Malaga is "on fire" and this is why we are opening a new Costa del Sol office - Christie's International Real Estate, in the city centre, on the beautiful Paseo de Reding.

We say HELLO to Malaga! and to all our clients who are interested in luxury properties in this city, which is really booming.

MALAGA IS IN FASHION

Just to give a few examples of the intense activityMalaga is immersed in, we would like to highlight that the NEW CYBER SECURITY HEADQUARTERS OF THE GIANT GOOGLE opened very recently in its seaport; a FORBES report was published recently informing that the city is the NUMBER ONE TO LIVE IN, ACCORDING TO FOREIGNERS, because of its friendliness and services, among other aspects; Malaga's international airport has just set a new RECORD FOR VISITOR NUMBERS in the last year; and new restaurants, five-star hotels, prime services and interesting luxury properties are constantly appearing on the Malaga scene.

To further enhance the value of the city, famed tennis player Rafa Nadal has selected the western area to open a new sports club there. The tennis player, who has several centres around the world, including in the United States and Kuwait, would like the RAFA NADAL CLUB to be not only racquet-oriented, but to cover various sport and wellness services as well.

As we can see, Malaga is really in fashion and it is the place to be.

MALAGA: UNBEATABLE QUALITY OF LIFE

In addition to this good news, the city has developed exponentially over the last few years. It has grown in terms of the cultural, university, business, tourism, gastronomy, ecology activities and infrastructure improvements. Of the latter, some are as positive as the renovation of the promenade and beaches, the expansion of the city's bicycle network, and the creation of the beautiful open-air shopping centre MUELLE 1 in the Port of Malaga.

In addition, the quality of life is measured also in terms of communications. Indeed, Malaga has excellent connections by land, sea, and air. The COSTA DEL SOL AIRPORT with 122 worldwide destinations is particularly noteworthy. On the other hand, the city already has two operating UNDERGROUND lines and a third one is expected soon. It has had high-speed rail (AVE) for many years now, allowing to reach Madrid in just two and a half hours. Its port area, in turn, handles thousands of ships and millions of tons of goods per year.

BOQUERONES, SUN, TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE

The "Boquerones", which is the affectionate nickname used to refer to the people of Malaga (because anchovies are the most typical fish of the province), have a very favourable climate and geography. Three hundred days of sunshine a year and 14 kilometres of beaches have made Malaga a top holiday destination since the 1960s, when the Costa del Sol's tourist boom exploded.

Let us not forget that, in terms of cultural activities, it is home to museums as important as Picasso, Pompidou and Thyssen, with impressive collections; or that it has monuments as important as the Alcazaba, the Roman Theatre and the Cathedral. Its historic centre has been revived, while the leisure activities it offers have been diversified. On the one hand, there still are places with a local flavour, such as the obligatory Bodega El Pimpi, one of whose owners is the most international Malagueño, the actor ANTONIO BANDERAS; and, on the other hand, there are sophisticated terraces, such as those of the Gran Hotel Miramar.

As regards technology, it is not only the arrival of the giant Google at the port that has placed it on the map. Malaga already had a Technology Park since the nineties. A large ICT area that has been progressively expanding, to the point where it has more than 650 companies now. In addition to this, last November the Andalusian Regional Government inaugurated its CYBER SECURITY CENTRE in the city’s central district.

MALAGA HAS ITS OWN HALLMARK

Whilst the neighbouring town of Marbella has always been very famous worldwide for its glamorous flagships (Puerto Banús, Marbella Club and Puente Romano), now Málaga has also reached, especially with the FORBES report, the TOP place in the world.

Marbella has always had a few aces up its sleeve when it comes to being chosen as a luxury destination. Incredible golf courses, four harbours for mooring yachts, Michelin star restaurants and ultra-exclusive residential developments, such as Cascada de Camoján, Sierra Blanca and La Zagaleta.

However, Malaga has been positioning itself step by step in the ranking for "good living". It has managed to distinguish itself, to create its own brand image, without competing with Marbella, by betting on a mix of Culture, Technology, Sun and Gastronomy.

It has reinvented itself in the real estate sector as well.. The number of high-end properties is on the rise and, in addition to existing prime areas, such as El Limonar, Monte Sancha and La Malagueta, new areas are gaining value as well. There are some very interesting new developments in the western area, next to the sea, which also guarantee greater proximity to the airport.

THE 4-IN-1 PHENOMENON

With this resurgence of Malaga, we must mention the 4 in 1 phenomenon. For many years, having a permanent residence in the country of origin and a holiday home on the Costa del Sol has been the steady trend in the sale of luxury properties to foreign clients. The south of Spain, with its hospitality toward foreigners and warm coastline, has been plagued by properties that used to remain empty in winter.

But Covid was a trigger for the rise of telecommuting and the rethinking of the quality of life. Many jobs can be performed from anywhere in the world with a good wifi connection and good communications for contacting the parent company from time to time.

Now many luxury property investors on the Costa del Sol want 4-in-1.

A luxury property must meet the following requirements simultaneously:

- Be a holiday home.

- Be a permanent or semi-permanent home from which it is possible to telework.

- Be potentially rentable .

- Be a property of increasing value that can be resold.

Costa del Sol combines all these advantages and its real estate business figures in recent years bear witness to this. According to the latest report by the Registrars of Spain, the price per square metre on Costa del Sol increased by 8.5 %. In Malaga in particular, the average price per square metre now is around 3,500 euros, according to a report by Foro Consultores.

So, you may already be asking yourself whether Malaga is the place for your next luxury home.

Don't forget that we at Costa del Sol Christie's International Real Estate are the experts in luxury property on the Costa del Sol. You can visit our Malaga or Marbella office or visit us online. We will be happy to advise you.

Here you can continue reading about luxury Malaga, cultural Malaga or about its most international painter: Picasso.