Many people buy property in Spain as somewhere they can go for their retirement or even just to work in warmer climes. It is also popular for investors, so that they can rent it out and gain another income. There is a huge variety of property available, from new developments to those needing to be knocked down and rebuilt, villas, apartments, land with vineyards etc – anything you could wish for, with prices to match.
The coastal resorts are the most popular, such as Alicante, the Costa Blanca, Murcia and Malaga. Spain is a full of contrasts from the green countryside and mountains in the north, the vibrant coastal areas, rural inland regions, and the islands such as Ibiza, Mallorca, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Spain is generally blessed with hot summers and mild winters, apart from the mountain regions and some inland areas which are cold and snowy throughout the winter. Spain is passionate about its football, and enjoys vibrant, noisy fiestas and carnivals throughout the year. There’s the Sevilla Feria with flamenco dancing taking pride of place, sombre Easter processions in the major cities, bull-running in Pamplona, the Malaga film festival and fallas fiesta in Valencia, when giant statues satirising politicians and superstars are burnt to the ground so there’s plenty to entertain.
Public transport in Spain is great, with fast trains linking the major cities as well as cheap regional train services. There are toll roads and motorways running along the coast from the border with France in the north through the Costa Brava, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and around to Gibraltar as well as major roads heading to Madrid, in the centre of Spain. There are also thousands of national and international flights each day to all the major cities and resorts. From the major airports such as Barcelona, Madrid and Alicante, there are links with the major cities throughout Europe and transatlantic flights to North, Central and South America.
Spain has a rich, long and fascinating history from its time as a great world power, its importance in the world of art (Dali, Picasso, Gaudi) and architecture, and its enormous impact in sports such as football (Spain is the current holder of the World Cup) golf (think Seve Ballasteros), F1 (Fernando Alonso) and tennis (Rafa Nadal). It is a fascinating and diverse country, hence its appeal to so many foreign visitors. The country’s reputation is growing in gastronomy, boasting award-winning chefs and more than 100 restaurants with Michelin stars. The Basque country, Galicia and Catalonia are particularly renowned for their fine cuisine. Fish fresh from the line, shellfish, suckling pig, lamb and the symbolic, well known Spanish dish of paella are some of the better known dishes from Spain. Spain has a fantastic nightlife, particularly on the party island of Ibiza and the major cities of Barcelona and Madrid.
And for those who like a bit of shopping, you can choose from large malls to bustling open-air markets and Spanish fashion stores such as Zara (which we know well now in England) or shoe-makers like Camper and Panama Jack.
