Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa Blanca

The Costa Blanca is the tourist name for the coastline of the province of Alicante, which runs from Denia to Pilar de la Forada. In total there are 244 kilometres of beaches, coves and cliffs. The name “Blanca” refers to the white colour of the houses of the villages inland of the province.

Of course, the Costa Blanca enjoys an average temperature of almost 20 degrees a year with more than 300 days of sunshine per year. This means that you can practically enjoy the beach all year round. To find out more about the weather, check our infographics with the monthly weather statistics of the 18 biggest cities in Spain, of course, you will find Alicante. This area has a unique rural appeal that makes some towns in its interior ideal sites for those seeking greater tranquillity.

Gastronomy is another of the great attractions of the region. Its variety and tradition can satisfy any palate and demand. The most typical dishes are rice dishes, as well as fish and fresh seafood from municipalities with a long fishing tradition such as Denia and Calpe.

View on the city of Alicante from the Castle

The cultural heritage of the Costa Blanca

Its rich culture and heritage are a great wealth attracting a lot of tourists to the region. Along Costa Blanca, many civilisations have passed throughout history as the Iberian, Roman and Arabic. All of them left the area with a great architectural, artistic or literary legacy. The province has a heritage that goes from the prehistoric footprint with the cave paintings of Pla de Petracos, to the Roman and Iberian world with the Lucentum or Alcudia sites. Arab culture may be admired in impressive castles and fortresses.

Demography and transport

The main towns of the Costa Blanca are Alicante (330,000 inhabitants), Elche (225,000 inhabitants), Torrevieja (85,000 inhabitants), Alcoy (60,000 inhabitants), Elda (50,000 inhabitants), Orihuela (80,000 inhabitants), Denia (40,000 inhabitants), Villena (35,000 inhabitants), Santa Pola (30,000 inhabitants) and Benidorm (66,000 inhabitants).

On Costa Blanca, there is an extensive network of roads that connect the region with the rest of the province and Spain, as well as the main important points of the area with each other. The main route is the AP-7 or Autopista del Mediterráneo, which connects the region with Valencia (north) and Cartagena (south) through cities such as Denia, Benidorm, Alicante and Torrevieja. The A7 or Autovía del Mediterráneo goes through a similar route, with the difference that it is free. The N-332 also connects with Valencia and Cartagena, passing through the coast (it crosses all the coastal towns).

Since June 2013, Alicante has been connected to Madrid with the AVE, the Spanish fast train. Also, it is also possible to reach Valencia and Barcelona with the Euromed. Finally, you can move around the area with the Cercanías Alicante- Murcía service.

When it comes to airports, the Alicante-Elche Airport has almost 10 million passengers per year. It is possible to fly to the main Spanish cities such as Barcelona or Madrid, as well as to the most important cities in Europe (keep in mind that there are multiple flights to the United Kingdom, Germany, Holland, Sweden and Russia).

Among the things to visit in Jávea, Calpe and Dénia you surely have the fishing boats and its picturesque urban centres. Not far from the area, you can enjoy the Cabo San Antonio Marine Reserve, a protected area that has a high environmental value. The Marina Baixa region is known for its area of wide and extensive beaches, the main protagonist being Benidorm.
The capital of Costa Blanca, Alicante, also has different places of interest such as an obligatory walk through the port or “El Barrio”, as well as the old city centre.
In the interior of Costa Blanca, you can take a walk along the route of the castles, which crosses towns such as Villena, Biar, Banyeres de Mariola, Petrer or Sax. It is one of the areas in Europe with the most trails.

The white beaches of Benidorm

The greatness of the beaches of the Costa Blanca

As you undoubtedly guessed, one of the leading attractions of Costa Blanca is its beaches. Here is a selection of the best ones:

