class="h3"With around 320 days of sunshine per year, Andalusia and especially the Axarquia region is one of the best areas to live in Europe. Compared to other popular areas such as the Algarve, Costa Brava or the Greek islands, this is the region with the most sunshine. In addition, the surrounding mountains provide a microclimate that protects the area from cold winters and extreme hot summers too.
The Axarquia, which in Arabic means: east of Málaga, is still an authentic region, where the local people are very welcoming and friendly, it's like taking a step back in time. This area has an excellent road network and makes touring by car a relaxing experience with stunning scenery! The 31 white villages offer a strong cultural heritage as well as tapas bars, good restaurants, shops, restaurants and sporting activities.
The proximity of the natural parks of Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama (La Maroma - 2065m) and the Sierra Nevada (Mulhacen - 3478m) means that you can hike or climb on your own or join a group with a qualified tour guide. How about a day's walk with the local goatherd, through the campo? And if you would like an amazing 'all in one day' experience, you can organize a trip to Granada (the Alhambra Palace), go skiing in the Sierra Nevada (a 40-minute drive from Granada) and then sunbathe within 2 hours on the beach in Nerja!
In Málaga, Granada, Seville, Cordoba Ronda and Jaen you will find culture on every street corner. To start with the city of Málaga which has undergone a facelift in the last 10 years. With the expansion of the port and construction of a new marina it now attracts many cruise ships and private yachts and you can enjoy a lovely walk up the promenade full of shops and restaurants. The historic centre is pedestrianized and many neighbourhoods have been completely renovated offering an overwhelming range of tapas bars and restaurants as well as many cultural highlights including the Picasso Museum. Highly recommended!
The Axarquia region is very diverse in nature and therefore offers various possibilities in the field of sports. Hiking in the many nature parks is a must. For the daredevil it maybe climbing, caving, potholing, paragliding and canyoning in Otivar for example. And for the mountain biker there are numbers of options. Furthermore, you have motocross, quad bikes and buggy rides. Up in the mountains and round Lake Vinuela horse riding trips can be organized. A variety of water sports (diving, snorkelling, kayaking, canoeing, kite-surfing and surfing) you can do on Lake Vinuela as well as on the coast. Football is played everywhere of course, but also the national sport of tennis and especially mini tennis or paddle is very popular. There are many golf courses located mainly along the coastline.
The area is easily accessible from the international airport of Málaga. Recent expansion works have made 'El Aeropuerto Pablo Ruiz Picasso' one of the most modern airports in Europe with a potential of 20 million visitors per year.
The airport can be reached from within 30 mins to 1 hour 15 mins from across the Axarquia region. The presence of most low budget airlines flying into Málaga means that bargain prices are available at your fingertips.
There is also the option of using the Spanish version of the high-speed train: to explore the interior. The AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) from Málaga takes you to Madrid in 2½ hours.
Living in Southern Spain with an average annual temperature above 18 ºC means a huge saving can be made on your heating expenses. Also water costs are very low, particularly in the inland areas. Homeowners pay a municipal tax that is a fraction of the rate that we are used to paying in Northern Europe and insurance costs for health, home, car, etc., are lower than we are accustomed to.
Eating out is relatively cheap. You can pay 7 € to 9 € for a full menu del dia (menu of the day), available in nearly all bars and restaurants. In local bars, you pay no more than 1 € to 1.50 € for a beer, wine or a cup of coffee and for groceries there is a wide choice of supermarkets. The local markets in the inland and coastal areas offer opportunities for cheap fresh products and a wide range of household necessities. A must visit for food lovers is Málaga´s covered market (Mercado de Atarazanus).
The big boom is long gone which means that property prices have dropped to a realistic level. As a result of the economic crisis in Europe, Spain has become an increasingly popular place to invest. And since prices slowly go up now, maybe this is the right time to decide!
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