News Bring the outdoors into your life with a property in Marbella

Caroline and her family are part of the growing trend of people moving to this premium location to embrace active living to the full.

“It feels like the days are a lot longer in Spain and the weather gives you energy to do more,” says Caroline, a 36-year-old mum who is originally from Sweden. She moved to Marbella three years ago with her husband and young family. For her the quality of life is “incomparable”.

“We were a little tired of living in a cold, cloudy place. Seeing some of our friends going to live in Marbella, we decided to give it a go. We initially rented to decide the area we wanted to be in and have now bought a family villa with plenty of outside space in a beautiful landscape,” Caroline explains.

Caroline and her family are part of the growing trend of people moving to this premium location to embrace active living to the full.

The fact that Marbella and the Costa del Sol have over 300 days of sunshine a year is well known. Add to this the average year-round temperatures of 20 degrees and a stunning natural setting between majestic green mountains and shimmering Mediterranean sea. Then mix in a great infrastructure, modern facilities and a global reputation for chic, luxury and quality, and you have all the ingredients for the perfect lifestyle.

It is not hype to say this area truly is the California of Europe - yet on a much gentler and liveable scale. Here the age-old traditions of Spanish culture welcome you with open arms and create an immediate sense of belonging.

“We love the way Spain does things; it is about being outside, being on terraces, and that just felt really refreshing to us,” she adds.

“In Sweden, I was a stay-at-home mum and, with darker days, we were spending too much time indoors with the children. Now they can do activities outdoors, be in the sun and go to the beach after school.”

Of course, in Marbella there is a huge variety of beaches to choose from on your doorstep and depending on your mood. For a revitalising run along the stylish ‘paseo’ with fitness ‘apasionados’, try The Golden Mile. For a long, leisurely stroll with the sand between your toes, unwind in Elviria.

Much of the beachfront is lined with adorable footpaths, part of a well-advanced plan to create a sustainable walk of 200km along the shoreline of the entire Costa del Sol.

Newly arrived residents can’t help but be impressed by them and, as you settle in, they become an inspiring companion to your day-to-day activity. We are talking the Sierra Blanca mountains, visible from almost everywhere. In winter, they bring the feeling of verdant nature eternally cascading into your life, while others are closed up indoors in northern Europe.

The mountains aren’t just there to be looked at either. There is an infinite range of easy to difficult hiking routes to enjoy, along with river walks and rock pools for the kids, stunning coastal viewpoints, wildlife enclaves and, above all, peace. The Sierra Blanca rolls into the neighbouring Sierra de las Nieves range, Spain’s newest designated national park.

According to a recent survey, 80% of international buyers are looking for more space. Many of Marbella’s finest and most attractive new developments, such as El Madroñal, where Caroline and her family bought, La Heredia or Monte Halcones, are surrounded by nature. These provide low-density living away from the more compact frontline beach.

Great importance is now being placed by Marbella’s real estate architects and designers on broad terraces, balconies and gardens. With more people working from home and realising the benefit of harmony in their personal space, property experts are seeing a trend for bringing nature indoors with rooms that merge into the outside... Space for fitness at home is also a top priority now.

In fact, if you cannot keep body and mind as fit as you want to in Marbella, you probably can’t anywhere. For just keeping in shape and making friends or for heavier workouts, the sports and fitness centres are as state of the art as you’d expect from a top international destination.

For a gym that succeeds in drawing the outdoors indoors, try the I/O in San Pedro. Real Club Padel Marbella has 10,000m2 of outdoor space to be active in and Puente Romano Health and Fitness offers a luxurious experience with even a jungle gym fitness area surrounded by subtropical plants.

And after a workout, there are no end of mouthwatering, healthy eating and drinking options designed to keep you at your best. Try Paisana in Nueva Andalucía for organic & healthy food with views of La Concha and the coast. Another healthy choice for sugar and gluten free in Keto Royale, in friendly San Pedro. And many, many more.

In Marbella it feels as if there are as many outdoor pursuits as there are days in the year. This area is the heart of the Costa del Golf with some of the best courses in Europe within easy reach. These also provide an idyllic, parkland seJng from many of the most exclusive luxury developments in the area. In 2023, the Costa del Sol will be home to the women’s Solheim Cup, at Finca Cortesin in Casares, with Marbella and neighbouring Benahavís acting as worthy hosts for much of the off-course activity.

However appealing the sunshine is, what a buyer also needs is a practical place that works well and where they can actually build a real life. And Marbella delivers a home run on that very time.

Marbella has the feel of a sophisticated city by the sea but without the big urban headaches. Shopping for every taste abounds: from the high-end stores of Puerto Banús to the atmospheric independent traders of Marbella Old Town and San Pedro; or from the convenience of the huge El Corte Inglés department store to the vast range of shops at La Cañada mall, enough to rival any upscale European city.

Healthcare is as top notch as the destination itself. There are a highly regarded large public hospital, up-to-date private facilities - with health cover available at a better price than most of Europe, and a full range of specialist treatments and therapies.

Families love the Marbella area for the education on offer. The range of international, multilingual schools with top teaching professionals is second to none. These follow a full range of international qualifications. Children, of course, benefit in their education from being outdoors all year more often.

But perhaps the most exciting part of the infrastructure here are the superb communications. Not only is it easy to reach family and friends in northern Europe - it is also simple to get around Spain and really feel part of this amazing Mediterranean society. Malaga Airport, just 35 minutes away by comfortable motorway, has flights to over 150 destinations in Europe. And Malaga has high-speed rail connections all over Spain.

People like Caroline who have moved to Spain will tell you how good and uncrowded the roads are. It is easy just to jump in the car and discover some of the most fascinating destinations a short distance away.

Whether you are looking for outdoor adventures or a city break, in an hour or two you can be in places like Seville, Ronda and Granada. The Atlantic beach and surfers’ paradise of Tarifa or the ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada are close by. It really is true what they say: in winter you can snowboard in the morning and have a cold beer on the beach in the afternoon.

As Caroline sums it up, speaking from her new home in Spain, “You don’t have to catch a plane to visit beautiful places when you live in Marbella". For active living and well-being, choosing a Marbella property is definitely good for you. For more inspiring advice, contact the Homerun brokers team on contact@homerunbrokers.com or +34 639 142 718.