A new-build three-bedroom apartment of 125 m² in La Cala de Mijas, a kilometre back from the beach. Three bedrooms at this size is the sweet spot for a family that wants a Spanish base without maintaining a house. Everything is on one level, the plan is open and built around light, and the terrace off the living room is where the apartment is actually lived in — meals outside, the sea in view, shade when you want it. La Cala itself is the argument. It is a genuine coastal town rather than a holiday strip: seafront promenade, good sandy beaches, restaurants that stay open through the winter, schools, a health centre and the ordinary shops that make a place work in February as well as August. Marbella is about twenty minutes west, Fuengirola ten east, and Málaga airport under half an hour. New build means the things you cannot see are current: insulation, wiring, plumbing, glazing, with warranties still running. For a buyer who does not want a project — and at this price point most do not — that is the whole point. The complex provides a swimming pool in landscaped gardens and a fully equipped gym. Neither is unusual on paper; what matters is that both sit inside the gate, so they get used rather than admired. A kilometre from the sand is honest: a brisk fifteen-minute walk or two minutes in the car. Closer costs considerably more and brings the summer crowds with it. 125 m² built. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open-plan living, terrace with sea views, communal pool, landscaped gardens, gym, new build, 1 km from the beach.