Yours for a fiver: How a Costa Del Sol seller is trying to shift his apartment in Spain. Could this be the start of a new selling trend or just another symptom of the stagnant Spanish property market? When a 3-bedroom property in Marbella, went on the market, its owner Neil Hudson, hoped it would fetch over £500,000.  Yet, despite many years of viewings, the 1,614sq ft property failed to sell due to the slow Spanish market, too much competition and lack of buyers. Raffling a home for £5 per ticket is not a new concept as several UK homeowners have tried similar competitions in recent years and many have failed. The promoters of prize draw competition have said that they will not make the mistakes other competitions have made. Speaking to Prize Draw Competition, Neil Hudson who is also the owner of the property said:                “Some other competitions have been run very amateurishly and what seems like an easy scheme to organise actually requires a huge amount of work. We have spent two years doing our market research and our planning. We have entered many property raffle competitions to win of course, but also to make sure we fully understand the positives and negatives from these. It is essential also that the general public has full confidence in the scheme. We have done everything to ensure that the correct legal framework is in place. It is fully compliant with the UK Gambling Commission’s guidelines and the draw will be streamed live online and overseen by independent adjudicators. The winners will be selected by a random generator and the source code for this has been published online to prove its legitimacy.. We have also made sure that we are using experienced marketing companies and have publicity campaigns being implemented, both off and online as ultimately it is a numbers game and needs to be seen by many millions of potential winners to sell enough tickets and most  other schemes have floundered from not putting enough resource into the marketing. We are not limiting ourselves to just UK entries, but are publicising this worldwide and give it the maximum exposure it deserves.” More information can be found at prizedrawcompetition.com   For more information about the prize draw competition please take a look at the Website, Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram Or please call Neil Hudson: +44 (0)7424776838 or email info@prizedrawcompetition.com

A Tale of the Generous Boss and What Make Marbella a “Treat” Destination

Marbella is the best place to come in Andalucia 

If you were to run a Google search for “Marbella” this week you would be inundated with pictures of happy employees from the travel and party firm Red7, who were treated by their employer to an all-expenses paid staff holiday to sunny Marbella as a reward for all their hard work.

The story has become such a hit with leading tabloids because it has everything an online story needs to be easily digested: There’s the Costa del Sol and Marbella; there’s pretty girls in bikinis; there’s the sunny backdrop; and there’s more than enough to make everyone reading it jealous.

The managing director of Red7 Ian Lucas must no doubt be enjoying all the free publicity. It also reflects well on him as the owner of a specialist in partying and travelling. It’s clear the man knows how to choose a good location, a good time, good reasons, and a good vacation length to reap plenty of excellent PR.

There’s a larger story working itself out here outside of the generous boss doing a generous thing. That is the question of what makes Marbella the destination of choice for these kinds of work-based rewards.

Now we do understand that most British firms will just spring for a hundred quid or so at a local Wetherspoons when they decide to treat their staff, but there is still the curious trend – mostly found in London recruitments, sales, and marketing companies – that looks at Marbella as being the carrot on a stick at the end of the year, the reward for hitting targets, the dream of summer that can be realised when the staff go above and beyond to boost business and make money.

There’s no denying it’s a smart strategy; work out a target that allows for a Marbella trip while still keeping the company firmly in the black. Even if it doesn’t go as planned, profits and staff motivation are still on the up.

Marbella is the perfect choice of destination for something like this. It’s close – which allows for a few days stay; unlike the Caribbean which – while appealing visually – is not worth the cost in terms of productivity and financial cost. Marbella has a reputation for being glamorous, which sure to motivate staff to see and enjoy it for themselves. The on-the-ground costs of staying in Marbella are cheaper than most people realise, and it offers a wealth of variety. Companies can hire their own yachts, nightclubs, beach bars and restaurants, or they could just stick their staff in a hotel room and leave them to their own devices until it’s time to go home.

As great as Benidorm, Barcelona, Tenerife and Ibiza are, they have either too little going on or too much (particularly Barcelona) to make them a viable destination for work reward programs. On the other hand, Marbella offers the complete package and has an undeniable level of prestige that make it stand out.

If you’re out on the beach and you happen to see some office workers packing away the cocktails, you should cut them some slack. They’ve likely worked long and hard to get there!

