[bc1050]

I am interested to hear peoples thoughts on this given that both areas are quite cosmopolitan but different in size and what they offer in terms of lifestyle and from a property investment perspective.  Where would you choose and why?

[Dave Hachey]

I can only speak for the Barcelona area where we’ve owned a home in Macanet de la Selva for the last 2 years (we’re from Canada).

We absolutely love this area for one main reason – there’s a huge variety of things to do in varied ways.  Being in this area puts you within an hour or so of some of the most amazing things, tons of incredible beaches, the majestic Montseratt and Pyrenees mountains, literally hundreds of walking and cycling paths, the ancient city of Girona, vineyard estates, every kind of restaurant you could possibly think of (including Michelin 3 stars), olive orchards, the ceramic city of La Bisbal, quaint fishing villages and the most amazing people.  And that’s not even including the things to do in the city of Barcelona!  Add to that the fact that we’re only 1.5 hours from the south of France (we love to drive), 20 minutes from the bullet trains that can take you to Madrid and more, and you get so many options it’s crazy.  We spent many years deciding on where to get a place (previously we were favouring Provence) and couldn’t be happier with our choice.

So far we’ve spent a couple of months a year there but we will be retiring in a couple of years and plan to spend about half our time there.  With the low cost of flights it will be a perfect jumping spot for touring all of Europe and more.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Dave Hachey.

[SurveySpain]

Interesting question. Not comparing like with like. Barcelona is a city, Marbella is a big village! Better to compare B with Málaga City. It’s really coming up in the world and has all the benefits of whole Costa del Sol region and hinterland. Also, the weather is warmer in the winter as its much further south.

[bc1050]

Barcelona sounds truly wonderful, however, to live there and be reasonably close to the centre I probably would have to live in an apartment and I don’t equate big city apartment living with a high quality of life even with all the cultural offerings.  On the other hand, in Marbella, I can live for the price of a 2 BR apartment in Barcelona, in a detached villa with a pool, sea and mountain views and still be within a 10 minute taxi ride to a year round cosmopolitan restaurant/bar/beach environment.  If I want a “big city culture” buzz, Malaga is a 30 minute drive away and the weather is warmer in the South.

Marbella from my perspective is the more attractive choice.

[peter p]

Each place you mention is very different, so it depends on what you like. Of course, the two have beack, bugt I would pick Barcelona because of the Gaudi architecture, museums, and the overall feel of the city.

If you are a fishing lover like me, you would love the two cities.

[Author]

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