• La Granadella beach in Jávea: this beach is mainly composed of rocks and gravel, surrounded by pine trees and is very suitable for scuba diving.
• PlayaCarabassí de Elche: basically composed of golden sand, it stands out for having a nudist area and for its natural environment of great ecological value.
• La Caleta de Villajoyosa beach: a lonely beach, with not too many people, a good option if what you want is tranquillity. It is composed of gravel, and its calm waters stand out for their transparency.
• TobaccoBeach: Located on the island bearing the same name, it is known for its marine reserve that hosts high biodiversity of flora and fauna. It can be accessed by boat from Santa Pola, Guardamar, Torrevieja and Alicante.
• Benidorm’s Levante Beach: They call it the beach of dawn. It is one of the most lively and crowded on the Mediterranean coast.
• Racóde l’Albir beach in Alfaz del Pi: Composed of gravel and clean water, it is a good option for water sports.
• Marineta Beach Casiana de Denia: It is a beach of dark sand and calm waters, which is situated in a semi-urban area and has a beautiful promenade.
• La Fossa de Calpe Beach: Located in a bay between cliffs, from it you can see the natural park of Peñón de Ifach, which is the symbol of Costa Blanca.
• Playa la Roda de Altea: This is a pebble beach, with calm waters and moderate waves. It is a beach that is usually quieter than sandy beaches.
• El Postiguet beach in Alicante: Located in the heart of the city of Alicante. It has golden sand and calm waters. Also, it is located at the foot of the Santa Bárbara Castle and next to the Paseo de la Explanada.

Find everything on the Costa del 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 out our infographic.

Download our map on the Costa Blanca

Festivities on the Costa Blanca

The most famous and widespread party in the area is the festival of Moors and Christians, a tradition extended since the sixteenth century which has its greatest exponent in Alcoy and Villajoyosa. In this part, battles are recreated between the two fronts.

The cult of fire is evident in the celebration of the Bonfires of San Juan (June 23) in Alicante.

Elche also dresses up in the parties of the Nit del Albà which are the high point of the fire cult with the launching of rockets.

Nor should we forget the traditional Cabalgata de Los Reyes Magos (5th of January) in Alcoy, considered the oldest in Spain when it began in 1885, in which the pages access the houses through long stairs to deliver the gifts.

Are you going on a city trip to Alicante?

Read our infographic we wrote on the cultural wealth of Alicante.

The real estate market on the Costa Blanca

As in the rest of the country, 2017 was the year when the prices of flats have begun to stabilise, although still far from their historical maximums, most prices are still 40% below the historical peak recorded.

As for the prices per square meter, these are between 1,000 and 1,500 € depending on the population, for example, in Alicante or Villajoyosa prices are closer to € 1,000, while in Benidorm, Altea or Torrevieja are around € 1,500.

As far as foreign investment is concerned, according to Manuel de Elías of the real estate firm Housealicante,

“the British are the ones who buy the most, although it is yet to be seen what effect Brexit will have when it becomes a reality. They are followed by French, Belgians and Swedes. ” He adds that “many foreigners buy apartments for second homes in the centre of Alicante, and also in areas of beaches and the Gran Alacant.”

Earlier this year, we wrote this article on Alicante: Alicante: the Spanish pearl

Before booking your holidays in Spain, check our monthly weather statistics for Alicante.

Discover the best new build projects in Alicante available right now

Check the real estate price evolution for Alicante and Spain since 1995

Read more: Real estate prices in Alicante and the Costa Blanca property prices available in our Spanish property report updated quarterly.

Are you looking for a local partner to buy on the Costa Blanca? Don’t look further check our team and ask us for the correct contact.

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

Costa Blanca Infographic information

• Airport: Alicante-Elche
• Ave stations: Alicante
• Cities: Alicante (330,000 inhabitants), Elche (225,000 inhabitants), Torrevieja (85,000 inhabitants), Alcoy (60,000 inhabitants), Elda (50,000 inhabitants), Orihuela (80,000 inhabitants), Denia (40,000 inhabitants), Villena (35,000 inhabitants), Santa Pola (30,000 inhabitants) and Benidorm (66,000 inhabitants)
• Unesco sites: Palmeral of Elche (2000), Find all the UNESCO Sites in Spain on our page: “10 reasons why you should buy in Spain”
• Top beaches: 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)
• Kids Parks: Aqualandia, Terra Mítica (Benidorm), Aquopolis Torrevieja (Torrevieja)
• Shopping Malls & Outlets: La Marina Centro Comercial (Benidorm), The Outlet Stores Alicante (Alicante), El Corte Ingles (Alicante), Centro Comercial Plaza Mar 2 (Alicante), Centrol Comercial Panoramis (Alicante), Centrol Comercial Gran Via (Alicante), Centrol Comercial Puerta de Alicante (Alicante)
• Traditional & Flea markets: Mercardo Central (Alicante), Moraira market (Moraira), The Indoor Market (Benidorm)
• Top golf courses: Oliva Nova (Oliva Nova), Las Ramblas (Torrevieja), Font del Llop Golf Resort (Alicante), Club De Golf Bonalba (Mutxamel), Javea Golf Club (Javea), Altea Club de Golf (Altea la Vella) Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.
• Natural Parks: Parc Natural Ses Salines d’Eivissa i Formentera, Sierra Helada Natural Park, Parc Natural de la Marjal de Oliva-Pego, Parc Natural de la Serra de Mariola, Parc Natural del Montgó, Parque Natural del Penyal d’Ifac, Parque Natural el Hondo, Parque Natural del Carrascal de la Fuente Roja, Serra de Mariola, Paisatge Natural Protegit Serra del Maigmó i Serra del Sit, Parque Natural de las Salinas de Santa Pola, Parque natural de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja, Barranc De Les Selines, Cap de Sant Antoni
• University: Universidad de Alicante (Alicante)
• Hospitals: Hospital Clínica Benidorm (Benidorm), Hospital Vithas Internacional Medimar, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Hospital Vithas Perpetuo Socorro (Alicante)

