 The Costa Brava, embodying the provinces and cities of Gerona and Barcelona, is
part of the Catalan district - Spain's wealthiest region. Extending down the northeast
coast of Spain from the French border to the town of Tarragona, the coastline takes in
a collage of landscapes. Beaches of golden-white sand intermingle with rugged
headlands, pine trees and bustling tourist resorts, as well as a mosaic of Mediterranean
villages, all proudly flying the regional Catalan flag. It is estimated that one-third of
the country's restaurants are concentrated in this region - reason enough to
contemplate a Spanish property purchase on the Costa Brava!
The climate in the Costa Brava region is more moderated than in Southern Spain. It
receives around 2,500 hours of sunshine each year, and basks in summertime
temperatures of around 30°c. During the winter, temperatures rarely fall below 10°c
on the coast, and can often reach 20°c or more when the wind is blowing in from the
south.
Barcelona is the jewel in the crown of the Costa Brava, and is recognised
internationally as a city of culture and art, dominating the coastal skyline for miles
around. The influence of one of its most famous sons - Salvador Dalí - is
unmistakable around the city, and provides a foretaste to Barcelona's dramatic
architecture and contents of its forty or so museums.
Barcelona is Spain's second largest city and, along with the rest of the Costa Brava,
has two native languages - Spanish and Catalan. Other places of note along Costa
Brava's popular coastline are Pineda de Mar, Lloret de Mar, Blanes, Calella and Sant
Feliu de Guixols. All of these locations have something unique to offer tourists and
residents alike, from the quiet and reserved to the loud and extravagant. Away from
the coast Gerona and Figueres, the latter being where Dalí set up his museum, offer a
more cultural and less tourist-oriented setting in which to purchase a villa in Spain.
Costa Brava property offers everything to everyone. Regardless of whether you are
buying Spanish property as a second home or as an income property, its location
makes its suitable for all. Southern France is within easy reach as is Andorra and the
skiing / mountain-climbing resorts of the Pyrenees. You have culture, history,
beautiful beaches and a fresh 'green-ness' to the countryside that is not found along
any of the other Spanish Costas. What's more, most European destinations are less
than 5 hours away from Barcelona's international airport.
The Costa Brava today is a lot more upmarket than it was when it first opened up to
package holiday tours 30 years ago. Gone are the hideous resorts that so maligned the
region in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite this upturn in image though, Costa Brava
property prices still offer good value to buyers. Six-bedroomed villas in Blanes have
recently sold for around €450,000 euros, while three-bedroomed apartments in Calella
are available for less than €300,000 euros.
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