Murcia property investment: our 3 case studies

Our two local property finders, Katerin and Caroline, are proud to share with you their last property searches.

Some of our last missions

A “retirement home” in the countryside of Murcia

• Buyer: a couple from Hampshire, England
• Property: This is a semi-detached property with great views of the surrounding countryside.

A desirable family home with beautiful palm trees, a well-built property, which was a classic farmhouse.

It has 3Bed, 1 Bath and one Pool
It is set in a plot of 3,500 m2 which has many orchards: almond, olive, lemon and orange, trees and also large palm trees.

• Neighbourhood: A few more km to the large town of Fuente Alamo and 20 minutes to the beaches of Mazarron, Isla Plan and Azohia., 30 minutes to the towns of Cartagena and Murcia and 20 minutes to the international airport of Corvera.
• Goal: retirement home in the countryside of Murcia.
• Budget: € 67,000

A “retirement home” in the countryside of Mazarrón

• Buyer: a couple resident in Spain bought a larger house with land to cater for their dogs.
• Property: A detached farmhouse fully walled and fenced with 300 m2 built set in a plot of 1500 m2,

3bed, 2bath (one ensuit), annex, pool

• Neighbourhood: It is in a great location with views of mountains, Countryside and Almond groves.

It is 20 min to the Corvera international airport, 15 min from the nearest golf course 5 min from Local village with shops bars medical center. 20 min to the sandy beaches of Mazarron.

• Goal: retirement home in the countryside of Murcia.
• Budget: € 90,000

A “beach home” in the Region of Murcia

• Buyer: a couple resident in Spain moving from the countryside to the beach
• Property: A large corner detached house in Bolnuevo, Mazarrón

The house, built with passion, by a French architect, for its own use, taking into account all safety measures and services.

4 bedrooms, 2 baths, private garage & storage

• Neighbourhood: in an amazing location a walk away from the coast and beaches with views of the Mediterranean and mountains from the master bedroom and from the sitting room.

What could be more idyllic than waking up and having breakfast in your balcony while you enjoy breath taking sea and mountains views!

• Goal: Enjoy life
• Budget: € 189,000

Discover the must do activities of the Costa Calida

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.

This article is written by Katerin and Caroline, our property finders in Murcia.

If you want to read more on Murcia, here are two interesting articles:

• Murcia real estate market is very active
• Murcia, a good city to make a property investment

Check the full profile of Katerin and Caroline, our Property hunter in Murcia

Katerin and Caroline

Find a property finder anywhere else in Spain within our network

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

Check the full team of HTBIS here

The post Murcia property investment: 3 case studies appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

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 Cálida

Welcome to the Costa Calida … or the Warm Coast

“The Warm Coast” is the meaning of Costa Cálida, this is due to the very special microclimate of the area, which makes it a few degrees hotter than everywhere else in Spain, thus creating a somewhat arid microclimate, with less than 340 mm of rain annually: in fact, it is the hottest coast in the Mediterranean Sea. This is great news for everyone looking for quality bathing time year-round, and only a handful of rainy days. Have a look at our weather infographics for the top 20 Spanish cities, for instance Murcia. You will get detailed monthly statistics on any month of the year.

Monthly Weather Statistics on top Spanish Cities

Nonetheless, great weather is not the only thing that makes Costa Cálida one of the most attractive Costas for tourists.

There are more than 25 blue-flagged beaches, which are recognized by the EU to have the perfect environment for visitors to enjoy, like being litter-free, having clear water, and adequate facilities to house tourists comfortably. These beaches are spread throughout the 250 km (155 miles) that make up this beautiful Costa, it spans from El Mojón, very nearby Alicante, to Cuatro Calas, in Águilas, and is located in the Region of Murcia, right in between the gigantic Andalucía and the well-known Comunidad de Valencia, bordering with Castilla-león to the north, and to the south, 250 km of open Mediterranean sea.

There are also very famous maritime routes that go to the Balearic Islands, like Ibiza and Mallorca. You can rent a small ship and go there by yourself, making for an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. If you are not too experienced in sailing, you can go on a Cruise Ship, which will have everything you might need, like warm beds, restaurants, and maybe even nightclubs and bars, if you are willing to pay the price, of course.

