, compared to the holiday hotspots of Marbella, which could cost as much as £5.19 (€6) per beer.

They also found that a three-course meal for two in Almería would typically cost between £25 (€30) and £30 (€35). This is in stark contrast to the same meal in Marbella, which could range from £51 (€60) to £86 (€100), saving around £61 (€70) per meal in Almería, and a total of £427 (€493) during a seven-night stay.

If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, Costa de Almería welcomes more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and only sees around 26 days of rainfall a year. It also receives 93 per cent less rain in May than the Costa del Sol, averaging just 1mm compared to 15mm.

Thanks to its location near the Tabernas Desert, the experts at First Choice say the region enjoys a warmer climate and sun-soaked rays “weeks before neighbouring areas.” Alongside its tropical climate and cost-cutting benefits, Almería offers plenty to explore, including diverse landscapes and golden-sand beaches.

The protected Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is well worth a visit, with its volcanic cliffs, hidden coves and some of the most picturesque Spanish beaches. There’s also the stunning Tabernas Desert to explore on a guided day tour, as well as the charming whitewashed hilltop village of Mojácar.

Some may recognise Mojácar, which was famously used as the backdrop for major Hollywood movies, including Indiana Jones, as well as the hit TV series Game of Thrones. For film buffs, there’s the opportunity to visit the preserved Wild West film set of MiniHollywood Oasys, with shows and attractions, to feel as though you’ve stepped directly into Indiana Jones.

As a lesser-known destination compared to the Costa del Sol, there are few high-rise hotels towering over the beach, and quieter beaches, so you’ll often be able to find the perfect sun-soaked spot. What’s more, flights from London Stansted to Almería start from as little as £15 one-way, according to Sky Scanner.

Kevin Nelson, Managing Director at First Choice, said: “Costa Almería quietly delivers some of the most reliable spring sunshine in mainland Europe, yet it hasn’t caught up in price. That gap between weather and cost is what makes it stand out”

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