Good Times ahead for Marbella’s Walkers

Marbella’s active residents and holidaymakers can look forward to even more bike and footpaths being created along the coast. A new six kilometre long bike and footpath is currently being constructed between La Cala de Mijas and Cabopino on the edge of Marbella. The trail is scheduled to open to the public before the year is out.

Another local attraction

Cabopino resident bikers and walkers will be delighted with this latest addition to their regular exercise repertoire and holidaying families will discover the low-impact cycling and walking path will allow them to see quite a lot of the coast without having to pay a single cent for public transport.
 
Taking a picnic and a blanket one can simply walk along the shoreline and enjoy the views. Bike hire starts at EUR 10.00 per day from regular bike hire shops, but many private landlords will throw in bike hire as part of the holiday villa or apartment deal.

Some 60% of the trail will comprise of wooden walkways constructed along the rocky shore and cliffs, affording bikers and walkers some truly spectacular views over the beaches and Mediterranean Sea.

Residents with a Spanish home overlooking La Luna beach in Calahonda may even have witnessed the “first brick” ceremony, when the mayor of Mijas, Ángel Nozal, and Elías Bendodo, the president of Diputación de Málaga, laid the ceremonial first stone for the project. As is customary, they buried a time capsule with current newspapers, coins and other relevant items at the beach in Calahonda.

Retail Therapy

While all this is going on at the shoreline, the town centres are also seeing some changes, for the multinationals, much despised in local High Streets, are gradually returning with commercial real estate leasing and purchases. Not everyone will cheer their return, but for people living in Spain without a job the return of multinational, global brand names to town and city centres is a welcome sight, for it means the economy is gradually recovering and unemployment is falling.

Both Marbella’s and Malaga’s real estate agents have received enquiries from brand names like Subway, Starbucks and Mango about commercial properties, which many experts take as a clear indication that the Costas are coming out of the worst recession in living memory and multinationals are once again keen to find real estate in prime areas at the Spanish coast.

From The Good Burger to Costa Coffee, everyone it seems is now looking to purchase properties or to lease prime High Street locations. Multinationals who already have a presence in Spain are seeking to consolidate their position by leasing or buying more retail spaces, while newcomers are scrambling to get a foothold in the Spanish retail market.

Time to come off the Fence

Certainly good news for jobseekers in Spain - but also good news for people currently thinking of relocating to Spain. At a time when Marbella properties, for example townhouses and apartments in Calahonda and Cabopino, are still available at a low price, the lack of employment opportunities has held back many would-be property buyers.

Malaga has profited from the arrival of more cruise ships than ever, because retailers see a huge influx of travellers arrive in their stores, restaurants and cafes when cruise ships dock at Malaga port. In Marbella, the amazing cultural and sports events held throughout the year, but particularly this summer, are attracting thousands of visitors, who naturally dine out, drink coffee at a cafe and buy souvenirs, fashion and whatever else takes their fancy.

In Puerto Banus the vast shopping complex at La Cañada has become one of the most sought-after locations for multinationals to seek a foothold in the local retail market. In Malaga brand names seek to lease or buy retail space in the city’s famous Calle Larios shopping district.

More employment means the domestic home buyer will finally re-emerge and be able to afford to buy a property. For foreign holiday home buyers this is the time to make a move, for Marbella and Malaga residential properties will gradually start to rise in price, as demand from the domestic market increases.