Best Places to Live on the Costa del Sol, Spain | Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola (and more)

Speaker A: Hi, I'm Vanessa. Welcome back to the Solana Global Living Podcast, where we talk about real life, real estate, and the realities of life abroad. Today, we are going to explore the Costa del Sol. Now, this is where I landed in Spain before moving to Girona, and I'm very familiar with this part of Spain. Today we're going to talk to Dico. He is one of my referral partners for this part of Spain. And what I thought we'd do today is explore some of the different lifestyles that are available to you on the Coza del Sol. Because the Coza del Sol is attractive to lots of different types of people for different reasons. And each town offers something a little bit unique, a little bit different. Um, and so we're going to break it down by active lifestyles, families, and retirees. So, without further ado, let's explore life on the Costa del Sol. All right. Hi, Dico. Thank you for meeting with me to talk about the Costa del Sol. What's the weather like today down there? Do you have a bright, sunny day?

Speaker B: Hi, Vanessa. Uh, thanks for having me. Today is a little bit cloudy. We have had some five days in a row of sun after, like, almost two months of rain. Something that's not common here. But the weather is now is getting warm and very good. Expecting a very good summer.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. This has been an odd year, right? I think you can't use this winter as an example of what life is like in Spain. Even where I we. It's been like the rainiest winter in 30 years. So hopefully we're coming into spring and we'll have the bright, beautiful summers that we're used to. So you're originally from Brazil. What drew you to the Costa del Sol when you decided to make the move to Spain?

Speaker B: Well, that's a good question. Yes, we came from Brazil, me, my wife, and now, uh, we have two kids here. We're four years old and eight years old. And I have lived in Barcelona before. Uh, it was just one year, but I have a good experience with the Spanish culture. I really like Spanish people. They are open, they're friendly. It's easy to do this transition when you move here. And then my wife got, uh, her Italian citizenship, so we decided to move, still having a business in Brazil, because we wanted to raise our kids in a very good environment, like a safe environment with different cultures and the weather, of course, for health. Myself, I really like to take care of my body, my health, my mood. It's very related to the sun. And before moving to Costa Del Sol. We were thinking about Sardinia in Italy and then we talked. Maybe Alicante is Costa Blanca. And we've been to Costa Blanca for a week. We liked it. But when we came here, when we arrived in Marbella, that was the place that wow got our attention, especially Malaga. Also. It's the weather, I think the weather, the climate here, the atmosphere and makes you feel it. And I like to say to some people, some clients, sometimes they come here, they, they're not sure if they buy something Costa del Sol. And I suggest them come first to different areas and then you have to feel it before you decide something, maybe by your intuition. So that's the best thing to do. It's not just about a house or a specific city. It's more about, uh, the feeling you have when you find the right place for you.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's one of the compelling things about the Costa del Sol is that it is attractive for so many different people. And every town has a very distinct personality and it caters to different types of people. And so I thought it would be really fun. Instead of talking about individual towns that we talk about the lifestyles that the Costa del Sol can offer. So I thought we'd start with the most active lifestyle. So for people who are outdoorsy, they're social, they're looking for a lot of action. What are the towns or what areas offer the kind that, uh, kind of high energy vibe on the Costa del Sol?

