Towns accessible from Malaga airport for permanent (Málaga)

Good morning ,
My very first post and definitely not my last I am sure , so I really hope I can pick some of your brains and knowledge regarding my move.

My situation is I am a pilot working long haul from Dublin. I aim to commute from Malaga airport to Dublin , and because my company fly this route this is not an issue.

However to reduce my commute once returning to Malaga airport I am in serious need of assistance in suggestions of which areas would suit me best or how accessible certain towns are from the airport.

I would certainly like to live in a coastal town and not a city. I have looked at Estepona , Marbella , Benalmádena , Fuengirola , Torremolinos and Nerja. I have found public transport , especially frequency of buses to as far west as Estepona could be a major stumbling block. Especially in winter months. I would not rule out getting a car , however looking into this a little and because of me working away alot this is not my preferred option.

I am in my early 30s , single and so the area I think would best suit me would be a mix of expats and Spanish , swaying more on the side of Spanish maybe. I am really looking to make this a permanent move and have already started learning Spanish , even though I am awful at the moment haha! An area that is not completely full of bars / nightclubs etc , however that is not very quiet either. I would certainly welcome the opportunity to meet some locals of similar age in local bars , coffee shops etc. As I mentioned above a coastal town would be my preference as I love the sea and beach.

Apologies for such a long first message , however this move is extremely important for me so I really want to do all my research to make the best possible choice. I do aim to visit multiple times before making a commitment it is just a case of trying to narrow areas down. This is where I hope I can gain from your expertise.

Many Thanks for taking the time to read my post and fingers crossed I hope to hear back from some of you.

Thanks again