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 de la Luz

Introduction

Costa de la Luz, one of the most famous Spanish Costas, is known for its warm climate, charming people and natural landscapes that would leave anyone filled with awe.

This costa is located in the Spanish southwest, within the southern community of Andalusia, it spans from Tarifa to the Guadiana river, and it covers the coasts of both provinces of Huelva and Cádiz. One of the things that separate costa the la Luz from the rest of the Spanish Costas is the fact that it does not border the Mediterranean Sea, instead, beachgoers will enjoy the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Weather-wise, this Costa is much like other southern locations in Spain, with very hot summers that can get up to 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) and mild winters that go as low as 9 Celsius (49 Fahrenheit), and with almost 12 hours a day of direct sunlight, and around 6 rainy days throughout the whole summer, this will make it a fantastic beach-visiting experience. Have a look at our weather infographics for the top 20 Spanish cities, with for instance Cádiz. You will get detailed monthly statistics on any month of the year.

Monthly Weather Statistics on top Spanish Cities

Nonetheless, beaches are not the only highly enjoyable places to go to in this wonderful place, there are many golf courses, kitesurf facilities (that go along perfectly with the winds of the Atlantic Ocean), a plethora of restaurants and Spanish style bar/cafeterias, as well as shopping malls in Cádiz and Huelva. Play with the best golf club sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.

If you are looking for beautiful nature, there are several national parks you can enjoy yourself in, such as National Park Doñana, Alcornocales, Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, do Sudoeste, Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, da Arrábida, Doñana National Park, Sierra de las Nieves, Estrecho, Sierra de Grazalema, Vale do Guadiana and Sierra de Huétor.

The biggest and most populated city in the surrounding area is Sevilla, one of the most visited Spanish cities, full to the brim with museums, monuments, natural parks and as many activities as you are willing to try out.

The beachfront of Cadiz

Inside the area of Costa de la Luz, we have three major cities, Ayamonte, with 200.000 inhabitants, Huelva with 150.000 and Cádiz with 120.000, unfortunately, only Cádiz has an airport, and the next nearest one is Sevilla.

As for transport and infrastructure, since the development of the area has been fairly recent, the transport infrastructure in the area is much less developed than, say, Valencia or Madrid, and as such there aren’t as many options regarding public transport. So, if you want to have the freedom to go anywhere at any time, the best thing you could do is use rental car services.

Costa de la Luz is also a historically rich location, as is most of southern Spain, its history dates back to the 12th century BCE, and there are monuments built around the ruins of antique Roman cities, dating back centuries. Christopher Columbus also has a deep connection with these lands, as was the case for the Pinzón Brothers, an important local family, the ones who helped him get his three ships and take sail towards the discovery of the new world.

Planning to invest in the real estate market of the Costa de la Luz?

In the last few years, Costa de la Luz has experienced very sharp growth in tourist appeal, it had always been famous amongst vacationing Spaniards, but it was the international attention that brought life to this area since the area is now very commonly visited by French and German tourists.

Nonetheless, economic growth has not been the only thing that the sharp increase in tourists brought. The prices of housing and the real estate market, in general, started to stabilize in the area as a consequence, which is great for property owners, but It also means that investors all around the world wanted to buy properties and as a result, the value of properties is now higher.

At the same time, rental prices in the area also went up, faster than people thought they would, and also faster than the tourist’s money could come, this meant a rise in prices all around, which has brought up complaints among the locals.

Although the economic concerns have not been in any way small, they have not been the only ones, as the increase in tourism has also raised environmental concerns, this is due to the rapid expansion of the urban areas, which has been accelerated by the speculation in the real estate market, causing several instances of environmental aggressions and bad practices that put the same beaches that attracted the tourists now in jeopardy.

This has made experts in the real estate market worried about the future of the area, but the prices are still recovering, and the expansion of the urban areas is still quite aggressive. This all means that, in the current market, investments in this area are healthy in general. Still, at the same time we can see some speculation in certain specific areas and the future of tourism in the area is not yet a sure thing, maybe due to the underinvestments of the authorities.

