A Place in the Sun magazine

Dénia
Orba
Jávea
Jalon
Benissa
Moraira
COSTA BLANCA: NORTH V SOUTH
Calpe
NORTH
Altea
Benidorm
Costa Blanca
Alicante
SOUTH
Rojales
Guardamar del Segura
Torrevieja
Villamartin
Playa Flamenca
La Zenia
Cabo Roig
Which part might suit you best?
Richard Way returns from Alicante, after
a property-viewing trip of two halves.
argain beach pads with year-round
appeal are attracting British and other
foreign buyers back to Spain’s Costa
Blanca. Recent statistics from the
regional government of Valencia,
home to the Costa Blanca, showed
that in the first three months of 2013 foreigners bought
almost as many properties as Spaniards and at a level never
seen before — 3,414 compared with 3,765 respectively.
Meanwhile, annual property sales to foreigners have
surged from 10,589 in 2010 to 15,573 in 2012.
Inquiries on aplaceinthesun.com tell the same story,
with the Costa Blanca attracting the highest number of
searches out of all the global destinations listed on the site.
However, anyone about to board a flight to Alicante,
the gateway to the region, should first familiarise
themselves with the Costa Blanca because it’s a coastline
of two contrasting halves.
Head north from Alicante, as far as Moraira and beyond,
and you’ll follow a coastline with an imposing mountain
B
backdrop and pine-covered hillsides, where shady
villas look down on unspoilt sandy coves.
Costa Blanca North’s key resorts start at Benidorm
and end at Dénia, but there are also popular inland spots
in the unspoilt Jalon Valley. Excluding Benidorm, with
its tower blocks, controlled development in the north
has maintained a level of exclusivity and prevented an
oversupply of new-build.
By contrast, go south from Alicante as far as Torrevieja,
with its salt pans, and the Orihuela Costa, and the
landscape of Costa Blanca South is flat and arid.
Here, parts of Torrevieja and the lively resorts to
the north and south have been the focus of dense
development, where today you will find a large choice
of affordable apartments, townhouses and villas, typically
on gated complexes.
The most southern resort of the Costa Blanca is
Torre de la Horadada.
But how do the property markets and the prices of
the north and south weigh up? Here’s a brief overview…
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COSTA BLANCA: NORTH V SOUTH
COSTA BLANCA
enidorm’s skyscrapers loom
large along the AP-7 motorway
signalling the first major resort
north of Alicante – there,
Spain’s tallest residential building, the
Edificio Intempo, is due for completion
this year.
Over the years, Benidorm has lost none
of its appeal as a colourful holiday hotspot
for British families and young groups.
Prices of apartments vary considerably
from sub-€50,000 (sub-£42,400) for a
repossessed studio to around €800,000plus for desirable new designer pads.
Calpe, with its unmissable Rock of Ifach,
is next, and another popular family resort,
with a range of property along its seafront
and fanning out into the hills around it.
Prime villas with views are priced at
£500,000-plus, but something more
affordable could be Taylor Wimpey
Spain’s Calpesol development, where threebedroom townhouses start from €160,000.
B
Above: Calpe
Right: Moraira coast
52 | aplaceinthesun.com
After Calpe begins arguably the most
desirable stretch of the Costa Blanca
North’s coastline.
As far as the picturesque resort of
Moraira, pine-covered hills dotted with
white villas end at the Med in low cliffs,
broken up by small sandy bays, such as
Cala Fustera, making this a very desirable
stretch known as Benissa Costa, home to
the Ifach Golf Club.
Beyond Moraira, any property in the
elevated areas of Benitachell and Cumbre
del Sol offers incredible panoramic sea
views, and beyond this you arrive at the
pretty family resort of Jávea.
“Larger Jávea is more family and tourist
orientated than Moraira, and spread between
three areas — the Pueblo, the Puerto and the
Arenal beach area,” explains Chris Garwood,
a partner at the Moraira-based estate agency
Select Villas.
