Top of the list of reasons given for buying on Spain's Costa Tropical has to be the weather – long sultry summers and with that the choice of warm winters on the coast or inland the option to have fresher winter evenings spent around a cosy hearth filled with the scent of burning olive wood. The stuff of dreams…

While those who moved to this part of southern Spain 20 or 30 years ago complain of the changes and the developments that have occurred to the town of Almunecar, the quaint fishing village of La Herradura and the old-fashioned inland communities of the Tropical valley; there are many others who welcome these changes. Still the Costa Tropical continues to appeal to all ages looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, to find a relaxing haven and to settle, for however long, in an area that is still to this day very much a Spanish community. The Costa Tropical is rich in attractions and activities to keep even the most demanding tourist busy, but is an area devoid of the over-development and over-dependent provincialism of some communes on the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca.  The classic comparison being – walk in any Spanish bar in Almunecar or Salobrena for a drink; and the traditional tapa (a small ration of food) is offered freely and at no charge. In Nerja, Mijas, Calahonda, or Calpe, Javea or Torrevieja you will first either have to ask for the tapa and more often than not then be charged for the privilege.  Such is the appeal of the Costa Tropical – tradition, climate and attention to custom and service that the Spanish people here freely offer the visitor.

So where do you want to live – for many the first port of call is to visit the area, to see what is on offer and to see what types of property are available. But if you are new to this part of the Spain, and have always thought your vision of Spain was coloured by the popular illustrations of English breakfast bars in Torremolinos or Benalmadena, drunken Ibiza nights, and the golf club swinging rich with their gin and tonics for brunch, then think again! The Costa Tropical pages of this website will certainly give you something to think about; not just some of the best beaches and most tranquil green valleys in Europe but also the history, culture and traditions that make so many visitors stay longer and return sooner.  

Important also is to know what are the options for escape and travel. By this what airports are close by and what routes are on offer – for believe me – that within 2 or 3 years of settling here there will still be times that you will look to take a trip to other parts of the world. In fact all my Spanish friends who holiday during the quieter winter months love to visit places where they can find snow, a chill in the air or experience the magic of Christmas shopping in a European capital. And so from Granada – there are low cost flights to Paris and London, and from Malaga too almost all the capitals of Europe can be reached at very small cost.