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

If you want to read more on the real estate market, have a quick look at the two papers we wrote: The real estate market in Cadiz, 2017 and Discover the charm of the south and invest in Seville.

Read more: Real estate prices in Cadiz and Real estate prices in Sevilla are available on our Spanish property report updated quarterly.

What about retiring in the Costa de la Luz?

If what you are looking for is an exciting place full of things to do, beaches to visit and parks to go for a walk on, Costa de la Luz is a great alternative, especially because the prices for properties in the small cities of the Costa de la Luz are lower than those in bigger cities such as Sevilla, Valencia, Barcelona or Madrid.

But it is important for you to consider that, as in many highly touristic places, your life will completely change with the busy season, especially in the summer, when the hotels don’t have a single room available and the beaches look like a parade of people.

Of course, this also means that you will experience interesting changes every year, you will have a more relaxed pace in a somewhat empty city in the colder months, and then see how everything rapidly comes to life as the temperature rises. Though, if that’s not your thing, you probably will be better off somewhere else.

And if you don’t like walking everywhere, you better have in mind buying a car, because there aren’t all that many places the public transport will take you to. The only high-speed train, known in Spain as AVE, is located in Sevilla, 120 Km (75 miles) away from Cádiz, and even further from Huelva and Ayamonte.

The city centre of Cadiz

Let’s start with some holidays in the Costa de la Luz?

Now, if what you are looking for is a summer house, Costa de la Luz is a great location. You have a wide range of cities and towns of different sizes very near to each other, so you get to choose what kind of experience you have, either a relaxing trip to a small town, to disconnect from reality for a while, or an exciting adventure to a major city, with tons of things to do every day.

But either way, you will have the beaches, so many beaches you won’t be able to see them all in one summer, beaches such as Playa de Isla de Canela, 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, and the most famous on Costa de la Luz, Punta Umbría, well-known for its environmental importance, as it holds a variety of species that are endangered, but also provides a perfect place to stay in for migratory species.

Nonetheless, there are a variety of activities to be done in the summer that don’t imply going to the beach, such as waterparks and amusement parks, like Cortylandia and Aqualand Bahía, both located in Cádiz, and are especially popular among the children, in case you want to have very nice and fun vacations for the whole family.

And having a city such as Sevilla so nearby, a city that hosts so many festivals and carnivals and that is one of the main touristic attractions of Spain, there are almost no things you couldn’t do if you are ever in the unlikely event of having nothing else to do in Costa de la Luz.

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 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 out our infographic.

You will love the nature of the Costa de la Luz

To sum up, Costa de la Luz is, objectively, a great place to be in, the nature is revered and appreciated, the magnificent beaches and national parks can be found around every corner, and that has been noticed by many foreigners, too many some would say, and the sudden increase in tourism has brought negative effects on the locals and the real estate market, which is maybe rising to fast in certain regions, at best.

Nonetheless, the beauty of the place is still there, for anyone to see and enjoy, either if you are looking for a great place to have an adventure, a place to go with your family and share bonding experiences with them, or a far location disconnected from the world, or a tranquil but also exciting place to live the rest of your life on, Costa de la Luz makes for an excellent choice.

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

Costa de la Luz Infographic information

• Airports: Cádiz, Sevilla
• Ave stations: Sevilla
• Cities: Ayamonte (206,000 inhabitants), Huelva (145,500 inhabitants), Cádiz (119,900 inhabitants), El Puerto de Santa María (88,200 inhabitants), Lepe (27,400 inhabitants), Sevilla (690,000 inhabitants)
• Unesco sites: Doñana National Park (1994,2005), Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville (1987), Find all the UNESCO Sites in Spain on our page: “10 reasons why you should buy in Spain”
• Top beaches: 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
• Kids Parks: Cortylandia Cádiz, Aqualand Bahía de Cádiz
• Shopping Malls & Outlets: Centro Comercial Aqualon (Huelva), Centro Comercial Bahía de Cádiz (Cádiz)
• Traditional & Flea markets: Lonja del Barranco Market, Seville
• Top golf courses: Corta Atalaya, La monacilla, Bellavista, Doñana, Sanlucar, Arcos Gardens, Sierra de Grazalema, Montenmedio Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.
• Natural Parks: Doñana (Huelva), Natural Park Alcornocales, Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, Parque Natural do Sudoeste, Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, Parque Natural da Arrábida, Doñana National Park, Sierra de las, Nieves Natural Park, Estrecho Natural Park, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Vale do Guadiana Natural Park, Sierra de Huétor Natural Park
• University: Universidad de Huelva, Universidad de Cádiz
• Hospitals: Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar (Cádiz),
  Costa de la Luz Hospital, Hospital Juan Ramon Jimenez (Huelva)