However, Costa Cálida is especially known for the natural landmark known as Mar Menor, or Lesser Sea in English, it’s a 22km (13 miles) long stretch of sand that ranges from 100 to 1000 meters wide. This creates a natural salty lake with crystal clear waters, that are also very shallow, which makes it ideal for families with children, though, not that ideal for those interested in water sports like surfing or windsurfing.

The seafront view in Cartagena

But for them, Costa Cálida has other locations that might be more exciting, like some areas near shipwrecks where you can snorkel and deep dive. There are also trekking and mountain biking routes more towards the inland that is simply described as awe-inspiring.

There are, as well, some of the most important and famous golf courses in Europe, like the Lorca Resort, Condado Alhama Gnk, Hacienda Alamo and La Serena, all of which are very highly rated by golfers. Play with the best golf club sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.

But the potential locations for ecotourism don’t end there, Murcia, and specifically, the lands surrounding Costa Cálida are full to the brim with natural parks, like Cabo de Gata-Níjar, Parque Natural De Torrevieja, Sierra de Huétor, Sierra Helada, and Parque Natural de la Serra de Mariola.

And if natural wonders are not that important to you, the rich history and culture might be just as enjoyable, as there are a multitude of medieval fortress, castles and interesting museums, with exhibitions that date back 3.000 years.

There are, as well, more modern instances, especially in architecture, remarkable structures such as The Palace of Benifayó Baron, The Episcopal Palace of Murcia, the military fortress Sol de Lorca and the Castle of San Juan de Águilas are spread throughout the lands.

In addition to the various monuments, Murcia’s history has made it into a crossroads for many different cultures, like the Iberians that first populated the lands, the Romans that conquered them, the Phoenicians and the Byzantines, who came later, in addition to the hundreds of years of Arabic control of the lands.

All these very different cultures brought new flavours and traditions to the area, and in conjunction with the especially rich fields that offered an enormous variety of ingredients, it’s no wonder why Murcia is one of the top locations on any tourists’ list loving gastronomy.

The “Plaza Toros” of Murcia

Among the most interesting activities, there are a variety of wine tastings, that also combine with city tours to give you the best experience, and restaurants that offer special dishes for tourists that combine the most famous local recipes, with a mixture of seafood, local vegetables and meat prepared in the same way they were prepared hundreds of years ago by the first inhabitants.

You might also want to visit the four main urban attraction points, the capital, Murcia, which is great for those who love nightclubs, drinks on a terrace and visiting some museums. There is Cartagena, not to be confused with the city by the same name in Colombia, which is the first place the Romans ever got to in the Iberic peninsula, it has more than 3.000 years of history and its one of the best examples of a contemporary city.

Next up is Lorca, the best place to see monuments, the medieval, renaissance and baroque styles come together in the old town, making for a delightful experience, especially when the Easter Parades are going through.

And at last, Caravaca, one of the five Holy Cities in the world, it’s one of the most common destinations for pilgrims and for those interested in the deep Templar history, there are few other places with such a charm.

Planning to invest in the real estate market of Costa Cálida?

There is one short phrase which best describes the real estate market on this coast, “shaky”. This is one of the most visited Costas in Spain, and this means that the prices have always been high in the region close to the Mediterranean but are cheap in lands, at the same time, prices remain on the cheap side, compared to other Spanish regions.

In recent years a new phenomenon appeared on the market, it is known as Airbnb, it’s an app that allows you to contact the locals of a region and rent a space directly from them, either a single room or a whole apartment. The use of this service has become very mainstream in the last few years, which means that now everyone with a phone and WIFI can rent his apartment to tourists eager to pay more than anyone else would because using Airbnb will always be cheaper than a hotel.

This all sounds great until people started to realize that it is more profitable to have a property has a permanent Airbnb than to rent it to the locals. In fact, it is so much more profitable than some wealthy owners purchased entire buildings to turn them into Airbnb, and as such, the demand for housing increased radically, and so did de prices.

But rising prices have never been anything to be afraid of, much the opposite, it’s what investors look for, the problem with Murcia’s market (and many other parts of Spain of that matter) is how likely it is for the market to keep growing at this pace.

And this is not because the demand will suddenly fall, or because of there us a bubble ready to pop, it’s because of governmental intervention. There have been many, many complaints about the rising prices for rent if you can even find a place that is not an Airbnb, and the government started to take notice. It is unclear what will be the next step, but there have been some negotiations about regulating the use of properties as Airbnbs, and some politicians have even talked about banning it altogether.

