In coastal resorts all around Europe, March and April are the months when local authorities and business start their spring cleaning.  Not only are those shops, hotels, restaurants and bars which close down during the winter months busy putting on their ‘holiday faces’, but road repairs and beach cleaning is in progress too.

Of course, by the time the tourists begin to arrive at the start of the season for their holiday on the Costa del Sol, everything is perfection, but in fact every year sees the natural effects of the weather take its toll on the beaches of the Costa del Sol, as elsewhere, and every year sees a clean-up campaign to ensure that they are at their glorious best.  This year, however, the freak weather conditions which have affected so many countries have meant that heavy rain and storms have wreaked more havoc than usual, with the beaches at Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Torrox said to be some of the worst affected in the area.  Although urgent clean-up operations are currently under way, fears are emerging that the work may not be complete before Easter.

Natural debris washed from the rivers down to the seashore, as well as that brought in by the sea and blown on to the beaches during the storms is making this year’s clean-up campaign far more intensive than usual, and there may not now be time enough to finish the work before visitors start arriving for the Easter break.

Considerable amounts of money are spent each year to ensure that the Costa del Sol’s beaches continue to offer the high standards that holidaymakers have come to expect and clearly everything is being done to ensure that the area is ready to receive its first guests of the season.  With this winter’s weather having been so extreme, however, the local authorities are racing against the clock.

Although talk of a new toll motorway to run between the lovely and historic town of Ronda in Andalucia and San Pedro de Alcantara, just 10 kilometres west of Marbella on the Costa del Sol, have been rumbling on for some time, it seems that there may now be a question mark over whether the project ever goes ahead.

Ronda Bridge

The one hour journey between the two towns currently involves negotiating a winding 45 kilometre stretch of road which is consideredto be one of the region’s most hazardous.  If it still goes ahead, the planned new high-speed motorway, meanwhile, would shave the travel time down to just 20 minutes and would not of course incorporate the 365 bends which can be found along the current route.  The plans have, however, met with a degree of opposition from academics and environmentalists which may not only have slowed the project down, but brought it to a complete standstill.

In a report which was published last year, ecologists pointed to the fact that the new motorway would need to cut through the Sierra Bermeja, a European protected site which is due to become a national park, as well as across farmland to the south of Ronda and the chestnut growing areas of the Genal valley.  In addition, there are fears that there could be damage to an important aquifer in the Sierra del Oreganal, north of Benahavis.

Apparently somewhere around 350-400 million euros have been set aside for the project which, it was hoped would be completed by the year 2012, but it now seems that a leading Junta official has admitted that she does not know when the motorway will be built and there may even be doubts as to whether it will go ahead at all.  The alternative proposal which was put forward by the objectors included work to make the existing road safer and faster, as well as to improve the rail service between Ronda and Malaga which would remove the need for workers to use their cars.

Image of Ronda bridge by Papalars on Flickr

As is the case for so many countries, the current economic recession has inevitably taken its toll on the tourist industry in Spain’s Costa del Sol region, although it has to be said that the effects have been far less acute here than elsewhere.  Nevertheless, tourism chiefs have come up with a new campaign called ‘I Need Spain’ to promote the country as a first-class cultural and gastronomic destination for those looking to holiday in Spain.

Owner of El Bulli restaurant which has been awarded three Michelin stars and been voted the best restaurant in the world for four years running, Ferran Adria has been chosen as the face of the new campaign which is designed to show the world that Spain and the Costa del Sol have more to offer its visitors than cheap package holidays.  In presenting the world with a different view of the country, the leading lights in the tourism industry have certainly chosen a man who is considered to be a great innovator and it is hoped that Mr Adria’s input will lead to a new perception of Spain as being a much more upmarket and exclusive destination.

The 7.5 million euro campaign will highlight, amongst other areas, the Basque Country to the north, which is already well known for its excellent cuisine, the La Rioja wine-growing region and the more southerly cities of Sevilla, Grenada and Cordoba.  As Ferran Adria’s own restaurant, which is set on an isolated beach close to the town of Roses on Spain’s north eastern coast, manages to book every seat within an hour of opening its new diary for the year, it is certainly not hard to see why he was such an obvious choice to promote the gastronomic treats that the country has to offer.

Although for many others the inauguration ceremony for Malaga Airport’s new Terminal 3 will stick in their minds for other reasons, unfortunately for Spain’s King Juan Carlos, it is more likely to be remembered as the day when the world’s press captured him stumbling as he made his way on stage to make his address.

