It’s likely to be a good year – 2014 saw the first serious signs of an end of the recession on the Costa del Sol with record numbers of tourists and sales of property to foreigners at pre-crisis levels. It’s also election year so expect a slurge of public money.
Below are my predictions on what we can expect to see in 2015 on the Costa del Sol in terms of property, culture, nature, sports and transport.
Property
Costa del Sol property came firmly back into fashion in 2014 and some analysts (and most estate agents) are predicting a rise in prices this year. Like the national map of Spanish property, the Costa del Sol isn’t a uniform market and property is notoriously unpredictable anyway, but we’ll probably see:
Continued rise in sales along the coast – sales from January to June last year rose by 35 per cent and purchases by foreigners in 2014 reached levels last seen in 2007. That said, it might be a slow start after the frenzy of property purchases at the end of the year taking advantage of the last throes of favourable capital gains tax rules.
Shortage of property in Marbella and Benahavís – there’s virtually no new-build stock here and also a shortage of land. Expect to see a continuation of the trend of demolishing an older property and building a modern mansion in its place.
Plenty to choose from in Benalmadena and Mijas – no sign of the seemingly endless supply of 2-bed apartments in these resorts coming to an end.
Prices rises in Marbella and frontline golf and beach properties – but not as high as some agents would like us to believe. And don’t forget that the Russians are struggling with currency devaluation and Greece teeters (yet again) on the brink of the euro so the Costa del Sol property market isn’t out of the woods yet.
Culture
2015 promises to be the year of the museums with two new ones opening in Malaga and one in Estepona.
Pompidou Museum – in the striking glass cube at the end of Muelle Uno in the port, the Malaga branch of probably the most avantgarde museum in Paris is set to open at the end of March. Expect a taste of 20th and 21st century art including works by Francis Bacon, Frieda Kahlo and René Magritte of bowler hat fame.
Museo de la Aduana – far too many years and millions later, this art musuem situated just east of the Plaza de la Marina in Malaga should be open at the end of the year. Even if you’re not an art lover, the building itself is more than worth the visit and the views of Malaga from the roof terrace are second to none.
Orchidarium – Estepona expects to open the largest orchidarium in Europe by Easter. It’ll be home to over 8,000 species. Pure delight for us amateur orchid growers. And while you’re in Estepona admiring orchids, don’t forget the amazing street art display due for a few new additions this year.
Nature
Those of us who get out and about in the stunning Malaga countryside are in for a few treats this year.
Caminito del Rey – top of the list and long overdue is the restoration of this vertigo-inspiring gorge walk. Due to open at the end of January, those who dare are in for a dizzy treat with some stunning views. Just remember – don’t look down.
Marbella Seafront – extension plans continue and this year should see the completion of the promenade from the Bajadilla fishing port to Rio Real. This will add a few more kilometres to this popular walkway that starts in San Pedro.
Cueva del Gato – the authorities have just agreed to put this amazing cave near Ronda on their restoration priority list. A 400m walkway into this 10km laberynth of galleries and tunnels is due to be built sometime during the year making access easy and safe for those of us who like an easy cave visit.
Sports
Malaga CF – will 2015 be the year Malaga football club returns to European championship football? At the end of 2014, the answer seemed to be yes, but the recent crushing defeat by Almería (way down the league table) makes this prediction less certain.
Marathons – lots of Costa del Sol resorts will hold their usual half-marathons this year. The one in Malaga in March celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Transport
Malaga is already crisscrossed with roads, but public transport could still do with a few updates. Unfortunately, nothing major is on the cards for 2015. In Malaga, the Guadalmedina metro station opening has been put back to 2016 and the budget for plans for the expansion of the coastal railway from Fuengirola to Marbella is, yet again, miserably small.