Costa de la luz
Why buy in Costa de la Luz?
Increasingly British buyers are looking beyond the traditional Costas like Costa del Sol and Costa Brava, very popular but can be expensive and occasionally overcrowded especially on the coast, and have started to turn to the less developed Costa de la Luz. As well as being an extremely desirable place to buy a property, whether for investment or personal use, Costa de la Luz offers excellent value compared to the rest of Spain and the UK, with property prices from €1,500 per sq. metre.
Why not?
Discover the real Spain
The Costa de la Luz (coast of light) is a secret, known only to Spanish people who holiday there and the discerning foreign resident or visitor. Costa de la Luz is a striking contrast to the more commercialised Mediterranean coastline and is far less-developed than the rest of the Costas. This dignified and undiscovered land is full of Roman remains, old Moorish settlements, beautiful scenery and fine beaches and is populated by charming Andalucian people who are proud of their superb food and fine wines. Although other Europeans have been coming in small numbers to the Costa de la Luz for a few years now, this diverse area has never been spoilt by mass tourism and is probably the best kept secret in Spain.
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Rich Spain
Spain has now racked up nine years of unbroken growth, vastly outperforming the core countries of the euro-zone. Growth in the economy has continually risen by approximately 4% year-on-year since the 1990s. Compared with the UK, Spanish banks offer lower interest rates on mortgages making Spanish property purchases more affordable for British buyers.
Spain’s tourist industry continues to thrive according to figures recently released by the Industry, Tourism and Trade Ministry. 2005 saw a five percent increase in tourism compared to the same period last year with tourists mainly travelling to Spain from the UK, Germany and France. Meanwhile, the increase in cheap and affordable airline connections from the UK to airports such as Jerez, Faro, Gibraltar and Seville make travelling to a second home in Costa de la Luz much easier.
The standard of education in Spain is very good and the standard of care in many hospitals has been described in recent surveys as being superior to that of the UK with reduced waiting times for treatment that is generally available at far less cost.
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Miles of unspoilt fine sandy beaches
This luminous corner of south-west Spain, with its sea ports, watchtowers and unspoilt landscapes was the place of Nelson’s famous victory over the French and Spanish off the Cape Trafalgar 200 years ago. There are sixty miles of golden, sandy beaches that run from Tarifa to Chiclana de la Frontera, just across the bay of Cadiz, the provincial capital of Costa de la Luz. This coastline continues even further from Cadiz, around the Donana National Park and up to Ayamonte. The Cadiz coastline now has more kilometres of blue flag beaches than any other part of Spain including those at Barbate, Chiclana and Conil (source www.blueflag.org).
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A nature lovers’ paradise
There are many national parks in Costa de la Luz including the Parque National de Donana to the west, one of the largest in Europe. La Brena and Los Alcornocales are others and are home to a multiplicity of wildlife including many migrating bird species who thrive in these protected natural environments. The restrictions on development stretching from Gibraltar to the Algarve border have also protected the coastal areas of the Costa de La Luz from the perils of high-rise development prevalent in the Costa del Sol and ensure that many fine beaches still remain unspoilt today. The inland countryside of the Costa de la Luz is rich in flora and fauna and is characterised by pine, beech, oak and eucalyptus, olive and orange trees, salt marshes, vineyards, fields, and quaint fishing villages.
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Mediterranean climate
With approximately 300 sunny days a year, the Costa de la Luz is a climatically invigorating place to live. In August the average monthly temperature is 32 degrees centigrade whilst in January this drops to 15 degrees centigrade. In the peak summer months the Atlantic winds bring in cooling breezes which help to break-up the intense heat. Half of the annual rainfall generally occurs between November and January with very little rainfall occurring during the busy summer months of July and August. A visit anytime to the Costa de La Luz will normally be accompanied by warm sunshine and the Atlantic ocean is at its most inviting from May through to October.
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Culture and sports
Andalucia offers a wide variety of different cultural and sporting activities including many ferias and fiestas that take place each year. Andalucia is the birthplace of flamenco and there are numerous opportunities for spectating this and bull fighting - Spain’s most popular and passionate pastimes. In addition you will find beach horse racing in San Lucar, kite surfing in Tarifa, La Liga Spanish football in Cadiz and the annual horse fair in Jerez to name but a few. There are a number of excellent golf courses in the region including at Sotogrande, Montenmedio and Montecastillo. There are also approved plans to build around 20 new courses in the Huelva and Cadiz provinces over the next 5 years. It is even possible to visit Africa by ferry from Tarifa to Tangiers in just 35 minutes. The list is endless and the Spanish have an almost insatiable appetite for socialising and fiestas.
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Andalucian lifestyle
Life in Costa de la Luz is relaxed, laid back and essentially Spanish in nature. Shops close between 2 and 5.30 when many people lunch and siesta. Property is significantly cheaper than in the UK and good value compared with some other areas in Spain. You can still get a coffee, a glass of beer or wine for €1. Many restaurants serve a menu del dia (menu of the day) including wine at less than €10. There is an abundance of fresh fish straight from the Atlantic including tuna, swordfish, prawns and octopus as well as a mouth-watering array of tapas served in bars and often accompanied by a beer or manzanilla.
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Historic Towns and Villages
The Costa de la Luz is home to the vibrant cultural cities of Cadiz, Cordoba, Jerez and Seville. There are also a number of stunning pueblos blancos (white hilltop towns) such as Vejer de la Frontera, Arcos de la Frontera and Medina Sidonia which still retain Moorish architectural influences to this day.
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Good value property
Costa de la Luz has a vast array of different properties in traditional towns like Cadiz, Vejer de la Frontera and Arcos de la Frontera. Then there are the beach developments such as Isla Canela, Isla Cristina and Costa Ballena or if you prefer to be inland you can find remote fincas and cortijos or town houses in new urbanisations. Not everybody wants a brand new property or wants to wait for one to be built. For anyone looking to buy a home in Costa de la Luz right now there are hundreds of excellent established homes on the market. Property is significantly cheaper than in the UK and has provided excellent capital growth since the 1990s - good value compared with some other areas in Spain including the Costa del Sol. Good rental returns are achievable, especially in the peak months from May to October.
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