7 Costa del Sol Neighbourhoods: Prices & Guide

Most "best neighbourhoods" guides to the Costa del Sol are written by people who've never walked the streets they're describing. You get the same recycled paragraphs about "sun-drenched coastlines" and "Mediterranean charm," and then nothing useful — no prices, no specifics, no honest take on what it's actually like to live there.

This is a different kind of guide. I've put actual numbers to every neighbourhood. Named the golf courses, the schools, the restaurants. And where something isn't as good as the brochures suggest, I've said so.

Here are the seven areas that define the Costa del Sol's luxury market right now — and what you should know before you put money down.

1. La Zagaleta, Benahavís

La Zagaleta is the most exclusive gated community in Europe. That's not marketing — it's simply what the numbers say. Nine hundred hectares of private land. 420 plots, of which roughly 250 have been built. Two access gates, 24-hour manned security, a heliport, and an equestrian centre with 20 stables.

Nothing here sells for under €3 million. The average transaction sits around €12.4 million. The most expensive current listings push €30 million. If you want to build from scratch, plots alone start at €3 million before purchase taxes, and you'll spend another €2,000–3,000 per square metre on construction.

The resident mix is roughly 30% British, 30% German, 15% Scandinavian, with the remainder a mix of Middle Eastern, Russian, and Spanish families. The Country Club membership costs €100,000 to join plus €11,000 a year, and community fees run about €1,000 a month depending on the property. All-in annual running costs for a typical villa sit around €70,000 — before you've turned the heating on.

Two 18-hole courses wind through the estate. There's no commercial centre, no shops, no restaurants beyond the Country Club. The nearest supermarket is in San Pedro de Alcántara, 14 kilometres away. Marbella centre is 20 minutes by car.

The isolation is the point. If you want to walk to a café, La Zagaleta isn't for you. If you want to disappear behind gates and never see a tour bus, it's unmatched.

Schools: Atalaya International on the Benahavís road is closest. Aloha College in Nueva Andalucía (British curriculum, IB programme) is about 10 kilometres out.

2. Sierra Blanca

Sierra Blanca sits about 300 metres above sea level on the foothills directly north of Marbella's Golden Mile. People call it the "Upper Golden Mile" — same prestige, different proposition. Where the Golden Mile is linear, beachside, and increasingly busy, Sierra Blanca is elevated, gated, and quiet. The sea views are better from up here. You can see Africa and Gibraltar on a clear day.

Prices reach €16,000 per square metre in the most sought-after pockets. Average villa sales exceed €5 million, with exceptional properties going well beyond €14 million. For context, fully refurbished properties in the adjacent Puente Romano area have recorded averages of €24,020 per square metre — some of the highest figures on the entire coast.

The named urbanisations worth knowing:

• Meisho Hills — 58 modern townhouses designed by Argentine architect Angel Taborda. Prices from €850,000 to €3.1 million. Three spa areas, indoor and outdoor pools, saunas
• Lagos de Sierra Blanca — 2-bed apartments from €800,000, 3-bed duplex penthouses around €1.5 million
• El Alfar — More accessible entry point, 2-bed apartments from €380,000

The buyer profile is predominantly families — British, German, Nordic, and Middle Eastern — using these as both primary residences and holiday homes. The beach is 2.3 kilometres below (an 8-minute drive), and Puente Romano and the Marbella Club hotels are under 10 minutes by car.

Sierra Blanca is for buyers who want Marbella's address without Marbella's noise. Expect to need a car for everything.

3. The Golden Mile

Five kilometres of coastline stretching from Plaza Bocanegra at the western edge of Marbella town to the Río Verde, just short of Puerto Banús. This is where Marbella's luxury market began — Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe opened the Marbella Club Hotel here in 1954, and the rest followed.

Average selling prices hover around €6,329–6,422 per square metre, with year-on-year growth of 4.6–10.4% depending on which end of the Mile you're measuring. Apartments and townhouses range from €500,000 to €5 million. Villas start at €2 million and stretch to €20 million, with beachfront estates occasionally listing at €80 million. The newest benchmark: Dolce & Gabbana branded residences, starting from €4.975 million, with premier units exceeding €30 million.

The beach clubs you'll hear about: Nikki Beach (pool parties, international crowd), Ocean Club (infinity pools, Mediterranean restaurant), and La Sala by the Sea (fine dining, sunset drinks). Sunbed reservations run €50–100+ depending on the setup.

Now the honest part. The N-340 and A-7 highways run directly through the Golden Mile, and during summer they're regularly paralysed. June through September, the traffic between La Cañada and Puerto Banús can turn a 10-minute trip into 45 minutes. The local government has proposed multimodal corridors and new east-west connections, but for now, this is a genuine quality-of-life issue from June to September.

The vibe has shifted too. Ten years ago this was old-money Mediterranean glamour — understated, quiet, private. It's now supplemented by a flashier, more Instagram-driven scene, particularly near the Puerto Banús end. Whether that's a positive or negative depends entirely on what you're looking for.

4. Nueva Andalucía — Golf Valley

If you're buying on the Costa del Sol and you play golf, you already know about Nueva Andalucía. Four championship courses within walking distance of each other: Real Club de Golf Las Brisas (Robert Trent Jones), Los Naranjos, Aloha Golf Club (Javier Arana design), and La Quinta Golf & Country Club (27 holes). You could play a different course every day and never leave the valley.

