Calahonda

A home away from home for expats looking for modern luxury real estate.

Calahonda is situated on the Coast between Marbella and Fuengirola. The area was chiefly developed for tourism, with extensive apartment blocks and timeshare facilities stretching from the coast into the hills behind.

This purpose-built resort provides an excellent base for exploring the Costa del Sol. Since the majority of visitors to this part of the coast are British, this is the perfect location if you are looking for a home away from home, in the sun and close to the beach. However, if you prefer something a little more traditionally Spanish, then Calahonda probably isn’t the best option for you.

Places to visit

Located a couple of kilometres along the road is Puerto Cabopino. The port is reputedly the most secluded and picturesque on the Costa del Sol and is a popular venue for tourists who want to enjoy a good meal before taking a walk along its sandy beaches. The handful of restaurants are some of the most popular on the Coast, such as Alberts and Giuseppe’s Pizzeria, located just a stone’s through from the beach.

Nearby you’ll discover Miraflores, a popular golf and lawn bowls resort and a little further on, you come to the area of Mijas and Mijas Pueblo, Andalusia’s most popular white village, which is situated slightly further northeast in the hills.

Calahonda is a new area in terms of development and so currently only has one monument. If you travel into the hills of Calahonda, just past the El Portón complex, you will encounter a small Christian monument which, due to its location, stands out like a beacon. On a clear day you should be able to see the enter length of the coastline, including Africa and Gibraltar. If you’re visiting in summer then take a car, because walking in the heat and humidity won’t be the most comfortable option.

Beaches

Calahonda is divided into beachside and mountainside by the coastal road. The beachside includes a lovely long stretch sand and a number of pretty villas and urbanizations adjacent to the beach area. There are a number of Chiringuitos (beach restaurants) dotted along the beach.

Close by are the natural sand dunes and nudist beach at the formerly mentioned Cabopino. If you are looking for a beach resort with a wider range of facilities and leisure activities, then you can head to the world-famous destinations of Fuengirola to the left or Marbella to the right.

Local facilities

On the mountainside of the N-340 road, you will find the main area of Calahonda, with its many restaurants and shops. The widest choice of shopping, dining and entertainment options can be found in the El Zoco commercial centre in Calahonda. There is also the excellent Club del Sol with a gym, tennis, paddle, swimming pool and aerobics. Across the motorway, adjacent to El Zoco, you will find more shops, restaurants, a gym and other fitness venues.

Eating out

The gastronomy in this part of the Costa del Sol is truly international with influences from all over the world; British fish and chips, Hungarian goulash, Japanese sushi, Italian pasta and pizza, whatever takes your fancy, it’s available. You could eat a different cuisine every night!

Local Festival

Calahonda’s local fiesta provides visitors with the opportunity to sample the naughty but nice Spanish dish of Churros, a fried and battered dough generally served with a cup of thick hot chocolate, in which the Churros are dunked – delicious!

Nightlife

Being one of the smaller, but more developed urbanisations on the coast, there are few large nightclubs due to noise pollution laws, but there is a choice of smaller venues, including the Trafalgar Bar in the El Zoco complex, which is busy with visitors all evening until about 3am.

David’s Bar in neighbouring urbanisation Riviera del Sol is also very popular and if you fancy a more upper class, but pricy option then the famous Nikki’s Beach is located around 10 minutes’ drive in the charming enclave of Elviria, between Calahonda and Marbella.

Climate

Calahonda enjoys a sub-tropical Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and warm winters. Cooling breezes from the sea make the summer heat manageable; temperatures average 32 ºC during the summer.