“Moraira, by contrast, has grown in a
more controlled, organic way, radiating out
Typical purchases in the Jalon
Valley are villas on the edge of a
village, south-facing, with a large
plot and views. Two-beds are
priced at €175,000-€200,000 or
three-beds at €200,000-€300,000.
from its original fishing village origins,
which remain its heart. Both resorts benefit
from a carefully controlled, long-established
policy of residential development, which
includes protected Zona Verde (green belt)
areas, and consequently well-balanced
supply and demand for property.”
Moraira’s residential areas fan out up the
west or east side of the wooded valley behind
it. A mix of villas, and small apartments and
townhouse complexes are on offer.
“For those wishing to pay the ‘proximity
premium’ to the beach,” adds Garwood, “the
most convenient areas are El Portet, with its
delightful yacht anchorage and waterfront
restaurants, Pla del Mar, Cometa, Pinar de
l’Advocat and Cap Blanc. A little further out
are Moravit, Paichi and La Sabatera. And
another kilometre out are more desirable
areas with their own small commercial areas,
including Tabaira and Sol Park.”
In terms of price, Garwood says that there
is no such thing as a typical price in Moraira:
COSTA BLANCA: NORTH V SOUTH
COSTA BLANCA
uardamar del Segura is
the first coastal resort of
significance to the south
of Alicante, with a selection
of purpose-built tourist residences,
predominantly apartments, many
overlooking its sweeping beach.
Inland from Guardamar is the expat
hotspot of Rojales, with its neighbouring
urbanisation Ciudad Quesada.
Here the economic downturn has
resulted in an abundance of distressed
sales, and, while the area might not be
quintessentially Spanish, two-bedroom
apartments are available for under £50,000.
The real hotspot of Costa Blanca South
is Orihuela Costa, which describes the
10-kilometre string of resorts that run
south from Torrevieja along the N-332
main road, namely: Punta Prima, Playa
Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Dehesa
de Campoamor and the inland areas of
Los Dolses and Villamartín.
“This area is more developed and
G
Below: Las Colinas
golf course
arguably less Spanish than the northern
Costa Blanca, but it has everything you’d
want from a fun family holiday home,”
said Kieran Byrne, who runs the estate
agency HomeEspaña (homeespana.co.uk),
which has shops in La Zenia and Los
Dolses, as well as Moraira in the north.
“To be really close to one of the beaches,
you need to be the coastal side of the
N-332. However, you can be the other side
of the main road and still be within walking
distance of the beach and lively strip, which
basically runs along the beachside of the
N-332. Villamartín and Los Dolses are a bit
further back, beyond the motorway, so are
more tranquil, ideal for permanent residents
as well as holiday homeowners.”
Byrne adds that, in the past two years,
buyers have become more international,
and discounted resale properties have been
in favour, although this year he has noticed
growing demand for new-build property
— maybe in light of the recent hike from
7 to 10 per cent in property transfer tax
on resales (Impuesto de Transmisiones
Patrimoniales — ITP).
“We have only four apartments left at
Las Calitas, a seafront key-ready complex
in Cabo Roig, where units have ranged
from €92,000 to €179,000. We’re now
taking on more new-build, with smart keyready properties available in Oasis Beach
in La Zenia, Linnea Sol in Villamartín and
at Vistabella Golf, inland of Torrevieja.”
Paul Sayers of the agency Solmar
Estates, which also sells on Orihuela Costa,
adds: “We’re selling properties for 50 per
cent less than they were priced five years
ago. What we’re selling most of are
apartments from €50,000 to €75,000,
townhouses from €75,000 to €120,000,
and villas with pools for around €190,000.”
Typical of today’s second homeowners
in Orihuela Costa are Andy and Vicky
Radhanauth from West Sussex. The couple
featured in A Place in the Sun magazine
last September, and the same month
completed on a two-bedroom apartment
“On Orihuela Costa, we’re selling properties
for 50 per cent less than they were priced
five years ago. What we’re selling most of
are apartments from €50,000 to €75,000,
townhouses from €75,000 to €120,000, and
villas with pools for around €190,000.”
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COSTA BLANCA: NORTH V SOUTH
Northern Costa Blanca continued...
