This stretch of Andalusia east of Malaga is less crowded than the Costa del Sol, and while Nerja and Torre del Mar are busy resorts, shoppers have headed to the hills for a quieter, more authentic experience.
It was the views of the countryside with locals on horses or shepherds with their goats around the white village of Comares that attracted Vicky and Lee from Northampton to buy a two-bedroom house with a pool in 2021, for £131,000. . “The local bar serves simple but delicious food, like mahi mahi, and a beer costs about €1,” says Lee, 46, and they harvest their own olives.
Another pretty white town, Cómpeta, at the foot of the Sierra Almijara, is one of the most sought-after places in Idealista. The portal offers a two-bedroom semi-detached house with a roof terrace for €200,000 in the village, while the “raisin city” of El Borge, famous for its muscat grapes, has seen listing occupancy rates rise rent by 25 percent, according to AirDNA.
Fuerteventura
With dozens of pristine, Caribbean sand beaches that are generally accepted as the best of the canary archipelagoFuerteventura is a low-profile island and a great bet for accessible sun all year round.
Less developed than Tenerife, quieter than Gran Canaria and more affordable than Lanzarote, it also has a lively surf scene in the north.
Among the best beaches are the windy Sotavento (good for kitesurfing) in the Jandía National Park in the south of the island, La Concha for diving or El Moro (Drop Beach) for surfing, recommends John Goldcare of agent GoldAcre Estates .
“Most of our buyers spend between €125,000 and €150,000 for a one or two-bedroom property, but some buy villas for €200,000-500,000,” he says. And you can get some bargains. His agency is selling a new two-bedroom villa near Lajares, on the north coast, for €165,000 (see below).
Minorca
The quieter little sister of Ibiza and Mallorca, it’s easy to escape the crowds along Menorca’s quiet country streets and coastal paths. or small coves. Even its vibrant capital, Mahón, is free of the kind of bars found in Magaluf or San Antonio, although it offers an increasing number of stylish boutique hotels.
“Menorca’s food and arts scene is thriving, it is a safe and family-friendly place, as well as one of the best examples of sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean,” says Gary Hobson of Engel & Völkers Menorca.
The race for space fueled by the pandemic also helped the island. Transaction volumes for Menorca in 2022 more than doubled 2019 levels, according to official figures.
You can find a three-bedroom apartment in the center of Mahon for €265,000, or a four-bedroom villa in a private, quiet area of the south coast for €1.7 million (see below). Be careful, flights are seasonal and there is a moratorium on the issuance of new vacation rental licenses.
Lower Empordá
Beautiful and accessible, this part of Catalonia really should be more popular. Located east of the historic city of Girona, the Baix Empordà is a short drive from Girona Airport, 1.5 hours from Barcelona or by car through France.
Nicknamed the “Spanish Tuscany”, it has lush green hills dotted with beautifully preserved medieval stone villages, such as Ullastret, Pals, Palau-Sator, Monells and Peratallada, with the sea (Costa Brava) and the ski slopes (Pyrenees) nearby. .
Inspired by artists such as Picasso, Miró and Dalí, it is home to the Perelada Jazz Festival and the Cap Roig Festival, another gastronomic favorite and a magnet for cyclists.
A four-bedroom traditional Catalan stone farmhouse will cost around €1.2 million, says Lucas Fox’s Tom Maidment.
