One Marbella

🏡 The Costa del Sol spare bedroom. It always starts with good intentions…

“We need three bedrooms. One for us, one for guests and one for the office.”

Perfectly sensible.

Then you actually move in.

A few months later, the “guest bedroom” contains two suitcases, three sets of golf clubs, the beach chairs, a printer nobody uses and several boxes that apparently cannot be thrown away under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, the “office” has quietly become an office, ironing room, storage room and occasional bedroom whenever somebody announces they’ve booked flights from the UK. 😂

It sounds trivial, but it highlights something genuinely important when choosing a home on the Costa del Sol.

Buy or rent for the way you will actually live — not simply for the number of bedrooms written on the property particulars.

Working from home, visiting family, hobbies, golf equipment, grandchildren and storage can change how much space you really need.

Now we want to know:

👇 What is your “spare bedroom” actually used for?

🏡 Want to know one of the BEST days to view a property on the Costa del Sol?
Today.
Yes, seriously.
Everyone wants to view property when the sky is blue, the swimming pool is sparkling and the terrace looks like something from a magazine.
But if you're genuinely considering buying a home…
go back when it's raining.
Today's yellow warning for heavy rain across Málaga province makes this a surprisingly useful opportunity for anyone already viewing property. EL ESPAÑOL
Why?
Because sunshine hides things.
Rain can reveal them.
When viewing an apartment, townhouse or villa in areas such as La Quinta, I'd be paying attention to things that aren't nearly as obvious during 300 days of sunshine.
Look around terraces and gardens.
Does water drain properly?
Are there suspicious damp marks?
Any staining around windows or ceilings?
Does the underground garage remain dry?
How does water move around the development?
Are covered terraces actually covered enough to use?
And here's a surprisingly important one:
How much natural light does the property have when there isn't brilliant sunshine pouring through every window?
A south-facing apartment can look spectacular at midday in July.
The more revealing question is sometimes:
How does this place feel at 11am on a grey Monday in September?
Because if it still feels bright, comfortable and somewhere you'd happily spend the day…
that's useful information.
This doesn't mean seeing a puddle should send you running for the airport. 😂
Heavy rain is heavy rain.
But drainage problems, water ingress or persistent damp deserve proper investigation — ideally by an appropriate surveyor or technical professional before purchase.
Property photography naturally shows homes at their absolute best.
Real life doesn't always arrive with a blue sky and professionally fluffed cushions.
So if you've got a viewing booked today?
Don't cancel it simply because it's raining.
Put your coat on.
Take the umbrella.
And look more carefully than usual.
You may learn more about that property today than you would during an entire week of sunshine.
👇 Would rain put you off a property viewing?
NO — PERFECT TEST ☔ / I'D RESCHEDULE ☀️ / ONLY IF THERE'S A GOOD BAR NEARBY 😂

🏡 Here's a property-viewing trick that has absolutely nothing to do with the property.
If you're thinking about living somewhere permanently…
visit the area on a Sunday.
Not just when the agent has carefully arranged three viewings between 10:00 and 13:00.
Come back when nobody is selling you anything.
This can be particularly revealing somewhere such as Sotogrande.
Park the car.
Walk around.
Have coffee.
Go to the supermarket.
Take the children to lunch.
Walk the dog.
See who's actually around.
Because the question isn't simply:
“Do I like this house?”
It's:
“Would I like an ordinary Sunday here?”
That's a very different question.
When people relocate to the Costa del Sol, it's incredibly easy to become distracted by the things that look spectacular during a viewing:
🌊 Sea view
🏊 Swimming pool
🌴 Gardens
☀️ Terrace
🏡 Beautiful kitchen
All important.
But permanent living eventually becomes wonderfully ordinary.
Somebody needs milk.
The dog needs walking.
The children need entertaining.
Friends come for lunch.
You fancy coffee.
You realise you've forgotten something for dinner.
And suddenly knowing what's actually around you becomes rather more important than whether the master bedroom has mood lighting.
😂
Sotogrande is an interesting example because different parts offer quite different lifestyles — marina, established residential areas, golf communities and properties closer to schools and everyday services.
The right choice isn't necessarily the property with the biggest wow factor.
It's the one where the surrounding lifestyle fits your real week.
So when we help somebody considering a permanent move, I'd always encourage them to spend time in an area when they're not viewing property.
Go back in the evening.
Try the journey at school-run time.
Visit on Sunday.
See how long everyday errands actually take.
Because eventually you stop living in a property brochure.
You just live there.
And there's one particularly reliable test:
Sit somewhere with a coffee on Sunday morning and ask yourself:
“Could this become normal?”
If the answer is yes…
you may be getting considerably closer to the right location.
👇 What's more important for permanent living?
THE HOUSE 🏡 / THE LOCATION 📍 / 50–50 ⚖️ / WALKING DISTANCE TO COFFEE ☕😂

