Walking through Estepona's boat docks around midday you might witness the paradox of the Costa del Sol: gathered around a kiosko, a group of sailors with bedraggled white beards gossip in Spanish after a morning at sea. They stand just a short distance from the rows of bars and restaurants that ring the port, where British tourists are beginning to congregate around outdoor tables, enjoying plates of beans and toast and reading English newspapers. Advertisments for jetski adventures, golf tours, and sport fishing excursions are mostly in English; even a few of the road signs warn "no camping" in the parking lot. A small ancient tower that once guarded this coast from medieval pirates and invaders is obscured by a bland highrise of holiday apartments which now block it's view of the sea. One bar will be showing Real Madrid vs. Manchester City tonight, and though this is Spain you probably don't want to be wearing Real Madrid jersey in there.
The New Natives
This coastline has an extraordinary history, and the influx of British to its shores is hardly an unprecedented cultural intrusion. Since the settlement of Astapa was first established here by the Phoenicians, the area has experienced multiple conquests and immigrations by dozens of cultures, including the Visigoths, Romans, Moors, Catalans, and multiple sub-groups of ethnic and religious communities within those broad labels. Perhaps this is why Spanish here seem so non-chalant about the new natives, the British and Irish who now reside here full time, many in the service industry catering to their countrymen. There are dozens of shops and restaurants for British tastes, tour operators and real estate agents, and closer to Malaga you will even pick up English language radio stations. We called for a plumber, and two Scouse-speaking Brits appeared at our door.
It's so common, a British TV show called "Four Houses" (like the show Four Weddings, where competitors host each other and evaluate the experience for a prize) featured four British women showcasing their homes in Southern Spain. (The apartment we're renting has Sky TV: British channels, very few in Spanish).
You can go days without being forced to speak English (though you will be obliged to decode those sticky linguistic differences between American and British speech). However, the Brits (and Irish) are not the only expat communities establishing themselves on the Mediterranean coast: there are also billboards in Arabic and radio stations in Russian, and many cafes offer multilingual menus that include German and French, sometimes Dutch and Swedish. In the modern European Union, it is extremely easy for snowbirds to flee the northern latitudes to Spain, just as American retirees buy homes in Florida and Arizona for the warm weather. But just like the influx of New Yorkers to Florida's coasts over decades created an interesting mix of Caribbean, Southern, and Northeast cultures, a similar dynamic may be occurring here.
Is it good or bad?
At a time when the economy in Spain is not fairing well, it's possible that the investments of EU tourists and retirees is very welcome here. We've met many expat business owners who are employing Spaniards, using Spanish products, and exporting Spanish culture back to their homelands.
As a visitor to Andalucía, there are potentially both positives and negatives about this British Invasion. If you are coming for that "authentically Spanish" experience, you might be disappointed to encounter British culture and the few opportunities to practice your Spanish. This overdeveloped region also probably lets you down if you were seeking quaint fishing villages. However, Expat communities can provide comforts and services that are reassuring. English speaking staff are easier to communicate with of course, as you book accommodations or need travel information. In the case of an emergency or problem where you may need a doctor, or even a plumber, that ease of communication is especially helpful-- nothing will test your practical language comprehension limits like reading a dishwasher manual.
I suggest making an effort to seek out the Spanish side of life in smaller inland towns, but also enjoying Costa del Sol's dynamic cultural environment. It is after all perhaps Andalucía's most authentic experience: communities of cultural and linguistic diversity. Drinking a Guinness with your seafood tapas while you look across the Mediterranean at Africa is definitely not a bad way to spend your evening.
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| A quiet afternoon in the Puerto Deportivo de Estepona |
The New Natives
This coastline has an extraordinary history, and the influx of British to its shores is hardly an unprecedented cultural intrusion. Since the settlement of Astapa was first established here by the Phoenicians, the area has experienced multiple conquests and immigrations by dozens of cultures, including the Visigoths, Romans, Moors, Catalans, and multiple sub-groups of ethnic and religious communities within those broad labels. Perhaps this is why Spanish here seem so non-chalant about the new natives, the British and Irish who now reside here full time, many in the service industry catering to their countrymen. There are dozens of shops and restaurants for British tastes, tour operators and real estate agents, and closer to Malaga you will even pick up English language radio stations. We called for a plumber, and two Scouse-speaking Brits appeared at our door.
It's so common, a British TV show called "Four Houses" (like the show Four Weddings, where competitors host each other and evaluate the experience for a prize) featured four British women showcasing their homes in Southern Spain. (The apartment we're renting has Sky TV: British channels, very few in Spanish).
You can go days without being forced to speak English (though you will be obliged to decode those sticky linguistic differences between American and British speech). However, the Brits (and Irish) are not the only expat communities establishing themselves on the Mediterranean coast: there are also billboards in Arabic and radio stations in Russian, and many cafes offer multilingual menus that include German and French, sometimes Dutch and Swedish. In the modern European Union, it is extremely easy for snowbirds to flee the northern latitudes to Spain, just as American retirees buy homes in Florida and Arizona for the warm weather. But just like the influx of New Yorkers to Florida's coasts over decades created an interesting mix of Caribbean, Southern, and Northeast cultures, a similar dynamic may be occurring here.
 | ||
| A modest Spanish-owned beach Chiringuito relies on business from tourists and expats staying in large seaside developments |
At a time when the economy in Spain is not fairing well, it's possible that the investments of EU tourists and retirees is very welcome here. We've met many expat business owners who are employing Spaniards, using Spanish products, and exporting Spanish culture back to their homelands.
As a visitor to Andalucía, there are potentially both positives and negatives about this British Invasion. If you are coming for that "authentically Spanish" experience, you might be disappointed to encounter British culture and the few opportunities to practice your Spanish. This overdeveloped region also probably lets you down if you were seeking quaint fishing villages. However, Expat communities can provide comforts and services that are reassuring. English speaking staff are easier to communicate with of course, as you book accommodations or need travel information. In the case of an emergency or problem where you may need a doctor, or even a plumber, that ease of communication is especially helpful-- nothing will test your practical language comprehension limits like reading a dishwasher manual.
I suggest making an effort to seek out the Spanish side of life in smaller inland towns, but also enjoying Costa del Sol's dynamic cultural environment. It is after all perhaps Andalucía's most authentic experience: communities of cultural and linguistic diversity. Drinking a Guinness with your seafood tapas while you look across the Mediterranean at Africa is definitely not a bad way to spend your evening.
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