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COSTA DEL SKI The Sierra Nevada is the perfect winter escape for adrenaline-seekers, writes Iona Napier (above), recalling her ‘pizza-shaped’ teaching tips with an Olive Press ski virgin
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T had been a tricky day on the slopes for ski virgin Rob Horgan. And after a rather ambitious blue run with three consecutive wipeouts, his sense of humour had vanished without trace. “There’s no way I’m skiing down that,” he barked at me. “I’ll walk up, get my ski and take the lift down.” His grimace was all too apparent despite the layers of scarf, hat and goggles. And this time, fair enough, as he’d tumbled down at least 25 metres past one of his skis, that perched precariously on the edge of the run. I was playing mother hen on an SNOW AND SUNBATHING: The Sierra Nevada has consistent snow from early December to May, when outing with a group of Olive Press It was always going to revellers come skiing in bikinis and be a testing outing and it swimming trunks him a bit of gentle cajoling, we set colleagues. didn’t help that the rest off down down the Olympic run, the highest mountain in peninsular While a few of us had been skiing had zoomed back to of our impatient group in the Laguna valley. base for a hot chocolate, making ‘giant pizza slices’, as my first Spain, Perhaps southern Spain’s most amazing view, from for years, a couple of them only without a second thought the top of teacher the Laguna slope you had called them, with our skis. knew the sport from the BBC’s Ski I had ended up becomingfor Rob. survey not just his impromptu ‘prothe Costa del Sol, but in the distance most of the Med and half He was soon back in the saddle and Sunday. fessor’ and after rescuing his ski the Rif mountains of north and giving considering a career change, as I later I was Africa. sped It was the beginning of the perfect Sierra perfect powder snow, bright sunshine Nevada weekend, with and some of Spain’s best après ski. The Sierra Nevada is easily Spain’s pistes spread over 110kms, all abovetop skiing resort, with 134 1200 metres in height. The longest piste, Aguila, is a dreamy magnificent views, while the series 6.3km of easy turns and of black runs, including Trampolin and Visera, that will test most skiers.
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Bikini run Of course the resort is most famous the adage of being able to ski in the for allowing tourists to test morning and sunbathe on the coast, a cava in hand, by late afternoon. And on the subject of sunbathing, some fanatics - including me even brave the slopes in a bikini for late April or early May (‘la bajada enthe last day of the season in Believe me, it’s an unmissable day bikini’, as it’s called). near nudity and plenty of hedonism.festooned with champagne, But it’s not just for fun junkies; expert skiers insist the snow, particularly in springtime, is a soft the tightly-packed icy pistes found inand sumptuous ride, unlike The long termers call it ‘cream snow’many European resorts. say it is at its best from February to (nieve crema), and most often begins in late November, as April, although the season it did this year, weather permitting. Best of all, the price for passes has not gone up much over re-
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Vol. 6 Issue 171
December 2025
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Feliz Navidad, mate! Spaniards now a minority in their own backyards as expat ‘parallel societies’ turn the Costas into a festive home-from-home By Alessio Ghirlanda & Dilip Kuner
tute (INE) shows the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol are Ground Zero for this foreign surge. In a revelation that will send shockwaves through Madrid (but cheers through the local English pubs), the map shows that in Rojales, just north of Torrevieja, a staggering 81% of residents COSTA EXPAT: On are now the Costa del Sol, European Europeans dominate expats. around Mijas, San T h a t Pedro and Manilva means as Santa prepares his sleigh this Christmas, he’s going to need a lot less coal for the YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR BENISSA, CALPE, MORAIRA Roscon de Reyes and 966 112 428 · areacostablanca.com a lot more
stuffing for the turkeys. In these neighbourhoods, you are statistically four times more likely to hear Jingle Bells than a traditional flamenco ‘carol’. And it’s not just a freak anomaly. Just down the road in Orihuela, Spaniards have been relegated to just 17% of the community, while European settlers dominate a massive 70% of the census. Further north, the holiday magnets of Benidorm, Teulada, and Javea are painting a similar picture, with foreign populations soaring between 65% and 70%. The streets are alive with the sound of English, German, and Dutch, creating a cosmopolitan Christmas cocktail that is shaking up the status quo. Even the glitzy Costa del Sol is feeling the squeeze. While locals are holding the line in some neighbourhoods, areas of Mijas and Estepona have seen European numbers rocket to 45% and the gap is closing fast. The trend is sweeping the islands too. In southern Tenerife, the British invasion is in full swing, with the municipality of Adeje now 60% foreign-run, and Santiago del Teide tipping the scales at 52%.
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But let’s be honest, this isn't a crisis; it’s a fiesta! These ‘parallel societies’ are breathing new life into the coast. While much of rural Spain empties out, these expat enclaves are booming, bustling, and bringing the spending power. So, what is driving this population explosion? Put simply: You are. And you’re bringing your wallets with you. While the official maps don’t name and shame specific nationalities, there is no guessing who is leading the charge. British buyers are officially the kings of the Spanish property market, snapping up more than 5,500 homes in the first half of 2025 alone. Whether it's the lure of the winter sun or an escape from the UK gloom, Brits
ENCLAVES: Red dots show huge European clusters around Torrevieja and the northern Alicante coast are arriving in droves to enjoy a Christmas dinner on the terrace in 18-degree heat. +Andalucia and Murcia remain the top picks, absorbing nearly a quarter of all British buyers between them. This influx has pushed Spain’s total population to a historic high of 48 million, a boom fuelled almost entirely by foreign arrivals. In fact, the expat community is now growing 20 times faster than the local population.
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ADIOS amigos! It is the ultimate demographic takeover, and just in time for the holidays. Spaniards have officially become an endangered species across vast swathes of the southern coast, with shocking new figures revealing that locals now make up as little as 11% of the population in some sun-drenched hotspots. A stunning analysis of census data has exposed the rise of vibrant ‘parallel societies’ where Spanish is rarely heard in entire enclaves and the menu del dia has been swapped for a Sunday Roast. As we gear up for the most wonderful time of the year, the seismic shift laid bare by the National Statistics Insti-
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Spain now ranks fifth in Europe for foreign-born residents, with 9.3 million people - nearly one in five - born abroad. For the economy, it’s a lifeline. The ‘silver economy’ of retirees is keeping bars open, contractors busy, and golf courses green. We might be creating ‘parallel societies’, but they are societies built on a love for the Spanish way of life - even if we do prefer our tea with milk and our Christmas pudding flaming. Opinion Page 6