Property Costa Del Sol Spain

Costa Del Sol, Spain

Spain’s Costa del Sol is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, and with good reason. Its near perfect weather and sun, golden beaches, entertainment and golf galore have helped to make this part of Europe the number one destination for holiday travelers and second home buyers.

The Costa del Sol stretches from Gibraltar in the south to Nerja in the northeast on the border with the province of Granada. Most of the better known and more popular resorts and towns begin at Malaga and go down the coast to the southwest from there. This is also where the greatest concentration of golf courses is to be found, including some of the best courses in the world. There are over 300 days of sun and the temperature averages 18° C over the course of the year here.

Although it really begins to the east of the city, the Costa del Sol takes off at Malaga, then moves through the resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas Costa. Further along the coast lies Marbella with its popular marina at Puerto Banus, Estepona, Sotogrande and finally Gibraltar. Malaga is the starting place for most, with its large and busy airport, and stepping stone to the Costa del Sol. Unfortunately, not many of the costa’s visitors take the time to see the city as they rush from the airport to their holiday resort. In doing so they miss a gem of a city with a fascinating old quarter next to a Roman theatre and Moorish palace, a commercial centre with first class shopping and a vibrant social life.

To the southwest of Malaga is Torremolinos, which, during the 1950s and 60s was converted from a quaint fishing village into the Costa del Sol's original tourist resort.  Today it is a bit of a concrete jungle but it still has some fine beaches, lots of places to stay and live and to offer visitors. A little further down the coast is Benalmadena, another popular resort, and then you come to Fuengirola. This town is very popular with UK residents who want a place to holiday or a second home and is probably the most popular Costa del Sol resort these days. The beaches of Los Boliches - Gaviotas and Torreblanca hold a European blue flag, and there are special areas designated for windsurfing, beach volleyball and other water sports.

Marbella, with its nearly 30 kilometers of beaches, is the choice for the rich and famous who come to Spain. The city is set against the backdrop of La Concha mountain and is a mixture of old and new. The Old Quarter is a fascinating place to visit, and the main boulevard is home to stylish shops and replicas of Salvador Dali statues. Heading west out of downtown, one travels along the famous Golden Mile. It is so-called for the palatial beachfront villas that contribute to the area having some of the most expensive real estate in Europe. This stretch is also home to the Marbella Club Hotel, founded in the 1950's, and is a five star luxury hotel which helped to cement the city’s reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. Marbella has a distinctly cosmopolitan feel to it, and local celebrities include Sean Connery, Melanie Griffith & Antonio Banderas.

Just a few kilometers to the west of Marbella is the costa’s newest hot destination, Puerta Banus. This town is a major nightlife center, with some of the trendiest bars and nightclubs to go along with its beautiful harbour and million-dollar yachts. After spending all night out on the town, you can recover by spending all day on the golden beach.

One reason for the popularity of the Costa del Sol is the availability of great golf year round. This region is known as having some of the best courses in all of Europe and many golf resorts at which you can both live and play. Overall, there are more than 60 courses in the area, and more nearby. One of the most well known course in the country is Valderrama, which hosted the Ryder Cup in 1997. It is regarded as one of the best courses in Europe and the world. Not far from Valderrama on the southern end of the Costa del Sol is the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, another championship level course that is highly rated. There are several other courses at this end of the coast, including The San Roque Club and New Course, La Reserva de Sotogrande, La Duquesa Golf and Country Club and La Canada Golf Club.

Moving up the coast, the Estepona Golf Club has spectacular views and is quite popular. El Paraiso Golf Club has some of the best greens on the coast as well as nice views of the mountains and sea. Los Arqueros Golf and Country Club near Marbella is the first course in the area designed by Seve Ballesteros. Los Flamingos Golf and Country Club is popular with golfers of all levels, while Marbella Club Golf Course is a very technical course. La Cala Resort offers three courses in beautiful surroundings in the area of Mijas. Another Seve Ballesteros course located behind the Mijas Mountains is Alhaurin Golf Club. With so many courses from which to choose, golfers will never get tired or bored of the offerings in the Costa del Sol.

Befitting its status as the most popular destination in Spain, and, indeed, all of Europe, the Costa del Sol has more properties and opportunities for buyers than any other stretch of coast in the country. You can get land and building plots for as low as £60,000, though these will be located a bit inland. Closer to the sea, or golf, or both, prices and opportunites go up. There are many, many existing apartments and small villas that are available for purchase at reasonable rates. Off plan properties tend to be more expensive, but there still are plenty from which to choose in this area.

The popular development of Sea Golf is located in Alcaidesa, where there are several championship golf courses nearby. It’s also near to the sea, so you get the best of sea and golf here. Beginning at . €220,000, The Development Calanova Grand Golf is situated just a few minutes from the beaches of La Cala, set within extensive grounds with immaculate lawns, mature trees and Mediterranean shrubs. Onsite facilities include the 18 hole Calanova golf course, driving range and academy.

Malaga Airport (AGP) is the major point of entry for those who are headed to the Costa del Sol. It is the third busiest airport in the country, behind Madrid and Barcelona, and in 2007 it handled some 13.5 million passengers. There are currently two terminals with a third under construction, scheduled to open in 2009, and a second runway also under construction. Malaga serves most of Europe and all of the UK. There are many regular flights with discount carriers to most UK airports, so it is easy and reasonably priced to find a flight here. Malaga airport is served by public transport. The Cercanías Málaga train serves the airport from Malaga city centre and there is an airport coach that links to Marbella bus station.