Joanna Styles

Welcome to my author page! I’m Joanna Styles, originally from London but now living in Malaga, on the Costa del Sol where I’ve been for over 30 years. During that time, I’ve discovered a true passion for Malaga and for sharing it with fellow foreigners who wish to discover this amazing part of southern Spain for themselves.

Why Guide to Malaga?

I started Guide to Malaga in September 2015 and five years later, the website is a benchmark for excellence in information about the city and nearby area. The portal has over 400 pages of information about Malaga for tourists, residents and relocators. It seemed a nature offshoot to create a series of ebooks about Malaga – they condense all the information into handy downloadable guides that you can consult anytime and anywhere on your phone or tablet.

My travel writing experience

I’m a freelance journalist and copywriter. I specialise in several topics including travel. Not only do I write about travel, but I update travel guides for the American Fodor’s Essential Spain and the UK publications, Rough Guide to Spain and Rough Guide to Andalucía.

My relocation writing experience

Another of my topics is relocation because I have so much first-hand experience of it. Over 30 years of living on the Costa del Sol has given me big insight into what it’s like to move somewhere as a foreigner.

I’ve worked as a teacher, started my own business and set up a company; brought up two daughters who went to four different types of school; moved house several times between Marbella and Malaga (buying and renting); and done all the paperwork from getting a NIE and Spanish driving licence to getting Spanish nationality and filing tax returns.

I’ve used this experience professionally. My writing journey began with Survival Books updating relocation ‘bibles’ such as Living & Working in Spain and writing Culture Wise Spain and Costa del Sol Lifeline among others. And I’ve written numerous articles about relocating for publications such as A Place in the Sun magazine.

Apart from writing...

When I’m not writing or researching stuff for Guide to Malaga, you can find me running on the seafront in the bid to get below 2 hours in the next half-marathon (in the 2019 edition I did 1’58”!). Or strolling under the Pergola, my absolute favourite spot in town. Or enjoying a foodie treat – usually fish on the beach or tapas in town – with friends, my husband or, best of all, my 2 daughters when they pop back home from London.