Spain holiday homes: Which nationalities favour which coastal regions?

The Spanish coastline is almost 5,000 km long.

 

It has long been at the top of the list for foreigners searching for a holiday home abroad, but different regions are popular depending on the nationality of second-home owners or renters.

 

Based on website visits from June, the Spanish real estate portal Idealista shows the areas that are most popular among holidaymakers from different countries, whether they are looking to buy or rent.

 

Germans

 

Germans represent the largest foreign group in 127 Spanish towns and villages, mostly on the country’s islands. They tend to search for properties in Mallorca, where in some towns demand from Germans surpasses that of locals. In fact, Germans make up over 60% of website visits for properties in towns like Cala d’Or, Cala Ratjada and Santanyi.

 

 

British

 

Brexit has not stopped UK buyers buying homes in Europe and Spain continues to be the top holiday location for Brits, who represent the largest foreign population in 193 Spanish coastal towns.

 

Their favourite region is, unsurprisingly, the sunniest place in Spain: the Costa del Sol. Estepona, Torremolinos and Marbella are among the most popular towns, but they are also keen on houses for sale in Ibiza, particularly in the eastern coastal town of Santa Eulalia del Río.

 

 

Americans

 

The area around Barcelona is popular among Americans, who are particularly interested in buying houses in the coastal towns of El Masnou or Sant Andreu de Llavaneres.

 

However they are also fond of towns in other provinces across the country, like Vizcaya, Cádiz and La Coruña. Interestingly, Americans represented over 50% of website visits for houses in Los Silos, a town in the northwestern part of the island of Tenerife.

 

French

 

The French seem to prefer to stay closer to home, with most of their searches located on the Costa Brava, in the northern province of Gerona.

 

Roses, Tossa de Mar, L’Escala or Sant Feliu de Guíxols are favourite spots. However some do venture further down the coast to the Valencia region, where towns like Meliana, Miramar or Cullera are popular.

 

Italians

 

Italians continue to manifest a keen interest in the Balearic Islands, specifically Formentera and Ibiza. But the more adventurous also venture to Fuerteventura in the Canary islands, in villages like La Oliva, San Bartolomé or Puerto del Rosario.

 

Swiss

 

The Swiss seem to be partial to the lush greenery and sweeping coastal views of Galicia, with a particular interest in the towns around the port city of La Coruña. However, they also concentrare in the town of Gualchos in Granada, where demand from Swiss residents is higher than from national buyers.

 

Swedish

 

The beach-side properties of Nerja in the Costa del Sol are in high demand among Swedes, who represent 63% of website visits to properties in this area in June, compared to 37% by Spaniards. They are also keen on the little resort town of Torrevieja, located on a strip of land between a lake and the Mediterranean in the province of Alicante.

 

For more close up details you can click here for Idealista's interactive map.