Marbella Council Approves Two New Dog-Friendly Beaches

Marbella Council Approves Two New Dog-Friendly Beaches

There are several dog friendly beaches which are a warm welcome 

There are a number of unwritten rules about Spanishbeaches; don’t put your towel near others, don’t be too loud and obnoxious, don’t stare at others, and don’t leave your dogs off their leash. Really, it’s better to avoid taking your dog at all.

While this certainly sounds harsh to man’s best friend – who we feel would love to run through as much surf and partake in as many picnics as possible – these rules ensure that beaches are kept free of dog mess and allows children free reign to play without fear of being attacked by a dog that suddenly becomes aggressive.


Even so there’s no denying that dogs love beaches, and that humans love dogs; at least their own. It’s not hard to understand why Miguel Diaz, the Councillor for Sustainability of Marbella has decided to open up sections of the shoreline of the Costa del Sol more dog-friendly. 

The councillor announced the Junta de Andalucía has greenlit opening up two new dog beaches in the summer, one in the El Pinillo area of Marbella, and the other in the Ventura del Mar in Nueva Andalucía. 

Diaz says that the council was placed under increasing demand for more dog-friendly zones in recent years. The council chose these two locations because they aren’t as popular with regular beach-goers, meaning that the dog zones aren’t going to interfere with regular tourists looking for some fun in the sun. 

The council also published a brief set of regulations dog owners must follow at the beaches; namely that pets have to be kept under control, waste must be cleaned up, and dogs must have current vaccinations. 

This ruling is making it easier than ever to be a fan of both beaches and dogs in southern Spain. The ruling adds to the list of dog-friendly beaches in the region. There are other designated dog-friendly beaches in the area including San Pedro, Fuengirola, Torre del Mar, Casares, Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga City, Mijas Costa, Benualmádena. 

Several of these specified areas are open to dogs throughout the whole year, while others will place restrictions for the summer season. Given that bylaws can change between different towns, it’s always a good idea to check at the local Town Hall or Tourist Information Office to avoid running the risk of being fined.

Warm Weather Training in Marbella a Hit for Heavyweight Boxer Tyson Fury

Warm Weather Training in Marbella a Hit for Heavyweight Boxer Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury hits Marbs again as do so many stars

Tyson Fury stands at six-foot-six and goes by many names; he’s the Gypsy King and the bad boy of heavyweight boxing. One of his favourite things to do is make critics eat their words by being impressive in the ring and hits the Costa del Sol. 

For some time now though, the 28 year-old Manchester giant has been a bit out of shape, a bit out of focus, and even a bit out of the limelight. The star is keeping to himself and training for his return to the ring while banned from boxing due to substance abuse.

However, while fellow British boxer Anthony Joshua was busy impressing the world with his incredible 11-set knockout against Wladmir Klitschko of the Ukraine – the man Tyson shocked the world by defeating in 2015 – Fury was busy training in Marbella under the guidance of WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders. Tyson declared that he had lost over a stone since starting training the Spanish sun. Fury hopes he can continue training and be in peak condition to take on Anthony Joshua. Fury didn’t want long to challenge his fellow Brit to a fight down the line.

Fury spoke after watching the fight from Saturday in the glitz and glamour of Puerto Banus, saying that he accepted Anthony Joshua’s challenge; saying their fight would be the biggest in 500 years and that Joshua was “a boxer’s dream”.

Fury has always considered to be a little unorthodox in the heavyweight world. At worst he’s seen as an overweight brawler who has been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. It’s impossible to deny that an in-shape Tyson Fury is a daunting prospect however.

Fury himself was the first to admit that he’d packed a little weight during recent months, but spoke highly of his sun-soaked training system; saying it helped him get back into fighting shape.

He said that the warm and bright weather is practically melting the pounds off, confirming he has lost 18 pounds so far and continues to lose weight.

Many professional sportspeople and teams have chosen to do their warm-weather training in Marbella. Many major clubs in the English Premier League head to the city during the summer before the start o the season to make the most out of the great climate and better facilities. The climate of the region allows it to be a warm-weather training destination during the winter months as well.

Marbella Home of X Factor Judge on Sale for €40 Million

Marbella Home of X Factor Judge on Sale for €40 Million

fresh-faced here in 2010,One Direction auditioned at the

Marbella villa when Simon Cowell was their X Factor mentor.

Cast your mind back to 2010 and you’ll remember when the fresh-faced One Direction auditioned for their X Factor mentor Simon Cowell in his Marbella villa.

