- The Costa Blanca (literally meaning “White Coast”) is over 200 kilometres (120 miles) of stunning Mediterranean coastline in the Alicante province, on the south-eastern coast of Spain. It extends from the town of Dénia in the north, beyond which lies the Costa del Azahar, to Pilar de la Horadada in the south, beyond which lies the Costa Cálida.
- Accommodating over four million people it has a history dating back through many different cultures, from Iberians to Romans, Arabs to Christians. With such a smorgasbord of ancestry traditional fiestas and processions are an important part of life in the region, with all age groups joining in and expats being encouraged more and more to take part.
- There are two major International airports close by, Alicante 20 minutes away and Murcia 45 minutes away and Valencia airport is just a couple of hours drive meaning it is easily accessible from all over Europe. There is also a truly excellent motorway network from north to south which makes this one of the easiest areas to get to.
- The landscape can change within minutes, from green, lush farmland to barren wasteland, miles of pine forests, winding rivers, large cool lakes, mountains and of course, 470 kilometres of the finest coastline in Europe, many beaches obtaining blue flag status.
- Known as the ‘Market Garden of Europe’ and one of the gastronomic centres of Spain, its plentiful daily markets display a mouth-watering array of fresh fish, meats and every conceivable variety of fruit and vegetable available.
- With the popular salt lakes and superb climate, the area is classed as one of the healthiest regions in Europe. It has earned its reputation of being a mecca of health from the World Health Organisation who claim it’s “Almost as perfect an environment as it is possible to obtain”.
- The Costa Blanca offers 340 days of sunshine every year and an average midday temperature of 25ºC, which makes shady plazas very popular, especially whilst enjoying a cool beer. Even during the winter months the day time temperatures are in the late teens and outdoor living is a year round way of life.
- Due to the marvellous weather and the fantastic beaches it is an incredibly popular holiday destination for tourists from all over Europe and low-price flights have been coming into the region since the late 1950s!
- Costa Blanca is both tourist friendly and family friendly, thanks to the huge range of activities available from beaches and golf to museums and parks. You can do just about anything you can think of which is why it’s so great for the kids.
- Some of the beaches have play areas, volleyball nets and beach gyms, others offer crystal waters and quiet coves ideal for swimming and picnicking. All the water-sports are catered for from scuba diving and jet skis to water kites and surfing. For those looking for action away from the beach there are a host of golf courses in the area, even crazy golf for the more amateur player and there are plenty of cultural sites like castles, museums and galleries, such as the La Asegurada Municipal Museum in Alicante which has extensive collections of Spanish art.
- It will take more than a couple of weeks just to scratch the surface of what Costa Blanca has to offer which is why people keep coming back.
Why Costa Blanca?
If you need a reason read on!
If you are unfamiliar with the Costa Blanca then this may help you understand why so many people from Northern Europe have decided to make this fantastic location their second home. It might also give you an insight as to why, despite many other European destinations currently being very fashionable, the Costa Blanca will continue to be such a popular destination.
Exciting location with good amenities
- The Costa Blanca is an area of fantastic coastline with blue flag, golden sandy beaches flanked by protected pine forests in which to laze and picnic. There are a huge number of locations in which to have holidays or to live for longer periods. The areas of Benidorm, Torrevieja, Guardamar and La Marina have a year round tourist season and offer all the services and amenities you would expect in any northern European city. There is a huge variety of restaurants, shops, bars and night clubs available up and down the coast and a range of activities to suit all age groups from young to old.
- Spain has a stable political climate and is a member of the European Union (EU), in recent years it has made enormous strides towards becoming a place where one can buy and sell property within a sound legal framework. The EU sets a benchmark for legal and administrative processes and also acts as the supreme legal power for court rulings.
- Spain has benefited from ten years of subsidies from the EU with over one hundred billion euros being invested in the country. New roads, rail infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and a huge range of government-sponsored initiatives for local amenities have transformed the area from an underdeveloped coastal region into the exciting and vibrant location it is today. There are further plans in process, which include major improvements to increase the region’s appeal for business and tourism.
Facts and Figures
More reasons?
AN EXCITING RANGE OF SPORTS, ACTIVITIES AND HOBBIES
The Costa Blanca offers a wide range sporting activities that give the area enormous appeal as a year-round holiday destination. These include all of the water sports including some of the best locations for kite surfing and wind surfing as well as fantastic walking, bird watching, etc. There are also a huge number of clubs and societies to join, so whatever your interest you will find a group promoting it here with both foreign and Spanish members. Golf is a year-round tourist attraction, especially during the winter months as there are an extraordinary range of delightful courses with some of the more popular courses located nearby at Villamartin.