Speaker B: Well, talking about Costa del Sol, let's consider that it's Malaga, the capital, where we have the international airport from Soto Grande, that would be the main area on Costa del Sol. And I'm living now between Stepona and Marbella. And I would say Marbella is probably the place where you have more nightlife. This is the place you have. Puerto Banu is a quite famous tourist point. And the more than, let's say around 3 to 5 million people come here every year to visit Puerto Banus. There are plenty of nightlife and have the yachts, very expensive yachts. So a lot of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, more parties in general and more young vibe, let's say. So if you're looking for something like that, you should be around Puerto Banus, Marbella. But sometimes I like to say to clients that you can think as Marbella and Costa del Sol, like a, uh, big city with different neighborhoods because it's very easy to move from the airport where I'm at the moment in Stepona, at the border between Stepona and Marbella, you can come here in 40 minutes. So it's quite easy. It's easy to move around so it doesn't look like you are going to another city. That's very important for the people to understand. If they are planning to, they say, no, I prefer Marbella, I prefer Stepona, but it's pretty much the same thing. It's so easy to move around. And you can consider different cities like Fongirola, where I lived before. At the beginning I lived in Fongirola. And Fongirola is a bit different than Marbella. You have more elderly people. It's m. More calm, low, low pace of life. You have, uh, a very good promenade. In Fongirola, we lived beachfront and it was amazing. It's cheaper than Marbella. The restaurants, the cost of real estate, cost of living is a little bit lower than Marbella, but it's not too much lower because as I mentioned before, if you are thinking about Marbella, you can consider areas that are not so expensive, not so central. So it's everything, uh, related to your planning. Before you come here, you're gonna probably visit different cities. And I normally suggest if someone's coming here to find a place to live, you're going to need probably at least two weeks. And you can divide these two weeks in different places. Like Fongirola, for instance. It's a city very well located. Plenty of the city is flat, so you can do different kind of activities there, walk on a very wide promenade. Also in cities like Ben Almadena and Torre Molinos, you have this kind of things, but not so much as Fangirla and. And Fungilon is good. That is located between Malaga, the capital, and Marbella. So it's very central in Costa del Sol. That's why it's growing a lot. You have the biggest Finnish community in the world is located in Fola. So I see more people retiring there. And there's not so much parties and nightlife. But at the same time, if you come up to Stepona and Stepona now, we can talk a little bit more because we go to a church every Sunday there, me and my family. And it's American church. They started 20 years ago. They came from Louisiana, so they always tell their story. And the church is growing a lot. The community is growing and the city is evolving very quick. And you still like. It's very similar to Fongirola. So you have. Let's say we can divide Costa, uh, del Sol in one board is Malaga, the airport. The other board would be Sotogrande. Sotogrande is a very luxury city. Bigger plots, more expensive properties, more privacy, very luxury life. And then at the middle we have Marbella. And between Marbella and Sotogrande we have Stepona. That is like a, a uh, paradise growing because of the quality of life. Still good, good. Interesting prices in real estate, even renting or buying. So you have different options in all the cost of the. So you can just plan it and decide after you come. Something that is also interesting is to consider even if you are going to buy or rent the areas between Marbella and Sotogrande, they are a little bit far more far than the other cities because the closer you are to the airport in Malaga, the capital, the more expensive the rents, the renting and uh, the properties for you to buy. So if you are looking for some good, I would say good opportunities now would be Estepona. And from Estepona to Sotogrande, these areas are actually, uh, I'd say booming. They are in a very up and coming moment and they still have interesting prices. And you are not far from the nightlife, the active life you have in Puerto, uh, Tobanu. But in general in all these cities you can drive your bike, you can go to the mountains with your bike, you can go even surf a little bit and do paddle surf. You can do a lot of different sports, especially because of the weather, have the beach. And that's something we loved. And you asked the question before just complimenting the question. We love the, the idea of living very close to the sea and being able. Like from here where I am now, okay, maybe 10 minutes walking, I'm at the beach and it's very calm. You have the sea. This is a big balance at your life. You can work and enjoy this luxury paradise that is actually not expensive. You compare to cities like Paris, London, New York and in other cities like this, like Barcelona.

Speaker A: One thing I want to point out is the train line. So if you need easy access to the city or you want to be car free, what says, what's the farthest, uh, south you can go and, and still be on the train line on the Costa del Sol?

Speaker B: Yeah, the train line finishes in Fongirola. This is a very good point of Fongirola because from Malaga airport you can take the train and go straight to the center of Fangirola. So if you want to come to Marbella, you need a car or you have to take the bus. Well, this is an important point for many people. You have to consider this, uh, this could be a Negative point of Costa del Sol. I was talking. I have some friends from Spain, Spanish people from here, and they complain about it and they are like, uh, disappointed with the government. They didn't do it yet. I don't think they will be able to do that. But it would be great.

Speaker A: It's so built up.

Speaker B: Yeah. If we could have this, uh, metro system, like in Barcelona. That, for me is the best thing in Barcelona. If you live there, you can move around so easy. Don't need a car in Barcelona. Uh, I lived there one year. I never think, Never thought about having a car. And here you need to have a car. So this is something you have to consider.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I think if you want to live in a place like Soto Grande, you're going to have a car. People like that are. If you can afford Sotogrande, you're going to have a car. But if. We'll talk about retirees in a minute, so let's kind of park that, because I think that's really the demographic where this really comes into play. But before we talk about retirees, I want to talk about families and the amenities that are available on the Costa del Solo for families. I mean, maybe we can start with Estepona, because Estepona has my heart. I think it is absolutely gorgeous, and it's a beautiful place for families. Can you talk about as a. As a father, you've got young kids. What are some of the. The features and amenities of the Costa del Sol that. That you take advantage of?

