A semi-detached house of 149 m² in La Mairena, a hillside residential area on the eastern side of Marbella, approximately 5 km inland from Elviria. The property has three bedrooms and four bathrooms and was completed in 1994, being offered key-ready with a fixed asking price of €850,000. Positioned at roughly 400 m above sea level, the house looks out over the Mediterranean and the surrounding Andalusian mountains. The setting combines forested slopes with views towards the sea, within reach of golf courses, international schools and the beaches of the Costa del Sol.
Key characteristics of location, homes, project phase and points of attention.
La Mairena is a residential enclave in the hills above Elviria, on the eastern outskirts of Marbella. The nearest beach, Playa de Artola, lies 4.6 km away as the crow flies. El Soto Golf is 1.5 km away, and Marbella itself is 12 km in a straight line. Access is by road; the gradient from the coast is approximately 8.7%, which is steep.
The house offers 149 m² of living space with three bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, plus a fourth bathroom. There is a private terrace, a rooftop terrace with sea views, a storage room, air conditioning, WiFi and a fully fitted kitchen. A private garden and a communal pool are present. One assigned outdoor parking space is included. Furniture is available by negotiation.
This is an existing property, built in 1994, not a new-build development. The construction status is key-ready, meaning the house can be occupied directly after purchase. Any completion or handover date is therefore indicative of the transaction timeline rather than a construction schedule. The condition is listed as excellent, reflecting the current state of the property.
The property does not include a private pool; swimming facilities are communal. Parking is a single outdoor space rather than a garage. The third bedroom is smaller than the other two. Within 2 km of the location there is only one restaurant, so daily shopping and dining require a short drive. The steep gradient to the coast affects both travel effort and journey times.
This property fits a buyer seeking an established home in a quiet, elevated residential area close to Marbella, rather than a new-build apartment on the coast. It suits households that prioritise views, outdoor space and en-suite bedrooms over walking-distance access to shops and beaches. Recognisable situations include: a family using the house year-round and relying on the international schools within a 5 km radius for daily education runs; a couple relocating from northern Europe who want a garden, terraces and a fireplace for the cooler months, and who accept driving for groceries; or a buyer of a second home who values seclusion in the off-season and accepts that restaurants and beach life require a car journey of roughly ten to fifteen minutes. The property is less suited to buyers who want to walk to the beach, who need a garage rather than an outdoor parking space, or who rely on public transport. The steep 8.7% gradient to the coast matters for cyclists and for anyone with mobility considerations. Buyers planning extensive renovation should note the 1994 construction date, though the listed condition is excellent. Households needing three equal-sized bedrooms should account for the smaller third room, which works better as a study, guest room or child's room than as a second master bedroom.
The house dates from 1994 and is offered in a condition listed as excellent. The interior includes a fully fitted kitchen, so the property is usable without immediate works. Air conditioning is installed, which covers cooling in summer; a fireplace in the living room provides supplementary heat for the winter months, relevant given the 418 m elevation, where evenings are cooler than on the coast. Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, an unusual feature for a semi-detached house of this size and one that indicates the layout was designed around occupancy by several people at once. The fourth bathroom serves communal areas. A storage room is included, addressing a common shortcoming in Spanish coastal homes. Outdoor space is organised across two levels: a private terrace accessible from the living and dining areas, and a rooftop terrace with sea views. The private garden adds ground-level outdoor space with garden views. Internet connectivity is present via WiFi. Buyers should independently verify technical aspects typical of a 1994 build: insulation standards, window quality, electrical installation and plumbing. The energy performance certificate and related documentation should be requested during due diligence. Furniture is optional, allowing buyers either to take over the existing furnishing or to negotiate the property unfurnished. The assigned outdoor parking space is part of the purchase; no garage is included. Building construction is masonry-based in line with regional practice of that period; specific structural reports are not part of the available data and should be arranged through a surveyor.
The asking price is fixed at €850,000; this is an existing home, not a project with a price list, so the figure does not represent a starting price for multiple units. For context within the wider region, new-build comparable projects are priced from €320,000 in Estepona, €524,600 at Acqua Gardens in Estepona and €648,000 at Alba Benalmadena. Those figures concern different locations and product types, so direct comparison is limited. What the price here buys is an elevated position with panoramic sea and mountain views, four bathrooms, terraces on two levels and a private garden, in a mature residential area with communal pool access. Annual costs such as community fees and local taxes are not stated in the available data and should be requested separately.
