Spain has about 8,000 kilometres of coastline and 3,000 listed beaches, only Italy has a longer coastline in Europe! It’s not a surprise: Spain is one of “the” top tourist destination for European with more than 20% of European travellers. For those in search of sun and sand at any time of year,… yes, you found it!

You will find excellent facilities and sandy beaches in all the Spanish Regions. In 2022, 120.000 properties were bought by foreigners! Have a look at our detailed analysis if you want to read more on that: Who are the foreigners buying properties in Spain?

How could you quickly find a nice beach in Spain?

Of course, you have to ask it to the local residents. But we want to help you if you want to plan before getting there! Don’t hesitate to tell us, should you think we missed one! We helped you with four sources:

1.Our top beaches sorted per Spanish Costas

We have created Infographics for the main Spanish Costas. You will find on those everything you should know on the Spanish Costas: Airports, AVE stations, Cities, Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets, Shopping malls, Unesco sites, kids parks, Natural parks, Golf courses, Universities and of course the top beaches.

All our infographics on the Spanish costas

2.The Blue Flag rating: 579 beaches in Spain

3.The Q rating: 248 beaches in Spain

4.The Top 10 Spanish beaches according to the Tourist Bureau

1. Our ranking of the best beaches in Spain sorted by Costas

We have created a series of “Must see activities” for each Spanish Costas and incorporated those in our newly released infographics. Click on any link and you will find a pdf downloadable version of each of those infographics.

The best beaches in the Spanish Islands

The best beaches in the Balearic Islands

• Balnearion de San Juan
• Playa Illetes (Formentera)
• Cala Comte (Ibiza)
• Playa de Muro Beach (Playa de Muro)
• Cala Pregonda (Minorque)
• Cala d’Hort (Ibiza)
• Cala Macarelleta (Minorque)
• Port de Pollença Beach (Port de Pollença)
• Playa de Alcudia (Port d’Alcudia)
• Playa de Son Bou (Alaior)
• Playa de Llevant (Formentera)
• Cala Turqueta (Ciudadela)
• Cala Mitjana (Cala Galdana)
• Playa Aguas Blancas (Ibiza)
• Playa de Migjorn (Migjorn)
• Cala Saladeta (Sant Antoni de Portmany)
• Cala Millor Beach (Cala Millor)

Find everything on the Balearic Islands: its Airports, stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches.

The best beaches in Canary Islands

• Pozo de la Salud (El Hierro)
• Playa de Cofete (Morro del Jable)
• Playa de las Conchas (Isla de Graciosa)
• El Cotillo Beach & Lagoons (El Cotillo)
• Playa de Benijo (Almaciga)
• Sotavento Beach (Costa Calma)
• Playa de Sotavento (Playa de Jandia)
• Playa del Matorral (Pajara)
• Playa de Las Canteras (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
• Monumento Natural de Ajuy (Fuerteventura)
• Playa Del Duque (Costa Adeje)
• Playa Dorada Beach (Playa Blanca)
• Piscinas Naturales El Caleton (Garachico)
• Playa El Bollullo (Puerto de la Cruz)
• Playa de las Vistas (Los Cristianos)
• Playa de Maspalomas (Maspalomas)

Know everything on the Canary Islands: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Spanish Costas

The best beaches in the Costa de Almería

• Balneario de Sierra Alhamilla (Almería),
• Monsul Beach (San Jose),
• Playa de los Muertos (Carboneras),
• Serena Beach (Roquetas de Mar),
• Playa de los Genoveses (Cabo de Gata),
• Playa de Aguadulce (Aguadulce),
• Cala de Enmedio (Agua Amarga),
• El Playazo (Rodalquilar),
• Garrucha Beach (Garrucha),
• Playas de Vera (Vera),
• Cala del Plomo (Agua Amarga)

Know everything on the Costa Almeria: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa de Azahar

• Playa Almadrava (Benicàssim),
• Playa Benicarló (Benicarló),
• Balneario Villavieja (Castellón),
• Playa Marina D’Or (Castellón),
• Playa Romana(Castellón),
• Playa Moro (Alcocébre),
• Playa Sant Antoni (Cullera),
• Playa Gandia (Gandia),
• Playa Serradal(Alcocébre),
• Playa Xeraco (Xeraco),
• Playa Peñiscola (Peñíscola),
• Playa Alcossebre (Alcocébre),
• Playa Benicàssim (Benicàssim),
• Playa Vinaros (Vinarós)

Know everything on the Costa Azahar: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa Barcelona

