Trying to determine where to move to in Costa del Sol!! Advice requested please!! - Page 2

Also, to clarify... I am not looking for a town whose traditional Spanish flavor has been partially/mostly eradicated by the influx of northern European (or eastern European or what have you) ex-pats. I am well aware of the fact that many international travelers, when vacationing or relocating, choose Spain for its climate but do not necessarily want to give up their own culture and embrace their adoptive country's culture. I love my country and my culture and I want to be around people who are open-minded and who love not just the climate, but the culture as well. Like, it shows not just an interest in the culture but also goodwill towards your adoptive country to at least try to learn the local language! 

Any places I should shy away from? 

Gosh, again that isn't easy to answer. Of course, there are some parts of the CdS that are more geared towards the immigrant communities but, within them it's perfectly possible to live a traditional Spanish life with mostly Spanish friends. There again, there are some delightful villages, especially away from the coast, that are like something out of a picture book but, would be dead and empty without the immigrants. I live in Torrox pueblo, which is fairly traditional Spanish but still has a sizeable immigrant population. However, it's not clique-y, it's very easy to live and work with Spanish people if you are not keen on the ex-pat life, which can't be said of Torrox Park or even the Costa.

Basically, west of Malaga is more upbeat, with a range of sophisticated resources, good public transport links, vibrant nightlife/leisure activities/shopping. While it's easy to find 'Spanish' life, it does tend to be more international. East of Malaga is less built up, quieter, more traditionally Spanish (there are some exceptions), less obviously touristy. But, lots of places are hard to access, there's not the same shopping/nightlife opportunities, and public transport is patchy. Places like Nerja and Torre del Mar have expanded enormously in the last few years so have more to offer but, maybe at the expense of a tranquil Spanish life.

I hope that helps, it's always difficult to know what to say. I think, however, there's very few places that are awful!

Thanks, pricklyone. Super helpful reply AND I knew it would be a hard question to answer, one which would require broad generalizations, but your answer is helpful nonetheless. 

For example, when my husband and I were planning to relocate to Florida, it was extremely helpful to know which areas were considered the "artsy" communities and which were generally speaking the more upscale resort towns, or which neighborhoods were considered "safe" and which had higher crime rates, which communities were "older" and which had a younger population, and so on. 

A nice balance of Spanish traditional and international expats would make a lovely community, I believe. Likewise a fair balance of bustling and lively event-filled urban life combined with protected wilderness areas to explore would be ideal.

In the end, it's always an individual choice but people's experiences and opinions serve as guideposts to begin to navigate the colossal undertaking of relocation.

Thank you. West of Malaga is more upmarket for sure but, it also has a higher crime rate. I think there's a lot of arty people everywhere, to be honest, and quite a vigorous 'alternative' community all along the south of Spain. I'm sure you will have fun discovering the whole region, and although spoilt for choice, you will know where you want to be when you get there. I explored the area quite thoroughly and had a list of specific criteria to meet. I was beginning to despair of finding the perfect place when I got to Torrox pueblo, and it was love at first sight!

Thanks for all your input!

Sorry for the delay, its all a bit manic right now but I see you are getting some excellent advice from pricklyone and whilst I can talk about Estepona the actual advice is much the same....but hopefully the video gave you a flavour and a picture tells a thousand words so here's one :)

The coastline in the background is Morocco.

Thank you Andy! It's truly lovely!

daisy

so you are ruling out modern contemporary apartments in a pleasant environment then ?

CHEERS

Phil -

Thank you Andy! It's truly lovely!

Phil - at the moment yes I am... Of course this could change in the future as life circumstances have a way of evolving over time. At present we have two young adult children living with us on and off, likely to continue for a while yet, plus one dog and two cats. And we would like to make room for the possibility of adopting another homeless dog once we move permanently to the CdS. Therefore an apartment, no matter how large, is out of the question for us at present. But like I said, anything could change in the next few years... who knows?