Costa Del Sol

The Costa Del Sol is located in the Southern region of Spain, with over 300 days of sunshine per year makes the Costa Del Sol one of the most desired locations to holiday only 2.5 hours flight from the United Kingdom. The Costa Del Sol boasts a wealth of activities, including water sports, Aqua parks, Horse riding, Yachting marinas, wonderful sandy beaches, beautiful white washed Spanish villages, numerous restaurants from traditional Spanish food to world class International cuisine, bars and clubs offering excellent nigh time entertainment. There are numerous shopping malls and prestigious fashion houses notably: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Versace, Hermes, Chloe, Jimmy Choo, Burberry London, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Venetta, Roberto Cavalli Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss as well as a variety of designer boutiques retailing Spanish, French, British, Italian and American apparel.

The Costa Del Sol is a golfers dream with the largest concentration of world class golf courses within Europe. The Costa Del Sol has picturesque mountain ranges creating a warm micro climate affect enabling you to enjoy the Costa Del Sol all year round, many expats now have made this region of Spain their home. The people of Andaluc?a are renowned for their warm and friendly nature and their laid back approach to life you will generally find that the majority of Spanish people on the Costa Del Sol are quiet fluent in speaking English and are always helpful.

Childrens activities on the Costa Del Sol

Activities for the children include Fuengirola Zoo and crocodile park, Selwo wildlife park in Estepona is home to African lions, Siberian tigers, bears, reptiles, tropical birds and the grounds can be explored in safari jeeps and by wooden footbridges. Selwo Marina in Torremolinos shows the friendly bottlenosed dolphins, the entertaining sealions, parrot shows etc. For water lovers, the Costa Del Sol has several Aquaparks namely in Mijas and Torremolinos with water rapids, kamikaze slides, wave machines, donut rides and provides a fun day out. Fancy seeing wolves in natural habitat? Visit inland Antequera where these beautiful creatures can be found in natural surroundings. Pony trekking is in abundance, ride on the sandy beaches or inland mountainous ranges, for serious equestrian enthusiasts why not watch a game of polo in the prestigious Sotogrande.For avid silver screen fans the Costa Del Sol offers several large multiplex cinema complexes showing the latest movies in English. Shopping malls also provide all round family entertainment from ten pin bowling, pool to games for children and all types of eateries.

Education on the Costa Del Sol

Education and family life is extremely important to the Spanish way of life. Unicef recently researched the top places in which to bring up children for quality of life and Spain ranked top 5 in the world. Spanish state schools are of excellent standards, parents are encouraged fully to participate in school life and provide a fantastic platform for youngsters to learn Spanish. Watching children playing in the traditional villages at 10pm in the hot summers evening interacting with children from international countries in several languages is very rewarding for parents. If you prefer your children to be educated through the British system the Costa Del Sol has several International Schools following the English curriculum, children are able to be educated to GCSE and A Level standard or alternatively can study the International Baccalaureat enabling our next generation to obtain international qualifications putting them ahead of the competition when it comes to University applications.

Healthcare on the Costa Del Sol

For those considering a permanent move to Spain, access to healthcare will be on your check list to research. The Marbella area has excellent medical facilities with the Hospital Costa del Sol rated as one of the most advanced and modern in the country. A 24-hour emergency ambulance helicopter services the coast, Helicoptas Sanitarios. If you decide to take Spanish Residency or are employed with Social Security (similar to National Insurance in the UK) the public Spanish health system also provides excellent cover. There are also private health schemes to which foreign residents can subscribe such as Bupa. Living here all year round, you will find the pleasantly warm climate, healthy food and laid back style of life extremely beneficial to your health.

Transportation on the Costa Del Sol

Transportation links to your new home, holiday home or investment property is paramount. The Costa Del Sol is home to Malaga International Airport, one of the busiest airports in Europe with a new terminal being completed in 2008 as well as new and existing flight carriers expanding and increasing the number of routes to and from Malaga. As well as Malaga, the west Costa Del Sol region is in the unique geographical position to be connected to additional choice of airports such as Gibraltar, Seville and Jerez. Local trains run between Malaga and Fuengirola and Malaga is well connected to other cities with high-speed rail links. Taxis can be found everywhere and are reasonably priced. Bus services are regular, prompt and very good value. From Marbella to Malaga airport a coach bus service runs every 45 minutes in high season to and from the airport, taking just 45 minutes via the toll road and is a savior for tourists and residents in saving costs on taxis for friends and family visiting.