🧟 We’ve found tonight’s Costa del Sol activity for anyone who thinks dinner and a few drinks has become slightly too predictable.
At 23:00 tonight, Plaza Mayor becomes the scene of a zombie apocalypse.
Yes.
An actual six-hour zombie apocalypse.
And no, apparently this is not related to Saturday-night traffic on the A-7. 😂
Tonight, Saturday 26 September, Survival Zombie: La Noche de los Mu***os Vivientes takes over Plaza Mayor in Málaga.

It’s a huge live-action role-playing experience running from 23:00 until 05:00, where participants have to investigate clues, complete missions, make decisions, hide, run and attempt to survive an outbreak of the undead. Survival Zombie
The story is set in 1968.

Everything begins at a wedding.
Then things go somewhat downhill.
Apparently the dead start getting back up and nobody knows what a zombie is yet.
Which leaves the characters with the wonderfully Spanish 1968 solution of deciding whether they should call:
The Guardia Civil.
The doctor.
Or the priest. 😂 Survival Zombie
Participants can check in beforehand and then return ready for the 23:00 start. Tickets currently start from €24.90, subject to availability. Survival Zombie
Now this is precisely the kind of completely random local event we enjoy finding.
Because somebody somewhere has presumably said:
"What should we organise in Málaga this Saturday?"
Dinner?
Concert?
Street market?
No.
LET’S RELEASE ZOMBIES INTO PLAZA MAYOR UNTIL FIVE IN THE MORNING.
And everybody else apparently nodded.
😂
The experience involves actors, missions, puzzles and chases, and if the zombies catch you, your evening doesn't necessarily end.

You can become one of them and start hunting everybody else. Survival Zombie
Which raises an important relationship question.

Imagine you’re being chased by zombies with your partner.
There’s only enough time for one of you to escape.
Do you:
❤️ Help them?
🏃 Save yourself?
🧟 Or deliberately trip them up to give yourself another 30 seconds?
Choose your answer extremely carefully.
Your partner may be reading the comments. 😂
👇 Would you survive until 5am?

EASILY 🏃 / ABSOLUTELY NOT 🧟 / I’D BECOME A ZOMBIE AND ENJOY IT 😂

🎸 There are sentences you don't expect to write when looking for Friday-night plans on the Costa del Sol.
Here's today's:
“Fancy going to a rock concert in a cemetery?”
😂
Tonight, Friday 25 September, Málaga's historic San Miguel Cemetery becomes the setting for a rather extraordinary free concert.
The Joven Orquesta Promúsica joins Stereo 80 Rock Band for Rock Sinfónico — combining a full orchestra with rock music among one of Málaga's most atmospheric historic locations.
It begins at 19:00 and admission is free until capacity is reached. Málaga Weekend
Cementerio Histórico de San Miguel isn't an ordinary cemetery either.
Opened in the 19th century, it's known for elaborate historic mausoleums, sculptures and architecture connected with prominent Málaga families.
So imagine the scene tonight.
Historic stone monuments.
Twilight.
An orchestra.
Electric guitars.
1980s rock.
And an audience presumably wondering:
“Why haven't we done Friday night like this before?”
It's part of the LIVE PEACE 2026 programme, and for me this is precisely the kind of event worth sharing.
Not because it's enormous.
Not because everybody will go.
But because it's something genuinely different.
We sometimes fall into a Costa del Sol weekend routine:
Dinner.
Drinks.
Beach.
Golf.
Repeat.
Then Málaga casually announces:
“We've put a rock band and an orchestra in a 19th-century cemetery.”
Fair enough.
You have our attention. 😂
And if rock among the tombs isn't quite your thing, the wider Málaga and Costa del Sol programme this weekend is unusually busy, with flamenco, fairs, fashion, food festivals and concerts running from today through Sunday. WHAT-s ON
👇 Would YOU go?
ABSOLUTELY 🎸 / SOUNDS AMAZING 🎻 / TOO SPOOKY FOR ME 👻😂

🥘 Mijas has apparently found the correct way to say thank you.