Read further on the Costa de la Luz and Spain

1. TOURIST OFFICES:
   • Costa de la Luz, Cadiz Tourist office
   • Costa de la Luz, Huelva 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: 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 beauty of the Costa de la Luz appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

Last Transaction in Costa de la Luz

Our client bought a modern 3 bedroom bungalow in Ayamonte, Huelva.

The property had a private pool, approximately 120 sqm construction with a beautiful view of the golf course and the purchase price was €230.000.

This transaction did not need any financing and this property was purchased to become a second home.

Distance to the airport 40 minutes and 10 minutes to the beach.

Why, Costa de la Luz, Andalusia, Spain is right for property investors?

• Considerably lower property prices than in other parts of the country.
• Costa de la Luz is one of the most expensive Costas for accommodation due to limited availability.
• Oversupply isn’t and never will be an issue. The emphasis here is on quality, low density development and this brings with it good rental potential.
• Four international airports ( Seville, Gibraltar, Jerez in Spain and Faro in Portugal ).
• Strict planning rules keep the supply of new property to a minimum.
• Low crime levels.
• Choices embrace everything from traditional to modern, urban to rural, beach front to golf course

George

George is a partner of HTBIS and is a local property hunter in the Costa de la Luz region

Check the full HTBIS team here

The post Our property finder in the Costa de la Luz last transaction appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

Big refunds could be on the way for home sellers over “Wrong tax charge” in Spain

Many people have paid a ‘plusvalía’ levy when selling their property, even if its value has dropped, but this might be declared unconstitutional.

After the scandal over the misleading sale of preferential shares in savings banks and the upcoming big payouts to homeowners for ‘floor clause’ interest rate over payments, the next wave of mass financial lawsuits and possible refunds is already on the horizon.

An increasing number of property owners are taking legal action

An increasing number of property owners are taking legal action against local councils over the forced payment of ‘plusvalía’ (increased value) tax when they sell up. Town halls are continuing to charge the seller this tax even if the property is being sold at less or at the same price than the price they originally paid for it. Also, there are cases involving properties in which the sales price was slightly superior to the purchase price but once all the expenses were deducted, there is no gain actually.

The loophole arises as the value of the home that the council uses for it calculation is its ‘valor cadastral’, (official taxable value). Following the pre-crisis property boom, real market values rose well above this official valuation and councils can still therefore keep collecting the money, which is an important source of revenue, even if the seller is losing money.

Legal actions are taken

An increasing number of people are taking legal action against councils. In December, a case was filed against Fuengirola town hall, after a woman who had bought a flat for 220,000 euros and sold for 70,000 euros less still had to pay 5,000 euros of this increased value tax. Our Law firm won this case.

Campaigners against the charges, who are increasing in number, argue that the charge violates article 31 of the Spanish constitution which covers taxpayers’ rights.

In order to study a possible claim, the following documents are necessary:

• title deed of the purchase
• title deed of the sale
• and the proof of value added tax payment.

Hoping this information will be of your interest, I am available for any other information you may need.

Do you want to check the profile of Caroline and get in touch with her, our legal partner in Andalusia?

Looking for a property lawyer in Spain? Follow the link and get one of our local lawyer.

Looking for another real estate expert in Spain: Mortgage, Insurance, Survey of property, Property hunting, …? Ask us directly one of our 100+ local partner!

