Looking back at this feature on the Costa de la Luz we can see that is was one of the more unfamiliar parts of the Spanish coastline, at least to foreign visitors. In the past 5 years not too much has changed, while there has been a growth in tourism and a number of new developments have appeared, this Costa still remains one of the most natural and unspoilt coastal areas to visit or live in Spain.
It is an incredible part of the coastline, the only southern area of Spain that faces the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Mediterranean Sea. The beaches stretch for miles with stunning white sand dunes and crystal clear waters. It's not quite a tropical paradise though, it's exposure to the Atlantic means the water can feel a little on the cool side and there is often a very strong wind. When the original feature said of Tarifa that it's "the windiest town", it was not wrong. On a recent visit there it was easy to see why windsurfers flock to the area, and flock they do, as I approached a popular spot I was taken aback by the sheer number of parasails that could be seen from a distance, the sky seemingly alive with colour!
I also thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the Doñana National Park, with well over one thousand square kilometres of protected natural reserve. The reserve is home to a number of endangered species and while I wasn't lucky enough to catch sight of the Spanish imperial eagle or Iberian Lynx, it was a great pleasure to spend some time there and a wonderful change of pace from beaches and windsurfing. The whole area is incredibly well kept and organised with plenty of planned walking and cycling routes.
The budget flights that had only just began in 2004 had become daily until recently, the flights are still regular though and this reduced number of flights is replicated on most budget routes with flights now every other day. The flight from Stansted to Jerez is a comfortable 2½-hours and normally arrives mid-evening, the coast is then just 40 minutes drive away.
Property prices here are very much on the high side, over half the Costa de la Luz properties - http://www.kyero.com/property_guide/55617-costa-de-la-luz-cadiz-property-guide - on Kyero are villas and this means the average price is weighted towards higher value properties and are currently some 91% above the national average. Being popular with the wealthy Spanish and those seeking a more relaxed holiday home away from the bustle of the package holiday costas means that bargains are hard to find, but apartments can be easily found for around 150,000 euros, even in desirable locations.
A quick glance at the latest Costa de la Luz holiday rentals - http://www.kyero.com/browse/cadiz-property-holiday-rental-loc11pag1ppp20slt2srt4 - shows a number of very well priced apartments to rent, from as low as 150 euros per week. Ideal for a windsurfing break or just to enjoy a part of Spain that's quite a bit different to the norm!
And on to the original feature, it's one of the earliest I've found and sometimes little changes, even after nearly 6 years - The Costa de la Luz, unlike on most of the other costas in Spain, has only fairly recently been discovered by the many northern Europeans looking to buy property in Spain. In the southern-most corner of Spain, the Costa de la Luz stretches from Huelva and the Portuguese border down to the port of Algeciras, the gateway to Africa and Tarifa the southernmost tip of Spain, also known as the windiest town and windsurfing capital of Europe. Best known for its unspoilt coastline and stunning stretches of beaches, the Costa de la Luz remains on the whole undeveloped and undiscovered, though is about to take another leap in popularity, given the recent arrival of Ryanair flights from London Stanstead to Jerez, the home of sherry and Spanish brandy.
Inland from the coast, the area is beautiful and tranquil and inland Costa de la Luz property is being bought up by many Brits looking for homes in the delightfully Spanish "pueblos blancos" such as Arcos de la Frontera or Vejer de la Frontera. The area is divided into two provinces: Huelva, still relatively undeveloped and offering the scenic hills of the Sierra Morena, the national parkland of the Coto Doñana and its unforgettable coastline, and Cadiz - see below. Property prices in the area are most definitely rising as more and more people are investing in Costa de la Luz property.
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