Some Of Your Spanish Retirement Options

If you are thinking of retiring to Spain, there are a lot of choices on or near to the Mediterranean coast. The area has sunshine for around 320 days a year, so you won’t need a heavy overcoat and wellies to trudge through the snow ever again. The South Eastern coast is served by two airports at Alicante and Murcia, so is very easy to get to. 

The city of Alicante itself has a population of around 85,000 and is a great place for shopping, with many well-known store brands. The town is famous for the production of leather goods, especially shoes and bags. The esplanade runs along the sea front and is lined with palm trees and is tiled so that it looks like waves. Here there are lots of side streets with little cafes and bars, jewellers, sweet shops, gift shops, and more. 

Not far away is Plaza de los Loceros where there is an El Corte Ingles store which is a massive department store selling just about everything you can think of. It also has a great food section.

If you like to sit on the beach, you might consider Torrevieja which has five major beaches boasting fine white sand, showers, lifeguards, children’s play areas, security guards, and more. There are also many fine coves close by the town which are quieter. Every evening in Torrevieja there is a street market selling arts and crafts, leather goods, clothing, pottery, jewellery, and souvenirs. 

There is also Zenia Boulevard which is the largest shopping centre in Alicante Province. There are plenty of leisure activities in Torrevieja and a varied night life.

If you like the quieter life, you might want to choose one of the villages inland such as Sucina. This only has a population of around 2,000 and is set in countryside about 20 miles from the coast. It is in an area of almond groves, and where olives, wheat, artichokes, green beans, melons, lemons, and tomatoes are grown for export.

Sucina has been subject to some expansion recently so there is a choice of villas for sale in Sucina where you can relax in the sun by your own private pool and enjoy a glass of the local Moscatell wine.  

Torrevieja – An Ideal City For An Investment In The Sun

Over the last few years, Torrevieja in South Eastern Spain has been converted into a first-class tourist resort. It has a population of about 82,000 and is now a bustling city which is surrounded by two large saltwater lagoons inland which are famous for the huge population of flamingos that they contain.

There are some great beaches close to the town centre including Playa Del Cura and Los Locos. The latter has lots of bars and restaurants along the front, and there are more in the back streets. There are lots of shops including butchers, fishmongers, bakeries, and supermarkets, providing everything you could need including meat, and fresh fish straight out of the sea.

The beach of Playa Del Curais only a five minute walk away and has a promenade that is only for pedestrians and a lot of restaurants where you can relax and enjoy a meal while keeping an eye on the kids playing on the beach.

To Read more: Apartment for Sale Torrevieja

ALICANTE IS A GREAT CITY FOR PROPERTY INVESTMENT

Alicante is a superb city in Southern Spain and is the port for Madrid, located, as it is, right on the coast. It was founded by the Greeks in 325 BC and was captured by the Romans in 201 BC who renamed it Lucentum – City of Light. From 718 AD to 1249 AD it was under Moorish domination and called Al-Akant. It was later incorporated into the kingdom of Aragon and was besieged by the French in 1709 and by the Federalists of Cartagena in 1873, so you could say that it has had a somewhat chequered history.

Some notable landmarks include the Church of Santa Maria which dates from the 14th century, the Baroque Town Hall which dates from 1701 – 1760, and the Church of San Nicolas de Bari which is 18th century.

The city is overlooked by the Castle of Santa Barbara at 1,000 feet high, and from which there are views for many miles around. The city has a local population of 322,000 but many more people visit for holidays.

To Read more: Alicante apartments for sale

Alicante Is A Wonderful City In The Sun On The Costa Blanca

With a population of 350,000, Alicante is a large port city on the Costa Blanca in South Eastern Spain. Situated where it is, it benefits from the Mediterranean climate, and that means around 325 days of sunshine each year, and not too hot in summer and not cold in winter. Alicante is the capita of Alicante Province which has around 3 million visitors a year. The old town, Barrio de la Santa Cruz, has narrow streets with coloured houses decorated with flowers, and has a booming nightlife scene.

High up on the hill above the city sits Castillo de Santa Barbara, a castle built in the 9th century. There is a winding path which leads up from the old town, but if you are not feeling like the climb it is good to know that there is a lift. There are some amazing views from the rooftop ramparts, and lots of rooms with artefacts and historical documents. There is also a market in the courtyard that sells gifts and souvenirs, and a café, so you can spend the day here if you wish.

To Read more: Apartments for sale Alicante

Pilar de la Horadada Is an Excellent Choice for An Overseas Property Investment

Pilar de la Horadada is a town on the Costa Blanca in Southern Spain and lies just three kilometres inland from the beach at El Mojon. It is easy to get to, as it is situated about an hour’s drive from Alicante Airport, and only 25 minutes’ drive from Murcia San Javier Airport.

