Malaga is one of the eight provinces of the Autonomous Spanish community of Andalusia. The province itself is divided into six comarcas (regions) which are: Metropolitan area of Malaga, Costa del Sol Occidental, Guadalhorce Valley, La Axarquia, Serrania de Ronda and Comarca de Antequera. Within those regions there are in total 101 municipalities.
The city of Malaga, the second largest in the Andalusia, had been in the past often ignored by the tourists heading directly to the Costa del Sol resorts, but the city has been revitalised and become extremely popular. Its vibrancy, diversity and style combined with fantastic offer of museums, beaches, shops and restaurants have earned Malaga the reputation of one of Europe’s best cities to visit and live in.
The tourist-driven Costa del Sol comprising of coastal towns and resorts remains one of the most popular destination for visitors all over the world and is the area with the largest concentration of expats in the province of Malaga. It benefits from a marvellous Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters and offers great variety both as a tourist destination and a place of permanent residence in Spain.
If you wish to stay away from razzle-dazzle of tourist resorts, but still close enough to the sea and the vibrant city of Malaga, the area of Guadalhorce valley might be the perfect choice for settling down in Malaga. Located a bit inland but just in between Malaga city and the Costa del Sol it offers both a convenient location and a typical Andalusian way of life. Further inland are pueblos blancos (white towns) with such beautiful historical towns as Ronda or Antequera.
Each region of the Malaga province offers diversity and fascinating landscapes, from sandy beaches and rocks of the Costa del Sol to large green valleys of the Guadalhorce Valley and breath-taking mountains of La Axarquia. Equally good is the infrastructure of the province with a selection of nurseries and schools, both municipal and private, international schools, the University of Malaga. The Spanish health system is praised by many and is one of the best in Europe with advanced state-owned hospitals and medical facilities in almost every little village. Living in Malaga you also enjoy fantastic transportation links and are within a few hours’ drive to such beautiful cities as Seville, Granada and Cordoba, while Madrid and Barcelona can be reached by fast train in a matter of hours.
Convenient geographical location on Europe's beautiful Mediterranean coast, mild warm climate, natural diversity, fantastic infrastructure and the quality of life is what makes the Andalusian province of Malaga such an attractive place for thousands of expats choosing to move and settle down in this beautiful part of Spain.