This now famous villa, where many dreams have been made and broken over the past decade, is now on sale and can be yours for around €40 million.

The property, situated along the coastline of the Costa del Sol between Marbella and Fuengirola, has impressed millions each year thanks to the stunning views, bountiful gardens, incredible interiors, and swimming pools.

What made it most famous was when it became the location of the first successful audition of boyband One Direction. It has gone on to become the birthing place of many X Factor success stories.

Now though the home is going up for auction and whoever gets it will have quite a treat on their hands; the property is on a 7,000 square metre plot, comes with complete views of the Mediterranean, along with tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, and a dozen en-suite bathrooms. Even the bathrooms have a stunning ocean view.

The home could certainly be considered one of the jewels in the crown of Marbella, but it’s hardly a unique site in the region. There are many such luxurious villas in the Costa del Sol; the place where privilege meets privacy.

What makes the property unusual is that it is not on the Golden Mile between Marbella and Puerto Banús. Instead it can be found further along the coastline in a quiet area close to Eliviria. That’s why it offers more in the way of privacy than your average mega-villa in Marbella, and why it has a larger price tag.

Given how much success One Direction has accomplished since that fateful day in the villa we wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tried to purchase it.

However, the property is a little out of reach for anyone who isn’t super rich given the €40 million price tag. The good news for Simon Cowell is that the super-rich can always be found in Marbella.

Famous Faces Visit Marbella for Global Gift Foundation Party

Famous Faces Visit Marbella for Global Gift Foundation Party

Ronan Keating was the star of the show at this year’s Global Gift Gala out of Marbella.

Ronan Keating in Marbella recently.

Marbella played host to one of the most anticipated charity events in Spain across this past weekend. The party has always managed to bring in more stars than can usually be found in Marbella and this year was no exception.

Friday night saw a welcome cocktail party held at the La Sala nightclub, which was attended by former Boyzone star and current The Voice judge Ronan Keating and his new wife Storm.

Other stars flocking to the city included Ashley Williams from Made In Chelsea, TV presenter Olivia Cox and former popstar and X Factor judge Alesha Dixon, who also made an appearance at the Global Gift Gala dinner at the Gran Meliá Don Pepe hotel that was held the following night in Marbella.

Another famous face making an appearance was James Nesbitt, Irish star of Cold Feet. The party was held to celebrate the great work that the foundation does to improve the lives of children, women and families the world over who need some help.

Keating, 39, also took the time to play a round of golf with Nesbitt at the Estepona Golf Club as part of the Global Gift Golf sideshow, before taking to the stage for a performance at the evening bash hosted by Spanish actress María Bravo, who is also the founder of the charity.

The party has really become a major event over the past few years and it continues to bring in some major names. In the past it as played host to Victoria Beckham, Antonio Banderas, Ricky Martin, and honorary chair of the Foundation Eva Longoria come together to raise awareness of the foundation and their work.

Marbella International Film Festival Spectacular Success

Marbella International Film Festival Spectacular Success

Show casing London Heist was attended by Craig Fairbrss and

Executive Producer Neil Hudson from

Mint Media Capital.

This year the Marbella Film Festival was bigger, brighter, and better than ever. The festival recently wrapped up following five days of movie screenings, innovation, and appearances from some of the biggest stars. The stunning festival ended with a Gala dinner at the Puerto Banus H10 Andalucia Plaza.

This was the 11^th incarnation of the Marbella Film Festival and it featured a mixture of films, shorts, and documentaries from all around the world that really cemented the reputation the festival has as being one of the biggest up and coming events. The actors onscreen showed the Marbella International Film Festival showed that the festival continues to showcase some of the best new stars and films from Britain, Spain, and beyond.

The festival was sponsored by Euro Weekly News and has continued to improve each time it is held since 2006. Now it’s become a platform to showcase the future of the film industry and also draw eyes from the world over to Costa del Sol.

Most of the attention the festival garnered was centred around the awards ceremony and Gala dinner that was attended by Michel and Steven Euesden of EWN and actors Craig Fairbass and Brad Moore.

London Heist was one of the main events and showcased in Puerto Banus with a champagne reception, the film was watch by a full audience and everyone who spoke about the film praised the acting and the story. Neil Hudson who is one of the Executive Producers and runs Mint Media Capital a film finance company confirmed that London Heist  is to be released in December by Lionsgate. The film was written by Craig Fairbrass and was shot in London and Marbella and expected to do well.

