The hippest and least popular neighbourhoods in Malaga

Once house buyers of all price brackets turned their noses up at the mere thought of a property in the Carretera de Cádiz area of the west of Malaga City. It’s now some of the most sought-after property in the entire country.

Until recently, the area between Malaga city and Torremolinos was an industrial wasteland, with caravan settlements. It was certainly not a place to walk a dog in the evening. But now, a hop, skip and jump to the airport, shopping centres and luxury housing developments are popping up in that gap between Malaga city and Torremolinos, and it looks as desirable as the new golden triangle between Marbella, Estepona and Benahavís.

The district is now the most desirable residential area in the city. The average price per square metre for second-hand homes in the district has skyrocketed from €1,377 in 2015 to nearly €3,500 today, a staggering 153 per cent increase, according to data from the property website Idealista.

The fastest growing neighbourhood in Malaga

Carretera de Cádiz, Malaga’s largest district with a population of nearly 116,000, has shed its working-class roots to become one of the most premium residential destinations. Once dominated with industrial warehouses and neglected areas, this area now houses some of the most expensive properties in the city.

While some bemoan ‘gentrification’, many who already live there are saying nothing as they see their streets cleaned up of prostitution, become much safer, and their property prices go through the roof.

Leading the boom is Finca el Pato-Torre del Río, dubbed Malaga’s “Golden Mile”, where the price per square metre for homes has reached nearly €6,800, surpassing traditional upscale neighbourhoods in town like El Limonar and Cerrado de Calderón.

The district’s coastal west end has seen a flurry of high-end developments, including three iconic towers developed by Metrovacesa and Sierra Blanca Estates, with some units fetching up to €9.75 million each. Other new projects along the final stretch of Malaga’s western promenade command prices as high as €3.4 million, showing a breathtaking transformation.

Malaga’s humble beginnings are the most desired

Carretera de Cádiz’s evolution traces back to 1860 with the construction of the first bridge over the Guadalhorce River, connecting El Perchel to the western part of the city. Huelin was developed to house the working-class, and then high-rise estates were built in the 1960s as Malaga grew.

Cities change. It is not necessary to judge whether the change is positive or negative. It is impossible to deny the inevitable transformation of this stunning stretch of coastline.