A couple of years ago I had the privilege of editing a special publication produced by Inmobiliaria Rimontgó in honour of the company’s 50^th anniversary. In this day and age it is a real achievement when a business reaches that milestone, and as this is a highly respected family firm originally founded by the current owners’ grandfather, it certainly meant a lot.

Hailing from Jávea, a beautiful coastal town a little south of Valencia on Spain’s east coast, the Ribes family has been a driving force in local business for around a century now, originally leading the way in making this one of the most important orange-exporting regions in Europe and later establishing the real estate firm that has grown into a highly prominent one today. (more…)

This article was written for Essential magazine May 2012 edition

We’ve all noticed it, there’s a recession going on. What’s more, it’s been biting hard and has done so for some time now, but quite apart from worries about the national economy there is a local trend that is far more encouraging. In the midst of recession Málaga is transforming itself into a modern city capable of attracting not only tourists and students but also foreign investment and international corporations. Whilst the beautification of the city’s historic centre continues, its pace is increasingly matched by an infrastructural modernisation aimed at turning Málaga into a centre of business and technology.

The first steps towards this goal have already been taken, in the form of the major new public works that began just as the boom ended and either have or are reaching completion now. Thanks to these, Málaga now boasts an impressive new airport terminal with transit capacity to match, a new ring road that alleviates congestion at former choke points near the city’s periphery and allows for easy routes to surrounding cities, and a high-speed rail link to Madrid that culminates in a brand new purpose-built railway station and commercial centre. In addition, work has begun on the initial part of a future metro network. (more…)