The region is not only a hidden treasure, it's a national treasure; its delights stem from the fact that it is under explored and therefore underdeveloped and that it embodies the real Spain, the Spain of many years gone by where the pace of life is slow and people's values remain traditional and family focused, where the cuisine is fresh and delicious, the wines are straight to the table from the nearby vineyard, the fish is straight from the morning's catch and where you can live the idyllic life of your dreams.
The region I'm talking about is called the Costa del Sol Oriental, or Costa Oriental for short, and it's a land of eastern promise in a nation famous today for its high property prices, its highly polished sophistication and its dedication to a purely western standard of consumer based living. And what's especially striking about this region is that it runs for around 50km along the coast directly to the east of Malaga - the very Spanish city that best embodies and epitomises the fame and popularity of Spain today.
When you consider how popular, how polished, how developed, overpopulated and, let's face it, how overpriced the Costa del Sol region directly to the west of Malaga is, it makes the discovery of the Costa Oriental to the east much more significant.
If you're looking for an ideal place in the sun, an affordable retirement haven, a highly accessible holiday home paradise - or just a place where you can kick back and enjoy the Mediterranean sunshine and you never thought you could conceivably consider Spain - think again...you can achieve all this and enjoy the delicious Spanish wines and local cuisine of the Andalusian region if you just care to take a closer look at the Costa del Sol Oriental.
To access the region you can fly into Malaga's airport favoured by cheap flight operators, and you can get on the E15 route or the N340 coastal road and set out east on your Spanish adventure.
Immediately outside the city limits you will find yourself winding your way around some of the most picturesque scenery in the Med. You'll look down on the perfect, still, crystal clean azure waters from cliff top roadways, and you'll look up to the pueblos blancos which visually define many people's lingering love affair with the Spanish countryside. These white washed villages speckle the landscape as you lazily stretch further away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Malaga and you leave behind the city lights and all your worldly cares.
Stop off anywhere en route and you will come across traditional Spanish communities where you will be made to feel welcome, where you will be treated as a guest rather than a stranger and where you can find yourself a home within the sun kissed Spanish landscape - a home you possibly never believed you could afford to achieve in Spain.
Some of the more populated centres within the Costa Oriental region include Nerja, Torrox, Torre Del Mar and Velez-Malaga, and in terms of the property prices in these centres they are more than favourable - Velez-Malaga could even be considered cheap for Spanish property.
According to the latest independent statistics available for Spanish property which are published by the award winning Spanish property portal Kyero.com, prices in Nerja are 9% below the province average of €302,950 (Oct 07), those in Torrox are 27% below it, 25% below in Torre Del Mar and a staggering 33% below in Velez-Malaga. You are within reach of an incredibly busy international airport famous for its cheap flights, you are within 50km of the Costa del Sol where prices are notoriously high for real estate, you are in the second most popular nation in the world for tourism and yet you can escape the hype, hide from the madding crowds, you can discover the delights of traditional Spain and you can find yourself an affordable retreat right in the heart of the Costa del Sol Oriental - which is quite possibly the final undiscovered gem of Spain.
If you're seeking a rural retreat or are in search of the real Spain, if you want to get away from it all, soak up the sunshine and enjoy the Mediterranean beaches, if you'd like to explore the La Axarquia region and it's Islamic white villages or explore the sierras along the Andalusian border with Granada, if the Cueva de Nerja caves appeal to you or the prospect of standing atop the peak of El Lucero and looking out across to both Granada and Morocco entices you...the Costa del Sol Oriental will present all of this to you and much, much more. Discover hidden Spain, discover a land of eastern promise!
