The Costa del Sol is truly a multicultural place
· 4 min. read
This is a very special time of year for many residents of Marbella and the surrounding area. Christmas is being celebrated and we can’t help but notice that many of the streets along the coast are brightly decorated with beautiful Christmas lights. The best example is Calle Larios in Malaga and its impressive night-time spectacle. But not all nationalities in this cosmopolitan place celebrate these festivities. They are not included in their religion, their values, or their culture. We would like to take this opportunity to point out that the Costa del Sol is a truly multicultural place, where everyone is welcome, whether they celebrate Christmas or not.
INTEGRATION IS PROMOTED BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
“Our project is a multicultural Marbella where all residents feel welcome and integrated” says the Department of Foreign Residents of the Marbella Town Hall on its website. All the town halls along the coast, especially Marbella’s, are committed to facilitating the procedures for those who choose this land as their home.
Almost a third of Marbella’s population is made up of foreign residents, with Nueva Andalucía being the district with the most foreigners, 82% of its residents. These figures are taken from the National Statistics Institute (INE), a very reliable source. However, this institution only considers those residents who are registered in the city and of whom, therefore, there is a register. Many of those who enjoy Marbella or the Costa del Sol for longer than just a holiday, fail to register as residents. In fact, the institute put the number of inhabitants in Marbella at 150,000 in 2022, when it is known that in summer it reaches 300,000 or more. We only need to look at other sources of information such as the police or the increase in water consumption.
Around 150 different nationalities live together on the Costa del Sol in total brotherhood. This multicultural reality happens partly, of course, because it is a tourist destination. But there are other reasons. Nowadays there are a large number of companies, professionals, investors and retirees who decide to come and live in the best paradise under the sun in the south of Europe.
To demonstrate how multicultural the Costa del Sol’s coastline is, we have selected some infallible arguments.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF MULTICULTURALISM
One of the most important points is the freedom and variety of worship on the Costa del Sol. We all know the beautiful cathedral of Malaga. Likewise, the more than one hundred villages in the province have at least one Catholic church. It is the official religion of Spain, so there are many devotees.
But also famous is the mosque in Marbella, in the heart of the Golden Mile, which is home to the surrounding Muslim community; the Buddhist temple in Benalmádena, very striking even from the AP7 motorway; or the recent Russian Orthodox church in Benalmádena. Actually, in this area of the Spanish coastline, almost three hundred different types of worship are concentrated in harmony. This religious plurality includes Evangelists, Jews, Mormons, Protestants, Hindus and even the Bahá’í Faith among others.
Another aspect of civil pluralism includes the many prestigious international schools that have been teaching here for years. You can find out more about the latter by visiting our posts about the best schools and universities in Marbella. German, Swedish, English, French schools, bilingual nurseries and language academies of all kinds are scattered along the coastline.
Another defining feature is undoubtedly the countless international firms operating in the area. From the French Chanel to the American Google, from the Italian Dolce&Gabbana to the Scandinavian call-centres, there is a wide variety of companies based in the area whose headquarters are from other parts of the world.
Of course, we cannot fail to mention the more than international Malaga Costa del Sol Airport. It operates flights to 123 different destinations, including New York, which is one of those that has recently been resumed. It is the third largest airport in Spain and one of the main airports in southern Europe.
Last but not least, the translation service of the Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella is worth mentioning. There is a whole network of volunteers who serve as interpreters between patients and clinical staff in the following languages: English, German, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, French, Finnish and Arabic. At such a sensitive time as a hospitalisation, the sense of facilitating understanding between cultures is essential.
As you can see, the Costa del Sol is truly multicultural and has special beautiful villas and luxury apartments.
If you are thinking of moving to this wonderful place, a melting pot of cultures from ancient times to the present day, please do not hesitate to contact us.