Tips for Real Estate Property Buying in Costa Brava, Spain

Bienveniedos a la Costa Brava! From warm beaches to shaded woodlands to secluded coves and Botanical Gardens, Costa Brava has something for everyone, and offers an exciting, culture-rich atmosphere for either a second home or a primary residence. After Costa del Sol, Costa Brava is the most well-known coastline in Spain, largely due to a balance of inland development and unspoiled corners of the coast.

More than 52% of foreign property purchases occur in Costa Brava, and a large number of these properties are terraced townhomes at the edge of the coast. These Medditteranean style homes carry price tags into the upper 320's, but special buys can be found for less than € 200,000. Many are fully furnished and come equipped with modern conveniences not found in other parts of Spain. Apartments run the gamut from € 59,000 to €185,000, and one, two, and three bedroom dwellings occur in great abundance toward the larger cities of Costa Brava.

Many prefer the privacy of secluded rustic Villas that claim their own space along the northern coastline. These properties are significantly more expensive than those located farther into town, but their singular beauty is an attractive aspect. Inland Villas range from the low 120's to the high 400's, depending on location and property value.

Golf and skiing are two of the most popular sports in Costa Brava, and beautiful scenery attracts professionals and amateurs alike to practice their skills and compete against the locals. Many people enjoy the numerous bicycle trails that wind throughout the costa, and marinas offer nautical pleasures as well.

Costa Brava is known for its unique style of cuisine, which embraces culinary delights that include sea urchins, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, prawns and crayfish, cuttlefish and squid, which are often combined with all sorts of domestic and wild fowl, smoked salted cod, cod's entrails or snails.

New residents will also want to tour Costa Brava's vast array of monuments, all of which boast fascinating origins and beautiful architecture. This artistic current bears witness to the exquisite sensibility of the society from which it arose, with examples in some of the altarpieces in Girona cathedral and the parish churches of Cadaqués, Palamós and Lloret de Mar; then there are imposing buildings such as the Roses citadel or the Carmelite convent and the Hospital of Sant Jaume in Olot, to name just a few examples.