US Beauty Longoria Found In Marbella

US Beauty Longoria Found In Marbella

Longoria and her new husband were spotted in Marbella and they looked to be quite comfortable in the Old Town of the resort.

Longoria spent last summer under the sun on her luxurious yacht a few metres offshore. This time the former Desperate Housewives start Eva Longoria decided to get off the boat and get more up close and personal with Marbella.

Longoria and her new husband in Marbella,  Old Town.

In what looks like it’s becoming an annual event for the star Eva, 41, stepped out on the town with her new husband José ‘Pepe’ Bastón in the Old Town of Marbella on Tuesday. The pair were snapping pictures, having fun, and just enjoying the atmosphere of the gem of the Costa del Sol that is Marbella.

Eva looked at ease as she made her way through the cobbled streets of Marbella in her summer attire, hand in hand with her husband. The pair were married in Mexico in May. It’s thought that the trip to Marbella is part of their extended honeymoon and they definitely made quite the couple as they held hands and linked arms as they made their way through the town.

Another important part of Longoria’s trip to town was to once more fill the shoes of the host of the Global Gift Gala, a Marbella based non-profit organisation that aims to make a positive impact on the lives of women, children, and families the world over.

The summer is always the best time to do a bit of celeb-spotting in and around Marbella and Puerto Banús. Many Hollywood A-listers make their way to the region, along with Premier League stars and famous musicians. They, much like every tourist, are drawn to the scenery, climate, clubs, bars, boutiques, and world class restaurants in Spain.

Missing €14k Parrot Found in Marbella Nightclub

 Missing €14k Parrot Found in Marbella Nightclub

When you take a look at the news you can tell that there’s something missing. This thing is so important that we’re not sure where to go from here without it.

Exotic Parrot that's used to humans turns up in a

Nightclub in Marbella.

With all the real news happening around the world we’ve kind of seen an end to the regular silly summer stories that show up on the front pages. There are still some cracking stories out there including crocodiles in London, and the frankly comically bad performance of the English football team.

Now the Costa del Sol is getting in on the silly summer season stories with news out of the region about a missing exotic bird showing up safe and sound in a Marbella nightclub.

The Olive Press Newspaper ran a story about Soly, the Hyacinth Macaw pet estimated to be worth around €14,000, who disappeared from his cage in the home of Richard Breuer, 40 year old property developer.

Breuer quickly put out plenty of missing posters and even called the police before he was contacted by the owner of the Olivia Valére nightclub in Marbella. The owner of the club, also called Olivia Valére, told Breuer that Soly had turned up at the nightclub.

Breuer recounted how Soly was a changed bird after being exposed to the nightclub and how it took him a few days to adjust back to home life.

It turns out that Soly is a lover of the ladies, which may go some way to explaining why he went to the nightclub. He quickly found his way into the lap of one of the barmaids working behind the bar, who then told Valére about their feathered visitor. Valére took him to her private aviary before being told about the missing posters and calling Richard to reunite man and bird.

Breuer believes he is lucky that Soly was found, saying that if someone else found him they may have tried to sell him.

This story lets us know that, not only do things usually have a happy ending, but the summer silly season is setting in.

Marbella New App to Reserve Sun Loungers Launches

Marbella New App to Reserve Sun Loungers Launches

Just as you can book a flight weeks in advance to Malaga airport you can now use an app to book your favourite seat by the pool before you even leave your home.

There are lots of problems with a package holiday; delayed flights, sunburn, a poor quality buffet to name a few. The one that really scares British tourists is the idea of not being able to find a place by the pool to soak up the sun.

Marbella has a new and innovative approach to sun bathing. 

As with almost everything there are some lazy stereotypes out there. The main antagonist is, of course, the Germans. They wake up early and spread out their towels on all the best seats before going to breakfast. They know that a polite Brit would never move their towels even though there are rules against trying to reserve loungers like this.

The problem may not be as simple as that but the fact remains many holidaymakers across all nationalities become annoyed when they can’t find the perfect seat. Well now there’s an app for that too.

The BookMySunbed app was developed by Daniel Jain, a 23 year old from London who is getting ready to launch the app. Users are able to use the app to find the best seat in the house (or by the pool) before even leaving on holiday.