• Balneario Titus (Arenys de Mar),
• Balneario Hotel Colón (Caldes d’Estrac),
• Santa Susanna,
• Malgrat de mar (Maresme),
• PREMIÀ DE MAR (Maresme),
• San Bartolomé y santa Tecla,
• Vilassar de mar (Barcelona),
• playa principal de Calella (Calella),
• Roca Grossa (Calella), Barceloneta Beach (Barcelona),
• La Playa de Sitges (Sitges),
• Beach Castelldelfels Barcelona (Castelldefels),
• Playa de Castelldefels (Castelldefels),
• Playa Balmins (Sitges),
• Bogatell Beach (Barcelona),
• Platja de Ribes Roges (Vilanova i la Geltru),
• Badalona Beach (Badalona),
• Passeig Marítim (Sitges),
• Nova Mar Bella Beach (Barcelona),
• Playa de Sant Sebastia (Sitges),
• Ocata Beach (El Masnou),
• Delta del Llobregat (El Prat de Llobregat),
• Playa del Hombre Muerto (Sitges),
• Sausalito Beach (Sitges),
• Platja de la Nova Icaria (Barcelone),
• Platja de Gava (Gava)

Know everything on the Costa de Barcelona: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa Blanca

• Poniente Beach (Benidorm),
• Playa de la Fossa o Levante (Calpe),
• Arenal Beach (Javea),
• Las Salinas de Torrevieja (Torrevieja),
• Promenade of Calpe (Calpe),
• Guardamar Moncayo Beach (Guardamar del Segura),
• Cala Finestrat Beach (Finestrat),
• Playa del Albir (El Albir), Playa El Carabassi (Elche),
• Cala del Moraig (Benitachell),
• Playa de Guardamar (Alicante),
• Altea Beach (Altea),
• Playa L’Ampolla (Moraira)

Know everything on the Costa Blanca: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa Brava

• Cala Senyor Ramon,
• Platja de s’Agaró,
• Cala Futadera,
• Platja del Castell de Palamos,
• Cala Boadella

Know everything on the Costa Brava: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa Calida

• Playa de Calblanque (Cartagena),
• Cala del Pino et Plage Entremares (La Manga),
• Playa Portús (Cartagena),
• Playa Barraca Quemada de La Llana (San Pedro del Pinatar),
• Playa Amarilla (Águilas),
• Playa La Carolina (Águilas),
• Playa de Percheles (Mazarrón),
• Playa Baño de las Señoritas (Lorca),
• Cala Cortina (Cartagena),
• Cala Blanca (Lorca)

Know everything on the Costa Calida: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa Daurada

• Balneario de Coma-Ruga (Vendrell)
• Llevant Beach (Salou)
• Llarga Beach (Salou)
• Playa de la Pineda (La Pineda)
• Capellans Beach (Salou)
• Cambrils Beach Platja Prat d’En Fores y Regueral (Cambrils)
• Playa El Torn Naturist Beach (L’Hospitalet de l’Infant)
• Playa El Milagro (Tarragona)
• Playa de Arrabassada (Tarragona)
• Playa La Savinosa (Tarragona)
• Platja de la Llosa (Cambrils)
• Playa Cristal (Miami Platja)

Know everything on the Costa Daurada: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa de la Luz

• Playa de Isla de Canela,
• Playa de Punta Umbria,
• Playa de torre de la Higuera,
• Playa de matalascañas,
• Playa cruz del mar,
• Playa del rompidillo,
• Playa la caleta,
• Playa de la Cortadura,
• Cala de Roche,
• Playa de los caños de Meca,
• Playa del Cañuelo,
• Paya de los Lances

Know everything on the Costa de la Luz: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa del Sol

• Playa de la Cala Mijas (La Cala de Mijas)
• Playa La Carihuela (Torremolinos)
• Playa El Bajondillo (Torremolinos)
• Burriana Beach (Nerja)
• Puerto Cabopino Beach and Marina (Marbella)
• Playa de La Malagueta (Malaga)
• Playa Del Cristo (Estepona)
• Playa de la Cala el Cañuelo (Nerja)
• Playa de San Pedro de Alcantara (San Pedro de Alcantara)
• Playa Los Alamos / El Canuelo (Torremolinos)
• Playa Arroyo de La Miel (Benalmadena)
• Carvajal Beach (Benalmadena)

Find everything on the Costa del Sol: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa Tropical

• Playa de Calahonda,
• Playa de La Rijana,
• Playa de Castell de Ferro,
• Playa de La Mamola,
• Playa de La Herradura

Know everything on the Costa Tropical: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

The best beaches in the Costa de Valencia

• Playa de Malvarrosa,
• Playa de Pinedo,
• Platja de la Malladeta,
• Playa de San Antonio,
• Playa de Jeresa,
• Playa de Daimus,
• Playa de Oliva

Know everything on the Costa de Valencia: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

2. Blue Flag rating: 579 beaches in Spain

In Spain, you can choose from 579 beaches, 100 Marina resorts and five sustainable tourist boats, all distinguished with the prestigious Blue Flag award, thanks to their quality and safety.

