Showpiece Homes and Luxury Living… Manilva
With a national election due at the end of the year, the government followed the time-worn political tradition of adding some juicy pork-barrelling when it announced its budget for 2016 earlier this month. Spending on infrastructure is, arguably, the most important component of the national budget at a local level (apart from overall macro-economic spending on education, health and social services, which obviously also affects all of us currently living or planning to move here), so there was keen interest on the Costa del Sol to see how far the funds extended when it came to some of the area’s cherished (and long-awaited) projects. The news was, in overall terms, quite favourable.
The eagerly-awaited northern access to the airport, for example, has received €5 million in funding to complete work on the 1.6 kilometre stretch of remaining road from Alhaurín de la Torre to the main terminal. This will provide a significant improvement to airport connections by road, enabling many users to avoid the current southern access from Guadalmar (on the outskirts of Málaga city).
Other funds have been allocated to improving access to Benalmádena and Arroyo de la Miel from the main bypass (which sometimes suffers bottlenecks at peak hours) and to Vélez-Málaga from La Caleta at the eastern end of the Costa del Sol, to a state public library in the Convento de Trinidad building in Málaga, to an oceanography centre, and to general beach conservation.
Málaga’s connections with other key parts of Andalucía will also be enhanced with construction of a railway bypass at Bobadilla (between Málaga and Antequera) and with tenders called for a project to provide a direct AVE link between Málaga and Sevilla. Passengers can currently only travel on the high-speed AVE from Málaga to Córdoba, and Córdoba to Sevilla, Work on a bypass around Antequera, and 20 kilometres of new railway line near Lorca, is also currently being completed to provide an AVE link between Málaga and Granada (due to be finished by the end of the year).
Another rail project that has been on the backburner for years – even decades – is the extension of the “local” rail link (“Cercanías”) to the western end of the Costa del Sol, as far as Marbella and Estepona. The route was opened in 1971, when limited demand and technology meant it was only built from Málaga to Fuengirola, and it has become one of the state railway company Renfe’s most widely used (and profitable) routes. The 2016 budget includes funding to begin work on the draft outline of a project with various different options to extend the route: either inland away from the main urban centres with limited stops between Fuengirola and Marbella and Marbella and Estepona (the cheaper option); or along the coastal corridor, which would be more expensive but considerably more convenient for residents of the whole coastal area. Clearly, the latter is the favoured option for people currently relying on bus services or keen to have a non-driving alternative when visiting other towns on the Coast.
Residents (and tourists) further afield have also made it clear they believe it would make much more sense to take this opportunity (and learn from past oversights) and extend the line as far as Algeciras, near Gibraltar.
This would also provide the advantage for those living in (or visiting) towns in the western parts of the coast to discover the charms and attractions of lesser-known municipalities including Manilva.
Traditional “beach” tourism tends to focus on such coastal suburbs as Sabanillas, El Castillo and La Duquesa, with the township of Manilva (two kilometres inland) often overlooked. Extending the train service to Manilva might be a pipedream, but local authorities are working hard in other areas to promote the town’s special attractions. The area has a long tradition with wine production, for example, and visitors can enjoy a fascinating culinary journey at the Centro de Interpretación Las Viñas (CIVIMA) wine museum, concluding with a tasting of popular local sweet and white wines.
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High-Speed AVE[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_3589" align="alignright" width="150"]
Al Andalus Tourism[/caption]
And who knows: perhaps then join many other visitors – both foreign and from other parts of Spain – who have been so enchanted by Manilva’s rustic yet cosmopolitan allure that they have decided to buy a home and make their stay more permanent. Like the spacious Spanish-style farmhouse featured here, set on a 56,000 square metre plot and offering stunning sea views.
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We appreciate your taking the time to read about this outstanding property, but perhaps it is not exactly right for you? If not, we invite you to have a look at our other special selections for:
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High-Speed AVE[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_3589" align="alignright" width="150"]
Al Andalus Tourism[/caption]
And who knows: perhaps then join many other visitors – both foreign and from other parts of Spain – who have been so enchanted by Manilva’s rustic yet cosmopolitan allure that they have decided to buy a home and make their stay more permanent. Like the spacious Spanish-style farmhouse featured here, set on a 56,000 square metre plot and offering stunning sea views.
Special Selections
We appreciate your taking the time to read about this outstanding property, but perhaps it is not exactly right for you? If not, we invite you to have a look at our other special selections for: La Zagaleta, Luxury Villas, Golf Properties, Seafront Properties, Apartments and Special Offers. Click on the category of your choice and follow the link. Also please feel free to roam around our website: www.villamarbellanow.com.