Now, buying properties in Murcia might be very profitable for many years if the market remains unregulated, and it will probably take a long time before anything gets done through governmental means, but the second the government announces the slightest regulation on Airbnb, the market will most likely drop. This makes for a risky, but also a very profitable investment, it is up to you to decide if the chances are worth the risk. But of course, you could buy your property for long-term: enjoy the region and its wealth while enjoying your holidays there.

Check the real estate price evolution of Murcia and Spain since 1995

If you want to read more on this, have a look at our earlier article on Murcia: Murcia, a good city to make a property investment

Let’s start with some holidays in Costa Cálida?

A summer house in Murcia is a great choice, not only is it a big enough city that you will always find something to do, but it has a great number of activities to do with children, there are kids parks such as Aqua Natura and Parque de la Seda, natural parks with activities dedicated to children, and enough beaches that you won’t be able to see them all in one summer.

Amongst the most famous beaches there is: Playa de Calblanque, Cala del Pino et Plage Entremares, Portús, Barraca Quemada de La Llana, Amarilla, La Carolina, de Percheles, Baño de las Señoritas, Cala Cortina and Cala Blanca, just to name a few.

Nonetheless, the nearby cities do not offer as many activities and are catering more to grown-ups and people looking for a relaxing trip, some families have even found them boring, to some degree, we advise you avoid going there for more than a day or two if you are more of the adventurous type.

Have a quick look at our infographic on Everything you could do in the Costa de la Luz and click on it if you want to download it.

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.

Our downloadable pdf map on the Costa Calida

What about retiring to Costa Cálida?

Costa Cálida, and by extension, Murcia, is one of the best places for a retiree to live, especially if you enjoy warmer climates but you don’t want to go to tropical places like the Caribbean or South Asia.

The most important thing to take into consideration is the importance you give to nature. Costa Cálida is probably the single most beautiful Costa in Spain, form a ecotourists viewpoint. So, if you are looking for a natural paradise, with warm winters and sunny summers, where the beaches are counted in dozens and so are the natural parks, this is the right place for you.

As for infrastructure, well, it certainly could be improved, the nearest highspeed train station is in Alicante, 80 km away from Murcia. However, if you rather travel by plane, you won’t have to look any further than Murcia itself.

But be aware, that Murcia is a somewhat big city, not nearly as big and crowded as Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia, but it has almost half a million citizens, and if you are looking for peace and tranquillity, you would be better off in Cartagena (220.000), Lorca (90.000) or Águila (35.000). Though, you will have to go to Murcia if you want access to things like big Shopping malls and such.

In conclusion

Costa Cálida is, objectively, a great place to be in, you will find many great activities for all ages while real estate prices remain affordable. This is clearly one of the top spots for retirees looking for a place with a tight budget: prices per square meter remain under 1.000€ as of June 2018.

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

Costa Cálida Map information

• Airports: The closest Airport is Murcia
• Ave stations: The closest AVE station is Alicante
• Cities: Murcia (441,000 inhabitants), Cartagena (216,655 inhabitants), Lorca (91,700 inhabitants), Águilas (34,700 inhabitants), Mazarrón (30,700 inhabitants), La Manga (17,000 inhabitants)
• Unesco sites: – Find all the UNESCO Sites in Spain on our page: “10 reasons why you should buy in Spain”
• Top beaches: 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)
• Kids Parks: Aqua Natura, Parque de la Seda (Murcia)
• Shopping Malls & Outlets: Centro Comercial Atalayas, Centro Comercial Thader, Centro Comercial Nueva Condomina (Murcia)
• Traditional & Flea markets: Mercado de Veronicas (Murcia)
• Top golf courses: Lorca Resort, Condado Alhama Gnk, Hacienda Alamo, La Serena
• Natural Parks: Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Parque Natural De Torrevieja, Sierra de Huétor Natural Park, Sierra Helada Natural Park, Parque Natural de la Serra de Mariola Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.
• University: Universidad de Murcia, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (Murcia)
• Hospitals: Hospital General Universitario de Murcia, Hospital Mesa del Castillo (Murcia)

