Costa del Sol increase in popularity through the decade. This trend coincided with rapid industrial growth in Málaga and the decline of dependence on the agricultural sector, although growth in the general economy of Spain slowed almost to a standstill after 1973. As rapid development proceeded on the Costa del Sol, and the influx of expatriate retirees from northern European countries, notably Great Britain, increased during the late 1970s and 1980s, it has since then sometimes been referred to in the press of the United Kingdom as the "Costa del Crime", because British criminals would escape justice at home by moving there to
Costa del Sol is hampered by the lee effect caused by the Baetic System. The Costa del Sol is similar to southern California in scenery, climate and geography. Both areas have warm weather throughout the year and average annual sunshine hours of about 3,000 hours. The Costa del Sol has some of the most expensive tourist resorts in Europe as well. The history of this coast, shaped by its location and the predominance of Málaga, spans about 2,800 years. The first inhabitants to settle here may have been the Bastuli, an ancient Celtiberian tribe. The Phoenicians founded their colony of "Malaka" here about