Read further on the Costa Blanca and Spain

1. TOURIST OFFICES:
   • Alicante Tourist Office
   • Denia Tourist Office
   • Benidorm Tourist Office
   • Torrevieja 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: Reread our Summer paper on the subject What are the top golf courses in Spain? Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner. Check the Spanish Federation here: Looking for a Golf Club in Spain?
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:

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Senior Analyst and Strategist at HTBIS

Check the full team at HTBIS here

The post Discover the beautiful Costa Blanca appeared first on How to buy in Spain.

In order to get closer to the market in the Costa Blanca, we asked our independent local property finder, Valérie, to write about her latest activity there. Should you need more information, we will put you in touch with her, she is our local independent partner of howtobuyinSpain.

The investment case of an apartment to renovate on the Costa Blanca – in Altea.

First, let’s discover the Costa Blanca

With more than 240 kilometers of coastline, the Costa Blanca region has many activities attracting tourists from all over the world. Its mild Mediterranean climate offers more than 300 days of sunshine to fully enjoy its magnificent beaches and the various nautical activities. Check the weather statistics of any Spanish city here. The historical and cultural heritage of the Costa Blanca has nothing to do to envy the neighbouring regions: it has magnificent natural spaces and architecture classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its lively nightlife during the high season provides the region with an unparalleled atmosphere and makes it a tourist mecca.

To discover more about the Costa Blanca, read our paper: Everything you should know about the Costa Blanca.

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.

Altea is a magnificent region

A perfect blend of modernism and traditionalism, the city of Altea has managed to preserve its charm of yesteryear. The 8 kilometers of coastline offers pleasant walks along the seafront where cafés and restaurants follow one another. Located at a height, the old town, populated by whitewashed houses, accentuates the authentic character of this fishing village. Altea is undoubtedly one of the best preserved cities on the Valencian coast. At the heart of the village, many holidaymakers mix with the artists who have come to enjoy the various assets and landscapes that the city offers. Altea is often considered as one of the most emblems of the Costa Blanca.

White houses so specific to Altea

What is the current situation for the real estate market in this region?

Whether it is a purchase to spend your retirement, a family second home or an acquisition of real estate for rental purposes, the investment in this region appears to be a very interesting option because the prices per square meter remain attractive to this day. With some natural, historical and modern landscapes the Costa Blanca attracts investors from all over the world and from Spain.
Ideally located, Altea is close to the region’s reference cities (at only 10 kilometers from Benidorm and 55 kilometers north of Alicante) and access is available easy via the road and motorway network, the train or even the international airport of Alicante-Elche (less than an hour’s drive). Altea’s real estate market provides a considerable and diversified choice with many old dwellings that can be upgraded to perfectly meet the needs of future owners.

Here is a quick look at the real estate price evolution in Alicante, the capital of the province, over the last 20 years

• Real estate prices in Alicante: €1.290 /m² (Dec 2018), +2.9% vs last year
• Transactions for Alicante are strong: 44.700 +16,7% vs last year

Prices in Alicante remain on average 20% lower than the national average and close the lowest reached since the crisis of 2008.

 

Acquire a resale?

More and more foreign buyers are in search of a pied-à-terre to stay on holiday or in search of an investment for rental purposes. Whatever the purpose is, most of the time, it will require renovation work.

On the one hand, the significant economic advantage of buying a resale makes it possible to acquire a cheap housing. The rehabilitation of a property also offers the possibility to realize an interesting capital gain in the event of resale of the latter. At the same time, you will achieve economy in the long term by improving the energy performance of the property making it less energy consuming.

