Public institutions and banks open only in the mornings, although more essential services may be available in the afternoons as well. The banks close on Saturdays only in summer, while savings banks (cajas de ahorros, to all practical purposes, similar to banks) always close on Saturdays. 

All Town Halls have a lost-objects department, although found objects are frequently handed in at the nearest police station. If handbags or wallets have been left in bars or restaurants, it is worth going back to check with the management: they generally keep them for a week or so before handing them over to the police. 

 Hotels, whatever their category, have phones, but not all rented apartments or houses have them. But the national telephone company, Telefónica, has phone boxes at regular intervals on the streets, and public phones in most bars and restaurants. Instructions for their use are in various languages, and all emergency numbers are clearly indicated. It is unusual to find public telephones in Spain to have been vandalised. Today, reservations for accommodations can often be made by fax or via the Internet.

Given the cosmopolitan character of the Costa del Sol, there are places of worship for most major religions, with Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and other minority religious centres on the coast.

Health care is comprehensive on the Costa del Sol, with a complete network of hospitals and health centres all over the province of Malaga. Tourists from the European Union should carry the new European health card, which substitutes the old E-111 form. In any case, emergency treatment is immediate, with or without a card, which is necessary only for subsequent paperwork. 

Public safety in the province of Malaga, as in all of Spain, is in the hands of the National Police, the Guardia Civil, the Autonomous Police and the Local or Municipal Police. These police forces work together, and people with problems that require immediate police attention can call on any of them. The easiest way of calling the police is by phoning 091, the National Police number, or calling to any police station in person. 


English is the second language on the Costa del Sol, and it is spoken to some extent by most people in positions of authority in the province of Malaga, especially in the coastal areas. English is less widely spoken in the interior of the province, except in large towns or tourist areas. Tourism offices usually have personnel capable of communicating in English, French and German.