Tag Archives: Costa Brava real estate

Lucas Fox Guide to Tossa, Lloret and Blanes

Lucas Fox Costa Brava has recently expanded its portfolio to incorporate a number of luxury properties in and around Tossa de Mar, Lloret de Mar and Blanes. Situated in the most southerly sector of the Costa Brava in the county of Selva, the area is recognizable for its beautiful coves and beaches, cliffs and pine forests. In the 1950s it was this area of the Costa Brava which was singled out by the Spanish government and local entrepreneurs as being suitable for development as a holiday destination, mainly targeted at tourists from Northern Europe. The combination of a very good summer climate, nature, excellent beaches made this area a hugely popular tourist destination, and that is still the case today.

Tossa de Mar

Located half way between the city of Barcelona and the French border, Tossa de Mar is situated to the north of La Selva and is an ancient agricultural and fishermen’s village with an important historical background. The “Vila Vella enceinte” (Old Town) is the only example of a fortified medieval town still standing on the Catalan coast. The interior of the Old Town is a charming place with narrow, cobblestoned streets and Tossa’s wide beach is enclosed to the west by the medieval castle.

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Costa Brava in top 10 destinations of the world for 2012 by leading Travel Magazine

The respected National Geographic Traveler magazine has listed the Costa Brava as one of the top destinations on the planet to visit in 2012. For those familiar with the region, this may not come as a huge surprise. The 200km of stunning coastline which lies between the French border and Blanes is unique in that it combines beautiful craggy coves & hidden bays, archaeological sites & natural parks with an artistic and cultural heritage – not forgetting its increasing reputation as a leading gastronomic centre. The coastline also boasts some of the world`s most beautiful beaches such as Sa Tuna, Llafranc, Sa Riera, Sant Pol and AiguaBlava.

The Costa Brava has consistently been popular with buyers looking for second homes, and if you are on the hunt for a holiday home in an outstanding location, look no further than the ‘golden triangle’ of this region located between Calella de Palafrugell and Sa Riera.

Here is our guide to this exclusive unspoilt area and some of our most eye-catching properties:

Begur

Set below the ruins of a stone 16th Century castle, Begur is a pretty medieval town with cobbled streets and whitewashed houses and has become one of the most sought after areas to buy on the Costa Brava. Begur has several important historical remnants including numerous “indiano” mansions hidden amongst its pretty cobbled streets and alleys. These and the traditional former fishermen’s houses in the nearby coves all bear witness to the long, intense history of the area, inhabited over the years by pirates, sailors, fishermen and returned “indiano” emigrants from Cuba. The Fira de Los Indios (also known as the Cuban Festival) which takes place in the town at the end of every summer draws revellers from far and wide and is testimony to how popular the area has become.

If you are looking to view properties in Begur check out:

Beautiful Mediterrenean style villa just 1.5km from Begur. Private pool and beautiful garden with lemon and olive trees

A magnificent 5-bedroom luxury house less than 1km from the town of Begu. Large plot with superb sea and countryside views. Private swimming pool.

View more Begur properties

Pals

The fortified medieval village of Pals is situated high on a hill with cobbled streets, artisan shops and traditional restaurants and bars. Beautifully restored, its original buildings date back to the fourteenth century and the town offers spectacular views over the Empordà area and to the 4km long Pals beach, popular among windsurfers and watersports enthusiasts. Pals also has two excellent 18 hole golf courses.

If you are looking to view properties in Pals check out:

Luxury, contemporary design, new build property to buy offering total privacy and lovely sea views near Begur

Duplex apartment for sale with 60m2 roof terrace, outdoor dining area and jacuzzi. Panoramic sea views. Beach access via elevator. Private parking. Sold fully furnished.

View more Pals properties

Calella de Palafrugell

One of the most well known spots on the Costa Brava, Calella de Palafrugell is renowned its rocky coves, sandy beaches, excellent fish restaurants and stunning colonial style houses dotted along the pretty sea front promenade. With its relaxed, lazy atmosphere and beautifully protected sandy bays, the town is perfect for young families and a popular haunt for artists and writers. Its charm and tranquility are a world away from the boisterous and brash coastal resorts – such as Blanes and Lloret de Mar – on the southern end of the Costa Brava coastline. The coastline stretches some two kilometres south to El Golfet beach – part of the Cap Roig headland – where beautiful Botanical gardens are located and where the annual International Jazz Festival is held. Calella de Palafrugell has a number of beautiful small coves and, in common with the rest of this area of coastline, is linked to the neighboring villages by a beautiful coastal path. The first of the beaches at Calella de Palafrugell is ‘Canadell’ where Tragamar restaurant is situated on the beachfront and is open all year round.

