Basic Facts to Research Before Looking at Property for Sale in the Costa del Sol
Location - The Costa del Sol is located in Andalucía, the southern most region of Spain,
and is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe. Its most famous resorts are
Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Marbella and Puerto Banus. This region benefits
from the highest average temperatures in Spain and over 300 days of sunlight per year.
Sun, sand and sangria - The Costa del Sol's miles of beautiful sandy beaches and
fantastic weather have kept tourists returning for the past 30 years. It is a relatively easy
destination to arrive at, the climate is perfect nearly all year round, the people are relaxed,
there is a wide variety of activities for all ages and the beaches are clean and well maintained.
This is obviously a major reason why so many people look at property for sale in the Costa del Sol.
Family - It is a great family destination. There are numerous theme parks such as Tivoli
World, Selwo Marina and the Sealife Centre in Benalmádena, Selwo Safari Park in
Estepona and Fuengirola zoo. The presence of such family activities in this area of the
Costa del Sol makes property for sale in Benalmadena particuarly attractive to families. There are also many other exciting things to do to keep yourselves occupied: water parks, go-karting, mini golf, a crocodile park and beautiful landscaped public gardens. In particular, Parque de la Bateria in Torremolinos y Parque de la Paloma in Benalmádena are exceptional recreational areas kept in pristine condition.The coast also caters for the more youthful tourists: Benalmadena´s Puerto Marina and Puerto Banus in Marbella are the places to go celebrity-spotting in their trendy chic bars and restaurants.
Shopping - There are some excellent stores in Marbella and Puerto Banus ranging from
high-end designer stores like Gucci and Louse Vuitton to individual boutiques selling a
range of products. In Marbella there is also La Cañada shopping mall where you'll find
many department stores such as Marks & Spencer, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, H&M, etc. Some of the facilities, such as the port, shops, restaurants and golf course make property for sale in Marbella, especially in the Puerto Banus area, substantially more expensive than other areas of the Costa del Sol.
Closer to Malaga city you'll find Ikea and Plaza Mayor, a wonderful shopping complex with
arcades and restaurants and a wide range of stores. Properties for sale in Malaga city tend to be more orientated towards residential buyers rather than those interested in a second home. However, there is a definate rental market to be had from city workers and those commuting to other Andalucian towns, such as Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla, especially following the inauguration of the AVE high speed rail network connecting Malaga to the rest of Andalucia.
City Life - Malaga city has much to offer and is famed as the home of Pablo Picasso and
Antonio Banderas. It is a beautiful city to spend the hours wondering around the shaded
streets admiring her many monuments and gardens or visiting her imposing Moorish castle
and many museums. Museo Picasso opened a few years ago and is a moving experience
of Picasso's lifetime of works. Malaga is a city of wide boulevards, swaying palm trees,
cultured nightlife, historic museums and excellent seafood restaurants. The impressive
park on Calle Alameda dates back to the 19th Century and is recognised as being one of
the most celebrated botanical gardens in Europe. During the winter, open air concerts are
held there every Sunday enabling you to truly experience Spanish culture and lifestyle.
Malaga's main theatre is the Teatro Cervantes where Antonio Banderas once trod the
boards. You never know, you may even spot him and his wife Melanie as they regularly
visit his family and old friends here in Malaga!
Golf - Malaga is also known as Costa del Golf because of its availability of world class golf
courses such as Valderrama, which is a regular site of the PGA European Tour's Volvo
Masters Championship. There are now more than 60 Costa del Sol Golf Courses
stretching from Sotogrande in the west to the lesser known Velez Malaga in the east. Golf courses do tend to attract lovers of the sport to buy property in Spain, especially in select areas where there are properties for sale in Nueva Andalucia for example (which is otherwise known as Golf Valley).
COSTA DEL SOL: THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY
White-washed villages - Andalucía is famed for its white-washed villages, such as Mijas
and Benalmadena Pueblo. They are well worth a visit and in the more inland villages
you'll find peace, tranquility and amazing tapas at a fraction of the coastal price.
Transport Links - Malaga city is well connected to other cities like Córdoba, Ronda,
Granada or Seville by train from María Zambrano train station or by bus from the main bus
station located near the city centre. In just over two hours you can even get to Spain's
capital Madrid on the new AVE speed train. The new Autopista del Sol provides access
from Malaga to Estepona and beyond Gibraltar and road links to other cities are well maintained.
For the more adventurous you can also take the 15km trip across the Straits
of Gibraltar to visit Tangier or Ceuta in Morocco.
Malaga Airport is the main international airport for the Costa del Sol with flight connections
to over 60 destinations worldwide and passenger numbers in 2009 were close to 13
million. The majority of traffic through Malaga Airport (or Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport as it is
commonly known) comes from within the EU, although there are regular flights to far away
locations such as Moscow, Riyadh, Kuwait, New York and Montreal.
Things to Bear in Mind:
Mañana...mañana - Things don't get done quickly, especially in August when almost
everything non-tourist based shuts down for the month. The people here are VERY
relaxed and expect things to be done much later than anticipated! “Mañana, mañana” is a
phrase that you'll consistently hear. In saying that, you've come to relax yourself so why
not take a leaf out of the native's book and chill out.
Cost of living - either things have gotten a lot cheaper in the UK or Spain has gone out of
control but it seems as though your average supermarket shop is a lot more expensive on
the Costa del Sol. Our advice is to avoid the British shops as you're paying a higher price
for imported produce and stick to the smaller shops such as the local greengrocer and
butcher. You'll get a really friendly service plus you'll get to practice your Spanish!
Rudeness - Andalucíans are famous for being downright rude. But the truth is theyʼre not.
Us Brits are just exceptionally polite and when you first go to Spain it can be a bit of a
culture shock. So when somebody pushes in front of a queue or doesnʼt say thank you at
a zebra crossing when you let them pass don't take offence - it's just the way they are.
Driving - If you are a novice driver in Spain, it is advisable not to take the old coastal road
(N340), as with its sharp bends and curves it is locally known as “the road of death”. If you
can handle drivers undercutting or pulling out in front of you whilst going 80MPH then
that's fine. But if you're a nervous driver then it's best to keep to the toll roads - or let
someone else do the driving for you!