As such, Spain is the top nation in terms of site ranked by the Blue Flag system.

What does this mean?

• One out of five beaches in Spain has a Blue Flag!
• One out of six beaches in the World is Spanish!

This award is bestowed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). This institution was created in 1987 by Europe but now is a worldwide organisation.

What does this distinction guarantee?

The sites are ranked on 31 different criteria’s: Environment, Water Quality, Safety,… Have a look at the full list of criteria’s here.

Find the map with all the beaches, sorted by Access to the beach for disabled, Nudist, Sandy, Rocky, Inland, Coastal,…

3. Q for Quality distinction rating: 248 beaches in Spain

This rating is awarded by the Spanish Tourism Quality Institute (ICTE). The Tourism Institute ranks not only beaches but as well many different sites for the quality and safeness of their sites: campings, hotels, Golfs, Touristic activities,…

Find all lists of the best beaches for all the Spanish Costas in our papers on all the Spanish Costas and on the infographics: Enjoy all the Spanish Costas: get the best out of it: our top papers of 2017

4. The top 10 beaches according to the Tourist Bureau of Spain

1. Illetes, Formentera, Balearic Islands
2. As Catedrais, Galicia
3. La Concha, San Sebastian
4. Bolonia, Costa de la Luz
5. El Cofete, Las Palmas, Canary Islands
6. Cala Bassa, Ibiza, Balearic Islands
7. Las Canteras, Las Palmas, Canary Islands
8. Rodas, Galicia
9. Platja Gran, Cadaqués, Costa Brava
10. Cué, Llanes, Asturias, Costa Verde

Source: Spain Tourist Bureau

If you want to have some pictures of those beaches, google image is a good start but have a look at the impressive database on the website of Aena (the company managing the Spanish airports).

Are you booking your holidays soon? Read our last paper: Our best ideas for planning your holidays in Spain! Our top 2017 papers!

Here are 8 reasons why you need more holidays to enjoy the best Spanish beaches?

Don’t hesitate to tell us what’s your favourite beach or if you found an even more beautiful one to share with our readers!

Looking for a lawyer, an architect, a property hunter in Spain? Ask us directly!

Stéphane

Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Summer Edition: Where will you find the top Beaches in Spain? appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Azahar

Named after the flowers of the orange trees, which is a famously common crop in the area, this specific zone over the Spanish coastline is very promising for those looking for a place to buy property or to enjoy holidays.

The location of this coast is somewhat unclear since until a few years ago the name “Costa del Azahar” covered the coastline from the Valencian Community to the Provincia de Castellón. But nowadays, and due to efforts from the touristic industry in Spain, it has been used to describe only the part located in the Provincia de Castellón. So this is the definition we will use since we will cover the Costa de Valencia area in another article and we want to give more attention to this specific area.

Castle of Peniscola

Provincia de Castellón: The main province

The province in which this costa is located is called Castellón, o Castelló in the language spoken in the area. This province is inside the Comunidad de Valencia, don’t forget that in Spain each Comunidad has more or less the same benefits as States in the US, and as such, they can pass their laws, run their governments, and in this case, have their official language.

In this case, the locals over the Coast and in the central part of the Provincia speak Valenciano, but over the Provincia’s South, people from Aragon started to come in, so the language most commonly spoken there is Spanish.

Nonetheless, whether you’ll go to the coast, the south, or to any place in the Provincia, there will come situations in which some level of knowledge of this language will not only be handy but almost necessary. For people trying to get to this place, this could be a barrier: Spanish is enough in this part of Spain but if you want to communicate freely the knowledge of the Valenciano could be a plus.

This Pronvincia’s capital is the city under the name of Castellón de la Plana. A rather small city compared with other capitals of Spain, with only 170.000 people living in it, and it has the same benefits as every other small city out there, like a more calm pace of life, which might be of your interest.

And if you ever need any of the benefits of a large city, like say, an airport, you have Valencia, the third biggest city in Spain which is just a few miles away, and the good structure and organised transport system will take you there in less than an hour.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk about Castellón as a Provincia. It is located to the north of the Provincia de Valencia, and its eastern border is the Balearic sea made up of a group of islands, named the Balearic Islands, the most famous being Mallorca.

