While some accuse Sitio De Calahonda of being a little crass, others feel right at home in the Mijas development, which was founded in 1963. Comprising 600,000 square metres, Calahonda has grown so big in recent years that many believe it should qualify as a stand-alone town - which would mean, incidentally, that residents would no longer have to pay taxes to the Mijas municipality.
Most of the residents in Calahonda are British ex-pats, which explains the vast amount of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and bars catering for the British. Spanish, German and Scandinavians make up the remainder of the residents. The number of residents in Calahonda varies according to the time of year, from 14,000 in the winter months to 45,000 in the summer. Residents can get by with only a few choice Spanish phrases here and there, which has meant Calahonda has become a home away from home for many; all the advantages of living in the sun, without feeling displaced or lost in translation. Many Brits have been known to move straight from England to Calahonda to ease themselves into the Spanish way of life, then gradually - when they feel more comfortable - move to one of the more Spanish, rustic areas.
Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with Calahonda - in fact, there is lots with right it - and it as thrived as a result. It seems that this surprisingly leafy area, complete with four golf courses - including Club de Golf La Siesta - parks, beaches, and 60 hectares of green zones where hundreds of pine trees have been replanted, is largely undeserving of any name-calling it may have endured over the years.
The El Zoco centro comercial is what you’ll first see of Calahonda from the N340 careterra. Here, you’ll find pretty much everything expected of a centre catering for ex-pats; the popular SuperSol supermarket, essential for supplies; a couple of real estate agents; a hairdressing salon: a –’ferreteria’, or DIY shop; a card shop selling English greetings: and a huge number of restaurants, pubs and bars, which are jostling with lively Brits pretty much every day of the week. While the Brits here all stick together, and look out for one another in a neighbourly way, there is certainly a cosmopolitan feel to the Moroccan-styled El Zoco building. Breakfast is highly recommended at the Almond Tree, whilst those who fancy a sneaky Chinese for dinner should sample the spring rolls and Peking duck from the China City restaurant. Pre-or post-dinner drinks can be taken at the Trafalgar bar, whilst Ronzy’s Dinner & Dancing on the top floor is where those who want to throw a few shapes gather. What’s great about El Zoco is that everything is under one roof - whatever you feel like doing, you’re sure to find it in this close-knit vicinity.
A little further up the road and you’ll find ‘The Strip’, which is jammed with more restaurants and bars. Little India is a great place to sample Indian cuisine, while the Swiss House offers a fantastic assortment of steaks and other meats for very reasonable prices. You’ll also find Power Lounge along this strip, which is where many of Calahonda’s social set gather at the weekend in the underground disco to party until the small hours. There’s also a small supermarket at the furthest end, which is ideal for the Calahonda residents who live further uphill and don’t fancy trekking down to El Zoco every time they need a loaf of bead. An all-important 24-hour medical centre here also caters for Calahonda’s accident-prone and sickly, and is one of four in the locality.
At the top of this hill is where most of Calahonda’s residents live. The winding roads snake their way further and further up the hill, all the while weaving in and out of quaint townhouses and attractive beige-and-sand coloured developments. Most of the homes in Calahonda have retained the Mediterranean look, with Moorish roofs, expansive terraces and authentic white architecture. At the very top of Calahonda is a small hub of bars and restaurants, so that residents don’t need to go all the way down the hill; but, on the whole, the tip is quiet, serene and not at all what is expected of this place some call ‘Little Britain’. The views afforded to houses at the very tip of Calahonda, at 300 metres above sea level, is nothing short of breathtaking; from most places, you can see the entire coast, miles upon miles of glittering sea, the Rock of Gibraltar, and, on clear days, the smudged outline of North Africa and the Atlas Mountains. A view you’d be pushed to match in Britain, I can assure you.
If you keep going up the strip and follow the road all the way down again, you’ll come across Club La Naranja, which is a meeting point for many of Calahonda’s residents. The social club arranges numerous activities and cultural excursions, and has become an integral part of the local way of life. Many of Calahonda’s elderly meet her to play bridge, while the summer barbecues attract a younger crowd.
At the bottom of the hill is another centro comercial, which comprises two more supermarkets, the ever-popular Movie Zone English DVD rental shop, a Whim’s Store newsagent, a dry cleaner’s, and the Miel Y Nata restaurant, which serves the best hamburgers, pizzas and prawns ‘pil-pil’ for miles. During the summer months, the central square here is packed out with tourists, most of them enjoying a languid lunch at Miel Y Nata over British newspapers and an ice-cold beer.
Calahonda enjoys a number of accessible white-sand beaches, which stretch from Riviera all the way to the beginning of Cabopino. If beach-goers feel a little peckish between catching rays of run and taking a dip in the warm waters of the Mediterranean, they can grab a bite to eat from Max Beach bar, situated at the bottom of Riviera hill. Serving a wide variety of Belgian cuisine, including mussels steak tartare, homemade speciality croquettes, beef stroganoff, and steaks, complete with live music in the lounge bar, it really is the perfect beach venue. Those who stay way into the night can retire to the club upstairs, which is usually open for special themed nights.
From the highest tip to the rugged coastline at the bottom, Calahonda is a beautiful place to holiday or indeed, call home. From living near the tip of the undulating Calahonda hills, to being right in the centre of the action near El Zoco, residents of all lifestyles, backgrounds and nationalities can enjoy what Calahonda has to offer. With the airport only 45 minutes away, and Gibraltar only an hour in the other direction, Calahonda is one of the Costa del Sol’s most accessible urbanisations. And those who live here love every square inch of it.