Accompanied by Queen Sofia, the country’s monarch officially opened the new terminal at a ceremony on Monday 15th March which was attended by around 500 people including some of the country’s top officials.  In his speech, King Juan Carlos congratulated all those who had helped to bring the project to a successful conclusion and stated that he believes that the new terminal will have a great impact in helping to make Malaga, and indeed the region of Andalucia, more dynamic, as well as stimulating tourism in the area.

Described by the king as being the oldest airport in Spain to still remain on its original site, the architecture of the new terminal is certainly not something from a bygone era.  In fact, King Juan Carlos, in his congratulation of the architect and builders, referred to the architecture as being ‘agile, luminous and transparent’.

Costing more than 300 million euros to design and construct, the new Terminal 3 will double Malaga Airport’s capacity, enabling it to handle 9,000 passengers per hour through its 180 check-in desks and 48 boarding gates.  With the decision to take flights mainly from the Schengen countries into the new terminal, however, passengers travelling on low-cost flights from the UK will still mainly arrive at the old Terminal 2.

The first passengers to leave Malaga Airport through the new terminal were scheduled to fly to Barcelona on the morning of Tuesday 16th March at 6.50am.

If you are looking to holiday in Spain this summer then why not check out our holiday rentals in Spain or the luxury DDG World spa retreat.

The 2010 season at the DDG Spa Retreat is underway, and a retreat filled with luxury and privacy awaits you there.  There is no place quite like the DDG Retreat, which means your time there will be like nothing else you’ve ever experienced before.

We offer a whole host of options for our guests, with the variety of activities, services, and experiences you want to create your own personalized health spa retreat.  Our location along the scenic Costa del Sol is picturesque and private, yet close to some of the most popular places to be enjoyed while in the Costa del Sol area.  Getting to DDG Retreat is easy, just an hour’s drive from Malaga Airport along the N-340 highway that hugs the coastline throughout and has stunning views along the coast.

Our accommodations are among the most luxurious and most private available anywhere, which means your entire stay is designed to be all about you.  The properties of the retreat vary in size, so whether you’re looking for a getaway for the entire family or a special private retreat just for two, we have the perfect casa for your needs.

From the moment you arrive we pamper you, with a personal greeting that includes flowers, a basket of fresh fruit, and a chilled bottle of French Champaign.  All you have to do is open up your suitcase, pull out your vacation clothes, and we take care of the rest.  Maybe you want to go swimming, use the full featured gym, take one of our spa treatments, or play tennis; or perhaps you simply want to take a nap in a hammock strung in a shady glade where the birds are singing and the cidada’s are crackling all around.

Sleep in, go horseback riding, enjoy fabulous food and wines, or spend a few hours enjoying the local sights.  Wherever you come from, whatever you want, DDG Retreat is uniquely able to customize a once-in-a-lifetime health spa experience for you!

For further information on the retreat including images, please click here.

With the British government set to introduce its new 50% income tax rate at the beginning of April 2010 for those earning in excess of £150,000 per year, more and more of the nation’s high earners are beginning to wonder whether staying in the UK is really in their best interests.  Charlie Mullins, the millionaire boss of London’s Pimlico Plumbers, is just one of those who is reported to be considering turning his back on Britain in the light of the imminent tax increase, and the Costa del Sol could well be his next stop.

With foreign tax rates looking increasingly favourable to businesses currently based in the UK, and with both Labour and the Tories apparently considering hikes in Value Added Tax and Britain’s University and College Union calling for increases in corporation tax to provide increased funding for students, businesses all over the country are looking increasingly at offshore options and making the move to foreign climes.  According to Mr Mullins, what is currently Pimlico Plumbers could soon become Puerto Banus Plumbers.

Of course, it is not just Britain’s unfavourable economic climate which is making the Costa del Sol such a huge attraction in the minds of UK business owners at the moment, but also the potential for some great property bargains in Southern Spain.  As an enduringly popular choice for both investors and those seeking a more relaxed way of life, the Costa del Sol, whilst it might have been hit equally as hard in terms of its property market as other places in recent times, will almost undoubtedly be one of the first to bounce back.  As property prices in the area are beginning to look as though they have finally bottomed out, 2010 could mark a real turning point and the opportunity for buyers to make huge gains.

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