This offers some exciting options for vacations, since taking a Ferry from Castellón to Mallorca is undoubtedly possible and somewhat cheap, and Mallorca being such a beautiful touristic Island that everyone should visit at least once.

The beach of Vinarós

What are the Costa del Azahar landmarks?

But you do not need to get to Mallorca to enjoy some of the most delightful beaches; this area is full of graceful, lovely and magnificent beaches, each on its way, that will keep your hands busy while you get to know everyone of them.

Some, but not all of those beaches are: Playa (beach) marina D’or, Playa Romana, Playa Moro, Playa Sant Antoni, Gandía, Malvarrosa, Almadrava, Serradal, Xeraco, Peñiscola, Benicarló, Alcossebre, Benicàssim and Vinaros, among many, many others.

Besides the beaches, Castellón has many more natural landmarks to brag about, such as a large variety of natural parks. See the full list of those at the bottom of this paper.

It is important to mention, though, that the landscape in this Provincia varies immensely: some natural parks have beautiful beaches, and others are surrounded with awe-inspiring mountains, like those on park Sierra de la Irta.

And there are as well very specific and rather interesting landscapes that are certainly a must-see, such as the Grutas (caves) of San José, several Castles on Peñíscola and Morella, and a whole lot of small picturesque towns all over the territory, like the fortified Village of Mascarell.

Peniscola City – view from the sea

The real estate market in Costa de Azahar

Do you want to invest?

As you would expect from this place, investment is not something widespread in this area, it has a limited population, which does not seem to grow very fast, and the capital is relatively small.

Though the province has a thriving economy, several Spanish industries established their headquarters there, such as agriculture, ceramic, furniture production, shoe fabrics, fishing, textile, and several fabrics owned by multinational companies in the Chemicals sector.

This means that an investment in the area is not something completely crazy, but we do believe that investing in real estate in this place might not be the best idea, especially having the city of Valencia so close. On the other side, you could find bargains and the proximity of Valencia gives it some value.

That being said, if you’d like to get some lands and own a farm, or buy properties in the capital and hope for some earnings, you are in your right to invest. But if your main interest is an investment, in our mind, there could be other places with much more potential and lower risk.

Check the real estate price evolution for Castellón since 1995

Have a look at our detailed quarterly report on the Castellón property market and the Costa del Azahar property market.

For more on that, read our article we wrote last year in October: The Castellón real estate market resurrects but remains very attractive in 2017 and check our the feedback from our real estate citytrip in Valencia we organised in April 2018.

Retiring in the Costa Azahar?

If you plan to get a house and live a calm rest of your life, this might be the place for you! The climate allows more than six months of beach-bathing a year. The scarce population means that even in the capital you’ll be in peace, and the nearby beaches and touristic hotspots will be sure to keep you busy.

In addition to that, it is important to comment that most of the population of the area are people in their golden years since a big part of the younger population decides to move towards the biggest cities, looking for opportunities.

This means that there are a lot of people in their retirement, continually attending the “Centros del adulto mayor” in which older people meet to play games and have fun, so you will be able to make new friends and have a great time.

On the one hand, living in a rural area has its disadvantages, and public transport is one of them. But the transport system in the Comunidad de Valencia is rather good, but it does not go so far into the countryside, you will still have buses and other transport systems, but it won’t be as good as those found in big cities.

On the other hand, you will quickly find everything else you need for your healthy life. There are several hospital and health centres all around the territory, and since tourism is a big industry in the area, the small population can support things that they usually could not, the point is that you can be sure that you’ll have all of your necessary services and products available.

Another big plus of living in this Provincia is that you get the opportunity of going to Valencia every time you want to and go to festivals and parties that are celebrated there, for more information read our article on Costa de Valencia.

What about spending your next holidays in Castellón?

If you desire to buy a summer house, Provincia de Castellón is an option, but only for some people, since the area is somewhat calm and there are not many other activities for young people or families with children than going to the beach or the mountain.

And even though it is a great experience, you could get tired after a couple of weeks of doing the same for the youngest ones, and if you have to go to Valencia every time you want to do something new and exciting, you might instead buy a property there in the first place.

But if you are looking for a place to have a break, outside from the world and your responsibilities, this is the place you have been looking for, and you’ll also get a beautiful place to go to once you decide to retire.

Our final word

If what you are looking for is a comfortable, calm, relaxing place to stay in, you have just hit the jackpot! Retirees have here a welcoming space, where they can enjoy their last years going to the different beaches, to the mountain, or to Valencia city, definitely a place I’d like to live when it’s my time to retire.