The area around Pilar de la Horadada is mainly agricultural, and the town is surrounded by market gardens, orchards, citrus groves, and pastoral farms of sheep and cattle. Several beaches are within easy reach, the longest being Las Villas which is behind the Torre Horadada marina, followed by a smaller beach at La Mojon which reaches as far as the border with Murcia. The coastline has fine sandy beaches with inlets in between them. If you enjoy sailing, then go to Mil Palmeras beach. This links up with Puerto and Rincon inlets. Puerto has a promenade which springs into life on hot summer nights.

The climate of Pilar de la Horadada is typically Mediterranean, and in 1986 the World Health Organisation rated the area as one of the most equitable in the world – not too hot in summer and not cold in winter. It averages 325 days of sunshine a year.

Many of the local dishes contains fish fresh from the sea, and a major local ingredient is rice which is usually cooked in fish stock. The farms around the town supply superb artichokes, peppers, cauliflowers, beans, oranges, lemons, plums, peaches, and figs. Rice pudding is a favourite dessert, made with goats milk, cinnamon, and lemon peel.

The town centre is a favourite for shopping, with lots of boutiques, pastry shops, bars, and gaming salons lining the main street.

An excellent choice for an overseas property investment would be a villas for sale in Pilar de la Horadada. Because it is located so handily for the two airports, the town is a regular choice for many tourists, and because of the sun they come all year round. This means that when you are not using it yourself you can let it out for good profits.

Investing In Property Overseas Could Be A Very Wise Move

If you are a property investor, has it occurred to you that you don’t have to have all your eggs in one basket, in the sense that you don’t need to have all your investment properties in the UK? There are some great opportunities for investing overseas rather than having all your money tied up in the UK, and it would make sense to add to your portfolio outside the UK because who knows when a Chancellor might decide to punish investors with further taxes?

Countries bordering the Mediterranean, and in particular Spain and Portugal, present a lot of very good opportunities. The climate is near perfect with around 320 days of sun a year, and the winters are mild. There are a lot of opportunities in Southern Spain, such as a small town just a few miles inland from the Orihuela coastline called San Miguel de Salinas. This has a population of about 6,000 people so is not huge, but it is very popular with visitors from Northern Europe and the UK. There are always apartments for sale in San Miguel de Salinas, and with the number of tourists who visit there every year your investment property would be booked all year round.

To Read more: Apartments for sale San Miguel de Salinas

San Miguel de Salinas Would Be a Good Town For Investment In A Villa

The town of San Miguel de Salinas is located in the Costa Blanca in the south of the province of Alicante and is just 7 miles inland from the coastline of Orihuela Costa. It is located between Torrevieja and Murcia, and is only a half hour drive from Murcia airport. There is also easy access to the motorway AP7 which connects Murcia to Alicante city.

The town is situated on a hill about 220 above sea level, so there are panoramic views of the salt lakes of Torrevieja and Torre la Mata. The town has a population of about 6,000 and is very popular with Northern Europeans. The climate is Mediterranean, of course, with sun for around 320 days a year and a clear blue sky, so the summers are warm, and the winters are mild.

There are very many orange and lemon groves around the town, and they release a wonderful fragrance, especially when they are in bloom. To the North West lies the La Pedrera water reservoir with its’ clear blue water, and the mountains of Sierra Escalona and La Pena beyond.

Every Wednesday morning there is a street market with about 165 stalls selling food, vegetables, fruit, flowers, clothes, and shoes.  There are also quite a number of small bars and restaurants, and a supermarket. However, if you want to shop until you drop you need to take a 15-minute drive to either Habaneras Shopping Centre or Zenia Boulevard. 

If you are considering purchasing a property in or around the town, there are usually some villas for sale in San Miguel de Salinas. You would need to visit some of the local estate agents or contact UK agents who deal in overseas property. There are a lot of visitors to the town all year round, so if you were to invest in villas for sale in San Miguel de Salinas you would have rent coming in continuously.

San Miguel de Salinas dates back to Roman times, and one of the features are the homes in the caves, Las Cuevas. There is even a small restaurant in one of the caves. The San Miguel Church dates back to the early 18th century, and in 1829 there was a fierce earthquake in the area which devastated the town, leaving only the church still standing. The inside of the church has been restored, and it is possible to climb the bell tower to see the incredible views from up there. If you decide to do this, don’t forget to take your camera, and don’t forget to ask permission from the priest. It has not been unknown for tourists to climb to the top and find the door locked when they got back down again.