Besides being arguably one of the world's greatest holiday destinations, Costa del Sol remains a highly potential place for profitable investment. The excellent weather together with endless leisure facilities make this stretch of coastline a major draw for millions of Europeans, particularly the Britons. Most of these people visit the place for holidaying; but the number of people looking to relocate there are not at all few.
There is more than one factor that makes Costa del Sol a fantastic place to buy a holiday home. The climate certainly plays the most important role. But the golf courses around the coast do not lag far behind. Along with this there are the great shopping opportunities and lots of restaurants. All these facilities make a visit to the place a memorable one. And if you live permanently amid all these endowments, then you are sure to enjoy every bit of your life.
Serviced by Spain's largest Airport, Costa del Sol property takes up about 300 kilometres of the Mediterranean littoral that corresponds to the province of Malaga. The place is protected from the northern winds by a mountain chain that in some parts comes down to meet the sea. The sheltered coast is shaped by a succession of extensive beaches, coves almost hidden between cliffs, marinas and anchorage for fishing.
You will have semi-tropical vegetation in which you can find palm and cypress trees, bougainvillaea, oleander and hibiscus, mostly owing to the warm micro-climate, infrequency of rainfall and the sea breeze. The valleys blanketed in vegetable gardens, green landscapes, long sandy beaches - all contribute to make the place an ideal destination for a short sojourn, as well as for a holiday home.
In Costa del Sol property, there is no dearth of accommodations. Apartments, penthouses, luxury villas, every kind of accommodation are available there in this place of unparalleled attractions. Investment in a property with such potential is sure to engender huge profits.
In the province of Malaga in the 2007-2008 school year there were 4,599 British immigrant pupils registered in both the primary and secondary levels.
Many British families who have moved from the UK to settle on the Costa del Sol speak their native language only. They shop in the British supermarkets, drink in British-run bars and generally, make very little effort to integrate into Spanish society. They move in circles of family and friends where only English is spoken and therefore their children find it hard to adapt to the Spanish culture.
Great Britain has never had a bilingual tradition, thus making it all the more difficult for British children to learn another language. Many British people have the antequated idea that everybody else should speak their language.
This leads to unhappy children not understanding what is being taught to them and results in poor grades, learning difficulites,disruptive pupils, lack of qualifications or even worse, teenagers dropping out of the education system altogether.
Also, the school timetables are very different to UK. The state-run Spanish schools finish at 2pm. That is when the Spanish eat their lunch. Thus at break time (around mid-day) all the British children are hungry and want to sit eating rather than playing. Then at 2 'o' clock, the British children are ready to play when the Spanish children are eating.
Many British parents make no effort to go to language classes themselves so are unable to help their children with their homework. They are unable to communicate with the teaching staff at parents meetings and cannot read or understand the school reports.
In Spain, the emphasis on learning is the basics of reading and writing, grammar, mathematics and learning by rote. In UK the education system tends to concentrate more on creativity and learning a second language is not compulsory.
The Spanish schools are doing their best to alleviate problems of integration by also teaching English. But the level is very low and mainly aimed at Spanish children and does not stretch the British children enough. Further efforts are being made through extra-curricular activities such as pottery, dancing, football..etc. which are all run in Spanish as well as offering extra classes in Spanish language.
Therefore, if you are thinking of relocating from UK to the Costa del Sol and you have a young family, you should consider their educational needs. If the state-run system is not for your child, then the only option is a fee-paying English school. These private schools follow the English system of exams and do the SAT's, G.C.S.E's 'A' levels etc.. But they do not run cheap. Average costs are about 8,000 euros per child per year. You also have to take into account buying uniforms, books, PE equipment..etc.. as well as paying for any excursions or entrance fees for exams.
So, for the sake of your child's education, do your research before you move !
Both Brittney Jackeline & Jay Neil are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Brittney Jackeline has sinced written about articles on various topics from Psychic Readings, Prospects and Car Rental. Brittney Jackeline is a well known professional writer. She has won appreciation especially for good writing about Real Estate topics like. Brittney Jackeline's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Jay Neil has sinced written about articles on various topics from Property Investment, Education and Travel and Leisure. Author: Jay NeilWebsite: B & P Jay Neil is a. Jay Neil's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.