Costa del Sol (Final Fantasy VII)

Costa del Sol (コスタ・デル・ソル) is a coastal resort town that also serves as the main port on the western continent in Final Fantasy VII. Because it is so close to Mt. Corel, which is filled with petrification-inflicting monsters, the town specializes in making Softs. The player can purchase President Shinra's summer cottage, the Villa Cloud, for 300,000 gil. It serves no purpose except being a place to sleep. Even if the player purchases the villa with Tifa or Cid as main character, the house will still be named Villa Cloud.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
Following the rash of AVALANCHE attacks, the player Turk is sent, along with Reno and Rude (and Cloud as a regular Shinra grunt), to Costa del Sol in Chapter 4 to "recruit" SOLDIER candidates by forcibly kidnapping them and locking them up on a ship bound for Midgar. The player Turk goes to Club Duel, a fighting club run by a man named King.

The player has to fight through Club Duel's best thugs to fight King, so that the player Turk can take control of the Club. When the player's Turk wins, he or she orders the Club members to join SOLDIER. Back on the ship, one of the SOLDIER candidates Rude grabbed is a giant beast-man named Azul. When Azul tries to escape, the player must defeat him in battle. Rude eventually jumps in and defeats Azul with a single punch.

AVALANCHE arrives lead by Shears to release the SOLDIER candidates and ruin Shinra's plans. Shears beats Rude and lets the captives loose. The player has to go into Costa del Sol and retake the prisoners. The player Turk also has to fight Azul again, who decides to join SOLDIER after losing in order to become stronger. Shears arrives but is beaten by a combined attack by Reno and Rude. The missions ends in success.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
During the events of Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Zack Fair, after defeating the rogue SOLDIERs Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, spends a short time at Costa del Sol on a holiday. His stay is filled with boredom and constant surveillance by the Turks, especially Cissnei. His vacation is cut short when a group of Genesis Copies attack from the surf. Zack defeats them using an umbrella for a weapon, after which he is sent to Junon to defend the city from an invasion by Genesis's army.

Zack is given the choice of coming in Costa Del Sol as in a mission: Fun in the Sun, and is given at least three invitations by Lazard or SOLDIER. Particular enemies that appear in the beach during missions are Sahagins, Genesis copies, and Worms.

Final Fantasy VII
Five years later, Cloud Strife and his party come to Costa Del Sol hiding as stowaways on Rufus Shinra's cargo ship. Their stay is brief, but the player can use the opportunity to rest and relax and find Professor Hojo on the beach. Hojo has fled the Shinra and mentions Sephiroth can be found past North Corel. Johnny can be found in a house in Costa Del Sol, and he has recently got engaged.

Characters who aren't in Cloud's current party can also be found around the town: Aeris and Tifa are on the beach, and after the scene with Hojo, Aeris can be met in the inn and Tifa at Johnny's place; Barret can be found in the inn's bathroom, Red XIII "plays" ball with the kids on the street, and Yuffie gets a part-time job at the Materia Shop.

The player can take the cargo ship back to Junon after having acquired the buggy by paying 100 gil at the docks. The buggy can be taken aboard the ship.

Items Found

 * Fire Ring
 * Power Source
 * Motor Drive

Disc 1
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Item Shop

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Materia Shop

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Discs 2/3
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Weapon Shop

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Materia Shop

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Musical Themes
The music track that plays in Costa del Sol is the eponymous track, "Costa del Sol" (太陽の海岸).

Etymology
"Costa del Sol", meaning "Coast of the Sun" in Spanish, is a region in the autonomous community of Málaga, Andalucía, in the European country of Spain, situated on the Mediterranean coastline. Like the Final Fantasy VII location, it is a popular tourist destination.