Find all our other detailed maps on all the Spanish Costas and the Costa Cálida

Read further on the Costa Cálida and Spain

1. TOURIST OFFICES:
   • Costa Calida, Murcia Region Tourist office
   • Cartagena Tourist office
2. AIRPORTS: All the Spanish Airports and flights info on the official site of AENA
3. TRAINS: Renfe website
4. BEACHES: Where will you find the top beaches in Spain?
5. GOLFS: What are the top golf courses in Spain? Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.
6. KIDS PARKS: Our selection of the Top parks for children in Spain
7. 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 in the Costa Cálida or in Murcia: 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 The best things to do in the Costa Cálida appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

Many foreigners are buying properties in Murcia

Murcia how beautiful you are! Visit us and we will offer you a complete lifestyle.

What makes the region of Murcia so special?

The fabulous fiestas, wonderful food, amazing scenery, excellent beaches, a warm Costa Cálida, sunshine and local people, all go together to make this an exceptional region of Spain. This is also a huge golfing area, there are World class golf resorts all over this region.

Puerto Mazarron is located on the Costa Cálida south of Cartagena. The lovely sandy beaches and promenade lined with restaurants, makes Puerto Mazarron a very popular resort for the tourist and the Spanish visitors alike. It has an amazing Marina which has a vast selection of restaurants. There are boat trips around the coast line available, water sports as well as facilities in place for disabled people allowing them full access to the beaches and water.

Mar de Cristal is separated from Los Nietos by a small river and is located on the shores of the Mar Menor in the Costa Cálida. Mar de Cristal is a compact and friendly little resort with three good beach areas and a new pretty promenade with bars and restaurants. A good-sized marina adds to the charm as well as its proximity to the famous La Manga Golf Resort, which boasts many restaurants and a casino, in addition to three up market golf courses.

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.

Enormous changes have taken place in the region of Murcia since the international Airport of Murcia recently opened, it has the most modern facilities and all services to ensure the optimal operation of air traffic and make the passage through the airport a pleasant experience for passengers and companions.

With the international airport of Corvera with growing traffic of external and internal flights and with cruise ships docking at Cartagena we are firmly on the map. Given way to huge investment in the area.

Entrepreneurs wishing to invest in the autonomous community of Murcia will find “the best place in the world to Live”, “the best place in Spain to invest” and, in addition, a red carpet by the regional government to help them in the process.

What are the best areas to live in Murcia?

All the province is very interesting. Depending on your tastes and your needs you will be able to find a proper location: as Murcia offers beach, mountain, tranquil life in the countryside as well as all the amenities offered by the cities of Cartagena and Murcia or towns like Lorca, Totana, Caravaca de la Cruz, Mazarron, Aguilas, etc…

Climate

Murcia enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, warm springs, hot summers, and mild winters. Check our infographics on the weather statistic of Murcia.

We work to save time and money for our clients

Caroline and Katerin are Real Estate consultants with more than 20 years of experience in the real estate in front of the international field , have participated in such famous programs in England as Living in the sun, Putting yourself in the sun and Getting a new life, became Personal Real Estate Shoppers in Murcia to get the best service for the buyers.

We work as your eyes and ears, searching for your perfect home.

We will take charge of finding and visiting the properties that best adapt to your needs and search profile, offering you a selection of properties that meet 90% of your criteria. We represent you, the buyer, as this gives us the control of sourcing the right property using our joint skills and experience working in estate agency for the last 25 years in the area of Murcia. We do all the hard work, offer a complete professional and personalized service to the real estate buyer, positioned at your side, we get the right price and check that all paperwork is correct, given you the reassurance that when you put your deposit down you are finally relishing your dream. We fight the price for you we represent you the client during the whole trajectory of the operation acting with ethical and professional criterion working for your interests to satisfy all your expectations.

We are advising in all types of real estate and patrimonial operations to both companies and individuals.

We are Real Estate Personal Shoppers as we do not have our own portfolio of properties, which means we are completely independent to look for property assets on the market: we work for you, not for the sellers.

Our advice to you is to use us as your professional buyer, as we have experience in all areas of buying a property, from helping you find your forever home or as investment. Our knowledge in the real estate market makes the process a very enjoyable experience taking the stress away from you.

With a wide portfolio of international and national clients we feel very fortunate because we have made many contacts and friends in our area and abroad.

