Costa de la Luz: Exploring Spain’s best kept secret
West of Tarifa, facing the Atlantic lies the stunning Costa de la Luz, a region that comprises two main provinces in the Spanish expanse of Andalucía – Huelva and Cadiz – which unlike the more commercial tourist hotspots of the Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol, could be an altogether different country.
Away from the hustle and bustle of mass tourism and with equally good beaches and attractions but with a greater sense of tranquility blended with tradition and wrapped in history, the Costa de la Luz is suited to those who wish to sample the true authenticity of Spain.
Here you will find relatively unspoiled beaches that stretch for miles, welcoming locals, delicious food and fine wines and ample leisure activities. For instance, thanks to its close proximity, you can easily explore nearby Portugal or take a short 35 minute ferry trip over to Tangiers in Morocco.
However, the Costa de la Luz is especially noted for being a nature lover’s paradise with its natural reserves and a number of first-rate natural attractions such as the salt marshes of Barbate and the World Heritage Site of Doñana National Park which holds more than half of Europe´s species of birds including the endangered Spanish Imperial Eagle. Besides these advantages, there are also charming Roman and Moorish influenced Andalucian Mediterranean-style towns, each with their own unique qualities and landscapes.
Although growing in international popularity over the past few years, the Costa de la Luz or ‘Coast of Light’ is typically where you will find vacationing Spaniards and the more discerning, wealthy foreign visitor and is also a destination where property investors have focussed their attentions recently thanks to considerably lower property prices than in other parts of the country.
Nick Stuart, Managing Director of Spain’s first and premier internet estate agency, Spanish Hot Properties founded in 2007, explains,
“The Costa de la Luz is like the Caribbean of the Spanish property market and offers a totally different lifestyle for property owners especially for those who want to get back to real Spain. Certainly once you have visited the Costa de la Luz you will know immediately whether it is for you with the charm of the area effortlessly luring you to buy a property. This is the attraction of Costa de la Luz, hence why we are planning on opening a new office in Ayamonte in the Huelva province.
“Indeed, our biggest challenge is to make potential property buyers aware of the great alternatives the Costa de la Luz has to offer but at the same time explaining to potential customers that whilst property overall costs less than that in Costa del Sol, those looking for homes on the Costa de la Luz should not be driven by price but by the totally relaxed Spanish lifestyle on offer.”
With this in mind, Spanish Hot Properties has a beautiful development situated in the up and coming area of Huelva, which has escaped over-development from mass market hotels and low end touristic real estate, costing from just €270,000.
El Rompido, comprising luxurious villas and a low rise apartment blocks with one of the best views in Europe of the Atlantic is set in a very unspoiled location with the nearby golf courses attracting many northern Europeans that come for well-priced golf and beautiful pine tree fairways.
This “bolt hole” development is perfect for weekend and holiday stays and suitable for a very special kind of clientele that wish for a quieter, less intrusive lifestyle. Here you can stroll along the beaches and sit beneath the pines against the water without your privacy being invaded.
The villa is a four bedroom, three bathroom design with a vaulted lounge ceiling with a skylight window. For more information contact Spanish Hot Properties on 00 44 207 558 8355 or visit www.spanishhotproperties.com