Investors looking for properties and families looking for summer houses, though, are out of luck if they don’t like calm places. Since there won’t be huge profits investing in this place, nor will they find an exciting location to go on holidays, not because they will not enjoy their time, but because there could be better options, more active ones, out there.

If you want to check the monthly weather statistics Castellón follow the link.

Know everything on the Costa Azahar: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

Download our map of the Costa Azahar

Are you looking for a local partner: Lawyer, property hunter on the Costa del Azahar? Don’t look further check our team and ask us for the correct contact.

1. Best Professionals 2. Follow up 3. Competitive pricing 4. Partners 5. Qualitative Check

Costa Azahar Map information

• Airports: The closest airport is in Valencia
• Ave stations: The closest AVE station is in Valencia
• Cities: Castellón de la Plana (171,000 inhabitants), Vila-real (51,900 inhabitants), Vinarós (28,300 inhabitants), Benicarló (26,500 inhabitants), Benicàssim (18,100 inhabitants), Peñíscola (7,400 inhabitants), and Alcocébre
• Unesco sites: Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula (1998). Find all the UNESCO Sites in Spain on our page: “10 reasons why you should buy in Spain”
• Top beaches: Playa Almadrava (Benicàssim), Playa Benicarló (Benicarló), Balneario Villavieja (Castellón), Playa Marina D’Or (Castellón), Playa Romana(Castellón), Playa Moro (Alcocébre), Playa Sant Antoni (Cullera), Playa Gandia (Gandia), Playa Serradal(Alcocébre), Playa Xeraco (Xeraco), Playa Peñiscola (Peñíscola), Playa Alcossebre (Alcocébre), Playa Benicàssim (Benicàssim), Playa Vinaros (Vinarós)
• Kids Parks: Aquarama (Benicàssim), Mundo Fantasia (Oropesa del Mar)
• Shopping Malls & Outlets: La Salera (Castellón de la Plana), Puerto Azahar (Castellón de la Plana)
• Traditional & Flea markets: Mercado Central, (Castellón)
• Top golf courses: Club de Golf Terramar, Club de Golf Bonmont Terres Noves, Lumine Mediterránea Beach Club & Golf Community, Club de Golf Costa Dorada, PortAventura Golf, Golf Cambrils Pitch & Putt, Escola de Golf Portal del Roc, S.A., Club de Campo del Mediterraneo Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.
• Natural Parks: Estany Interior Santes Creus, Llacuna de Mar de Santes Creus, Serra d’Espadà Natural Park, Parc Natural de la Serra d’Irta, Parc Natural de la Serra Calderona, Parc Natural Els Ports, El Garatge, Puebla de San Miguel Natural Park, Parc, Natural de la Serra de Montsant, Parc Natural del Delta de l’Ebre, Parc Natural de la Marjal de Oliva-Pego
• University: Universitat Jaume I (Castellón de la Plana)
• Hospitals: Hospital Provincial Centre de Castelló, Hospital Vithas Nisa Rey Don Jaime, Hospital General Universitari de Castelló (Castellón de la Plana)

Read further on the Costa Azahar and Spain

1. TOURIST OFFICE:
   • Castellón
2. AIRPORTS: All the Spanish Airports and flights info on the official site of AENA
3. BEACHES: Where will you find the top beaches in Spain?
4. GOLFS: Reread our Summer paper on the subject What are the top golf courses in Spain? Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner. Check the Spanish Federation here: Looking for a Golf Club in Spain?
5. KIDS PARKS: Our selection of the Top parks for children in Spain
6. MUST VISIT IN SPAIN: Our top 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain, Find all the Unesco sites in Spain

Find all our other articles and maps on the Spanish Costas:

With our team of more than +100 local real estate partners, HowtobuyinSpain helps foreigners to buy real estate in Spain.

The experts from our network are active in all the fields you need:

1. Property finders
2. B&B
3. Lawyers
4. Tax
5. Architects
6. Money Transfer
7. Mortgage
8. Holiday rental management
9. Insure your Spanish property
10. Property survey
11. Renovation

Looking for an expert: Architect, property hunter, lawyer,… in Spain? Ask us directly!

Stéphane and Walter

Senior Analyst and writer at HTBIS

Check the full team at HTBIS here

The post Discover the best things to do in the Costa Azahar appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

Motorways are becoming Toll-free in Spain

It looks like Spain is getting ahead of some countries and getting the control if its motorways.

Here are the motorways that just became toll-free in 2018 and 2019 in Spain:

• In 2018, the AP1 between Burgos and Armiñón became toll-free. This was the first one.
• End of 2019, two new motorways became toll-free:
  • the AP-4 motorway between Seville and Cádiz
  • the AP-7 motorway between the Tarragona, Valencia and Alicante

Check our updated Map of the toll-paying, toll-free (and soon to be toll-free) motorways of Spain

Download here your pdf format map.