Above: Jalon Valley
“We have detached three-bed villas with
pools from under €200,000 to in excess
of €2,000,000.”
Buying options aren’t only resale in
Moraira, as Paul Knott at HomeEspaña’s
office there points out: “Small off-plan
developments are coming back. We’ve just
taken on a boutique project of luxury semidetached villas, with contemporary designs
by leading architects Ramon Esteve and
prices from €377,000.”
Unlike Costa Blanca South, the attraction
of the north is increasingly inland as much as
Southern Costa Blanca continued...
coastal. The Jalon Valley offers villages
that combine an authentic Spanish lifestyle
with proximity to the beach.
“Popular villages are Jalon, Alcalalí,
Parcent, Orba, Lliber and Tormos,” says
Rob Park of Premier Villas Spain, an agency
based in Jalon.
“People buying enjoy the rustic
environment, but also being 20 minutes
from the pretty resorts of Dénia or Moraira.
Typical purchases are villas on the edge of a
village, south-facing, with a large plot and
views. Two beds are priced €175,000€200,000 or three-beds €200,000-€300,000.”
For Brits Steve and Charmaine Arstall,
who first holidayed on the Costa Blanca
20-odd years ago, the Jalon Valley was the
perfect place to retire to. They bought their
traditional four-bedroom finca on the edge
of Lliber in March 2012, paying around
€450,000 for it through Select Villas.
“We bought in the Jalon Valley because
you get more for your money than nearer
the coast, and it is quieter,” enthuses Steve.
“There is enough of a British presence here
to make daily life easy without it taking over
from the Spanish way of life, as in other parts
of Spain.” §
in Cabo Roig, for which they paid around
€60,000. They have since visited several
times, and this August enjoyed their first
family break there with their teenage
children, Thomas and Ana.
“The location is ideal for holidays,” said
Andy. “We’re a 10-minute walk from Cabo
Roig’s strip, with its selection of pubs and
restaurants, we can walk to Cabo Roig
beach — although if we have a car we
often nip to Campoamor, and we have great
views from our solarium. Our neighbours
are mainly Irish, but we have Spanish below
us and there are French in the road too.
We did notice when we were there this
summer how many Spaniards come to the
area for their summer holiday too.”
Other highlights of Orihuela Costa are
the proximity of four quality golf courses
in the Villamartín area, three within five
minutes of each other, and the landmark
shopping centre Zenia Boulevard, which
sells everything from international
designer brands to household goods.
It’s where many new homeowners find
themselves when adding the finishing
touches to their property, or they fancy
a break from the beach. §
T W O F O R S A L E I N T H E N O RT H
TW O F O R S AL E
IN TH E S OU T H
Benissa Costa villa,
€595,000 (£504,600)
Luxury five-bed, three-bath villa
over two levels, with 10x4m pool,
in a very desirable hillside
cul-de-sac. South-facing with
incredible sea views as far as Ifach
Rock and near Ifach Golf Club.
Select-villas.es
Cabo Roig townhouse,
€94,995 (£80,550)
Convenient two-bed, one-bath townhouse on a
small gated development, 15 minutes’ walk from
Cabo Roig’s strip and seafront. Sold furnished and
with air con. Access to communal pool.
homeespana.co.uk
For more homes
in Costa Blanca, visit
Villamartín apartment,
€99,950 (£84,750)
Alcalalí villa, €170,000 (£144,200)
Sweet two-bed, two-bath inland villa with lovely views across the Jalon Valley. Quiet location, air con, white
goods, private pool, and generous patio and barbecue area. Premiervillasspain.com
54 | aplaceinthesun.com
Two-bed, two-bath second-floor apartment
overlooking the communal pool on a small gated
development in Villamartín. Sold furnished with
sea views from the balcony, underground parking
and access to a solarium. homeespana.co.uk
COSTA BLANCA: NORTH V SOUTH
A VIEW FROM
RN
NORTBLHAE
NCA
COSTA
“We wanted a working Spanish
town, not a tourist destination
that closes down in winter.”