We are registered with the title of a Administrative European Real Estate manager.

We also have very good relations with notaries, registries, town halls and other local authorities, including lawyers and architects specialized in real estate law.

Commercial experiences in sales

Real Estate Advisors, with more than 20 years of experience at the front of a International Real Estate Companies.

Worked on television programs; Living in the sun, Place in the sun, Get a new life.

We have managed to sell thousands of properties of different typology successfully during our professional career.

Why choose us to work as a personal shopper or property hunter?

After the start of our working life devoted to the commercial sector, we are enthusiastic by this project of property hunting as we share the values based on professionalism, integrity, perseverance, and vision of success among so many other qualities.

For that reason, Caroline and Katerin have prepared a Guide with the best tips to buy or invest in real estate in Murcia.

If you want to read more on Murica, here is the article we wrote on it: Murcia, a good city to make a property investment

Check the full profile of Katerin and Caroline, our Property hunter in Murcia

Katerin and Caroline

Find a property finder anywhere else in Spain within our network

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

Check the full team of HTBIS here

The post Murcia real estate market is very active appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

In 2018, we wrote our 13 articles on the Spanish Costas with everything you should know about them: Airports, AVE stations, the biggest Cities, Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets, Shopping malls, Unesco sites, kids parks, Natural parks, Golf courses, Universities and top beaches.

You can find and download all our Spanish Costas infographics from our “Resources” section “Infographic on the Spanish Costas“.

Know everything on the Spanish Costas: Airports, AVE stations, Cities and villages, 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. Download our infographics.

Here is the list of all our Spanish Costas articles ranked by # of views

1. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de Barcelona

2. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Canary Islands

3. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Balearic Islands

4. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa del Sol

5. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de Valencia

6. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Blanca

7. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de Almeria

8. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Calida

9. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Tropical

10. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Azahar

11. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de la Luz

12. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Daurada

13. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Brava

Not a big surprises, the Costas with the biggest interest are the same where foreigners buy properties: Here is the article we wrote on that subject in November this year: The top 10 Spanish cities where foreigners love to buy properties!

Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!

Stéphane

Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Happy new year. Discover in 2019, the must do activities on all the Spanish Costas appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

Murcia, a good city to make a property investment

Although you may not know Murcia, the capital of the region of Murcia, as it is little known outside of Spain, it has a rich historical heritage because of the large number of civilizations (Iberians, Phoenicians, Byzantines, Carthaginians, Romans and Arabs) who settled on its territory.

Why Murcia?

Located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, exactly in the valley of the River Segura, flowing through the city, it enjoys an enviable climate for Europe, with an average annual temperature of almost 19 degrees and about 3,000 hours of sunshine a year.

As mentioned, Murcia is a Spanish city famous for its rich historical and cultural heritage, one of this beautiful example is its cathedral. Although during the holy week it receives many visitors who are fond of religious tourism, it also arouses the interest of many people who wish to establish their residence in the city.

In addition to the Cathedral, right next to the city there is the famous orchard of Murcia, a unique ecosystem that can be visited on foot or by bicycle.

How is the Murcia real estate market?

The average price of housing in Murcia was in the second quarter of 2017 at € 971 per square meter. Although it seems that the market prices have stabilized and are exiting the crisis, the recovery is slow, because the price increase during the last year is only 2.9%. Real estate prices are low compared to historical standards and started to rise again since end 2014 in Spain, but prices remain low in the region of Murcia, check our interactive chart.

Foreigners are very active

Foreigners have noticed this: foreign investments have risen about 25% over the previous year for the entire region of Murcia.

Where to live in Murcia?

Murcia, with more than 400,000 inhabitants, has different nice areas where you can buy a home.

The neighbourhood “barrio del Carmen” is the most populous in the city. That is where the train station is located which has made the apartments of this area as the most coveted in the city. In addition, this area has also all the basic services covered such as schools, supermarkets or stores.

The neighbourhood “barrio de la Fama” is the centre of the city. Here you can find a wide range of services, such as libraries or various educational centres. It is one of the most expensive areas of Murcia. It is also near the beautiful and picturesque districts of Vistabella and fleet.

But if what you are looking is a quieter area, there are neighbourhoods “barrio del jardín de la Constitución” and “el barrio Huerto de las Palmeras” that are two areas with many green areas.