Daily life in this La Mairena house centres on the contrast between the quiet hillside setting and the coastal activity a short drive below. Mornings begin on the south-east facing terraces, which catch early light and look across the Mediterranean from roughly 400 m above sea level. The living room has a fireplace and connects to the dining area and kitchen, with the balcony terrace extending the interior space outwards. The rooftop terrace serves as a second outdoor room, oriented towards the sea and suited to afternoon and evening use. The layout suits a household that values privacy within the home: the two larger bedrooms and the smaller third bedroom all have en-suite bathrooms, which reduces competition for shared facilities and makes the house workable for guests or older children. The fourth bathroom serves the common areas. Practical errands, supermarkets, shops, larger restaurants, are concentrated around Elviria and the coast, roughly a ten-minute drive downhill. The German School mentioned in the area and the English International College, 4.9 km away, place the property within reach of international education. Golf is a defining feature of the surroundings, with El Soto Golf 1.5 km away, Santa María Golf & Country Club at 2.5 km and Campo América at 2.8 km, all measured in a straight line. The area remains quiet outside the summer season, with forested slopes dominating the immediate environment. A car is necessary for virtually all daily activities; public transport exists in the wider area, with two lines and 34 stops, but the hillside location is not practical for regular bus use.
La Mairena sits at about 418 m above sea level, on forested slopes above Elviria. The immediate surroundings are residential and green, with the nearest listed restaurant 2 km away, daily shopping therefore means a drive to Elviria or the coast. The area is quiet year-round, including outside the summer season, which distinguishes it from the busier coastal strip. Distances measured in a straight line: Playa de Artola beach 4.6 km, El Soto Golf 1.5 km, Santa María Golf 2.5 km, Campo América 2.8 km, the English International College 4.9 km, Puerto Cabopino marina 5.2 km and the Finca Naundrup sports centre 4.0 km. Actual road distances are longer, particularly because of the elevation difference, the gradient to the beach is 8.7%, described as steep. Marbella lies 12 km away (147,958 inhabitants) and Málaga 37 km (579,076 inhabitants). Málaga-Costa del Sol airport is approximately 28 km away as the crow flies; Gibraltar airport is 68 km. By car, the airport is typically reached in around half an hour to forty minutes depending on traffic. Public transport in the wider area consists of two lines with 34 stops, but the hillside location makes a car essential for daily life. Healthcare is available through five health centres in the region, and education through 41 primary and 28 secondary schools.
The map shows the position of the property in La Mairena, on the slopes above Elviria, roughly 5 km inland from the coast. The elevation of over 400 m explains both the panoramic views and the steep access roads. Markers indicate the nearest golf courses, the English International College, Playa de Artola and Puerto Cabopino; distances shown are straight-line measurements.
Approximate area · exact address shared on request
La Mairena occupies a specific niche on the Costa del Sol: elevated, green and quiet, yet within a short drive of Marbella's coastal strip. At 12 km from Marbella and 37 km from Málaga, it belongs functionally to the Marbella, Elviria zone while remaining physically separate from it. The location appeals to buyers who want proximity to golf, international schools and beaches without living in a coastal urbanisation. Within the region, it competes with other hillside areas around Ojén and Elviria, but its combination of 400 m elevation, forest setting and a 4.6 km distance to the beach is fairly specific to this part of the coast.
The property is reachable only by road. Elviria, the nearest coastal hub with shops and services, lies about 5 km downhill; the beach at Playa de Artola is 4.6 km as the crow flies, with the actual drive longer due to the winding descent. The 8.7% average gradient is a defining characteristic of the location: it produces the views but requires a car for every trip. Málaga-Costa del Sol airport is roughly 28 km away in a straight line and is the most practical arrival point; Gibraltar airport at 68 km is an alternative for certain routes. Marbella, at 12 km, covers most needs for wider shopping, healthcare and culture, while Málaga city at 37 km offers the full range of a regional capital including high-speed rail connections. Golf courses are the closest amenities after the residential area itself: El Soto Golf at 1.5 km is effectively a neighbour, and two further courses lie within 3 km. The marina at Puerto Cabopino, 5.2 km away, adds dining and mooring facilities. Public transport, two bus lines and 34 stops, serves the wider municipality but does not replace a car for residents of the hillside.