The price data tells an interesting story:

Los Naranjos is growing faster than anywhere else in the valley — contemporary homes with open-plan layouts are driving demand. Apartments start from around €320,000 (82 sqm), townhouses €400,000–700,000, and modern villas run from €4.5 million up to €15 million for a 10-bedroom estate.

The expat community here is enormous. Heavily British and Scandinavian. Centro Plaza functions as the social hub — the SPISA food market stocks Scandinavian specialty groceries, which tells you everything about the demographics. Bars like Yanks and Starz anchor the social scene. Puerto Banús is immediately adjacent when you want nightlife, but the neighbourhood itself is residential and quiet.

Nueva Andalucía is where the Costa del Sol's expat community actually lives, year-round. It's not a holiday park. If you want neighbours who know your name, this is the area.

5. Sotogrande

Sotogrande is a different planet from Marbella. It's quieter, more understated, and completely centred on sport. Seven full-size polo fields at the Santa María Polo Club. The legendary Valderrama — consistently ranked the best golf course in continental Europe, host to LIV Golf and the DP World Tour. Green fee in 2026: €600, plus a mandatory forecaddie at €70 plus gratuity.

At La Reserva, the headline development is "The Seven" — plot prices from €7.6 to €8.5 million. The standard La Reserva Golf green fee is around €260.

Average property prices sit at €2.06 million, with an average of about €3,004/sqm. That's 40–45% below Marbella's Golden Mile. Properties reached €17 million for the first time in 2024, after a 30% surge in average sale prices.

The Sotogrande International School is one of the strongest on the coast — International Baccalaureate, taught in English, ages 3 to 18, boarding available. Annual fees: €19,590–26,990 depending on age group.

A practical note: Gibraltar Airport is just 30 minutes away. Málaga Airport is about 60 minutes. The polo season runs April to September, with free admission to all matches. Post-match socialising happens at The Last Chukker with live music — funk, soul, jazz, and Latin.

Sotogrande is for families who'd rather their kids play polo and tennis than hang around Puerto Banús. Old money, sport, community. Not trying to be Marbella, and all the better for it.

6. Estepona

Estepona's transformation over the last decade is the most dramatic on the coast. Since 2011, the town has remodelled over 130 streets — roughly 18 kilometres of pedestrianised roads through the Old Town. More than 80 artistic murals cover building facades. A route of poetry on tiled plaques winds through the historic centre. The Orchidarium houses 5,000 plants and 1,300 species of orchids under a 30-metre glass dome with a 17-metre waterfall.

It's also where the smart money has been moving. Average prices: €3,500–3,854/sqm, versus Marbella's €5,410/sqm. That gap is narrowing fast — Estepona's prices rose roughly 19–20% between 2024 and 2025, outpacing Marbella's 8–9%. Agents and media routinely call it "The New Marbella," and for once the label has substance.

The new-build pipeline is the biggest on the coast. At least 11 developments are delivering in 2026, with projects like Ayana Estepona (140 luxury apartments in a gated community with tropical gardens) and Serenity Views (duplex penthouses from €415,000) leading the way.

What Estepona has that Marbella doesn't: an authentic Spanish town centre. Real tapas bars alongside the boutique hotels. A seafront promenade spanning 3 kilometres. A fishing port that's still an actual working port. If you've visited Marbella and felt it had lost its Spanish identity, Estepona is the answer.

7. East Marbella — Elviria & Los Monteros

This is the stretch that most guides skip. East Marbella doesn't have a single iconic brand name like La Zagaleta or Puente Romano, so it gets overlooked. That's starting to change — and the growth numbers tell you why.

Average price in East Marbella: €4,375/sqm. Year-on-year increase: +22.4% — the strongest growth rate in greater Marbella. The Río Real–Los Monteros sub-area specifically records €4,972/sqm, up 14.8%.

Two investments have transformed the area's profile. The Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella (IHG) opened in February 2025 after a full renovation of the historic Los Monteros Hotel — 195 rooms including 60 suites, a spa by Maison CODAGE, 5-star Grand Luxe classification. And La Cabane, the beachfront club in Los Monteros, has been rebranded under Dolce & Gabbana — Mediterranean luxury dining and lounging, right on the sand.

What you get here that you won't find on the Golden Mile: 15 kilometres of sandy beaches stretching to Cabopino, protected dune systems, and space. Elviria has a proper commercial centre with restaurants and supermarkets. Cabopino has a small marina village and an ecological reserve. The beaches are wider, quieter, and arguably better than anything between Marbella and Puerto Banús.

New developments like Altos de Los Monteros (96 apartments — 2-bed from €440,000, 3-bed from €516,000) offer entry points well below the Golden Mile.

East Marbella is the early-mover play. The Kimpton and D&G arrivals signal where institutional money thinks this area is heading. Prices are 20–30% below the Golden Mile with a better beach. That gap won't last.

The Numbers at a Glance

All price data sourced from registrar records, Idealista, and local agent market reports through H2 2025. Figures are indicative — the Costa del Sol moves fast, and anything published has a shelf life. Get current valuations before making offers.