If you are looking to view properties in Calella de Palafrugell check out:

Stunning 3-bedroom penthouse apartment with fantastic sea views

Exceptional 3 bedroom duplex apartment to buy one street away from Canadell beach

View more properties to buy in Calella de Palafrugell

Tamariu

With steep cliffs and pine covered hills reaching down to the Mediterranean, fabulous houses and open air restaurants lining the beautiful bay, Tamariu is a village re-visited by tourists year on year. Originally a small fishing village, Tamariu has successfully retained its individuality and charm. South-facing, Tamariu is also one of the most sheltered coves of the Costa Brava. The beach is clean and extends nearly all around the bay with shallow crystal clear water, ideal for swimming and snorkelling. It is also a popular diving site as there are many caves to explore along with the submerged mountain of the Llosa de Cala Nova. The name Tamariu comes from the presence of many Tamarisk trees along the promenade.

If you are looking to buy properties in Tamariu check out:

An exquisite 4-bedroom luxury Costa Brava villa with magnificent panoramic sea views

Modern 5-bedroom villa for sale with lovely sea views, located between the beaches of Aiguablava and Tamariu

View more properties to buy in Tamariu

AiguaBlava

For many, Aiguablava is the Costa Brava’s most perfect spot. It was here in in the early 20th Century that journalist Ferran Agullo first coined the term ‘Costa Brava’ (Rugged coast) as he viewed cliffs reaching down to a beautiful turquoise bay. Although Aiguablava (‘blue water’ in Catalan) has been ‘discovered’, it still remains a good place to experience the Costa Brava as it was before mass tourism took over in the more southern resorts.

Aiguablava boasts three beautiful beaches; Aiguablava Beach to the South and Platja Fonda to the North. Midway between sits Fornells, home to the famous AiguaBlava hotel, a small harbour and and a tiny cove. The surrounding hills are dotted with exclusive private villas, many of which are second homes, so there is a very low-key, peaceful atmosphere.

If you are looking to view properties in AiguaBlava check out:

Superbly restored Costa Brava villa for sale in an exceptional location offering exquisite sea views and complete privacy. Walking distance to Aiguablava beach. Private pool.

Newly constructed, contemporary style luxury villa for sale in an exclusive residential area in Aiguablava – sea views, large plot, 800m from the beach

View more properties to buy in AiguaBlava

For detailled information on any of the above properties please contact Tom Maidment on +34 6480982334 or by email Tom@lucasfox.com

New Real Estate Market Report for Costa Brava Q3 + Q4 2011

Read our latest real estate market report from Lucas Fox International Properties for Costa Brava.

The report covers analysis and comment on Q3/Q4 2011, and predictions for the coming two quarters.

Download the report for free below:

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Q3/Q4 2011 – Costa Brava Market Report`Your Name (required) Your Email (required)`

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Readers are invited to continue receiving up-to-date market reports from the Lucas Fox International Properties team – on our contact us page.

Subscribe to our blog for information on future updates and for the latest news on Barcelona real estate.

We produce individual reports all the areas we cover, Barcelona, Mallorca, Costa Brava, and Ibiza plus reports on commercial & investment properties and Country & Sporting Estates and Commercial Properties for the whole of Spain.

Parents eye Costa Brava properties

UK newspaper The Telegraph recently highlighted the superb Caldes de Malavella country house, one of the Lucas Fox Costa Brava properties recently – but this was more of an aside for an article that focused on another business: mumabroad, run by Carrie Frais, the wife of Lucas Fox Costa Brava Director Tom Maidment.

Relocating to Spain into a newly purchased Costa Brava property, for example, requires a good deal of planning and organization. This is double the case if you are relocating as part of a young family. We recently looked at some of the worries parents have for their children when relocating, with language being the chief cause of anxiety.