With paella.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 23 September, Mijas celebrates its annual Tourist Day in Plaza Virgen de la Peña, with entertainment including flamenco and a free giant paella tasting. The event traditionally marks the closing stretch of the summer season and recognises the visitors who contribute to the town's tourism economy.

And frankly, this seems much better than receiving a thank-you email.

But here's the thing.

Even after living on the Costa del Sol for years, events like this are still worth going to.

Because Mijas Pueblo on a normal day is already rather difficult to make ugly.

Whitewashed houses.

Mountain views.

Mediterranean below.

Little streets.

Terraces.

Add flamenco, people gathering in the square and an enormous pan of paella and you've basically reached maximum Andalucía. 😂

There is, however, an important piece of etiquette whenever somebody announces free paella.

You cannot arrive twenty minutes after everybody else and then look surprised that there's a queue.

The British discovered queuing long before they discovered the Costa del Sol. We should know better.

😂

And Mijas has another busy week ahead: from 24–27 September, its long-running Villa de Mijas Theatre Festival celebrates its 40th edition, with four performances at the Miguel González Berral auditorium in La Muralla. Performances begin at 21:00 and admission is free.

So this week you could theoretically have:

Wednesday: free paella 🥘
Thursday: theatre 🎭
Friday: more theatre 🎭
Saturday: more theatre 🎭
Sunday: more theatre 🎭

Which is considerably more cultured than our original plan of:

“Shall we just go for lunch?”

👇 But let's settle the important question:

PAELLA 🥘 / FLAMENCO 💃 / BOTH — OBVIOUSLY 😂

🏡 Nobody moves to Spain dreaming about a storage room.

Then they actually move to Spain.

And suddenly...

the trastero (storage room) becomes prime real estate. 😂

Think about everything that follows you into a permanent Costa del Sol home:

✈️ Suitcases
🏖️ Beach chairs
⛳ Golf clubs
🚲 Bicycles
🎄 Christmas decorations
🧳 Visitors' luggage
🏊 Pool equipment
📦 And approximately 37 boxes containing things nobody has opened since leaving Britain

During a property viewing, buyers understandably concentrate on kitchens, terraces, bedrooms and views.

Storage?

"Yes, yes, very nice. Where's the pool?"

Six months later they're attempting to fit two bicycles, four suitcases and an inflatable flamingo into the guest bedroom.

Suddenly that little locked room downstairs looks magnificent. 😂

This is something I'd consider when viewing modern apartments and townhouses around La Alcaidesa, particularly if the property is going to become a permanent home rather than somewhere used for occasional holidays.

Look beyond the headline square metres.

Where will everyday life actually go?

Is there a proper utility area?

Storage beside the parking?

Cupboards deep enough to be useful?

Somewhere secure for bikes or golf equipment?

Space for suitcases without turning Bedroom Three into Heathrow Terminal 5?

None of this photographs particularly well.

Nobody has ever clicked on a property portal and shouted:

“DARLING! COME QUICKLY! LOOK AT THE CUPBOARD!”

But good storage can make a surprisingly significant difference to how comfortable a property is to live in.

Especially when relocating from a larger house abroad into a Costa del Sol apartment.

Sometimes the least glamorous square metres are among the most useful ones you buy.

👇 You can only have one:

BIGGER BEDROOM 🛏️ or PROPER STORAGE 📦?

🚗 Something slightly unexpected is happening in a small Málaga village today.

More than 150 American cars and motorcycles are descending on La Viñuela.

Yes.

La Viñuela.

Not Las Vegas. 😂

Today, Sunday 20 September, the village hosts the second Road to Oasis gathering, bringing together classic American vehicles and motorcycles from across Málaga province and Andalucía.

And visually, this should be brilliant.

Imagine traditional white Andalusian buildings…

Mountains…

Olive trees…

Then suddenly:

🇺🇸 Enormous American classics
🏍️ Motorcycles
🚘 Chrome everywhere
😎 And probably several cars longer than the average Spanish parking space

It's difficult to think of a better example of the wonderfully random things you can stumble across when you venture away from the coast on a Sunday.

