The Costa Tropical offers a great variety of property to choose from where the varied histories and styles have had an important influence on the types of property available – from village houses in small isolated communities to top villas with spectacular views and dreamy sunsets. In this section we offer an insight to the region known as Spain’s Costa Tropical. My aim here is to be up-to-date with the information supplied in this section, and I invite you to join in this celebration of the area and my passion for this area of Spain by asking you to freely submit any changes or topics that YOU think should be included, either now or in the near future.

This area can boast some of the most spectacular coastlines in Spain, some of the most historically important sites in Europe, and plenty of destinations for a thoroughly exciting and enjoyable change of lifestyle. In advance of re-locating to this wonderful part of Spain then SpainCostaTropical.com has prepared this series of articles to give you some ideas to explore the area, taking in some of the nearby towns and villages, rolling countryside and high mountains, lakes and seashore, and to give a feel for the real Andalucia.

Andalucia, the largest and most populated territory, is one of Spain's 17 autonomous regions and includes 8 provinces named after their capital cities - Cadiz, Málaga, Granada and Almeria on the southern coast - plus Huelva, Seville (Sevilla), Cordoba and Jaen. The region is a land of dramatic extremes. Andalusia is a richly varied area with a Mediterranean climate providing mild winters and dry, hot summers, although with snow on the mountains of the Sierra Nevada ski resort in winter months it is difficult to forget there can be such dramatic ranges in temperature within very short geographical distances. Andalucía has a rich artistic and cultural past only more recently being explored and appraised. With remains evident from pre-history, through the Visigothic and Byzantine periods, and of course the Islamic period, which has left its own beautiful monuments. The Renaissance produced the cathedrals in Granada and Málaga, as well as Seville's City Hall. Mudejar art, a blending of Christian and Arab elements, dominates the Alcazar in Seville. Countless buildings survive from the baroque period of the 17th and 18th centuries, while the Romanticism of the 19th century continued into the 20th century. Even on the Costa Tropical or inland from the coast you will discover many traces of these different styles still, just explore and you will see.

Spain’s Costa Tropical is not only offering beaches and glorious weather but with new and expanding motorway connections, the development of the AVE high speed train connections linking Andalusian towns with Madrid, and with the increased air travel opportunities out of Granada and Malaga – then it is an area that is moving on and into the 21st century. It is not difficult, therefore, to realise why Spain’s Costa Tropical remains an attractive opportunity for both European second home owners and first time buyers alike.