It is a perfect time to begin planning your relocation while you are still finalizing your property purchase. Several tasks do require some lead time, so planning relocation alongside your property acquisition can save time and even identify additional questions you can discuss with your Lucas Fox representative.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when you are relocating with young children:

Start investigating schools as soon as you have decided on a property purchase, especially if you are planning to send your children to an international school. For starters, review the website of your Consulate in Spain for their education advice pages and make contact with the council or agency that overseas their education services. For example, for UK residents, the British Embassy website recommends contacting the British Council to identify schools that provide an English-equivalent education.
Collect any administrative and education paperwork together for possible use in future school applications. You may be required to submit school reports or other documentation when applying.
As part of your property purchase, you will want to use this paperwork to register as a local resident with your town hall office. This is a necessary step before being able to enroll your children in school as well.
While young children will become bilingual easily, older children may need help with language learning at first. Consider whether you should hire a private tutor for your older children to assist them with their settling in.
Register for a Spanish-language class yourself! It will be a great support for your children if you are also able to communicate in Spanish.
Join internet discussion groups like www.mumabroad.com to get in touch with other parents who have relocated to Spain. You can build friendships, learn from others, and have a sense of instant community by participating in the online forums even before you leave your home country.

More young families are showing interest in Costa Brava properties lately thanks to the lifestyle the area can offer. Safety, great weather, beautiful surroundings and an accessibility to major civic centres all rate highly for families when looking at property in Costa Brava.

We also want to give a quick congratulations to Carrie Frais and her business partner Rebecca Laidlaw for creating the supportive and informative mumabroad website.

Costa Brava Properties and the Mysterious Landscape

The latest pride of the Dali Theatre-Museum in the northern Spanish town of Figueres, Landscape with Mysterious Elements, is now on exhibition, and makes a perfect stop-off when viewing Costa Brava properties. Purchased for close to 8 million Euros, the 1934 work by the world’s most recognized surrealist painter, Salvador Dali, is now displayed as part of the museum’s permanent collection.

The purchase is a coup for the museum, which is dedicated to promoting Dali’s works and his impact on the world art stage. In negotiations since 2004, the Museum was finally able to convince the previous owners that the painting would be better appreciated by a worldwide audience and more easily preserved in the pristine environment of the museum, rather than continue in the hands of the private collector.

Figueres is a northern town slightly inland from Spain’s stunning Costa Brava coastline, and makes a great rest point when inspecting the properties Costa Brava has to offer.

Costa Brava is expected to have a strong tourist season this year, as Spain continues to receive a surge in visitor numbers throughout the summer. This will bring holidaymakers to the area who are also interested in viewing the properties Costa Brava has available for sale, while travelling around the scenic landscape or when settling in to their holiday accommodation along the northern Spanish coast. Since the start of the year, airport passenger arrivals have been up by 20%, and this area is forecasted to see a sustained tourist increase of between 5 and 10% throughout the summer months.

Costa Brava properties home of Dali's museum

Viewing a new Dali acquisition makes an excellent sidetrip when inspecting Costa Brava properties

Landscape with Mysterious Elements is one of two significant works purchased by the Foundation this year, and will be on exhibition with the gallery’s other most recent acquisition, Study for ‘Honey is Sweeter than Blood’.

The Dali Theatre-Muesum makes a perfect excursion when holidaying in the area. There are also night exhibition opening hours throughout August. Visitors are encouraged to beat the queues and arrive early. If you are staying in the area while inspecting Costa Brava properties, a half-day at the Museum makes an excellent sidetrip and by arriving first thing, you can enjoy all that the Museum has to offer without the pressure of crowds limiting your viewing.

Luxury Villa for Sale, Costa Brava | LFCB542

Take a look at the video of this idyllic villa in the Costa Brava, near to the popular town of Begur:

and for a closer look, click through the images below:

Luxury house for sale near Girona, Spain | LFCB538

Take a look at the video of this truly luxurious country house near to Girona. Its fantastic reception rooms and impressive kitchens make it ideal for entertaining:

and for a closer look, take a look through the images below:

Exclusive Property for Sale in the Costa Brava, Spain | LFCB253

Take a look around this large 6 bedroom villa in the idyllic Costa Brava:

and to take a closer look through the pictures, click through the images below:

Luxury villa for sale in the Costa Brava, nr Begur | LFCB475

Take a look at this luxury villa; a newly completed property with a wonderful pool & sea views:

For a closer look at this stylish property, take a look through the pictures below:

Property for sale in Costa Brava, Spain | LFCB524

For the chance to wake up to a view overlooking the peaceful bay of Aiguafreda, in the Costa Brava; take a look at the video below for a taste of luxury:

and to have a closer look through some of the images of this property click below:

Q3/Q4 2011 – Costa Brava Market Report Your Name (required) Your Email (required)

Q3/Q4 2011 – Costa Brava Market Report`Your Name (required) Your Email (required)`