| Beach Distance | 4.6 km |
| Malaga-Costa del Sol (AGP) | 28 km |
| Gibraltar (GIB) | 68 km |
Source: OpenStreetMap, Google Maps
The average annual temperature in the area is 17.2°C, lower than on the immediate coast because of the elevation of 418 m. In practice this means warmer days in winter relative to inland Andalusia but noticeably cooler evenings than at sea level, for which the fireplace and air conditioning in the house are relevant. The swimming season is four months, defined by sea temperatures of 20°C or above, sea swimming is therefore a summer activity, and the communal pool extends the outdoor season somewhat. The hillside position places the house within a forested environment, with the setting listed as close to forest. This brings nature directly to the doorstep: walking routes start from the residential area, and the Mirador de las Águilas viewpoint, 4.8 km away, overlooks the coast. From elevations in La Mairena, views extend on clear days towards the Sierra Nevada, the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and the North African coast. Rainfall concentrates in the cooler months, consistent with the Mediterranean climate of the Costa del Sol, with dry, sunny summers being the norm. The south-east orientation of the house provides morning sun on the terraces and shade later in the day.
Source: Open-Meteo (2020–2025 average)
The nearest beach is Playa de Artola, 4.6 km away as the crow flies. This beach lies next to the Artola dunes, a protected natural area, and adjoins the Cabopino marina at 5.2 km, where restaurants and beach facilities are concentrated. The drive down from La Mairena takes roughly ten minutes, with the return journey uphill along the steep gradient. Golf dominates the recreational offer: El Soto Golf at 1.5 km, Santa María Golf & Country Club at 2.5 km and Campo América at 2.8 km, all within a few minutes by car. La Siesta Golf Club and Club del Sol lie at 4.3 km, and the Finca Naundrup sports centre at 4.0 km covers other sports. Walking and hiking are available directly from the area, given the forest setting and the network of paths in the hills. The regional tourism infrastructure, 52 hotels and nearly 12,800 beds in the wider area, means visitors can be accommodated locally, though the residential area itself remains quiet. Water sports and boat access are concentrated at Puerto Cabopino, with larger marinas in Marbella and Fuengirola further along the coast.
Source: OpenStreetMap
La Mairena is a hill top residential resort on the Costa del Sol, just 5 km (3 mi) from the coastal ruralisation of Elviria, on the eastern outskirts of Marbella, Spain. At 400 m (1300 ft) above sea level, the village has views towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Mediterranean Sea, the Rock of Gibraltar and the African coast.
| Month | Avg. Temperature | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10.2°C | 69 mm |
| February | 11.1°C | 47 mm |
| March | 12.4°C | 140 mm |
| April | 14.5°C | 74 mm |
| May | 18.3°C | 29 mm |
| June | 22.7°C | 7 mm |
| July | 26.0°C | 1 mm |
| August | 26.0°C | 10 mm |
| September | 22.1°C | 32 mm |
| October | 18.5°C | 79 mm |
| November | 13.7°C | 87 mm |
| December | 11.4°C | 70 mm |
Steep
Ref: VL362020
Source: Wikipedia, Wikidata, INE, Junta de Andalucía
Within the Costa del Sol market, this property occupies a different segment from the new-build projects typically listed alongside it. Acqua Gardens in Estepona starts at €524,600, Aby Upper in Estepona at €320,000 and Alba Benalmadena at €648,000. Those are coastal or near-coastal new-build developments with communal facilities, sold from a price list. This La Mairena house is an existing, individual property with a fixed price of €850,000, which places it above those starting prices but buys a different product: an elevated plot with panoramic sea and mountain views, four bathrooms, terraces on two levels and a private garden. Geographically, the comparison is uneven. Estepona lies west of Marbella, roughly 30 to 40 minutes further from Málaga airport, and Benalmadena lies east, closer to the airport but in a denser, more touristic corridor. La Mairena's distinguishing features are elevation, forest and quiet: at 418 m, with a single restaurant within 2 km, the area is markedly calmer than any of those coastal locations. Buyers choosing between them are effectively choosing between new-build convenience on the coast and a mature property in the hills. Price per square metre gives further context: €850,000 for 149 m² of living space is a high ratio by regional averages, which reflects the view orientation and the land component rather than interior volume. Comparable hillside properties around Elviria and Ojén generally trade at premiums over flat coastal apartments for the same reason. The provincial median income of €16,450 and the 4,743 annual housing transactions in the area indicate an active but internationally driven market, where pricing is set largely by foreign buyers rather than local incomes. For a buyer weighing this property against new-build alternatives, the deciding factors are typically the age of the 1994 construction, the need for a car, and the value placed on seclusion and views over walkability and modern building standards.
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