Anyone familiar with playing golf on the Costa del Sol will probably already be familiar with La Quinta Golf & Country Club . Located just 10 minutes drive from Puerto Banus, and nestled in the hills above San Pedro, La Quinta offers golfers 3 separate nine hole courses, meaning that there are 3 combinations of 18 hole rounds. There is also a Manuel Pinero Golf Academy and pro shop on site. In recent years, La Quinta has seen the welcome addition of the on-site 5 star Westin La Quinta Hotel , with its restaurants and bars, and the fabulous new spa, which added to the tennis facilities and kids´ club, nicely completes the offering of on-site amenities. Property at La Quinta has always been one of the most stable investments on the Costa del Sol . Owned by the dairy company, Pascual, La Quinta made a stand of shying away from multiple investors in the boom years, so the market at La Quinta hasn´t fallen victim to particularly deep troughs during the current recession. Having said that, there are some genuinely great deals available for anyone looking to buy a property at La Quinta at the moment, including two recent reformed 3 bed properties at La Quinta overlooking the lush fairways, priced at just €213.000 and €223.000 – outstanding value in such a great location. Related Posts Open Terraces – a British Obsession? Polaris world - A Golfing Paradise Come To Polaris World to Live Life King-Size

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Great Offers at La Quinta Golf & Country Club

Hot and busy – these are the best 2 words to describe the Costa del Sol at the moment. If the Brits are staying at home this year, then the Spaniards are certainly opting to do the same! I spent Saturday in Benalmadena , the popular tourist resort just 15 minutes from Malaga airport. The area is normally dominated by British tourists enjoying the sun, but this time I would estimate that the population was 70% Spanish. When I drove back towards Marbella on Saturday evening, the roads were clogged up, full of tourists heading back to their holiday apartments from the beaches, or heading into the popular haunts of Marbella and Puerto Banus for the evening. I stopped off at Opencor supermarket in Elviria on the way home for a bottle of vodka – trust me, I needed it! – and the place looked like a bombsite – imagine Primark at 5pm on a Saturday, and you get the idea! The place was full of Spanish tourists – I was amazed, as Elviria is generally quite ´English´ at this time of the year. So, it seems that the Spanish are having a ´staycation´ summer, pushing hotel occupancy rates in the key areas close to 100%. With easy access into an expanding Malaga airport, and now a simple 2 1/2 hour high-speed rail journey from the centre of Madrid, it seems that the Costa del Sol is hot for more reasons than just the weather. Who needs the Brits?! Related Posts Strange Reaction to Recession in Spain Falling in Love with Spain…again! SKY tv in Spain – a necessary evil?

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Hordes of Spaniards Flock to the Costa del Sol

Some good news at last for Lanzarote´s under pressure tourist industry as the low cost flight specialists Ryanair recently announced a major shift in the focus of their operations, unveiling a total of 39 new services to the Canary Islands , commencing from October as the company seeks to take advantage of the current suspension of taxes and charges at Spanish airports. The number of tourists visiting Lanzarote has fallen back dramatically during the first half of this year, with total foreign arrivals dropping by 18% and British tourism down by over 20% thanks to the detrimental impact of the credit crunch and the current weakness of sterling against the euro. So Ryanair´s announcement last week that they will now be opening new routes comes as welcome news for the many overseas owners of holiday accommodation in Lanzarote , who have watched bookings plummet in recent months. The 15 new Ryanair flights to Lanzarote will operate from Bristol, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Luton. East Midlands, Liverpool and Prestwick airports, whilst a further 16 new flights are planned for Gran Canaria and 8 for Tenerife. Ryanair had recently come under fire for cutting back on their operations at Stansted, blaming high airport taxes in the UK and Ireland, and their announcement of these new services to the Canary islands comes as a direct result of a decision by AENA, the Spanish airport operators, to waive all airline charges through until the end of March next year in a bid to stimulate tourism. The airline has stated that they expect the new services to carry up to 2 million passengers to the Canary Islands during the winter, but have also indicated that any continuation of services beyond March 31st is dependent upon AENA maintaining their waiver on airport charges. Other low cost airlines have also recently announced that they will also be beefing up their services to Lanzarote this winter, with Ryanair´s close rival Aer Lingus unveiling new services from Gatwick, commencing in October with headline one-way fares starting at £49.99, whilst in the north easyjet will be operating new flights from John Lennon International Airport commencing in November, with prices starting at just £29.99 one way. Lanzarote´s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which is estimated to account for around 85% of island GDP, and the Lanzarote property and travel markets are closely linked. as overseas investment in holiday rental property has traditionally been the engine room of growth. Related Posts Exploring Lanzarote – The Hot Holiday Island Easyjet Winter Schedule – not so easy anymore? Food Hygiene – Don´t Look too Hard!!

