116 | nº 31, pp. 107-129 | doxa.comunicación

July-December of 2020

European migrants on the Costa del Sol: an analysis of the consumption of foreign media by the German...

ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978

translate the comments of all the participants. The information was then transcribed and translated into Spanish, as was done with the results from all the written surveys and from the discussion groups of the other seven nationalities in the general project.

4. Results

4.1. Characteristics of the socio-demographic structure of the German audience on the Costa del Sol

The foreign populations living on the Costa del Sol have traditionally been spread over certain geographical areas, and the case of the Germans is no exception. The data obtained from the surveys reveal that they are settled mainly in Vélez Málaga (20%), Torrox6 (12%) and Marbella (9.5%). However, in order to interpret these data, it is important to note that when we refer to Vélez Málaga we must include its neighbouring districts, such as Torre del Mar or Benajarafe, and when we refer to Torrox, we must include its dependent village of Torrox Costa.

These residents are mainly located here, probably because in Algarrobo Costa and Torre del Mar, at the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, blocks of apartments started to be built in order to attract the German working and middle classes. The builders were German, like the Bauhoffman company, or Spaniards who were in personal relationships with German women, such as the development company Toto, whose owner was married to a German woman. And it is also noteworthy that in many other cases, Germans and Scandinavians put up the money and let local Spanish people (first on commission and then with shares in the business) carry out the construction, promotion and sale of apartments, plots and houses.

Thus, the area of La Axarquía was where the localities with high percentages of Germans such as Algarrobo Costa, Torrox Costa and Torre del Mar emerged (although here, as it is also one of the favourite places chosen by people from Madrid for their summer holidays in apartments, the situation was more diluted). Similarly, in terms of villas and a wealthy public, the urbanisations of Caleta del Sol, Rivera de Trayamar or La Sirena were created where up until not long ago a high per-centage of the owners were of German, Scandinavian and, albeit somewhat less, British origin, as the latter were based in Nerja or the western part of the Costa del Sol.

There are three main reasons that have brought the German population to the Costa del Sol: the climate (24%), the qual-ity of life (20%) and the warm welcoming attitude of the Spaniards (12%). The climate and the quality of life are the chief reasons why these populations settle on the Costa del Sol. This is especially so because they are a mostly retired people seeking a better climate that plays a decisive role in their emotional and physical well-being, in addition to the possible leisure activities allowed by a better climate.