Where to buy a property in Spain

Nearly two thirds of British holiday home buyers in Spain chooseeither the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca - the two coasts withlong-established tourist resorts, year-round sunshine, golfcourses galore and all the amenities and facilities they need tomake their Spanish destination feel like a home from home. Butthe up and coming coasts around Almeria, Murcia and Costa de laLuz are proving increasingly popular among British buyerslooking for somewhere less developed and offering great valuefor money. And Brits have now taken over from the Germans as thenumber one foreign property investors in Mallorca. Here's a guide on how to choose where to look - and how far yourbudget will stretch. Costa del SolWith 100 miles of coast, the best climate in Europe, 50 golfcourses and a massive expat scene which instantly makes Britsfeel at home, it's little wonder that this is the first placemany Britons look at when thinking of buying a holiday home inSpain. It's paradise for those who want great weather, endlessbeaches, lots of entertainment and all their home comfortswithout needing to speak Spanish. The coastal stretch between Malaga and Sotogrande has lured tensof thousands of British property buyers, including manyinvestors who fuelled the off-plan boom a few years ago andpushed up prices spectacularly. Marbella, which includes the salubrious yacht-owners' enclave ofPuerto Banus, is one of the most expensive places to live on theSpanish mainland, with decent two-bedroom apartments starting at300,000 euros and villas starting at 600,000 euros. Elsewhere onthe coast, in expat-favoured areas such as Calahonda and Rivieradel Sol prices are considerably cheaper, with apartments fromaround 200,000 euros. If you're looking to invest in a growingarea, the New Golden Mile stretch heading west of Marbella toEstepona is seeing a vast amount of building work, particularlyof golf-orientated resorts near the beach. Go inland - and we're only talking a few kilometres - and it's aworld apart. Even in the beautiful white village of Ojen, just6km mountainwards from Marbella, you can find all the charm oftraditional Spanish life, beers for half the coastal price andsmall townhouses for under 200,000 euros. Inland towns such as Coin and Alhaurin have already attracted anumber of British buyers as they offer far more value for moneyand a buzzing community atmosphere, with schools, shoppingcentres, cinemas and sporting facilities nearby, and nowbeautiful white towns a little further inland (though stillwithin easy reach of Malaga) such as Antequera and Alora areattracting foreign buyers. Prices have risen sharply inAntequera over the past couple of years, and building isrestricted so what's there is now at a premium, but you canstill expect to pay about 250,000 euros for a small townhousethere. East of Malaga, a region known as Axarquia, is also attracting adifferent kind of buyer to the Costa del Sol. Generally thoselooking this side of Malaga want to live in a less developed andmore 'Spanish' environment, but still with lovely coastal townssuch as Nerja and the white mountain villages of Competa andFrigiliana nearby, and with all the benefits of being within anhour or so of Malaga and the airport. While the west side ofMalaga tends to see more retired expats, the eastern sideattracts younger couples and families who want a Spanishinfluence in their daily life. Costa Blanca Costa Blanca has two distinct halves, most easily summed up aseverything north versus everything south of Alicante. Like theCosta del Sol, the Costa Blanca (the northern part) has been atourist mecca for decades, particularly the infamous resort ofBenidorm and the less high-rise coastal towns of Javea and Denia.Also like the Costa del Sol, the weather here is reliablyexcellent (perhaps a little chillier in winter), you are neverfar from a golf course and the resorts cater for all foreignresidents/visitors demands. Prices, though, have traditionallybeen cheaper than in southern Spain, and now that the Costa delSol has priced many buyers out of the market, Blanca is reapingthe benefits of the huge demand for holiday homes around the100,000-150,000 euro mark. With the north of the region already pretty much sewn up as faras spare land is concerned, southern Co...

...sta Blanca, headingtowards Murcia, has seen rapid development of entire news townssouth of Alicante such as Cabo Roig, Campoamor and La Zenia. LaManga and Torrevieja have long been popular destinations forBritish buyers, but now buyers are venturing inland to newdevelopments into the vast natural park areas around thehistoric city of Murcia. The Blanca overspill is also heading northwards, into theValencia and Castellon regions, and inland north into areas suchas the beautiful Jalon Valley. Inland still offers good valuefor money, whether you are interested in off-plan developmentsor rustic properties. Half an hour inland, in the striking smallhillside town of Bocarent near Alcoi, you can still find housesin the oldest and prettiest streets of the village for around50,000 euros. Northern Costa Blanca, the greener, hillier half, is typicallymore expensive than the south. Moraira and Benissa are the mostexclusive spots, with private villas dotted around the terracedorange and olive-clad hillsides, and Javea and Denia now chargetop prices for seaview properties. Calpe and Benidorm offercheaper options for those wanting an apartment within walkingdistance of shops, resort-style entertainment and busy beaches. Costa de la Luz Costa de la Luz, the southern coastline which starts at the bendaround Gibraltar and ends where it bumps into Portugal, has longbeen a quiet contender in the Spanish coastal holiday andproperty investment scene. For years it's been predicted to bethe 'next Costa del Sol', just because the overspill into thiswilder, emptier, undeveloped region seemed inevitable. But thefact that a large area between Sanlucar and Huelva is consumedby the untouchable protected parkland of the Coto Donana, meansthat development has always been heavily restricted. And thecoastal breeze which makes this coastline a paradise forkitesurfers also deters those who want to spend endless days onthe beach sunbathing and eating ice creams untainted by flyingsand. Now, though, Luz is starting to generate big interest,particularly in its western reaches around Ayamonte in Huelvaprovince, 45 minutes from Portugal's Faro airport, wherebeachside spots such as Isla Canela, Isla Cristina andIslantilla are growing into self-contained holiday/golf resorts.Prices in this emerging destination are, logically, far cheaperthan in the neighbouring Costa del Sol. There is plenty to befound in the 100,000-150,000 euro bracket, from seaviewapartments around Ayamonte to townhouses in charming smalltowns. The Cadiz province is more established on the holidaymakers'map, with beautiful towns such as the coastal Cadiz itself, thesherry capital of Jerez, Vejer de la Frontera - which is astrong contender for the prize of Andalucia's most idyllic whitehilltop village, and the popular holiday resort of Conil de laFrontera, with its stunningly long, wide beaches reminiscent ofsouthern California. The coast curves round to Tarifa, the windsurfing capital ofEurope and a bit of a bohemian outpost, before you steer pastGibraltar into the mass market appeal of the Costa del Sol. Vejer has seen considerable property price rises in the past fewyears, which is entirely understandable as probably fewforeigners visit the town and fail to entertain some thoughts ofhow wonderful it would be to own a house there. Set high up ahill overlooking the plains, Vejer feels as though you havestepped back about 50 years. Yet within 20 minutes you can be onthe beaches around Conil and plunged back into 21st centurybeach life. Villas in Conil cost around 300,000 euros and upwards, but inneighbouring Chiclana prices are substantially cheaper. AlmeriaWhere Spain turns the corner on its south eastern corner youfind the start of the province of Almeria on the shores of theMediterranean. The pretty whitewashed town and seaside resort of Mojacar haslured artists and holidaymakers for nearly 40 years, but therest of the region has remained little known to most foreignvisitors to Spain... although you may have unwittingly watchedone of the many Hollywood films set in northern Almeria'sTabernas desert - the only true desert in Europe - includingLawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Now, however, not just Almeria's coastal towns but its inlandvilla...