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Ryanair Shift Focus To Lanzarote

I´ve been struggling to get much sleep for the past few weeks. Apart from a bit of disturbance from the neighbours coming back from the odd night out while on holiday in Puerto Banus , the main problem has been the series of fireworks that have been going off, seemingly every night, normally at around midnight……………just when the parties are starting…………and I am trying to get to sleep! The fireworks have signalled the start of various events and parties, most of which are held in the trendy beach clubs in and around Puerto Banus – places such as Ocean Club and Buddha Beach. Actually, I confess that it´s all very exciting hearing fireworks going off…..better than police sirens back home in the UK! I just wish I could see them – quite tricky from my ground floor apartment in Puerto Banus ! Related Posts Davis Cup in Puerto Banus is a Huge Success Davis Cup Tennis Comes to Puerto Banus A Busy October for the Costa del Sol

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Fireworks in Puerto Banus

I noticed during a recent trip to England that you could barely travel a mile down the road without the intrusion of a speed camera. Speed cameras are relatively unused in Spain, although 2 were recently installed on the main coastal highway A7 on the Costa del Sol . For those planning a holiday on the Costa del Sol this summer, it may be handy for you to know that the first is located on the eastbound carriageway between the turnings for Puerto Banus and Nagueles (just before the tunnel), and the other is positioned on the eastbound carriageway just before the exit for La Cala de Mijas . What struck me most about the location of these speed cameras is that they are both on stretches of road on which it really takes some effort (or a VERY fast car) to actually reach the speed limit of 120kmh. In addition, there is also a warning sign about 500 metres before the camera, giving you at least an opportunity to slow down. I think these points highlight the key difference in how these cameras are used in Spain and in the UK. In Spain, they are clearly meant as a deterrent, whereas in the UK, their proliferation smacks of a money-making exercise. In fact, I am convinced that many accidents must be caused by anxious drivers looking out for speed cameras in the UK, and braking violently to avoid being zapped. Related Posts Speed Cameras in Spain England - the place gets worse! Travelling by Train in Spain

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Speed Cameras in Spain

Sundays in Spain are special. Here on the Costa del Sol , the shops only open on a Sunday during August and the run-up to Christmas. Apart from those periods, the shops never open on a Sunday. This means that you have no other choice than to relax. There simply aren´t the temptations that exist in the UK to pop to the garden centre, the DIY store, the supermarket or the shopping mall. Here in Spain, the day is meant for the family to enjoy together. Most Spanish people detest working on a Sunday, no matter what the riches on offer. A friend of mine owns a restaurant in Puerto Banus , and she cannot get the Spanish staff to come to work on a Sunday, not for double-time, not for triple-time! The Spanish just don´believe in it. To them, Sunday is their day of rest, and that´s exactly what they do. Related Posts Virus - feeling sick in Spain Communal Living - Think About the Swimming Pools! Properties in Spain - A rage

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Sundays in Spain – a day of rest

I´ve just spent a really lovely day here in Marbella , a day that reminded me why I live here. After a fairly lazy breakfast this morning, I went for a dip in the community swimming pool and a 30 minute lie in the sun, reading a few chapters of a book. After a nice shower, I met friends at a beach bar in Marbella, where we shared a large jug of sangria and a fabulous paella while my friends´ kids played on the sand and paddled in the sea beside us.I followed this up with a leisurely walk along the beach in the 25 degree heat under a cloudless sky, and then grabbed the Sunday Times which I looked through this evening, before turning on my PC to do some work – the only downside in an otherwise perfect Mediterranean Sunday. Related Posts Marbella - how it´s changed in 7 years - PART 1 Sport in Spain El Corte Ingles – Spain´s flagship food hall??

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A Lazy Sunday in Marbella

Summer has arrived, and I´m loving living in Spain again. Isn´t it amazing how we are so easily influenced by the climate. We´ve just had the worst winter in Spain for 30 years, and it looks like Spring has completely passed us by. I remember this from previous years here on the Costa del Sol – lousy winter, but as soon as easter has come and gone, summer starts. Today, it´s 21 degrees, clear blue skies – perfect. It´s that lovely quiet time for all residents of the Costa del Sol – all the Spaniards who traditionally holiday in Marbella during the easter vacation have since gone home, and we now have a lovely spell of 8-10 weeks where the weather on the Costa del Sol is usually glorious, and the mass tourism is yet to beset us. I woudn´t want tot anywhere else. (Just wish I had a home!) Related Posts 20% Fewer Brits Coming to Spain Easyjet - my love affair is over Should you sell your Property in Spain?

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Falling in Love with Spain…again!

Now that I am mortgage-approved, have the balance of my funds nicely in place, and receive tens of bargain Spanish properties every day to my email address, I just want to buy something…….anything!… …and that´s the danger. I must remember that this is my home, not an investment property in Spain . I plan to live in this place for many years, so I really need to get this right. The problem I have is that, with working in the real estate industry, I get to see a lot of great deals and a lot of lovely Spanish properties , and it´s very easy to get distracted in the current market. I´m going to take a breather for a week or two – it´s all been a bit stressful. But as soon as I´m back searching, I will let you know how I get on. Related Posts An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 3 – Making the Offer An Agent Buys a Property in Spain – Part 1 – How Hard Can it Be?! An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 4 – The Auction

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An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 6 – Itchy Feet!

I know what you´re thinking – why didn´t he check with the bank before making an offer? To be honest, I just assumed that all would be ok. Even now, I reckon that if I´d had a little more time, and the cash buyer hadn´t been on the scene, I could have found a bank to provide a Spanish mortgage on that property in Marbella . For the cash buyer, the risk was all his – no banks to consider. And let´s face it, even in the worst case scenario where the new owner may have been asked to pay a fine as a result of any adverse ruling by the town hall in Marbella, the fact that he secured the property at such a great price was probably enough to persuade him that it was worth the small risk. So, there we are. I´m gutted. My advice to any prospective buyer of a bargain Spanish property is to be fully prepared, so get yourself mortgage approved, and spend time speaking to a lawyer to make sure you are aware of any potential pitfalls. By doing this, you will be able to compete with a cash buyer and react with the same speed. Related Posts An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 3 – Making the Offer An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 4 – The Auction An Agent Buys a Property in Spain – Part 1 – How Hard Can it Be?!

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An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 5 – Losing Out