Sundowners in the hot tub or drinks at a
cosy local bar — when evening comes
around, the Duffield family from Wiltshire
have the luxury of choosing between the
two, after buying a holiday home inland in
the northern Costa Blanca.
Jeremy and Janet Duffield from Devizes
completed on their three-bedroom, twobathroom villa in the Jalon Valley last
October. They bought through the agent
HomeEspaña, paying €225,000 (£190,800)
for the property, which is part of a small
urbanisation in the town of Orba, plus
buying costs of around 9 per cent.
The couple, who have two children —
George, aged 21 (pictured above with his
girlfriend, Alice), and Jack, 18 — are looking
forward to family holidays there in the
short term, but hope to retire to Spain
a few years down the line.
Good access from the UK, combined
with the charm of an inland town that’s
a short drive from the beach, led the
Duffields to the northern Costa Blanca.
“We didn’t know the area at all,” said
Janet. “But we knew we wanted to be
somewhere that was a working Spanish
town, rather than a tourist destination that
closes down in winter. We can walk into
Orba, which has a lovely traditional feel,
where there are bars, restaurants and
shops. For flights from the UK, our villa is
within an hour of Alicante and Valencia
airports, both with routes to Bristol, our
most convenient airport.”
The Duffields’ property, which they
bought furnished, includes a private pool,
gardens and fantastic views. There was
only one thing missing, which they soon
put right: “We decided to add a hot tub in
December, as, despite the addition of a
pool heater, we found the pool too cold.”
T W O F O R S A L E I N T H E N O RT H
Javea finca, €299,950 (£254,300)
Charming three-bed, three-bath finca, with lots of
character, a short walk from Javea Golf Club,
set among vineyards. Large patio/courtyard,
10x5m pool, and countryside views.
homeespana.co.uk
Moraira apartment, €139,950 (£118,600)
Cosy two-bed, one-bath apartment on a small gated
development in a quiet residential area of Moraira.
Includes self-contained studio flat, scenic views and
access to a communal pool. homeespana.co.uk
aplaceinthesun.com | 57
COSTA BLANCA: NORTH V SOUTH
A VIEW FROM
SOUTBLHAENCRA N
COSTA
“Close to the action –
perfect for my seven kids!”
Brian and Angela Butterworth are looking forward to
impromptu holidays on the Costa Blanca, after snapping up
an apartment in Cabo Roig in July. The Essex couple, who
run The Lodge Country Inn near Battlesbridge, have bought
a two-bedroom duplex apartment at the new seafront Las
Calitas complex. Their property cost them €160,000 (£135,600),
excluding taxes and fees, and comes with underground parking,
storage and access to a communal pool and garden area.
“We used to have a villa down the road in La Zenia, but sold
that a couple of years ago,” said Brian. “This time we wanted
a convenient lock-up-and-leave pad we can use for holidays.
I have seven children, ranging in age from three to 30, so it’ll
get a lot of use from them too. I’m also looking at getting
another boat, which I would keep in one of the marinas here.
Buying was easy through HomeEspaña — we completed three
weeks after putting down our deposit.”
Ongoing costs for their property will include annual council
tax of around €150 and the complex’s annual community fees
of €1,220.
Getting out to Spain is a cinch for Brian and Angela, now
that easyJet flies to Alicante from Southend. “We’re just 15-20
minutes from Southend airport, making last-minute weekend
breaks a real possibility,” says Brian.
58 | aplaceinthesun.com
TW O F O R S A L E IN THE S O U T H
Villamartín villa,
€225,000 (£190,800)
Spacious three-bed, two-bath villa with its
own 8x4m pool in a quiet residential area of
Villamartín. Sold part-furnished, with air con,
marble floors and off-road parking.
homeespana.co.uk
Golf villas, from €685,000, plus VAT
(£580,700, plus VAT)
Smart new detached villas on phase two of
the residential community at Las Colinas Golf
and Country Club, a few kilometres inland
from Campoamor. Individual plots for the
construction of bespoke villas are also
available, from €160,000, plus VAT.
aworldapart.es