Caroline

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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.

What is the short term rental regulation in Andalusia?

Our local partner, Caroline, is working at the biggest law office in Andalusia and gives us an update on short term or tourist rental regulation in Andalusia.

The 2^nd February 2016, the Government Board approved decree 28/2016 which regulates the properties with touristic purposes. It intends to facilitate the coexistence of all the different accommodation types.

Entrance in force

Three months after the Decree publication in the official Bulletin of the Junta of Andalusia.

Object

The object of this decree is to regulate the properties that offer touristic accommodation service in order to establish a set of minimum quality guarantees and security for tourism users.

Application area

It is understood as properties with touristic purposes all the properties located on land for residential use which will offer, for a price, an accommodation service in the area of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, on a regular basis and with touristic purposes.

It is presumed that there is a regular basis and a touristic purpose when the property is marketed or promoted by means of touristic supply channel.

The touristic supply channels are: travel agencies, companies that intervene or organize touristic services and channels that include the possibility of reserving accommodation.

The following are excluded from the application area of the rule:

1. Properties that, for vacation or touristic purposes, are lent without a financial consideration.
2. Properties rented for a longer period than two months used continuously by the same person.
3. Properties located in rural areas.
4. Complexes composed of three or more properties by the same holder or exploiter that are located in the same property or group of properties, adjacent.

Types of properties with touristic purposes

1. Complete, when the property is provided completely
2. By rooms, where the owner lives in the same.

The maximum capacity of these will be limited as provided by the Occupation License. When the property is complete, it cannot be more than 15 positions, and in the case that it is rooms, it cannot be more than 6 positions. In both cases, it cannot exceed four positions per room.

What are the obligations of the owner or person exploiting the property?

1. Registration in the Tourism Registry in Andalusia

At the beginning of the provision of accommodation services of the property with touristic purposes and to market the property, the corresponding declaration responsible before the relevant tourism board will have to be formalized.

Once the property has been registered, the registration code obtained will have to be indicated in all the publicity or promotion carried out by any mean.

The registration is free.

2. Formalization of the contract

All the users at the moment of the reception will be provided with a contract which includes at least the following information:

– The name of the person or the exploiting entity of the property

– The alphanumeric code of the registration in the Tourism Registry in Andalusia.

– The number of people that are going to occupy the property

– The entrance and leaving dates

– The total price of the stay

– A telephone number where they can be attended immediately.

3. House conditioning (Compliance of the touristic property requirements: see the full list at the bottom of this article).

4. Identification of the user of the property with effects of completing the corresponding entrance forms in accordance to the regulation in force.

5. Provision of the proof of payments of the services and down payments, made, if applicable.

6. Penalty System

When an owner has initiated a touristic activity without presenting the declaration, this will be considered as clandestine activity, being categorized the said activity as serious infringement by article 71.1 of Law 13/2011.

According to Law 13/2011, the infringements classified as serious will be punished with a fine from 2001 to 18000 euros. As an accessory fine, they can impose the suspension of the touristic services or the temporary closing of the establishment, if necessary, for less than 6 months.

What are the requirements for the House?

Requirements for properties with touristic purposes

Properties with touristic purposes must comply with the following requirements:

1. Have a First Occupancy Licence and comply at all times with the technical and quality conditions demanded for the properties.
2. The bedrooms will have sufficient direct ventilation to the exterior or to patios and a system of darkening of windows.
3. Being sufficiently furnished and fitted with the equipment and fixtures necessary for the immediate use and in accordance to the number of spaces available.
4. Air conditioning systems in bedrooms and living room for the period between May and September, both included. And for the period between October and April it must have heating.
5. First aid kit
6. Provide tourism information, physical or electronic media, of the area, leisure areas, restaurants and cafes, shops and supermarkets, car parks near the property, existing medical services in the area, urban transport, plan of the area and entertainment guide.
7. All the properties will have a Complain and Claims Form at the disposal of the users, and a sign informing of the same in a visible place within the property.
8. Cleaning of the property and the entry and leaving of new clients.
9. Bed linen, household items in general, depending on the occupation of the property and a replacement set.
10. Provide the users a telephone number to attend and resolve queries immediately, any consultation or incidence related to the property.
11. Have at the disposal of the users, information and instructions of the electric appliances or other devices that require the same for the correct use.
12. Inform users of the internal rules related to the use of the installations, rooms and equipment in the property as well as the admission and existence of pets in the property, restrictions for smoking as well as the restricted areas.