How to get around in Murcia?

Murcia has several bus lines and tram, although it is a city that can be explored by bicycle very easily.

The train station connects the city with other parts of the province such as Cartagena. You can also arrive by train to the neighbouring provinces (Almeria and Alicante) and the cities of Madrid and Valencia. All these sites can also be reached by road or highway.

Murcia city does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is San Javier, which has flights to some European cities (mostly to the British Isles). If you want to fly to other parts of Spain or Europe, the airport of Alicante is 70 km away.

Read our article on the Costa Calida: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Calida

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 out our infographic.

Find all our other detailed maps on all the Spanish Costas and the Costa Calida

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.

Have a look at the yearly weather statistics of Murcia and of the 18 biggest cities in Spain.

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

Get our insights right to your mailbox? Register for 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 Murcia, a good city to make a property investment appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

After your reading, don’t forget to read our most updated article of December 2017 on the same topic: The top 10 Spanish cities where foreigners love to buy properties!

Check our full Quarterly Report updated as of December 2017 on the foreign Real Estate activity in Spain.

Full analysis for Spain, for the Costas & Islands and for the different cities

Spain Analysis

During the last year up to September 2016, Foreigners bought 17,4% of all properties sold in Spain according to the “Ministerio de Fomento”.

This is half a percent more than one year ago. Foreigners bought 77 451 properties vs 67436 last year: i.e. a 14,9% Increase. At the same time, the number of transactions in Spain increased from 398 631 to 443 997 last year: i.e. an 11,4% increase.

Real estate analysis for the Costas & Islands: Foreigners buy Sun and beaches!

In our infographic studying second home buying in Europe, one of the top attributes for the ideal property is being near to the sea!

It’s the third attribute after being close to an airport and having a “Scenic Location“. Other attributes are getting a good value, have a good resale potential, have the possibility for renting, have the ideal number of bedrooms, have a minimum size of 100 square meters and of course a hot climate. Check our full infographic below.

So you won’t be surprised by the following statistic: 85% of properties bought are in regions close to the sea: either on a “Costa” or on the Balearic or Canary Islands! If you subtract the sales for Madrid, which enjoy its own international reputation, you get the even more impressive number of 92%!

For sure, Foreigners come for the sunny beaches of Spain. Please check our Infographic for the many reasons why people want to buy a house in Spain.

The “Costa Blanca” is the first “Costa” with 23,4% of transactions, the “Costa del Sol” is the second with 14,2% of transactions and the “Costa Dorada” is the last one with 10,7% of the transactions. All those three regions continue to benefit from strong interests of foreigners. Interesting to note, the “Costa Calida” has a Year on Year growth of twice the average of growth of properties bought by Spain with 30%!

Remember, if you want to buy a property in Spain, you need a NIE, check our paper on that: Your ultimate guide to your Spanish NIE number.

Table 1 Activity by Costas & Islands analysis: Last year up to September 2016.

Real estate analysis for the Spanish Autonomous Regions

No surprise to see that the “Comunitat Valenciana” is the biggest Autonomous Region in term of transactions with close to 30% of the transactions. Andalucia and Catalonia are second and third with 20% and 15%. Check our infographic on this:

Table 2 Autonomous Regions analysis: Last year up to September 2016.

Real Estate analysis for the Spanish Cities

The first city region to be blowing is Alicante with 23% of the transactions done last year! That means that more than 18 thousand properties were bought there.

Malaga is the Second one with 14% of the properties sold and Barcelona is third with 8%. The Growth is impressive and above 10% for all the top 8 Cities. The two strong growth areas in the top 10, in terms of transactions, are Santa Cruz de Tenerife with a 26% growth. The region of Murcia grew by 30%. In the less traded markets, the region of Cantabria, Huesca and Jaen all noticed growth higher than 45% versus the same period of last year.

Table 3 Cities analysis: Last year up to September 2016.

Read our update of December 2017 on the same topic: The top 10 Spanish cities where foreigners love to buy properties!

Check our full Quarterly Report on the foreign Real Estate activity in Spain.

Source: Ministerio de Fomento. Data updated up to September 2016.

Looking for an expert in Spain? Ask us directly!

Stéphane

Senior analyst and strategist at HTBIS

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Where are foreigners buying Real Estate in Spain? appeared first on How to buy in Spain.