Speaker B: Have you been to Estepona?

Speaker A: Sorry?

Speaker B: Have you been to Estepona?

Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Yes. I used to live in Benavis, so I was there before it actually kind of became beautiful. When I lived there, Estepona was still kind of a working, a little bit grungy town. And in the last 10 years, it has just blossomed.

Speaker B: Well, I think the main thing about Estepona is that it's calmer. It's calmer than Marbella. Marbella is more like that vibe of luxury, you know, like flexing. Many people flexing cars and luxury stores and the yachts. But in Stepona, you have a, uh, calmer pace and you have the promenade. I think the main thing is the promenade, to walk on the promenade. And this is a simple thing. But if you go, enjoy, enjoy it with your family, you really have that feeling that you are free, you are safe, even if there's not many policemen around. So it's. That's. That's an interesting thing. You don't see many police around, but if you're very safe. And I never saw anything, you know, like, regarding the violence, you know, like these kind of things. And apart from that, you have pretty much everything that Marbella or the other cities offer there is the nature that you are. Can do, the surfing you can do just enjoy the beach with your family. You can go to restaurants. Quite cheap comparing to Marbella. Well, what else? You tell me. There's the mountain. There is Sierra Bermeja is a mountain that the people go do biking. Mountain biking. This kind of things. Yeah, I would say it's this, the simplicity of the life, I think, that's got the attention of many people now.

Speaker A: Yeah, it just has a feeling of like, warmth and family. I remember when we lived there, our son was little, like a year and a half old. And my husband and my son were out in the morning one day and the garbage truck came by. And of course, every little boy loves a garbage truck, right? And this man stopped what he was doing, got out of the car, out of his truck, gave my son the button and let him push the button to lift the garbage truck up and down. And that really, really characterized the way people, for us, the way people on the coast del Sol treated children and really Spain in general. But we've had, you know, construction workers stop and say, here, come here, give me your son. Let's put him on my lap and let him lift the digger. You know, kids are welcome everywhere. You see kids out and about and the playgrounds. I think the coast of Del Sol has some of the most incredible play structures. They're like works of art. So you really feel like the area is built with families in mind and the people really embrace, you know, your whole family being there. It doesn't feel like, um, you know, other places where you might go with kids and you get a dirty look. If you walk into a restaurant at 8 o' clock at night with them in Spain, they're welcome everywhere. And I'd say the Costa del Sol has some really interesting private school options as well. How have, you know, are your kids in public school or private? And how have you interacted with the school system?

Speaker B: Yeah, my kids are still studying public school. We have the school very close to us. They have plenty of options. We have a very good private school that we want. This is one of our main goals now. We want to move them to this, uh, private school. And there, there are some, plenty of good schools here and different, like American schools, like Atlas. American school is between, is. It's in Estepona. So from the downtown Estepona, it's five, maybe 10 minutes driving. So they have new hospitals around here. Two new hospitals in Stepona in the last two years, and very good ones. And this is another thing, very, very interesting, very important. I was using the public health system the first two, three years, and then I changed to private health, uh, insurance. And I pay Incredibly, I pay €70 per month. And when I need something, any exam I need to do, it's everything included is amazing. And the hospital is five minutes driving, have parking there, have good attendance. It's amazing. Probably the best thing about Spain, considering everything in quality of life. It's a health system. Even if you use the public system, it takes a little bit more for you to be attended. When you go to the hospital, there is a big hospital of, uh, the Costa del Sol hospital here from Marbella center, you go in 10 minutes. That's why I mentioned it before. It's so easy, everything to go from one place to the other. And then if you use the public system, well, when you get your residency here, you probably have the rights to use the, uh, public system of health. And then the only. The main difference is that takes more time for you to be attended. But both are good. But the private system is very, very good and cheap, like for what you pay. It's so much that they offer. And Estepona and the center, they have done a big, big hospital, new one. So this is a very good, positive point about Spain.