On the other hand, renovation provides the advantage of adapting the property according to tastes and desires of each other. The house can be totally personalized so that the future owner feels perfectly at home there. Interior work may also make it possible to optimize the living space, which is sometimes poorly distributed in some old homes, and to acquire thus a maximum of space.
In addition, restoration offers the means to combine the modern way of life with the charm of the old one by creating spaces that can only be found in new buildings, such as an open kitchen. The renovation of the property will make it possible to rent it more easily.
Last but not least, older housings predominate on the real estate market and offers prime locations as a position on the waterfront or in the heart of the city centre.

 

Let’s check the cost for renovation a 100 sqm apartment in Altea

In the heart of the Altea area, a 100 m2 apartment (3 bedrooms) to renovate costs on average 110 000€ at the time of purchase. After work, the value of this same property should more than double and reach a selling price of 240 000€.
The average budget for a renovation varies according to various factors such as the area to be renovated, the materials used or the part or parts to be rehabilitated.

In order to obtain a quality result, the average budget for a renovation is 900€ per m2, i.e. 90,000€ for the total rehabilitation of a 100m2 surface area. In addition to the cost, you should take into account the average duration of this renovation work: it should last about 6 months.

 

Renovation work for a 100 sq m apartment	Minimum price	Maximum Price
Masonry, demolition, wall reconstruction and tiling	25,000€	35,000€
Stairs	4,000€	6,000€
Floors	2,500€	4,000€
Carpenter, beam recovery, wooden elements (doors)	2,000€	5,000€
Paintings (complete interior + exterior facade)	3,000€	6,000€
Roofing, cleaning and sanitation of the roof	4,000€	10,000€
Windows and glass doors (aluminum)	8,000€	12,000€
Plumbing and electricity (bathroom elements refurbished)	12,000€	15,000€
Fitted kitchen	5,000€	10,000€

 

How do we help you?

Carrying out work in a property is often synonymous with anxiety for the owner of the premises. We are aware of this and we manage for some of our customers on site renovation with local teams and make sure it runs smoothly.

Investing in a property to be renovated requires the assurance of being accompanied by professionals with a perfect knowledge of the market and the profession.
On the one hand, after having found the ideal property corresponding to the expectations of our customers, we guarantee the buyer peace of mind throughout the entire process by providing him with the competent companies with which it has already collaborated in order to take into account the loads the work to be done.
On the other hand, we also offer our customers the possibility to budget the amount of work by drawing up a precise diagnosis and making various estimates in order to have an overview and to allow the total amount of the property to be assessed after works. In addition to that, in order to offer maximum peace of mind to buyers, the agency can also take care of the entire administrative aspect of the process (authorizations, permits,…). Time and deadline management is a priority for us, which ensure to supervise the process and can set up, thanks to its partner law firm, a contract between the agency and the company carrying out the work in order to provide the ideal protection conditions and get an exhaustive execution of the latter (precise estimate, completion date, etc.).

Adding contractual penalties in the event of partial non-performance or delay of the contractual agreement due by the service provider company, is as wel part of the job
We are committed to supporting our customers before, during and after the purchasing process in order to provide a complete service and ensure regular follow-up to enable buyers to make a successful and secure transaction with complete peace of mind.

 

Ask our network at HowtobuyinSpain.com

In addition to our local property finders, How to buy in Spain as developed a network of local renovation teams.

If you are looking to buy in Spain, we would suggest that you read our earlier paper on Property hunting: 6 essential reasons for loving your Spanish real estate shopper. This paper is very interesting and gives you some of the important reasons why working with a property hunter is very useful for foreigners looking to buy in Spain. You will find specific samples our independent local partners worked on in Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid. Here are our other “Case study” written on Madrid, Barcelona and Tenerife: Property hunting “Case study” in Madrid, Property hunting “Case study” in Barcelona and Property hunting “Case study” in Tenerife written by our local independent property finders.

Valérie, our local independent Property finder in Costa Blanca

Looking for a property hunter, a lawyer, an architect,… a local expert in Spain? Ask our network of independent local experts directly!

Valérie

Property finder in the Costa Blanca

Local independent partner of HTBIS Network

Check the full team of HTBIS or check our independent local partners

The post Costa Blanca property investment: a renovation in Altea appeared first on How to buy in Spain.