The Helicópteros Sanitarios Puerto Banús HQ

Well, in many respects you could say it always has been of course… but now more so than ever before because I’m delighted to be able to tell you that all new clients purchasing a home through VIVA now receive one year’s free membership to Helicópteros Sanitarios – the Costa del Sol’s leading rapid response Home Doctor & Medical Emergency Service.

The Helicópteros Sanitarios medical teams have responded to almost 852,000 calls for assistance and have saved more than 14,460 lives in the last 23 years which is a truly remarkable achievement…

And there’s no limit to the number of times you can use their services, because whether it’s a serious illness, an accident, emergency, or simply a cough or cold, all it takes is just one simple phone call and they’ll be on their way!

A prompt and professional bilingual Home Doctor Service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

In fact, wherever you are on the Costa del Sol, within their area of coverage extending from Torremolinos to Sotogrande, they’ll assist you at your home, on the beach or golf course, if you’re out shopping or at a restaurant, visiting friends, or at school…

With 250 highly qualified professionals, clinics in Puerto Banús, Fuengirola and Sabinillas, a fleet of 14 fully equipped ICU ambulances, plus medic cars and of course their state-of-the-art ICU helicopter, they’re never very far away.

Helicópteros Sanitarios members benefit from all the following free services:

• 24-hour medical service
• Rapid response
• Home doctor service
• Hospital transfers
• Helpline
• Unlimited service with no upper age limit
• Medical consultations
• Interhospital transfers

Founder and president, María José Cañete

“We know that there’s no place like home,” says founder and president, María José Cañete. “That’s why our members can rely on us to provide them with a prompt and professional, bilingual Home Doctor Service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Conveniently, they also offer a wide range of complementary medical and healthcare services which are available to their members at preferential prices, while their expansion plans include the creation of a private hospital as well as a residential retirement home.

You couldn’t be in safer hands!

One of the Helicópteros Sanitarios medical teams

A recent survey for Telegraph Expat shows that when 1,000 British citizens were asked to rate their overseas homes in the top 10 most popular expat destinations, on factors ranging from quality of life to the cost of living, no fewer than 75.9 per cent – the highest score – said they were happier in Spain than in Britain…

Interestingly, however, the research – carried out by Lloyds TSB International – also demonstrates that the countries where British expats enjoyed the highest quality of life or best financial prospects weren’t necessarily the places where they were happiest. New Zealand, for example, came out as offering the highest quality of life, although it was ranked bottom for contentment, while the UAE – where most expats said they were better off financially – was only in fourth position on the happiness index.

It goes without saying that to those of us already living on the Costa del Sol these findings come as no surprise.

With 300+ sunshine days annually, the Costa del Sol has one of the best climates on earth. Let’s face it, that’s the main reason most Northern Europeans choose to buy a home here in the first place. Then there’s the healthy outdoor lifestyle and laid-back attitude, the child-friendly restaurants, neighbours that look out for each other and are never in too much of a hurry to stop for a friendly chat, the respect and affection shown to the older and more vulnerable members of society… yep, family values are still very much alive and kicking in Andalucía and oh how it shows!

Of course, don’t get me wrong, nowhere is perfect. But even on those days when you do get out of bed on the wrong side, well, the cloudless blue skies, sparkling azure sea and breathtaking countryside will soon have you feeling as right as rain.

Incidentally, the survey also shows that in spite of Spain’s ongoing economic struggles, 71.3% of expats still believe they’re financially better off here than if they were in Britain.

Exactamente, and you’d better believe it!

What we all have felt in the market is that of course tides turn, and when it comes to the law of supply and demand, well if you don’t build any new projects then eventually – as in the early to mid 90s – there comes again a shortage and a real demand, and off we go to a new cycle.

You might say that this is still a way off. But not really. Lead times in construction tend to be 3-5 years from initiation of a project to completion. Think about that… no new product coming to the market for 5 years. At VIVA, we have already seen double digit growth in 2011 and we’re seeing a fabulous start to the year in property sales every day.

What does happen in prime areas such as Marbella and the Costa del Sol in just five years’ time, when all our stock will have been long ago sold and everyone then competes for properties coming to the market?

And how well might today’s buyer feel at that time.

The problem with the ‘official’ version of facts is the time lag that it takes to get them out into the market, as in fact, we would say that completed sale prices today – against asking prices at peak – are more likely near 40% down from that peak, and we often see certain types of properties selling for 50% below peak today.

What is important, however, is the true picture of when the bottom of the market has been reached. That point, or moment in time, when our buyers all have a certainty that prices will not fall any further. Well, we won’t guarantee that this is a fact across all markets, and we can only talk about certain prime areas of the Costa del Sol, but we certainly believe that in the case of all the properties we are completing sales on at present, these prices will not go lower; we know that we are at the bottom of the market.

