Our journey, from choosing to move to Spain to actually achieving it, took five long years of planning. We decided to move here after a long weekend in La Cala with friends who were off to travel the world. They never went, but the seed was planted with us. For five years we travelled back and forth to the Costa del Sol, looking at areas that were suitable.
Although it took a while for us to settle on an area, we were never in any doubt that the Costa del Sol was the right place for us. Firstly, we were of working age, and we had one toddler and one on the way, so it was important that they was plenty of work about. We are also city people, so dreaming of a remote finca was never on our agenda. For us, the Costa del Sol ticked all the boxes, it was diverse, busy and full of work opportunities.
There is shopping galore, several big shopping centres, full of the usual well known shops, or towns full of little shops for something a bit different. Restaurants and bars are everywhere you look, with a diverse range of people from all across the globe.
We arrived at the beginning of 2008, by the end of the year the world was in recession, however our work kept flowing, something we are very proud of, and very grateful for. It was not easy but there were still opportunities although they were just a bit harder to come across.
The coast also has some awesome beaches, it still amazes me that we live so close to the sea, and a dog walk involves stunning coastline and views over to Africa on a clear day. And then there are the mountains, just hugging the coast, they stand up behind the towns creating picture perfect views for all its residents.
The beaches and the mountains also provide fantastic opportunities for activities, water sports in the summer, skiing in the winter, or hiking whenever. The range of things to do on the Costa del Sol is amazing, whilst we worried that the kids might be bored or miss out on opportunities, we could have packed their after school schedule three times over, with reasonably priced and well organised events, that have bonded them to the community we live in.
Finally, the Costa del Sol offers something else amazing, the climate, hot and balmy in the summer, and cool and sometimes surprisingly chilly in the winter, the Costas are a blessing to anyone escaping freezing winters and dark nights. Still with four very distinct seasons, it is, in my opinion, the perfect climate to live in all year round.
If you are thinking of moving, or just thinking about it, we are always happy to chat about our experiences. Give us a call on 0034 672 212 368.
