Now that the better weather is upon us, there is no better way to while away an afternoon than visiting one of the Costa del Sol´s beach bars.  Chringuitos serving fresh seafood and delicious local dishes are dotted all the way along the coast from Malaga to Sotogrande.

Some chiringuitos have become far too big for their boots in recent years, and charge ridiculous prices for simple food.  With most of Europe in recession and British tourists spending far less as a result of the bad exchange rate, it´s good to know that several beach bars on the Costa del Sol still offer great value for money.

Marbella doesn´t have to be expensive, and if you travel a little way out of town, and away from the flashier restaurants in Puerto Banus, you find some real hidden gems.

Hippopotamus Beach, Marbella is one of my favourites.  Coming from Marbella, direction Fuengirola, exit the N-340 at the El Rosario sign (about 4km from Marbella).  Head down to the beach, where you will find plenty of parking next to Hippo Beach.  Situated right on the seafront, sunbathers soak up the rays before heading to the decking for food and refreshments.  If you are looking for a big menu including fresh fish and seafood, Hippo Beach may not be for you, but it´s a great place to take the kids.  Try one of the amazing salads or home-made burgers.  Favourites include goat´s cheese, grilled chicken and beetroot salad with a special house dressing.  Burgers with fried onions, chilli and cheese also go down well with the children, and the service is friendly and efficient.  Also playing some great chill-out music to make your visit even more special.  Imagine sipping sangria as the sun goes down looking over the Mediterranean.  Superb location, good lunchtime food and amazing prices.  Lunch here without drinks will probably set you back €12-€15 per head. Telephone: 608454457.

Los Delfines, La Cala de Mijas, is cheap, cheerful and enjoys and an excellent location on the beach. Parking in La Cala is easy if you don´t mind a five minute walk from the main parking area near Supersol Supermarket.  Just 20 minutes from Marbella, direction Fuengirola, La Cala de Mijas was once a fishing village and retains much of its original charm.  Los Delfines offers a large menu with such seafood specialities as paella, large mussels with tomato and garlic sauce, prawns pil-pil, calamaritos and boquerones.  We normally choose a house salad with tuna, egg and asparagus to share then either the fabulous paella or a selection of mixed fish – Fritura Malagueña, which includes squid, whitebait, rosada, prawns and sole, and is more than big enough for two people.  Another favourite here is the seafood cazuela which is like a fish stew with garlic, tomatoes and onions.  Also offering a wide range of meals to suit the kids such as pizza, chicken and sausages, Los Delfines is a king among beach bars.  Service is good and there is also an indoor restaurant if the weather is not so good.   A great place to sample the typical Mediterranean diet at cheap prices.  Lunch would normally set you back about €15 per head including a bottle of house wine between two or soft drinks. Telephone: 952494205.

The Saratoga Restaurant is situated near Golden Beach, Elviria, Marbella.  Not a beach bar, but well worth a visit and less than a kilometre from Golden Beach. From Calahonda area, take direction Marbella.  Pass the main Elviria sign (do not exit at Don Carlos Hotel) and carry on for another 2km.  Exit road at Cerrado de Elviria – turn immediately right so you are adjacent to the main N-340 – passing Panda Chino and Saratoga Restaurant is 100 metres further on – on the right hand side.  Here you will find a fabulous choice of tapas displayed in the front bar, including stuffed eggs, home-made tortilla, marinated tuna and garlic clams.  Try a selection for lunch or dinner, with a glass of the excellent house wine.  The Saratoga also has a small restaurant at the back of the building, where specialities include oxtail stew, roast suckling pig, roast leg of garlic marinated lamb, seafood casserole and marinated salmon.  This place is always busy with locals, and there are three or four tables outside if you prefer al fresco dining.  Very Spanish, with excellent home cooking and good service.  Not a tourist trap and a refreshing change from the coastal madness during summer.  Closed Saturdays.  A tapas lunch for two with a bottle of house wine would set you back around €15-€20 per head. Telephone:952833642.

