Costa Blanca South

Long sandy beaches, salt lakes and golf around Torrevieja.

288 homesFrom €116,000

Costa Blanca South runs from Alicante city down to the Murcia border, on flatter land with long sandy beaches, salt lakes and golf courses. It is a bigger, busier market than the north, generally at lower prices and with more new developments. Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa have one of the largest concentrations of foreign owners in continental Europe, so services for international residents are easy to find.

Living here

This coast is lived in all year. Many owners are retired or divide the year between here and home, so restaurants, shops and clubs in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa stay open in winter, and the population swells further in July and August. Day-to-day life is easy without much Spanish, though a few phrases go a long way with neighbours.

You will meet British, Scandinavian, Belgian, Dutch and Irish owners, with more French and German buyers in recent years. Shopping centres, health centres and private clinics are close to most urbanisations. Alicante city adds a proper Spanish city within an easy drive.

Towns to know

Alicante
A Spanish city with a hilltop castle, a seafront promenade and a busy port, chosen by people who want city life all year.
Santa Pola
A fishing town with its own harbour, salt pans and boats to Tabarca island, popular with Spanish families and foreign owners alike.
Guardamar
Long beaches backed by dunes and pine forest, with a calmer, more family-minded feel than its bigger neighbours.
Torrevieja
A large year-round town between two salt lakes and the sea, with a wide choice of flats and plenty of international residents.
Orihuela Costa
A long run of beaches and urbanisations including Cabo Roig, Campoamor and Playa Flamenca, liked by retired buyers and golfers.
Pilar de la Horadada
A more Spanish town at the southern edge of the province with quiet beaches nearby, for buyers who want less bustle than Orihuela Costa.
Ciudad Quesada
A large inland urbanisation beside a golf course, a short drive from the beach, home to many northern European owners.
Rojales
An old town on the river Segura with cave houses and a Spanish feel, where buyers look for something quieter a short way inland.

Climate

This is among the driest parts of mainland Spain, with more than 320 sunny days a year. Summers are hot, and winters are mild enough that many homes rely on air conditioning in reverse rather than central heating, although older flats can feel chilly at night. Rain is rare but can arrive as a sudden gota fría or DANA storm in late summer and autumn, and low-lying streets can flood.

Getting here

Alicante airport is close, about 15 to 20 minutes from Santa Pola and 35 to 45 minutes from Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa. Murcia airport at Corvera is a useful second option for the southern towns, about 45 minutes from Pilar de la Horadada. The AP-7 motorway and the N-332 coast road run north to south. The railway stays inland through Elche and Orihuela, so the coast relies on buses and cars, and high-speed trains link Alicante city with Madrid.

What you can buy

You will find flats, ground-floor and top-floor bungalows, townhouses and villas here, in both resale and new-build form. Many homes sit in urbanisations with a communal pool and gardens, so the community fees and rules are part of the decision.

Developments built since about 2015 are usually straightforward on paper, while older rural houses inland can have legal problems that your lawyer needs to check. Ask for recent community meeting minutes, since older blocks can have repairs coming, and check the community's position on short lets before you count on rental income. In low-lying parts of the Vega Baja, ask about past flooding.

Work out the buying costs here

Who it suits

Retired couples who want sun, flat walks and an international community close to home.
Second-home owners who want a flat they can lock up and leave, near a beach and a short drive from the airport.
Golfers who want several courses within easy reach of home.

Questions buyers ask

Is it busy all year?

Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa stay open in winter because so many owners live here. Smaller urbanisations can feel quiet outside the summer months.

Can I manage without Spanish?

In Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa, day-to-day life is easy in English. Legal documents are still in Spanish, so your lawyer, and at the notary possibly a sworn translator, remain essential.

How much should I add to the price?

Allow about 10% to 13% for a resale, where ITP in the Valencia Community is 10% as a guide, and 12% to 14% for a new build. Your lawyer will confirm the current rates.