Collioure or Costa del Sol?

I haven't been to the Costa del Sol but gather it is a profoundly different experience from friendly, pretty little Colliore. So I think a little research would make it clear to you what you prefer.

I think of Colliore as a nice place to spend a day and a night if you are in the region, worth a detour perhaps but not a trip. I wouldn't say the beach in Colliore is anything special either.

For beaches I would think you would do better right in the Costa Dorada or Costa Brava. If you really have five days and are of a maritime frame of mind, how about one of the Baleric isles? (Just a thought, I've never been.)

Collioure was one of my favorite places during a six-week trip to France. It was an easy 5- 10 minute walk from the very small station to the RS- recommended Hotel des Templiers which was like staying in a museum. We did a day trip to Figueres to see the Dali museum which was incredible. In Collioure the beaches were small; with lots of families enjoying the water. There were wonderful shops, too. The hike up above (in the RS book) was also great. We were there for three nights and that was about right- although we didn't get up into the hills (which I believe can be done by bus) to the west.

We returned from a month in Spain on 15 Sept and spent the last 6-7 days in Nerja and found it to be very relaxing compared to the more built up and over-packaged areas of the Costa del Sol.
The Nerja beaches are small. We had a car and travelled to the beaches located East of Nerja.

There are much better plaes for beaches than the Costa del Sol as Adam mentioned above. We spent a few days in San Sebastian which we loved and it has great beaches.

If you want to stay near a Costa del Sol beach but get a different "vibe" then I recommend the village of Frigiliana a few miles inland from Nerja. It took us less than 10 minutes to get there from the coast, and it would definitely give you a break from the crowds on the shore. It's a tiny village up in the hills, with a view of the sea in the distance. It feels much less touristy, but I think you probably need a car to get there (I didn't see any buses) so it may not work for you.

We stayed in a B&B called Hospederia el Caravansar. It was spotlessly clean, and the town was wonderful. I don't think the owner speaks English as we talked to her in Spanish only, and she said that we were only the second Americans to ever stay there.

Skip Collioure if you are looking for wide sandy beaches and some solitude. It is wall to wall bodies during peak season.
If you are driving by, then of course take a look but it is not a ideal destination in my opinion. I would stay in Spain.

This is why I find this helpline so helpful! Thank you all so much. We will be arriving in Barcelona at the end of a transatlantic cruise -- our first cruise -- so a little solitude is definitely what we're seeking. I will look into San Sebastian. I guess my hesitation about Spain is that I've heard the food is not so great? I assume there's good fresh seafood along the coast?

It's been 10+ years since I've been to Spain, but I'm hoping to be there next summer, somewhere around Girona. As for food, according to Anthony Bourdain (renowned chef, restaurant owner, author, and star of Travel Channel's "No Reservations", Spain is the single greatest place for culiary achievement, outside of Asia. Watch his Spain segment on 10/20/08 (check local listings for time). I can't wait to try the food! Again. And of course, the wine.

I just returned and although I have not been to Collioure I did just return from Spain and the Nerja area and east of Nerja had great beaches. We stayed in the Best Western Salobrena and loved it. In fact we wished we could have stayed longer. You can just rent a car and drive down the eastern coast. I have friends that are there now after I told them about it and they want to live there!