Source: INFORMATION NOTE: DECREE 28/2016, OF THE 2^ND FEBRUARY, CONCERNING PROPERTIES WITH TOURISTIC PURPOSES AND MODIFICATION OF DECREE 194/2010 OF THE 20^TH APRIL, CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TOURISTIC APARTMENTS

Check the full profile of Caroline and her team and get in touch with her, our legal partner in Andalusia?

Caroline

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If you had to define Cadiz with 4 words, it would be: culture, beach, food and sun.

The province of Cadiz is known for its capital, Cadiz, a city that was founded by the Phoenicians in 1,100 BC. and that has passed through different hands: Greeks, Romans or Muslim caliphates that dominated the south of Spain during the Middle Age.

But the province is not just the capital. You will be impressed by the beauty of one of the best beaches in Europe, such as Tarifa, where lovers of water sports can enjoy the strong winds from the Strait of Gibraltar. In addition, the port of Algeciras is the gate to arrive by boat from North Africa.

Why would you choose this province?

Apart from everything we have mentioned, this province is known for having some of the best tapas in the country, such as the fritanga (fish or meat). It is also known for having Sherry, a fine, dry white aperitif that is only made in this province.

But apart from being a destination for gourmets, Cadiz also enjoys the best beaches in the country. Don’t forget the Cadiz countryside, you will admire many places to rest and enjoy nature.

How is the real estate market in Cadiz?

As happened throughout Spain, the real estate sector of Cadiz suffered a setback during the years of the crisis, but since 2015/16 has begun a slow recovery. At the beginning of 2017, the price per square meter of the province was slightly above 1,200 € (in the capital was € 1,800).

The market is experiencing a slow recovery. During 2016 the sale of homes rose by almost 20%, and forecasts for this year are similar.

Comparison of Cadiz vs the National averages.

As for foreigners, according to Luis Martín de ASESORGA SL

“German, Nordic, British, French and Belgian are the largest buyers in the province of Cadiz.” In addition, “the average expenditure of these oscillates between 195,000-212,000 €”.

Even if the market recovers, the future remains uncertain, as Loreto Rodríguez de H15.house points out:

“because with Brexit, British customers (the largest buyers) have fallen, although it is surpassing, thanks to the increase in sales to Belgians and Swedes. “

Where to live in Cadiz (province)?

Cadiz, its capital, is the cultural centre of the province and a city that has schools, hospitals and supermarkets. For beach lovers, this city also has one of the best in the province. As a curiosity, on clear days it is possible to see the Atlas mountain range, which is in Morocco.

Jeréz de la Frontera is the largest city in the province and not far from Cadiz. It is a quiet city that has all basic services covered.

If you are looking for smaller cities:

“the populations most in demand are Chiclana, Conil, Vejer and Tarifa”

as comments Luis Martín (ASESORGA SL). In these very tourist sites, one can do and buy what you want.

How to get to Cadiz

The province of Cadiz has a good network of roads and highways that connect with other cities of Andalusia and Spain. It has an airport in Jérez de la Frontera that has flights to the main Spanish cities. If you are looking for flights to Europe, Seville and Malaga airports are not far away.

As mentioned above, from the port Algeciras there are boat connections to the main cities of North Africa and to Ceuta and Melilla.

Read our article on the Costa de la Luz: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de la Luz.

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 out our infographic.

Find all our other detailed maps on all the Spanish Costas and the Costa de la Luz.

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.

Do you want to check the yearly weather statistics in Cadiz before buying? Check our infographic on the yearly weather statistics of all the 18 biggest Spanish cities.

Get your 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 The real estate market in Cadiz, 2017 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.