The resort city of Marbella on Spain’s southern Costa del Sol has long been a popular destination for Irish holidaymakers. Famed for its long sandy beaches, upscale restaurants, shops and vibrant nightlife, it has many attractions for those seeking a short break.
For Greystones native Sarah Catterson, however, Marbella isn’t a holiday destination but her permanent home, having moved here five years ago with her husband, Anto Byrne. The young couple have planted roots in the city, purchasing their first house here, and they have no intention of leaving in the foreseeable future.
Catterson, who is a qualified fitness trainer and nutrition adviser, runs an online fitness coaching business called Strengthinus. She previously worked in a gym in Ireland, but Covid-19 proved a turning point.
“During lockdown we built a home gym and I started doing online coaching work. When the pandemic ended, I realised that I was able to help a lot more people online than I could in person. That’s where the idea of moving abroad came, where we could do what were already doing but could also experience new opportunities,” she says.
The couple had seen a number of friends move to Australia, and had considered Dubai as a destination too, but they wanted to stay closer to family in Ireland so opted to try Spain.
Byrne, a former Wicklow county hurler, was able to continue working remotely for his Irish employer PrepayPower while Catterson built the online coaching business.
“Moving here felt like home. There is a great fitness community here, something we are both into. There are a lot of superb gyms, running clubs and meet-ups, and lots of opportunities to network with like-minded people.”
Strengthinus was initially aimed exclusively at women, and has a core membership of several thousand, with three tiers of service. There are now 10 coaches in total and the business also organises fitness retreats in Portugal.
The service helps clients with fitness goals, including losing body weight and addressing menopause and perimenopause issues. Byrne has since left PrepayPower and joined Strengthinus as coach two years ago. He has since built a men’s coaching side to complement Catterson’s women-focused venture.
“Consistency is the key when you want to achieve results. It’s easy to start something and it can be engaging at first, but it can get monotonous after a while and that’s where people fall down. Sometimes people start trying to do too much exercise and cutting down too much on food. We encourage more sustainable plans.
“Education is also very important. There’s a lot of conflicting information online and we try to cut through that with plans that work for our members.”
When the couple first moved, like many others they enjoyed the nightlife at Puerto Banus but have now settled into a less touristy lifestyle.
“At the weekends, when we are not working, we love walking along the Golden Mile with our dog, going for tapas and enjoying a quieter vibe, especially outside peak holiday season. The old town of Marbella is lovely and the area around Orange Square is particularly attractive. It has kept true to its roots and is modernising in a way that doesn’t lose its character.”
Having rented initially, the couple bought a house in a complex two years ago and enjoy the benefit of a small garden.
“House prices were rising and so were rents, so we felt we should get on the property ladder while we could – which has proved a great decision.”
The couple feel very much at home now, having made a circle of friends – helped, she says, by Byrne’s involvement in the local GAA scene where he is captain of the football team.
“At first, it was difficult to form a network of friends because many of the houses and apartments where we lived were holiday homes. I used to find that I would make friends in the summer and they would then go home.
“We have found our tribe now and are part of a group of about 10 Irish people. We all look out for each other.”
Long months of sunshine make Marbella a very pleasant place to live in most of the year, she says. “The good weather brings out the best in people. I notice the lift people get when they come out here.”
However, the couple have noticed a change in climate in the five years they have spent on the Costa del Sol. “We’ve noticed it has definitely got colder and wetter in the winter and temperatures have increased significantly in the summer. September and October is a perfect sweet spot to visit when you get the best of the climate.”
Catterson says they do miss friends and family – along with Irish humour and banter – but with Malaga Airport only around 50 kilometres away, visits home and hosting loved ones is easy.