Ladies-that-lunch in Marbella

Relocating to a new town or city can be a daunting prospect; when you’re leaving your friends and relatives behind to start a new life abroad even more so. If you’ve just bought a home in Marbella or elsewhere at the Costa del Sol, the question of where and how to make new friends and business contacts will be at the top of your list of essentials.

Since a large number of expats already live at the Costa del Sol, Marbella already offers many opportunities to make new acquaintances and socialise.

Every week on Wednesdays La Fiorentina restaurant in Estepona hosts the popular Ladies Lunch from noon to 4pm. Apart from enjoying great conversation and a special set menu of a blend of international and local cuisine, ladies also indulge in a spot of tarot reading and pampering with manicures. La Fiorentina restaurant is located at Centro Comercial El Pilar, Local 11 in Estepona 29688, (Tel +34 952 885 765).

There’s ample opportunity to meet up with your new-found friends again, for every Thursday night Bogart's Restaurant located at the opposite end of the strip leading to The Cassablanca in the Avenida de Espana, Urb Rincon del Mar in Calahonda, 29649 (Tel +34 952 3 02 32) hosts a popular quiz night, where one can turn up with one’s own team or join existing ones.

Estepona is just a short drive from Marbella. Calahonda is located between Marbella and Fuengirola.

Costa del Sol outdoor lifestyle

Although Spain has officially come out of recession, property prices are not envisaged to rise for at least a couple of years, making Marbella, Estepona and Calahonda very affordable. If you are a lady who likes to lunch under blue Mediterranean skies and have longed dreamed of a lifestyle providing you with much greater work/life balance, you cannot beat the Costa del Sol as a buying destination, for it offers all that and more in abundance.
 
Go clubbing at night, windsurfing or paragliding in the morning, play tennis or head out to the Sierra Nevada for a spot of skiing in the afternoon – all that and so much more is possible at the Costa del Sol.

When the price is right...

In Calahonda, a purpose built resort that rose to popularity in the late 1960s, a budget of EUR 500,000 will buy a substantial amount of house – typically a 4-bed villa with pool. Owners hoping to make a speedy sale often reduce their semi-detached and detached properties from EUR 650,000 to the half-million mark. With a heated out-door pool and sun terrace, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms such luxury villas present a real bargain compared to UK house prices and what used to be the order of the day for the Costa del Sol just a few years ago. Older and traditionally designed 3 and 4-bed villas can sometimes be acquired for EUR 350,000.

Within a 5 minute drive of Estepona various urbanisations offer also great value for money. Here there are plenty of second-hand Spanish homes boasting 3 or 4 bedrooms and gorgeous views for EUR 450,000 to EUR 500,000.

Property prices in Marbella fluctuate wildly, depending on the neighbourhood one chooses. While in the Golden Mile, one of Marbella’s most exclusive districts, a one-bed resale flat with garden typically starts at EUR 500,000, in the east of Marbella it is quite possible to find a luxury detached townhouse with 3 bedrooms for the same price or less. Having said that there are currently a number of townhouses on the market, which are located in the Dona Maria/Golden Mile urbanisation, but still fall into the half-million budget, because their owners have drastically reduced prices.

Golf developments like Santa Clara Golf, located just outside Marbella, are also a good choice for a first step onto the Costa del Sol property ladder. They still fall into the above budget. Gated communities ooze exclusivity and privacy, making them a sound long-term investment.
 
Here in Marbella such developments typically include stunning sea and front line green views, access to state-of-the-art golf facilities and a club house and restaurant where ladies of leisure and those hoping to become one can lunch to their hearts’ content.