Country Guides Country Guide: Iberian Peninsula

Date Published:

30/05/2008

Spain is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get. Well, for a country that's 505,000kmsq in area compared to little UK's 240,000kmsq, this not only means that there is a huge choice of locations in which to invest your green stuff but also a vast disparity between market performance in different areas.

Spain in general does possess a certain blueprint for investment success. A combination of eternal sunshine, frequent and fast flight connections and superb infrastructure means that the European love affair with Spain continues to flourish and in recent years the number of Britains buying homes in Spain has risen by a staggering 460%.

Constraints of word count make it impossible to highlight the potential of each corner of the Iberian peninsula in one hit, but rather focus on two of the best spots with their own special secret formula for investment success. One established and one slightly more obscure.

The Obscure: The Costa Calida

Literally meaning "the warm coast" and reckoned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to have the healthiest climate in the world, this Costa stretches for 250km of coastline from alongside the border of the province of Alicante in the north, almost down to the border of Almería in the south. One of the most famous assets of this coastline is Mar Menor, Europe's largest salt water lagoon with over 170km² of shallow water. The 22km spit of land that separates Mar Menor from the Mediterranean is called La Manga de Mar Menor.

The beaches along the spit are both wide and clean and many nautical clubs can be found across its length offering various water sports. The most famous and exclusive resort by Mar Menor is the 1,220 acre estate of La Manga Club, established in 1960 and owned by MedGroup. The Costa Calida is best accessed via Alicante or Murcia airports, both of which offer regular flights to the UK with flight times of around two hours. First-rate road links can bring you to your chosen spot on the Costa Calida with the minimum of fuss.

Dream Homes Worldwide has identified the Costa Calida as a hotspot for the future for a number of reasons. Richard Moseley, International Investment Director for Dream Homes Worldwide comments, "Despite the kudos and publicity surrounding La Manga, the rest of the region has stayed out of the spotlight and avoided the scourge of mass development. The countryside and coastline is attractive and unspoilt but things are just reaching a tipping point.The Tourist Board is becoming more proactive in marketing the area, new roads are being laid and a €140 million airport is under construction in Corvera through which authorities expect more than 5,000,000 passengers a year with 22 arrivals and departures each hour, the boom is set to begin. Although it would be improper for any professional real estate agent to suggest enticing profit levels without accepting the responsibility to deliver those returns to the client, the increased commercial activity, local government spending and facilities on offer coupled with ease of access and stunning weather places the Costa Calida in a prime position for growth."

Polaris World has built six resorts throughout the Murcia region, all of which are self-contained with a range of facilities on each site including pools, hotels, spas, shops and restaurants. The focal point of each resort is golf and all have their own Nicklaus design course. Polaris World has an impeccable reputation. Pricing is extremely attractive with quality two bedroom golf course apartments available from as little as €165,000 (£115,000) and golf course villas from €300,000 (£210,000). If you compare these asking prices to other coastal resorts in Spain, you wouldn't be foolish to believe that growth is inevitable.