Showpiece Homes, Luxury Living… and Las Chapas
The Costa del Sol ceased being a mere “bucket and spade” tourist destination decades ago but its beaches remain the area’s most alluring attraction. Along more than 180 kilometres of coastline from Nerja in the east to Sotogrande in the west, residents and visitors are able to enjoy a diverse array of seaside amenities and services, from tranquil mini-coves and traditional chiringuitos (beach bar-restaurants) to organised nautical sports and chic beach clubs. And, of course, superb frontline beach properties.
The beach remains the Costa del Sol’s main sign of identity – its raison d’être – even if the area is also blessed with a magnificent potpourri of leisure, culture, gastronomy, adventure and nature. In recent years, the Costa del Sol’s beach areas have also undergone a significant transformation, with government initiatives aimed at modernising their infrastructures while preserving their natural surroundings.
This is highlighted in particularly impressive fashion by the project to develop a coastal walkway from Nerja’s Balcón de Europa to Manilva (the western-most point of Málaga province). Comprising paths, promenades and pavements, the “Senda Litoral” (as it is known in Spanish) is now 75 per cent completed, while associated projects have been carried out on several sections along the coast to improve access and enhance people’s enjoyment of the beach areas.
Earlier this month, for example, it was announced that vital work to protect the province’s largest sand dune area, Artola (between Marbella and Mijas Costa), had been completed. A declared “Natural Monument” the 30-hectare site has been revamped and protected with a network of raised wooden pathways, and a separate parking area on its perimeter.
This week, Marbella Town Hall further reinforced the Coast’s commitment to sustainable tourism by presenting its Strategic Plan, which will be taken into account when the new General Urban Ordinance Plan (Spanish acronym: PGOU) is drafted. The plan has been four years in the making and includes 160 initiatives outlining a roadmap for Marbella’s proposed development model for the next seven years, focusing on such priorities as ongoing pedestrianisation of the streets, the construction of public parking amenities to discourage people from driving into the city, and promoting the use of bicycles.
Meanwhile, further afield – at the northern boundary of Málaga province, another walkway – the rather more daunting Caminito del Rey – was honoured at the FITUR travel fair in Madrid with a tourism merit plaque for emerging destinations. Once known as one of the world’s most dangerous walkways, the route – which hugs the walls of a narrow gorge – underwent a multi-million-euro renovation and, since being re-opened in March 2015, has been visited by more than 300,000 people.
Returning to the coast, our featured property this week is located in the Hacienda Las Chapas residential area not far from Artola, an Andalucian-style villa on a stunning double plot – with the price reduced to €1,995,000.
And to enjoy the pleasures of the Mediterranean close by… the newly-launched Oceanis 41-1 from Beneteau.
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