Speaker A: Yeah, 100%. I mean, coming from America, I still have PTSD. When I go to the doctor, I'm expecting a bill. And it's just so amazing to know that my very inexpensive private insurance just covered all of that. And I don't have to worry about it. You know, it's. It is really amazing. And I would, I've. I've interacted with both systems as well. And I agree with you. You wait a little bit longer. The May public system may be not quite as fancy, but. But the doctors work in both systems. They might work two days in one and three days in the other. I mean, you're getting the same quality of care. It's just structured a little bit differently. And a lot of Spanish people just, you know, whatever's more convenient, they go between the two systems. It's very easy to flow between the both of them. And I think this is a really good segue to talk about the last bucket lifestyle bucket, which would be retirees. So obviously healthcare is especially important to retirees. But what are some of the areas that are most attractive to people who want an active retirement lifestyle, but don't want to feel like they're sort of pigeonholed into a 55 plus community. So they still want to be part of, you know, daily life, Just want to be around the elderly, but they want to have be around people who are playing pickleball or out sailing or, you know, they want an active retired lifestyle.

Speaker B: Well, from my experience, I would suggest them for sure to know personally. Fuen Hirola, Fongirola. We can say that uh, the center, the pillar of Costa del Sol because of everything that it offers. Close to the airport, about 15, 20 minutes from the airport. And it's a, uh, pretty much flat city. You have a little bit of mountains also with the views, but you have plenty of. Most of the city is in flat. And the center is everything around you. So you can live there with life there is not so expensive comparing to Marbella area. And then when many foreigners hear about Marbella, ah, they normally think, yeah, Marbella is a big city. And then if you say Estepona or uh, Benjaves, they think different cities. But it's. I like to say that think Marbella is like a city with different neighborhoods. Like Fongirola would be a neighborhood of MARBELLA because in 10 minutes you probably can be in Fongirola and you can be in Benahavis. Bena Harvest is a luxury area now that is booming with luxury villas. The most expensive villas at the market now are in Benahavas. Benajaves is like the back of Marbella, standing at the mountains with views and pretty much big villas. But you don't have that convenience like you can have in Fangirola, close to the beach, everything walk distance. Uh, there are other areas like Ben Almadena for instance, that is beside Fongirola, closer to the airport. So these cities closer to the airport, they tend to be a little bit more expensive. The life and the real estate, the renting and everything. But the people, they should see Costa del Sol as a whole and decide their priorities and then book a uh trip to go here, to come here and visit different areas. I would say in general the best visit value for money. Now, if you don't mind to travel a little bit more would be between Marben and Sotogrande, closer to Sotogrande, between these two cities, between Stepona and Sotogrande, we have cities like Manilva and Cazares. These two cities, Manilva and Casares, they are the best opportunities now for you to buy a house or Rent a house because it's cheaper. You have to drive a little bit more to go to the airport or to come to Marbella. And these cities still offer good options for renting and living. Of course, you don't have a shopping center there. You have two shopping centers in Costa del Sol. One is located in Marbella. There's La Canada. Normally go there the weekends with my kids, my wife, we like to go there just to have a coffee in the market. You know, like we go walk around a little bit to have some stores. But it's just about going out and see something different. And then there's another one in Foim Hirola that. This is another good point of Fangirola. We used to live there. We lived the first year. We've been living six years in Costa del Sol. The first year we lived in Fangirola. We love the city, it offers everything. And then I remember I started as a personal trainer here the first year. Because 20 years ago I graduated, worked a little bit as a personal trainer and fitness life. I wanted to start here as a personal trainer to connect with people, to be involved in this health industry. I, um, remember that when I realized. Then I realized Marbella is the city for me. Because when I. If I wanted to be a personal trainer because Fujirola is more like calm people are just. There's no this hype that you have in the United States. Also in Brazil, people to be perfect bodies, you know, this is a little bit different here. People are more relaxed, more calm down. There's no need of flexing their bodies. Like we see many, many countries and different cultures. But this is definitely not a painting, you know, to, to do Marbella. Yeah, Marbella.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: It's has this appeal for the. The body.

Speaker A: Yeah. So how did you make the switch into real estate?