Don’t worry if this all sounds too good to be true. The app is set to be launched this summer in Marbella. So if you’re going to the Costa del Sol you’ll be able to see it in action for yourself.

The Local says that all the hotels in Marbella have come together to agree to use the app with their pools. If things go well then the app will eventually make its way to all of Spain and, should the popularity be high enough, across the entire world.

Jain did an interview with The Local in which he said that he feels having to wake up early to secure a place by the pool can put a real dampener on a holiday. He says that the app will allow people to reserve their favourite sunbeds in the same way that they can reserve a seat at the cinema or on an airplane.

The app will launch with several language options including English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and French. It’s interesting that the only language really missing from that list is, remarkably, the Germans.

Marbella Homes Drawing Attention From Foreign Buyers

Marbella Homes Drawing Attention From Foreign Buyers

Everything about Marbella, from the beauty and atmosphere to the glamour and culture, has always been a hit with both foreign and domestic visitors.

Costa del Sol Property market continues to rise

as demand is going pace

Marbella just wouldn’t be the same without all of this foreign interest. From the birth of the resort town in 1950, when it was just a humble little fishing village, to becoming the home away from home of the rich and famous, Marbella has always seemed more international than it has Spanish.

So no one is going to be surprised to learn that research published by the Spanish Registrars revealed that over 80% of the properties sold in Marbella went to foreign investors.

The data for last year shows that foreigners purchased just under 14% of the properties sold in Spain. 60% of these foreign investors came from the European Union. Another report; one focused only on Marbella, used the Spanish Registrar data to show just how popular Marbella property for sale has become for international buyers.

The report shows that the demographic of Marbella has changed a little though. Marbella remains heavily international but now more Spaniards are coming back to the resort and the towns in the area.

The number of Spanish visitors to Marbella was over 350,000 a year in 2006. The number was reduced dramatically by 2013, when barely 100,000 Spaniards made the journey. There were a few reasons why such as the poor economy, the high cost of staying in Marbella, and the whimsical nature of fashion.

Last year Marbella suddenly became popular again with over 250,000 Spaniards visiting. This number is expected to rise again this year.

The property market of Marbella is looking healthier than ever too. There were 4,390 homes changing hands last year. This number was just one percent below the 4,432 homes exchanged in 2006; the peak of the housing market.

Experts say this is due to the demand for homes in the area, better prices, and higher buyer confidence. The recovering economies in Europe and the world at large are also behind this increase.

Even though more property is being sold the latest data suggests that the properties of Marbella are still priced at around 20% less than they were during the peak of 2005.

Is Prince’s Unsold Villa in Marbella A Sign of the Times for Homebuyer Tastes?

Is Prince’s Unsold Villa in Marbella A Sign of the Times for Homebuyer Tastes?

Prince, who sadly left us earlier this month from currently unknown causes, was famous for a lot of things. Obviously he was a famous musician, but he was also famous for his flamboyance, his short stature, his love of purple, and for the people of southern Spain he’s famous for the “Prince Villa”.

Back on the market Princes former Villa is back in the headlines  

The Prince Villa can be found in El Paraiso, just west of Marbella, and is valued at €5.25 million. It’s been on the market for years now, even before Prince passed away. He bought the home in 1998 and it was a gift for his wife at the time. He put it on the market in 2006 and it’s been on there ever since.

Bloomberg recently published an article in which they tried to determine why the villa, which manages to be glam, garish and glitzy all at once, is unsellable.

The owner of a local nightclub, Olivia Valere, says that the house is glamorous and luxurious but it’s so flashy it’s become outdated. There’s a lot of truth to that too. Marbella property has always been the height of fashion and tastes. These days homes need to have an understated elegance and so something as flashy as the Prince Villa is easily too brash for its own good.

The property is also valued too high for most people in the region at over €5 million. Now that Prince has passed there is a higher chance that someone will want to buy the home that has been described as the inspiration for some of his later work though.

The property market of the Costa del Sol is doing pretty well and should do even if Prince’s old home isn’t sold though. It currently takes an average of 10.5 months for a Spanish property to sell according to date from Tinsa. The average in Marbella and the Costa del Sol comes down to 9.1 months though and the prices of homes in the region are set to rise by up to 4.3% in 2016.

