Foreign investors returning

What resorts are most popular this summer?

Foreign buyer activity in the Spanish property market is gradually recovering and approaching “pre-pandemic” levels. According to Idealista data, in the second quarter of 2021, 11.3% of all property transactions in Spain involved foreign investors.

The majority of contracts were signed by buyers from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Germans prefer Valencia and two Spanish archipelagos — the Balearic and Canary Islands; the French choose neighboring Catalonia, while the British favor Andalusia and Costa Blanca. This is followed by investors from the USA, Italy, and Switzerland.

View of the port in San Pedro del Pinatar

Foreign buyers are focusing on Spain’s Mediterranean coast for purchasing resort properties, especially the eastern, warmest part of the Iberian Peninsula. Below are the most popular cities where foreigners are buying property in 2021, in sought-after coastal regions and provinces — from north to south:

  • Girona: Castell-Platja d’Aro (€2,968/m²), Begur (€2,864/m²)

  • Barcelona: Barcelona (€3,987/m²), Montgat (€3,050/m²), Sitges (€3,782/m²)

  • Valencia: Alboraya (€2,234/m²), Gandia (€1,046/m²), Valencia (€1,830/m²)

  • Alicante: Alicante (€1,468/m²), Torrevieja (€1,432/m²), Benidorm (€2,114/m²)

  • Murcia: La Manga (€1,528/m²), Águilas (€1,059/m²), Cartagena (€1,142/m²)

  • Andalusia: Almería (€1,164/m²), Málaga (€2,136/m²), Estepona (€2,379/m²), Sotogrande (€2,386/m²)

Also, the most popular resorts on Spanish islands for property purchases in summer 2021:

  • Balearic Islands: Andratx (€5,177/m²), San José (€4,881/m²), Ibiza (€4,829/m²)

  • Canary Islands: Mogán (€3,032/m²), Adeje (€2,623/m²), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (€2,017/m²)

View of the coastline

In addition to popular destinations, northern and northwestern regions of the country are gaining popularity among European buyers. These are places overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean — the Basque Country, Cantabria, and Galicia. In the Basque Country, the regional capital San Sebastián (€4,858/m²) and Zarautz (€4,532/m²) lead, in Cantabria — Santander (€1,993/m²), and in Galicia — A Coruña (€2,141/m²).