What happened?

On 31 December 2019, the concession period for the AP-4, Seville-Cádiz and AP-7 motorways, on the Tarragona-Valencia-Alicante section, managed by the AUMAR concession company belonging to the Abertis group, ends, 48 years after the entry into service of the first of these, the AP-4. As of this date, both highways will revert to the State, and will be managed by the Ministry of Public Works, which will no longer collect tolls from users, following the example of the AP-1, whose concession ended on November 30, 2018.

These are two sections of the motorway from those built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This stage was the beginning of motorway construction through public works concession contracts. In these contracts, the concessionaire had to design, build and maintain the motorway, taking charge of the financing, and in return obtained the right to operate it for a period of time, charging users a toll to recover the investment and cover the operating costs.

Here is our Google Map of the next motorways that will become toll-free in Spain:

What are the future “toll-free” motorways in Spain?

• Montmelo-La Jonquera AP-7 (E-15) will become toll free on the 31 August 2021
• Barcelona-Tarragona AP-7 (E-15) will become toll free on the 31 August 2021
• Montmeló-Papiol AP-7 (E-15) will become toll free on the 31 August 2021
• Zaragoza-Mediterráneo AP-2 (E-90) will become toll free on the 31 August 2021 (those 4 represents 475 km)
• Bilbao-Zaragoza AP-68 (E-804;E;805) will become toll free on the 11 November 2026 (it represents 295 km)

Are the Spanish motorways toll or toll-free in general?

• Spain road network has 26,402 km
• 12,017 km are high capacity roads, i.e., motorways, expressways and multi-lane roads.
• 1,191 km remain with a toll as of the 1st of January 2020
• So 90% of the motorway are FREE in Spain

How to take advantage of those new developments?

Know everything on the Costa de Valencia: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

Why not invest in Valencia?

We think that this “toll-free” environment will be beneficial to Valencia and Castellon and the Valencian community economy in general as it will allow all the businesses in the region to move faster and decrease their costs.

Read our last quarterly report and the last trends of the real estate market in Valencia

• Have a look at the feedback of our real estate city trip to Valencia, April 2018.
• Our article on Valencia: Valencia, the third biggest city in Spain, is a centre of interest for foreigners
• Our article on the Costa de Valencia: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de Valencia
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Valencia
• Check some of our experts in our local network in Valencia: Real estate Lawyers in Valencia, Property hunters in Valencia, Architects in Valencia, How to find a mortgage in Valencia all assisting you in your language
• Find your local experts in Valencia within our network, it’s free!

Here is our research on Castellón.

Read more on the Costa del Azahar: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa del Azahar

Read more on the Costa de Valencia: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de Valencia

Need a car rental company in Spain for your next holidays?

Check the price we get from our partner, the most effective car rental screener, here

Some more FAQ on the Spanish motorways

Source: Fomento

Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!

Stéphane

Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Motorways are becoming toll-free in Spain… Invest in Valencia? appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

FYI, all our charts are always up to date, but for the up to date comments, check our most recent quarterly update “Quarterly update on the Spanish real estate market“.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the top 20 Spanish Cities real estate markets

Here is a summary of all our resources that we have created in 2017 on the 20 biggest Spanish cities in order to help you be more efficient in your search for your ideal property in Spain. We ended this week our series of 21 papers on all the main Spanish cities with our paper on Castellón. Since March 2017, we wrote 21 specific papers we are very proud of this work!

Have a look at the real estate price evolution for all the 18 Spanish regions since 2005 (€/m²):

As you can see on this chart, Spanish real estate prices (thick orange line) got its lowest price point in early 2014 since the crisis of 2008. Since early 2014, real estate prices are rebounding and reached on average 1530€/m² as of June 2017. If you look at prices in general, yes we can talk again about growth but if you compare those to the levels of 2008 or to European real estate prices, you can still find bargains. Furthermore, you surely noticed that most of the prices are lower than the prices of early 2005, as it is the case for Spain when prices were at 1680€ per square meter.

The market in Spain is divided into two groups since 2014: the regions where prices are increasing again: mainly, Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearic Islands and all the other regions where the prices have stabilized or are increasing modestly.

The five regions with prices above the national average are the Basque Country (2397€/m² as of June 2017), the Community of Madrid (2264€/m² as of June 2017), the Balearic Islands (2208€/m² as of June 2017), Catalonia (1834€/m² as of June 2017) and Ceuta and Melilla (1668€/m² as of June 2017).