Beach Bar El Lido is situated just down the road from Saratoga.  Pass Saratoga on your right at Cerrado de Elviria and take the first turn on the right under the road.  Straight on and first left.  Straight on over junction and right down to the beach.  El Lido is situated right on the sand overlooking the Med.  This place has a great, informal atmosphere and you can also hire sunbeds in front of the restaurant/snack bar.  Providing everything you might expect from a proper beach bar, the emphasis is on fun and good food.  Also chill out music and friendly service.  The wooden interior of the bar caters for hundreds of sun seekers every season, and this place gets packed in the summer.  A wide range of sandwiches as pork fillet, hamburgers, chips, superb salads, omelettes, calamares and egg dishes can be found on the menu.  Right on the beach, this is a perfect place for the kids and the informal atmosphere makes it a great place to relax.  Also offering a wide range of tapas including seafood salad, tortilla, marinated whitebait and stuffed eggs, this is one of the most vibrant beach  bars in Marbella, and it won´t cost you an arm and a leg.  Lunch would normally set you back about €10-€15 per head excluding drinks.

Andy´s Beach Bar, Cabopino is situated on one of the best beaches in Marbella, and attracts sun seekers and fun seekers from all over the coast.  From Marbella, pass Elviria and Las Chapas signs and exit at Cabopino.  At the roundabout head downhill towards the port, and take the first right turn where you see the sign for Andy´s Beach Bar.  There is plenty of parking on the dunes here, and the beach is just a 50m walk from the car park. Cabopino is a family beach with safe swimming and water sports on offer.  Very close to the Las Dunas Nudist Beach, Andy´s Beach Bar is always busy.  Serving coffee and breakfast from 10am, you can relax and enjoy the morning sun at Andy´s before the hordes arrive.  Sunbeds and shades can also be hired from here, so you don´t need to move far between the bar and the beach.   Excellent coffee, toast and croissants are available in the mornings, followed by an extensive menu served all day from 12 noon.  Cabopino is a perfect location for a day at the beach.  Try the fabulous fresh tapas which include mussels vinaigrette, octopus salad and marinated whitebait.  Fresh sardines are cooked in the open air over a fire, and the fish is as fresh as can be.

Kids favourites include pizza, burgers, chicken fillets and sausages.  Salads are ample and fresh, and the roast chicken and pasta dishes are also worthy of note.  Also serving fantastic paella with fish and meat, Andy´s Beach Bar offers an international menu, with the emphasis on fresh fish and seafood.  The sangria is excellent, and the seating is open air and comfortable.  Export beers are also served on draught to quench your thirst after a morning on the beach.  A typical lunch at Andy´s would cost between €10 and€15 per head excluding drinks. Telephone: 952113826.

Chiringuito La Cubana, Marbella, is a lively, vibrant beach bar with fabulous live music.  The last time we visited here was in summer on a Sunday when the resident salsa band was playing.  You can park on the dunes here (but watch out for deep sand as a friend of mine was stuck for an hour).  We arrived for a friend´s birthday celebration in July and not unsurprisingly the place was packed.  Having said that, we soon found a table, as service is brisk, and it doesn´t take long to get seated.  We sat literally on the beach with the sand beneath our feet and the Mediterranean just a few metres away.  Sun beds and shades can be hired right in front of the bar.  Once settled, we ordered a round of mojitos, rum, lime juice and soda, which were suitably strong and refreshing.

It didn´t take long to get in the party mood, and as the drinks flowed, the music started.  The menu is pretty basic, and there is not a great selection of fish offered, but a good enough choice for a simple lunch.  We ordered house salad with tuna to start, followed by garlic chicken, hot-dogs for the kids and calamares.  The food was excellent and very cheap. (Probably a good thing considering the amount of mojitos we were getting through).  After the main course we ordered the speciality fruit platter which was superb.  Including melon, water melon, peaches, apples, strawberries and mango, this tropical platter was just the job to clean the palate before the dancing began. Once the lunch time food has been served at La Cubana, waiters clear a space in the main dining area to accommodate the swaying salsa dancers.

Passionate and exciting to watch, there is nothing quite like salsa on the beach.  The music gets louder as more people take to the floor, and this bar offers diners something a little bit special.  Whether you are a dancer or not (and believe me I really am not) you won´t fail to be blown away by the fabulous atmosphere and the lively music.  Hundreds of bodies sway to the salsa sounds, while drinks are served well into the balmy evening. Lunch would set you back about €15-€20 per head, allowing for a few mojitos each.  Casual and informal, La Cubana draws crowds not only from Marbella but from all over the Costa del Sol.  Telephone: 952830162.

Beach bars on the Costa del Sol don´t have to be expensive.  Take a few minutes to drive out of town, and you will find some of the best venues just outside Marbella and in the neighbouring Mijas-Costa at a fraction of the price you pay in Puerto Banus.  Vibrant, lively and informal Costa del Sol beach bars are the perfect place to chill out with the family, eat, drink and be merry just metres from the sea.