Though you probably won’t read that ‘officially’ for a while yet, when you do read it, in our view prices will have already started to begin their eventual rise.

If you are buying, there has never before been a moment or a market like it. But it is incredibly important that you buy the right property, for the right reasons and at that all-important right price.

Measuring 165 metres long, 18 metres wide and with an inclination of 35%, it’s the biggest halfpipe in Spain and will be hosting various official tournaments and competitions, including the Snowboard Junior World Championships taking place in March of this year.

The Snowpark Sulayr halfpipe

Weather permitting, the Bond Sulayr Show 2012 kicks off at 10am in the Montebajo area with various slope style expression sessions as well as a spectacular exhibition you definitely won’t want to miss.

If you haven’t been to the Sierra Nevada – Europe’s southernmost winter sports resort – then you haven’t lived! The main hub, Pradollano (2,100 metres above sea level), has a great alpine feel to it, with plenty of bars, restaurants, hotels, self-catering accommodation and sports and leisure activities, so why not make a weekend of it?

Pradollano - Europe's southernmost winter sports resort

Not at all! In fact, if you read the article to the end, they state the obvious, that the turmoil in property prices faced particularly by the likes of Ireland (51st) and Spain, is actually a confirmation that these housing markets are over the worst.

We have never been ones to bury our head in the sand at VIVA. If it’s bad we face up to it, and we don’t talk the market up either, because it’s not our role. We simply help buyers acquire the right home at the right price, whatever the prevailing market conditions. But I have to say, it’s ohhh… so nice to be able to point to a whole variety of indicators that demonstrate we are at the bottom of our own crisis, that we are facing recovery and, well, an end to a pretty tough past six years really.

So, don’t shoot us for being happy about that.

Still, with enquiries about Spanish property falling by a barely noticeable 0.18%, Spain immediately shot back to the top of the list. Elsewhere in Europe, Portugal climbed from 4th to 2nd place with 9.15% of total enquiries, while France remained in 3rd place with enquiries up by 1.05%.

“As 2011 ends, the fluctuations in the Top 10 show the changing buyer demands in an uncertain market,” says Don Johnson, TheMoveChannel’s MD. “Spain has always been a traditional choice for lifestyle buyers, as shown by the constant level of interest in the country… so its return to the top spot seems an appropriate end to the year.”

Further afield, Barbados and Morocco entered the Top 10 for the first time, while the UAE jumped eight places to finish 12th.     

Tourism is Málaga’s principal industry, last year representing more than 13% of the province’s GDP which amounted to €8,000 million.

The El Torcal Observatory

Designed for anyone with an interest in astronomy – and for children and adults alike – the get-togethers are hosted by the Observatorio Astronómico de Torcal, whose expert staff will ‘guide’ you through the night sky using powerful telescopes, lasers and multimedia equipment. But if you can’t make either of these dates, since the sessions are held fairly regularly, there’ll be plenty of other opportunities!

The magical and mysterious El Torcal Nature Reserve. © Jorge Morales

Around 40km inland from Málaga – close to the village of Villanueva de la Concepción – the Paraje Natural del Torcal extends across 17 square kilometres, and with its weird but utterly wonderful rock formations is one of the most breathtaking limestone landscapes anywhere in Europe. In fact, come to think of it, if you’re planning on taking the Observatory up on its stargazing invitation, why not make a weekend of it? There’s no shortage of welcoming rural boutique hotels to stay at in the area, and that way you’d get to see El Torcal both by day and by night, as well as maybe having time to visit the nearby historic city of Antequera, too.

Weird and utterly wonderful rock formations - El Torcal Nature Reserve. © Jorge Morales

The January nighttime observations cost €8 (adults) and €6.40 (children under 12 and OAPs). Places are limited so you’ll need to make a reservation and since the Observatory is 1,200 metres above sea level, make sure you wrap up warm and don’t forget to take hiking boots – or at the very least some flat-heeled shoes – with you!

For more information, T. (+34) 600 703 700.

The event gets underway at 4pm, with a series of performances by Andalusian folklore dance groups, and at 5pm, coinciding with midnight in Beijing, the 25 members of the well-known Jin Fan dance group – the winners of the latest edition of the Festival of Dance celebrated in China – will be putting on a spectacular show.

Celebrating the transition from the Year of the Rabbit to the Year of the Dragon, the event at the Hipódromo Costa del Sol has been financed by the Chinese government and will be attended by the Chinese Consul General in Spain. Oh yes, and if you’re wondering about the date, well the reason why it’s been brought forward, is simply because the Jin Fan dancers have to be back home in time to welcome in the New Year in China which of course really starts on Monday 23 January.