“East takes over from west in residential tourism”



For many years the eastern Costa del Sol has been considered the “poor relation” of the fast developing west side. However, now many foreign residents are choosing to live on the other side of the city in an attempt to escape the overcrowding and mass development in municipalities such as Fuengirola or Marbella. The president of the Federation of Foreigners´ Associations on the Costa del Sol, Ricardo Sánchez Bocanegra, has confirmed this growing interest of foreigners in setting up a home and business on the eastern Costa, an area that has now moved into a period of quality development.

Statistics support this trend, showing that over the last few years residential tourism has increased more in eastern municipalities such as Nerja, Rincón de la Victoria, Cómpeta and Torrox, than in Marbella, Benalmadena or Mijas.

On the eastern Costa, the largest group of foreign residents is formed by Germans, whereas the British still top the foreign population on the west side.

(With thanks to the Sur in English, Aug 01)