It is really easy to buy a property in Spain but, because you are not on the ground, because you don’t know the market and because you need to check your property in order to avoid any nasty surprise, we advise you not to do it alone. We are foreigners and Spanish residents who bought properties in Spain and we developed a network of reliable partners in order to assist foreigners in their purchases of a Spanish property.

Don’t forget, if you are buying in Spain as a foreigner, you could have two different motives:

• Pleasure
• Investment

or the two combined. Depending on what is (are) your own motivation (s) your criteria will be different.

90% of foreigners are looking for beaches, sea and sun…

Rember our infographic on why people are buying a property in Spain:

So it’s not a surprise to have as the top 4 buying destinations Cities in Spain for foreigners: Alicante, Malaga, Barcelona and Madrid (the exception, but yes it’s the capital and the 3rd biggest city in Europe).

The top Regions where foreigners are buying real estate are the Valencian Community, Andalucia, Catalonia and the Canary and the Balearic Islands. Madrid is the last Region. Have a look at our infographic with the data of 2016. Foreigners bought 77500 properties, i.e. 17% of all the transactions that took place in Spain during the last year.

After those quick reminders on the Spanish market, let’s finally get to the core of our paper: find all resources sorted per city with the evolution of the price per square meter of all the different cities for the last 20 years!

All you ever wanted to know about the 20 biggest Spanish cities from Alicante… to Zaragoza:

Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Castellon, Girona, Ibiza, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Madrid, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Murcia, Santa Cruz Tenerife, Sevilla, Sitges, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza

Alicante

• Our article on Alicante: Alicante: the Spanish pearl
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Alicante
• Check our Citytrip ePostcards on Alicante
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Alicante since 1995

Almeria

• Our article on Almeria: Almería, one of the Andalusian pearls
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Alméria
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Almeria since 1995

Prices in Almeria remain on average 25% lower than the national average and close the lowest reached since the crisis of 2008.

Barcelona

• Our article on Barcelona: Barcelona real estate market is rising in 2017
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Barcelona
• Check our Citytrip ePostcards on Barcelona
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Barcelona since 1995

Bilbao

• Our article on Bilbao: Bilbao, the new awakening of the city
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Bilbao
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

1. Best Professionals 2. Follow up 3. Competitive pricing 4. Partners 5. Qualitative Check

Cadiz

• Our article on Cadiz: The real estate market in Cadiz, 2017
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Cadiz
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Cadiz since 1995

Castellon

• Our article on Castellon: The Castellón real estate market resurrects but remains very attractive in 2017
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Castellon
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Castellon since 1995

Girona

• Our article on Girona: Girona, the door to the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Girona
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Girona since 1995

Ibiza

• Our article on Ibiza: The Ibiza real estate market is going very well
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Ibiza
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for the Balearic Islands since 1995

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

• Our article on Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Gran Canaria, the tropical gem of Spain
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for the Gran Canaria since 1995

Madrid

• Our articles on Madrid: Real estate foreign investors are discovering Madrid, Madrid on the top 3 list of European Cities to invest in
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Madrid
• Check our Citytrip ePostcards on Madrid
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Madrid since 1995

Málaga

• Our articles on Málaga: Malaga : an emerging city to buy second homes, Malaga is always a place for your dream house
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Málaga
• Check our Citytrip ePostcards on Málaga
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Málaga since 1995

Palma de Mallorca

• Our article on Palma de Mallorca: Mallorca, a paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Mallorca
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

• Check the real estate price evolution for the Balearic Islands since 1995

Murcia

• Our article on Murcia: Murcia, a good city to make a property investment
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Murcia
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Murcia since 1995

Santa Cruz Tenerife

• Our article on Tenerife: Have a look at the property market in Tenerife
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Tenerife
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Tenerife since 1995

Sevilla

• Our article on Sevilla: Discover the charm of the south and invest in Seville
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Sevilla
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Sevilla since 1995

Sitges

• Our article on Sitges: Sitges, a commitment to tranquillity near Barcelona
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Sitges (Barcelona)
• Check our Citytrip ePostcards on Barcelona
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Barcelona since 1995

Valencia

• Have a look at our feedback from our real estate city trip to Valencia, April 2018.
• Our article on Valencia: Valencia, the third biggest city in Spain, is a centre of interest for foreigners
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Valencia
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Valencia since 1995

Valladolid

• Our article on Valladolid: Valladolid is getting more open to outside investors
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Valladolid
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Valladolid since 1995

Zaragoza

• Our article on Zaragoza: Zaragoza Real estate market in 2017
• Check the monthly weather statistics for Zaragoza
• We have the experts: Lawyers, Property hunters, Architects, Banks from our network of local partners to assist you in your language
• Follow this link to ask for one of our local experts

Check the real estate price evolution for Zaragoza since 1995

Find all our detailed articles and maps on the Spanish Costas:

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Subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter: Benefit of all our work and get it directly in your mailbox!

Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!

Stéphane

Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

Check the full HTBIS team here

Source: Ministerio de Fomento

The post Everything you ever wanted to know about the top 20 Spanish Cities real estate markets appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

The Castellón real estate market resurrects but remains very attractive in 2017

The province of Castellon, between Valencia and Catalonia, offers some of the best beaches available in Spain. Unlike Alicante, this province was not so crowded in the past so you can still find relatively quiet coast towns and interesting real estate deals.

Why would you choose for Castellón?

The province, like most found in this area of the Spanish Mediterranean, has sea views but has the mountain in the background. For example, you will find some of the most beautiful villages of the Valencian coast: Benicarló and Peñíscola where, apart from enjoying the beauty of those cultural sites, you will also enjoy to swim on the beaches and enjoy the Mediterranean diet.

How is the real estate market in Castellón?

The average price per square meter of the province is € 1058 end of June 2017 according to the Ministerio de Fomento. In the capital, Castellón de la Plana, the price per square meter is 806 €, one of the cheapest province capital of Spain. In addition, the housing market is recovering since early this year (January-February) 1,020 housing purchases were arranged throughout the province, the best figure since 2014.

But what are foreigners looking for in Castellón?

As Juan Pablo Artos Arbona from Paul Innova Real Estate explains:

“in recent years the province Castellón is betting on attracting tourism to relax, ie an audience that likes quiet, usually persons retiring, they are looking to taste the cuisine of Castellón based on the Mediterranean diet. Other activities include cultural visits to the diverse populations and villages of the region and to enjoy the attractive beaches with blue flag “.

If you need further information on this subject, read our summer article: Where will you find the most beautiful beaches in Spain?

Who are the foreigners buying Real Estate in Castellón?

In term of active nationalities, Juan Pablo notes that:

“the French and Italian public has for years been attracted by this region of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, but lately the main active country for buying houses is Germany”.

Check the real estate price evolution of the square meter in Castellón vs the average price in Spain from 1995 to today:

Where are the best places to live around Castellón?

According to Juan Pablo Artos Arbona (Pablo Innova), most foreigners prefer:

“without any doubt the coast, where they usually buy second or third homes for the summer season.”

Some of the most sought after coastal areas are Peñíscola, Oropesa del Mar, Vinaròs, Benicarló and Benicàssim. In all these urban areas you can find basic services such as supermarkets, shops, restaurant and 24-hour emergency.

Juan Pablo also says that there are

“some specific cases where foreigners have a commitment also to buy a house in the city since services are scarce on the coast in the winter. Thus, they have two residences in the province: one for the winter and one for the summer “.

Castellón de la Plana, as the provincial capital, has all the basic services covered, as well as connections to almost every corner of the province and to Valencia and Barcelona.

But if you are looking for the tranquillity of the interior, some of the towns that are offering it are Villahermosa del río, Villafamés, Castellfort, Segorbe and Morella.

1. Best Professionals 2. Follow up 3. Competitive pricing 4. Partners 5. Qualitative Check

How to get around in Castellón?

The road network reaches anywhere in the province. In addition, the motorway AP-7 is linking Castellón de la Plana with Valencia and Barcelona. You can also reach Barcelona and Valencia very easily by train. You can Reach Valencia from Madrid with the AVE (fast train).

There is an airport that has flights to London and Bristol, but if what you are looking for is to fly towards other European cities, you should check the airports of Valencia and Barcelona El Prat within three hours drive.

If you want to read more on the region, read the article written in May 2018 on the Costa Azahar, the region where Castellón is located: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Azahar.

Know everything on the Costa de Azahar: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check out our infographic.

Find all our other detailed maps on all the Spanish Costas and the Costa del Azahar.

If you want to invest in the Spanish real estate market in Spain, don’t hesitate to read our special report with the 10+ reasons why you should have a look at the Spanish property market.

Check our infographics with the yearly weather statistics in Castellón before buying?

Have a look at the feedback of our real estate city trip to Valencia, April 2018.

Have a look at our ePostcards before planning your next holidays in Spain.

Get your insights right to your mailbox? Register to our newsletter: https://howtobuyinspain.com/en/newsletter/

Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!

Raimon

Senior Journalist and writer at HTBIS

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post The Castellón real estate market resurrects but remains very attractive in 2017 appeared first on How to buy in Spain.