FISCAL AND LEGAL HELP ON HAND
The Costa Blanca’s long history of residential tourism means that there are many Spanish and foreign companies available to help sort out legal and fiscal matters. It’s now very easy to find someone with good references to help manage your affairs who can explain the intricacies of any tax or law-related questions you may have.
LOW CRIME RATES
Despite what you may read in newspapers and see on the television, the Costa Blanca is still a very safe place to live and it is still a pleasure to see people of all ages walking in the streets late at night, unfortunately a rare sight in most other areas of Europe.
IMPROVED BUILDING STANDARDS & INDUSTRY REGULATION
The Costa Blanca has a high concentration of luxury developments and individual properties and building standards have progressed a long way since the 80’s. Recent legislation from the EU and the Spanish Government regarding building standards and Health and Safety has improved building qualities.
CULTURE
Spain is a country with a long and diverse history and Valencia is full of interesting cities, monuments, galleries and sites of particular historic or ecological interest. There are a huge variety of places to visit that surround the Costa Blanca and for the more adventurous there are trips to Gibraltar, Morocco and Portugal which are all within a days drive if you want to experience something a little different.
FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL
Spain and particularly the Costa Blanca are similar in climate to California and it seems very likely that the coastal regions of southern Spain will experience very similar demographic shifts over the next two decades. Factors such as the large number of people approaching retirement age, good infrastructure and accessibility seem to suggest that people from northern Europe will continue to buy property over the long term. Despite the current economic downturn this strongly suggests there will be continued development of the Costa Blanca’s tourism, business and real estate sectors.
Facts and Figures
- The Costa Blanca (literally meaning “White Coast”) is over 200 kilometres (120 miles) of stunning Mediterranean coastline in the Alicante province, on the south-eastern coast of Spain. It extends from the town of Dénia in the north, beyond which lies the Costa del Azahar (or Costa dels Tarongers), to Pilar de la Horadada in the south, beyond which lies the Costa Cálida.
- Accommodating over four million people it has a history dating back through many different cultures, from Iberians to Romans, Arabs to Christians. With such a smorgasbord of ancestry traditional fiestas and processions are an important part of life in the region, with all age groups joining in and expats being encouraged more and more to take part.
- There are two major International airports close by, Alicante 20 minutes away and Murcia 45 minutes away and Valencia airport is just a couple of hours drive meaning it is easily accessible from all over Europe. There is also a truly excellent motorway network from north to south which makes this one of the easiest areas to get to.
- The landscape can change within minutes, from green, lush farmland to barren wasteland, miles of pine forests, winding rivers, large cool lakes, mountains and of course, 470 kilometres of the finest coastline in Europe, many beaches obtaining blue flag status.
- Known as the ‘Market Garden of Europe’ and one of the gastronomic centres of Spain, its plentiful daily markets display a mouth-watering array of fresh fish, meats and every conceivable variety of fruit and vegetable available.
- With the popular salt lakes and superb climate, the area is classed as one of the healthiest regions in Europe. It has earned its reputation of being a mecca of health from the World Health Organisation who claim it’s “Almost as perfect an environment as it is possible to obtain”.
- The Costa Blanca offers 340 days of sunshine every year and an average midday temperature of 75˚F, which makes shady plazas very popular, especially whilst enjoying a cool beer. Even during the winter months the day time temperatures are in the late teens and outdoor living is a year round way of life.
- Due to the marvellous weather and the fantastic beaches it is an incredibly popular holiday destination for tourists from all over Europe and low-price flights have been coming into the region since the late 1950s!
- Costa Blanca is both tourist friendly and family friendly, thanks to the huge range of activities available from beaches and golf to museums and parks. You can do just about anything you can think of which is why it’s so great for the kids.
- Some of the beaches have play areas, volleyball nets and beach gyms, others offer crystal waters and quiet coves ideal for swimming and picnicking. All the water-sports are catered for from scuba diving and jet skis to water kites and surfing. For those looking for action away from the beach there are a host of golf courses in the area, even crazy golf for the more amateur player and there are plenty of cultural sites like castles, museums and galleries, such as the La Asegurada Municipal Museum in Alicante which has extensive collections of Spanish art.
- It will take more than a couple of weeks just to scratch the surface of what Costa Blanca has to offer which is why people keep coming back.