Marbella Gets a New App to Connect Tourists

Marbella Gets a New App to Connect Tourists

Marbella took their first steps to become a more connected and “smart” city back in 2013. The people behind the plan wished to keep Marbella in the “now”. It can be thought of as a new type of destination for tourists in Marbella and southern Spain in general.

Spain is currently the third largest tourist destination, placing behind France and the US. They have seen record numbers of foreign visitors for the past three years now and it looks like 2016 will see another record broken.

Marbella is still one of the most popular tourist destinations for people looking to go to the Costa del Sol for some fun in the sun. It’s also popular with people who want to take in Spanish life. Marbella hasn’t gotten lazy though. The tourist board there take every step they can to keep up with technology and the demands of tourists. When you visit Marbella you’re going to find yourself in a “smart city”. Business owners and residents alike should expect things to run a little smoother thanks to improvements on the infrastructure, as well as more transparent improvements to public services.

Businesses are definitely feeling more confident about the future. The Marbella property market was one of the few markets around the world that managed to stay consistent even during the recent economic problems Spain felt. Andalucía property for sale is now recovering and becoming a hub for tourism once more. This increase in tourism is expected to lead to an increase of foreign investors looking to purchase property along the Costa del Sol. Many tourists find it very difficult to resist purchasing a beachfront villa of their own when they see the lower real estate prices. They also find it hard to resist the lovely golf apartments for sale in the Costa del Sol.

Marbella is a definitely embracing the digital era in 2016. This should lead to more wealth and employment opportunities. One aspect of this digital plan is to build up confidence with the public. Part of this is to help businesses with the digital aspects of being a company of today.

The Marbella Smart City scheme as it’s being called is designed to help Marbella, and Spain in general, stay ahead of the trends in technology. This means improving the technology of the city and staying connected. Another piece of the plan is an initiative to create “smart tourist destinations”. In fact it was announced just last week that SEGITTUR and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce created and launched a tourist guide app.

Marbella is looking to introduce a tourist app this year. It will act as a tour guide for the city and features 224 user-friendly applications for a smartwatch. The Ministry of Industry and Energy and Tourism came together to create this initiative. The app will show recommendations for tourists including different cultural buildings and the hotspots of the city.

When people are making their way through Marbella they may come across QR codes. Scanning one of these codes will give them information no matter the time of day. The aim of the Smart City initiative is to create a safer environment and to make visiting the city a more fun experience for all involved.

A spokesman from Segittur described their tourist app as a cutting edge idea that could really help develop tourism. Everyone has the chance to access it and because it helps visitors interact with the environment around them, it makes their stay more enjoyable.

The Marbella property market is also on the rise as more foreign investors are becoming interested in the Costa del Sol. The potential of the southern Spain property market really speaks for itself. The economy is already recovering in southern Spain as more jobs are opened up. Costa del Sol can only improve thanks to the rise in tourism.

La Concha, the splendid shell mountain at Marbella

La Concha, the magnificent shell mountain towers over Marbella

Marbella mountain is magnificent

On similar lines to the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro and Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, Marbella also boasts of La Concha, or the shell mountain, which is a treat to the eyes of people residing in the town.

This mountain comes under the Sierra Blanca mountain range and the town lies in the foothills of this mountain. The maximum elevation of La Concha is 1,215 meters above sea level and the slopes of the mountain runs along the Golden Mile.

In the land amidst the sea and higher areas, there are low rise apartments with trees throughout, whereas in the semi-tropical grounds, palatial villas that are luxurious make Marbella property for sale one of the best destinations to reside. Concha is a protected reserve and the land along the residential areas to the Sierra Blanca range is protected.

On a typical day, you will see eagles hovering in open skies searching for preys while mountain goats grade up the mountains. If you are a nature lover, this is the best trekking route for you and as you ascent over La Concha, the view with every step is breathtakingly beautiful. You will be able to see Puerto Banus from up there and Gibraltar will be on your west.

If your line of sight is clear, you can look across the Mediterranean Sea to see the Moroccan coast and Ceuta in Spain, where fishing boats, cruise ships and ferries can be found in the horizon and the view is one of a kind!

The western slopes of La Concha rolls up to La Concepcion, a man made dam which is beautiful and resembles the Andalucian countryside. Further down west is the white Istan village, known as a town for lunch and rest among people exploring this region. You can stop by for lunch or picnics and the view and environment in this village is splendid.