The event celebrates American motoring culture and nostalgia, with vehicles from different eras — including models associated with cinema and popular motoring culture.

And this is precisely why we'd occasionally suggest ignoring the beach and heading inland.

Some of the most entertaining Costa del Sol weekends happen when you take a road you've never taken before and discover what's happening in the villages behind the coast.

Although arriving at an Andalusian pueblo and finding 150 American cars probably wasn't on anybody's bingo card.

One practical consideration…

If somebody turns up in a gigantic 1960s Cadillac, please allow them approximately three working days to parallel park it. 😂

👇 Which one would you take home?

1950s CRUISER 🚘 / 1960s MUSCLE CAR 💪 / CLASSIC MOTORBIKE 🏍️ / MY LITTLE SPANISH CAR IS FINE 😂

🧘 Marbella has apparently decided we're all a little stressed.

And judging by some people's driving on the A-7…

they may have a point. 😂

This weekend Marbella is taking part in World Wellness Weekend, with more than 50 activities running across Marbella, Nueva Andalucía and San Pedro through Sunday. The programme includes yoga, Pilates, walking, boxing, massages, music and activities for families.

Which means there should be something for virtually everybody.

Yoga if you need calming down.

Boxing if yoga hasn't worked.

Massage if the boxing was perhaps a mistake.

And presumably another massage after you've looked at the bill from Friday night's dinner. 😂

But underneath the joke, there's something quite interesting about this.

We spend an enormous amount of time talking about the Costa del Sol in terms of:

🏡 Property
🌊 Beaches
🍽️ Restaurants
⛳ Golf
☀️ Weather

But the outdoor lifestyle is probably one of its biggest attractions for people who actually live here.

It's September.

The sun is still shining.

People are outside exercising.

You can walk beside the Mediterranean in the morning and still sit outside for dinner that evening.

That's difficult to put on property particulars.

But it's a pretty significant part of what people are actually buying when they relocate here.

And this weekend you've got a perfect excuse to try some of it.

Personally, though, I'm intrigued by the definition of wellness.

Because surely sitting beside the Mediterranean with a cold drink while doing absolutely nothing must qualify?

I'm calling it:

Horizontal Mediterranean Mindfulness.

Patent pending. 😂

👇 What's YOUR idea of wellness?

YOGA 🧘 / LONG WALK 🚶 / GYM 🏋️ / SUNBED & ABSOLUTELY NOTHING 🍹😂

Apparently you don't need to fly 7,500km from Marbella to experience a little taste of Cuba this weekend.

You just need to get yourself to San Pedro Boulevard.

From 17–20 September, the boulevard is hosting La Pequeña Cuba, a four-day gastro-cultural festival organised by Asociación Cubanos Unidos with support from Marbella Town Hall.

And this one sounds rather more entertaining than sitting at home deciding what to watch on Netflix.

Expect:

🍽️ Cuban food
🍹 Cocktails
🎶 Music
🕺 Entertainment
🛍️ Crafts
🇨🇺 And plenty of Cuban culture

The organisers describe it as a participatory celebration designed to introduce people to Cuban food, traditions and entertainment, while also bringing the area's Cuban community together.

Which presents us with a familiar Costa del Sol problem.

You go out saying:

“We'll just have a quick look.”

Then you smell the food.

Someone hands you a drink.

The music starts.

And three hours later you're attempting a dance you absolutely cannot do while your partner quietly pretends not to know you.

A perfectly normal Costa del Sol Saturday, really. 😂

There's actually something rather nice behind events like this too.

One of the things that makes the Marbella area interesting isn't simply the Spanish lifestyle.

It's the extraordinary mixture of nationalities who've made this part of Spain their home.

And occasionally everybody gets an excuse to share a little of where they came from.

This weekend it's Cuba's turn.

One important note: Saturday 19 September at 19:00 also includes a manifesto concerning the difficult economic and social situation in Cuba, so the festival combines the celebratory side of Cuban culture with a more serious moment for the community.

So who's tempted?

👇 And more importantly:

CUBAN FOOD 🍽️ / MUSIC 🎶 / COCKTAILS 🍹 / ALL THREE 😂