...ges are starting to attract second home buyers who areattracted by comparatively low property prices, the pleasures ofliving in "unspoilt" Spain and the driest climate in Europe.With the exception of Mojacar, where property in the beautifulold town is highly desirable and the prices are accordinglyhigh, Almeria offers foreign buyers excellent value for money.Until relatively recently, due to a limited road network whichhas now improved drastically and limited options by air, itscoastline was also spurned in favour of Malaga's and Alicante'sofferings and prices remained low. Now low-cost airlines fly toAlmeria airport and new development is taking off, particularlyin rapidly-expanding resorts such as Almerimar and Vera Playa,where you can expect to pay around 100,000-150,000 euros for aone- or two-bed apartment near the sea. Generally in Almeria prices inland are still far lower than youcould find in equivalent areas near the Costa del Sol or CostaBlanca, with houses in need of renovation for as little as35,000 euros and large villas from around 250,000 - about halfthe amount you would expect to pay for a similar property inMarbella or northern Costa Blanca. The average cost of new housing in Almeria is 1,393 euros perm2, compared with 1,631 euros per m2 in Seville and 1,457 eurosper m2 in Malaga. Overall in Andalucia, which includes Almeria,property prices are expected to rise by 11% in 2005. As you would expect for a place whose desert makes a convincingAmerican Wild West, Almeria is the place for those who want ahot, dry climate where temperatures rarely dip below 13C even inwinter. But it's not just one big desert. Almeria's coastlinerange from long, sandy beaches to snug coves and its interiorfrom high mountains and wide plains in the Sierra del Gador tolunar landscapes in the north of the region. And it's all stillvirgin territory to the average foreign property buyer. MallorcaThat Mallorca is no longer a bucket-and-spade holidaydestination is widely known. But just how stunning and exclusivethe biggest of the Balearic Islands can come as a surprise tomany people. As you would expect from a highly desirable islandwhose 3,600km2 are sought after by Hollywood stars and Spanishroyalty, and where new building is limited and spare land inshort supply, property prices are among the highest in Spain. Although resorts such as Magalluf and Palma Nova in the southwest and Cala Millor and Cala d'Or in the east, are stillpopular mass tourism destinations, other areas of the islandhave been synonymous with the rich and famous seeking sheerexclusivity. The historic towns set in the Tramuntana mountainrange such as Deia, Soller and Valldemossa are highly desirableplaces for a discreetly swanky holiday home - expect to payanywhere upwards of 1 million euros for a decent villa or finca. Portals Nous, just west of Palma, rivals Puerto Banus with itsflash yacht-owning fraternity posing around the marina. And thecity of Palma itself is gaining a reputation as a culturalcapital and a mini Barcelona with its chic boutique hotels,trendy art museums and designer shops beside a sweeping bay. Properties in Palma tend to be of the fashionably shabby varietyin the old town - though the crumbling facades can deceptivelyshield some highly designer renovations, costing upwards of500,000 euros if you fancy a sea view from your roof terrace. The average property price in Mallorca is 750,000 euros - that'samong foreign buyers, many of whom want villas or rural fincas.There are plenty of options, though, if you are looking forsomething a bit smaller, simpler and - let's face it - cheaper,such as an apartment within a short walk of the huge sweepingbeach at Alcudia in the north, or near the stunning bay atnearby Puerto Pollensa. Even in salubrious Andratx in the south west, where ClaudiaSchiffer recently sold her mansion, there are beautiful designedone-bed apartments near the waterside for around 200,000 euros. The east of the island tends to be a bit cheaper, simply becauseit remains less trodden by tourists and is just that bit further(ie. still only an hour's drive) from Palma airport. That's the beauty of Mallorca. You can never go distastrouslywrong in your choice of area - as nowhere else on the island istoo far away.