When you approach from the East, it is filled with pine forests and small eateries, making it popular among hikers. The village of Ojen, a small and beautiful town nestled in the mountain range is wonderful and is less crowded when compared to Marbella.

For trekkers, the highest peak of Lastonar, situated at an elevation of 1,270 meters is close by and it resembles the shape of a shell. No matter what you are exploring in this area, the prominent view of La Concha is sure to leave you spellbound! The other places of interest in this area are the golf club at Santa Maria and property in Elviria , or a view of the yachts sailing smoothly at Cabapino with the outline of La Concha in the horizon when you are at the beach in the close vicinity of Artola Dunes.

Marbella Showcases the World’s First Revolving Solar Homes.

When you get right down to it the entire world is solar-powered. Everything on Earth draws some energy from the sun. Everything that has ever existed, from rocks to oceans, to forests, to the industrial revolution, and even the Beatles and Benedict Cumberbatch, they all owe their existence to the Sun.

Marbella solar homes for sale

Today when you think about solar power you think about solar panels. The Spanish government has proven to be infuriatingly regressive on the issue of solar power. They even introduced a sun Tax in Spain that punishes people who choose to install solar panels on their roofs.

A Marbella based company has come up with an idea to solve this problem though and help people get around this “sun tax” while still enjoying the benefits of clean and powerful solar energy.

The company is Sunhouse360° and their home literally rotates every 15 minutes to give each room the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day.

Property for sale in Andalucía and all of southern Spain sees so much sunlight that this kind of creation can reduce energy bills by up to 70%, at least according to the company. This is because of the floor-to-ceiling windows that cover the entire home, and an interior layout designed to let in as much sunlight as possible.

Home owners can choose from different sized properties and can also have photovoltaic panels installed on to the home as well. This will combine the thermal energy of the sun with regular solar photovoltaic powered electricity.

The houses for sale in Costa de sol have a understandably high price of £753,000 (+IVA) at first, but this will get you a 250 square metre property that won’t cost nearly as much to run and maintain.

How often, and how quickly, the house rotates has been programmed to make sure that the home owners don’t even feel the rotation. Sunhouse360° have also said the homes should be programmable to let owners set a rotation frequency that suits them.

Sunhouse360° believe that having sunlight in the home is very beneficial and that it is possible to change so that the light reaches the entire house. Or, if you wanted to, it can be programmed so that light I always in the kitchen.

The idea for the home was first developed over two years ago and it is believed that the homes will be available in early 2016.

The Costa del Sol homes for sale are also programmed with “eco rotation” software. This software will detect which parts of the house are the coolest and bring it into the sunlight. It is designed for when the homes reach more northern climates but is still effective in the southern areas, where it turns the warmer areas of the house away from the sun to keep the whole property cool.

The Sunhouse360° makes use of virtually everything that makes property for sale in Marbella and the area such a great tourist destination; innovation, sunlight, and property. It’s going to be interesting to watch as these Costa del Sol homes for sale pop up all across southern Spain.

The future looks bright for the Costa del Sol property market.

Marbella is developing a new luxury beachfront resort Costa del Sol.

East Marbella Beach area

Marbella is developing a new luxury beachfront property resort Costa del Sol.

January this year saw new plans drawn up to construct a new 5 star luxury development. The Platinum Estates Group (a Hong Kong-based investment conglomerate) has purchased 170,000 square meters of prime beachfront land in Las Chapas just to the east of central Marbella. A proposal of a luxury development including and 120 top of the range Luxury villas and property in Costa del Sol and 5 star hotel has been projected.

Headed by Indian businessman Roshni Mohinani, Platinum Estates main market is property marketing and construction and although the majority of its operations are centered mostly in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, this will be their 6th project in Spain, where a considerable property investment portfolio incorporates property located in the main cities of Barcelona and Madrid.

The land purchase in Marbella is said to have come to around the figure of €50 million, with an additional €150 million to be incorporated into the development of the resort which, as indicated by Platinum Estates' Partner, Juan Luis Segalerva, will be promoted as one of the most highly luxurious projects in Spain.

The development will be styled with a Mediterranean element of design starting with the 5 star hotel with a 200 room capacity, not forgetting its independent luxury villas. The project also includes a private beach club, exclusive restaurants and high brand retail outlets.

This is great news for the Costa del Sol and east of Marbella. East Marbella has some of the nicest beaches in Spain in Spain  and the whole project is  welcome addition to the area.