Speaker B: Yeah, it was three years ago. Uh, I've been working 16 years in real estate, as I mentioned with you before. And, uh, three years ago I started in real estate when I found the right place to live here. For us coming from Brazil, it was a bit hard because people here, they normally ask you income from Spain. So I came. I had good savings in Brazil, some properties there. But I. I couldn't show at the beginning my income in Spain. And sometimes it can be hard. So that's something I'm doing now, helping clients. Because it's a different culture. You have to plan everything. And then step by step we found the right place to live here in Stepona. And then we set up here and then I rented the offices, started the company because I understand. I realized that when I came here. First I need to know the area because working in real estate is important to know the cities, where is the supermarket, where are the schools, and how can I sell real estate or work in real estate without knowing the place? And also adapt with the languages, Spanish, English. At the beginning. So it was a transition because we had two small kids. So I thought about starting fitness to create contact. Contact networking. And then three years ago, I started my company here.

Speaker A: Great. Yeah, I think it's what you said is exactly why I connect with people like you. I think it's so important to have a local expert, somebody who lives there, knows the area, you know, sells a lot of real estate. You guys are very successful doing what you do. You have a team. Um, and you know, when you're coming in from another country, you need somebody who can. Has that both insider and outsider perspective. You know, you see the Costa del Sol as somebody who immigrated there, and now you see it from the insider's perspective as well. And you can help other people find their place and then find their property within a. It's a pretty big area, like we talked about. Lots of different lifestyles, lots of different, uh, amenities to pick from. So I appreciate being able to work with someone like you and to send my clients to somebody who can guide them through that process and has that firsthand experience. So thank you for what you do. Is there anything else about life on the coast del Sol that you think people who are considering coming to visit, considering this area that, you know, that they should know?

Speaker B: Well, I would say that very important to. To pay attention to the people that were dealing in business, because in real estate here, for instance, it's, uh, a profession that is not regularized. So there are thousands of people doing it without studying before, without being prepared. And people that just. There are some scammers. There are many people, uh, like, um, related to mafias that happened here. And you're going to probably hear that Marbella is. There are people that are danger here because of the drugs coming from Morocco. Well, it was, for us, never a problem. We never focus on that. And we have a great life because you have to choose what we're looking for here. So, um, this is one thing, take care with someone that you are talking to, because finding the right person to guide you, that's the best thing to do. And I see people sometimes going to a different place and they are talking to many, many different agents, or they are. They are not looking for the Right person, you know, and sometimes I can even suggest someone that I know instead of working myself. So that's. I think recommendations are the best thing if you want to start or if you want to rent something, if you want to buy something, or if you want to relocate here. Because if you start with the right people that can connect you in business also, it's very important to save a lot of time. And I remember when we came here, we were looking for people that could guide us, especially Brazilians, that we were searching YouTube and there was no one I was even willing to pay to a, uh, consultancy or something for someone to guide me. Now we have YouTube. The people can search and find different information. But that's what we are doing actually on YouTube. I have four YouTube channels. I have my Brazilian YouTube channel. I speak Portuguese. And then the people, when they see all the videos that we have done by the years, especially in Portuguese, we teach every step how to create the NIE number, how to do everything regarding visas, and everything is very important. And, uh, yeah, study a little bit before coming about the, uh, residency situation. When I lived in Spain, first time 20 years ago, I, I was, I became illegal here because I was young, looking for parties. I stayed more than three months. I didn't even realize that was illegal. And some people don't pay attention, especially young people. They are not. Yeah, let's go there and see what happens. But you need to have someone to guide on these kind of things. That's, that's very important. Planning is essential in this process.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And I'll include some resources below for people who are looking for those. Visa, uh, tax, consulting, finance, healthcare, some of those issues. I work with a great company called Moving to Spain to help people navigate that part of the process. So I'll include that below for anyone who's interested. Dico, thank you so much. I'm so glad we had a chance to talk about the lifestyles that are available on the Costa del Sol. And I will include a contact form so you can reach out to Dico using that form in the resources below. And you know, reach out if we can help you find a property on the coast of Del Sol. Thanks, Dico.

Speaker B: Thanks, Vanessa.

Speaker A: Uh, hey, thanks for watching. I hope you enjoyed this conversation about life on the coast of Del Sol. If you'd like to get in touch with Deeco or you'd like more help exploring your property options on the cost of Del Sol, just fill out the contact form in the description below and, um, I will connect you if you're not quite ready to look for property, but you're trying to figure out where to land in Spain. That's where I come in. I help people find their place in Spain through one on one consultations, through group scouting trips and custom trips as well. If you'd like help figuring out what place suits you best, reach out. I'd love to help. And until next time, keep traveling, keep exploring, and keep living the life you dream about.

Speaker B: Mhm.