US Golf Guides · 2 June 2026
La Cala Resort: A Costa del Sol Golf Holiday
By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Published 2 June 2026 What golf is there at La Cala Resort and around it? La Cala sits in the hills above Mijas, the largest golf resort in Spain, with three full championship courses — Campo America, Asia and Europa — laid across […]
What golf is there at La Cala Resort and around it? La Cala sits in the hills above Mijas, the largest golf resort in Spain, with three full championship courses — Campo America, Asia and Europa — laid across rolling, wooded terrain with sea and mountain views. Asia is the connoisseur’s test, climbing through cork oaks and ravines; Campo America is the most playable and the natural place to begin. We pair the resort with the wider riches of this stretch of the Costa del Sol, from the heathland of La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Marbella to the dramatic Finca Cortesin layout at Casares, so a single trip can take in some of the finest golf in southern Spain.
When is the best time to play? Spring and autumn are the jewels: March to May and late September into November bring warm, settled days, firm fairways and far fewer crowds than high summer. Winter is mild and very playable — a favourite escape from the British cold — though daylight is shorter. We tend to steer keen golfers away from July and August, when the midday heat blunts the pleasure of a full round.
Roughly what does a tailor-made trip cost? Ground-only breaks in this part of the Costa del Sol start from around £185 per person, covering hotel and golf, and rise according to the calibre of hotel, the courses you choose and the season. A few nights at a relaxed base such as Barcelo Occidental Fuengirola sits at the gentler end; a stay at Finca Cortesin or La Zambra in Mijas reflects a more indulgent trip. We build every itinerary around you, so the figure follows your choices rather than a fixed package. Flights are an optional ATOL-protected add-on.
Set in the pine-clad hills behind Mijas, La Cala is the largest golf resort in Spain — three championship courses spread across a sweep of valley with the Mediterranean glinting below. It is the kind of place that rewards golfers who want variety without ever changing hotel, and it anchors one of the richest stretches of golfing coast in Europe.
This guide is written for travellers ready to book: where the golf is best, the hotels worth your time, when to come and roughly what a trip costs. Our approach is tailor-made rather than packaged, so La Cala can be the heart of your week — or one fine chapter in a wider Costa del Sol itinerary that takes in Marbella, Sotogrande and beyond.
The golf: La Cala and the courses around it
La Cala’s three layouts — Campo America, Asia and Europa — give you a genuine range of golf from a single base. Asia is the headline act, a muscular, undulating test threading through cork oaks and dry ravines that asks for thoughtful course management; Campo America is more forgiving and the gentler introduction; Europa offers handsome elevation changes and long mountain views. For those who want to broaden the week, this part of the coast is exceptional. We regularly pair La Cala with the parkland challenge of La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Marbella, and with Finca Cortesin at Casares — a celebrated championship course of real grandeur. Further west, the historic links-style golf around Sotogrande and Alcaidesa, with the modern Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol nearby, makes for a memorable contrast. We choose tee times and pairings to suit your handicap and ambition, not a fixed roster.
Where to stay: from relaxed to indulgent
The beauty of a tailor-made trip is that your base reflects your taste. For an easygoing, well-located stay close to the beach and the golf of Mijas and Fuengirola, the Barcelo Occidental Fuengirola is a comfortable, sociable choice. Move up the scale and Marbella opens its doors: the contemporary Hard Rock Hotel Marbella and the elegant Amare Beach Hotel, Marbella suit golfers who want a livelier base with restaurants and the marina close by, while Hotel Lima, Marbella offers a more boutique, central feel. At the indulgent end, Finca Cortesin at Casares is one of Andalucia’s truly great hotels, and La Zambra in Mijas brings serene, design-led luxury within easy reach of La Cala itself. Towards Sotogrande, the SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort and the characterful Hotel Encinar de Sotogrande place you among the most prestigious golf in Spain.
Where our specialists would stay in Costa Del Sol
When to go
The Costa del Sol earns its name — roughly three hundred days of sunshine a year — but the golfer’s calendar has its sweet spots. Spring, from March to May, brings green fairways, wildflowers in the rough and warm, comfortable rounds. Autumn, from late September through November, is arguably finer still: the heat softens, the resorts quieten and conditions are at their best. Winter is mild and very playable, which is why this coast is such a popular escape from the British cold, though you trade some daylight for the bargain of an empty fairway. We would gently steer you away from the high heat of July and August, when a full round can become more endurance than pleasure.
Why tailor-made beats a package here
A fixed package gives you a hotel, a few rounds and little say in the detail. A tailor-made trip lets us shape the week around how you actually want to play: the right courses for your handicap, tee times that dodge the crowds, a base that matches your mood, private transfers, dinner reservations and the freedom to add a round at Finca Cortesin or a night in Sotogrande if the spirit moves you. We have been arranging golf travel since 1981, and that experience shows in the small decisions that make a trip flow. Your money is held securely in trust through PTS until you return, and flights, should you want us to arrange them, are added under our ATOL protection — so the planning is effortless and the peace of mind is built in.
Our specialists’ favourite stays in Costa Del Sol
Design my bespoke La Cala golf trip →
What our golfers say
4.997 reviews
ken cunningham
Derry Wiltshire
Local Guide · 20 reviews · 2 photos
Frequently asked questions
How many courses are there at La Cala Resort?
Three full championship courses — Campo America, Asia and Europa — making it the largest golf resort in Spain. Asia is the toughest and most dramatic, Campo America the most playable. We can also weave in nearby courses such as La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Marbella or Finca Cortesin at Casares to vary your week.
Is La Cala good for mixed-ability groups?
Yes. With three distinct courses on site, plus the wider choice along this coast, there is golf to suit every handicap in the same trip — from the gentler Campo America to the more demanding Asia. We set tee times and pairings so everyone enjoys their round.
What does a trip cost and is my money protected?
Ground-only breaks start from around £185 per person and rise with the hotel, the courses and the season; a stay at Finca Cortesin or La Zambra in Mijas naturally sits higher than a relaxed base like Barcelo Occidental Fuengirola. Your money is held in trust through PTS until you return home, and any flights we arrange are ATOL protected.
Can you arrange flights, transfers and tee times together?
Yes — that is the heart of a tailor-made trip. We arrange your hotel, golf, private transfers and tee times as one seamless itinerary, with flights available as an optional ATOL-protected add-on. You travel knowing every detail has been handled by people who have organised golf holidays since 1981.
Come and play with us
Wherever you're travelling from, you're welcome on a Golf Planet hosted tour — a small group, a host with you from the first tee to the last, and every round, transfer and dinner taken care of. You just bring the clubs.
