Living in one of Europe's best addresses

Marbella ticks all the right boxes when it comes to luxury living along the Mediterranean coast, making it consistently one of the most popular real estate choices, and its Golden Mile is the icing on the cake. It more than lives up to its name, offering a glittering lifestyle that includes access to top attractions like the prestigious and elegant Marbella Club Hotel, set in prize-winning gardens of exceptional beauty, and Puente Romano, named as best Spanish resort by Condé Nast. Stretching for five kilometres from the city's Eastern tip at one end, and as far as Rio Verde in the other direction, this playground to the rich and famous boasts exclusive real estate that allows residents to live the dream, and provides investors with opportunities that are, like its pristine sands and annual sunshine record, golden indeed.

History and Key Facts

Spain was an early beneficiary of mass travel, and the tourist boom of the 1960s saw this Andalusian hotspot become a lively but stylish resort. However, the Golden Mile had already grown around the Marbella Club Hotel in the 1950s, with legendary parties and glamorous events attended by royalty, millionaires, film stars and models. Since then, the area around it has expanded both along the coast and inland, where residential complexes like Sierra Blanca, Nagüeles and Cascada de Camoján have become highly sought after. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia loved the resort so much that he built a palace and mosque here, adding a copy of the US White House in gold and marble.

Not surprisingly, demand outstrips supply in this desirable area, home to the most prestigious and luxurious addresses of the aptly-named Costa del Sol. Space for new developments is very rare, which pushes up value. As long-established experts in upmarket residential accommodation around the region, Engel & Völkers is pleased to offer a special selection of luxurious properties for sale on the Golden Mile. The list includes mansions and penthouses overlooking the sea, elegant apartments and villas with private gardens of exotic vegetation.

Lifestyle

Visitors and residents will want for nothing along the Golden Mile. Plunge into its lively and varied lifestyle with beachside chiringuitos like Trocedero Playa, or Lobito de Mar being good choices. You won't go hungry with a range of fine-dining and more casual eateries to tempt the palate. Bibo can boast Michelin-starred Dani García as chef in its bistro, while Atelier is a surprisingly quiet but always delightful restaurant in a busy area close to the Cathedral. Celicioso makes use of its own gluten-free bakery to cater for special diets, with other options such as dairy-free on the menu too.

Beaches on the Costa del Sol are known for their pristine beauty, and this strip is no exception, with all amenities including water sports available. A stroll along the promenade, which is just under 5 miles or 7.6 km, takes around two hours non-stop, or up to a day if you linger at the sights and attractions along the way. Shopaholics will be in retail heaven, going from designer boutiques to artisan workshops, from hypermarkets to gourmet delicatessens, and from interior design studios to art galleries.

Tennis fans not only have courts for use at their hotels, villas and apartment blocks, but can watch the world's best players compete at the Puente Romano Tennis Club, first opened by Sweden's legendary Bjorn Borg, and with provision for tuition and courts. It also hosts important international tournaments and has showcased many top players, past and present - for the last three years, it has organised the Senior Masters Cup, featuring among others a Spanish presence with Carlos Moyá and Juan Carlos Ferrero, both former world number ones. Earlier this year, it was the setting for a Davis Cup tournament between Spain and Great Britain.

Properties

Landscaped gardens with stunning backdrops of mountain or sea are the setting for the Golden Mile's stylish luxury apartments, within five minutes' reach of the city centre and Puerto Banús. Marina de Puente Romano or Terrazas de Las Lomas are a pull for beach lovers, while the much sought-after architecturally-designed penthouses and apartments of Imara await the discerning clientele at Cascada de Camoján, in the foothills of La Concha Mountain.

The Real Estate Market

This area is considered the best for upmarket properties, mixing as it does heritage, location and convenience, and causing demand to be greater than the number of homes available. The most sought-after addresses often change hands before actually coming on to the open market, whether they are re-sales or new-builds, and whatever kind of property. This is partly due to the scarcity of building land for new projects.

The Golden Mile has attracted an elite European clientele since the 60s, and has never really faltered, even during the financial crisis, allowing Engel & Völkers to respond to the new profile of potential clients. A second home here has always been in demand, but now younger buyers look for cutting-edge design and first-rate amenities, and seek out the most trend-setting resorts, such as Puente Romano, giving the place a new immediacy.


If a home on the Golden Mile is something you're considering, contact the helpful team at Engel & Völkers Marbella for more information on real estate opportunities and on living here. Click this link for an overview and more details, or contact us directly for further advice.