Explore Our Towns and Villages
There is a wide variety of locations within the Spanish Costa de Almeria. From Mojacar to Vera Playa, Garrucha and Los Gallordos to name a few. Click here for all the locations.
Our Area
Why Southern Spain is a Great Place to Live
Southern Spain boasts a number of hugely popular coastal areas on the Costa Almeria, Costa Tropical, Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz. These areas enjoy more than three hundred sunny days a year. The average annual temperatures are over 16°C (61°F). Andalusia is home to the cultural phenomena of flamenco, bullfighting and wonderful food.
Although the coastal areas of Southern Spain are probably the most popular, there are many not so known areas, located a short distance from this famous coastline that offers houses for sale at much more affordable prices. This area offers sun worshippers a wide variety from apartments to penthouses, rustic country houses to luxury villas, modern townhouses and exquisite cave houses for every taste and budget
The province of Almeria is becoming more and more popular due to its rugged landscape, stunning natural beauty and more affordable coastal and inland property. The most popular towns and villages include: Mojacar Playa, Vera Playa, Los Gallardos, Arboleas and Albox.
It has become a very sought after area due to its comprehensive infrastructure of leisure facilities, fast rail link to the rest of Spain, 11 golf courses that appeal to all levels of golfers. For families with children, there are many attractions including Hollywood theme parks, water parks, activity excursions, public parks and wonderful beaches.
Costa Almeria boasts 200 kilometres of relatively unspoilt, natural coastline. Its crystal clear waters and numerous nature reserves make this area extremely popular with water enthusiasts and scuba divers. The towns and villages that line this coast line are a mixture of well known tourist destinations and more exclusive hideaways.
It’s naturally dry and often barren landscape has made it home to many a spaghetti western. Almeria claims to be home to the most hours of sunshine and the lowest amount of rainfall in Europe.
The South Coast of Spain is home to five international airports: Malaga, Almeria, Alicante, Murcia and Gibraltar, each offering regular flights to all countries in Europe and the rest of the world.
Our Area
Our area is one of the less discovered parts of Spain and we do not have the massive development found in other areas. We are located in the southeast of the province of Almería, Andalusia, in southern Spain, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Our coastline is one of stunning beauty with fine sand beaches, seafront promenades, fishing ports, ragged rock seafronts, lots of lovely coves all stretching down the coast to the Cabo de Gata Natural Park. Here we have towns such as Mojacar, Garrucha, Vera Playa, Palomares and Villaricos all with their fabulous beaches, bars and restaurants. There are also many towns near the coast such as Vera, Turre, Los Gallardos, Bedar and Cuevas del Almanzora, very Spanish, all set back from the coast yet within easy reach. Then we have our inland areas with villages like Albox, Arboleas, Cantoria and Oria offering a lovely selection of village houses, farmhouses, cave-houses and villas all set in the beautiful Spanish countryside and again within easy reach of the coast.
This part of Almeria is very un-developed, yet with the excellent road system beach resorts are within easy travelling distance. Abundant in the area are lemon and orange groves along the dried riverbeds (ramblas), olive groves, almond trees, stunning when they are in blossom set in mountains which rise in the distance and which can be explored by car or off road on foot, horseback, motorbike or 4×4. The people are friendly, the sun shines most of the days of the year and the local food and wine is well worth trying. Obviously, there are many more towns and villages, here we are naming just a few.
For golfers there are 5 golf courses in the area, Valle del Este, Marina de la Torre, Desert Springs, Macenas Beach and Cortijo Grande and there are many other activities available. For families with children, there are many attractions including Hollywood theme parks, water parks, activity excursions, public parks and wonderful beaches. Costa Almeria boasts 200 kilometres of relatively unspoilt, natural coastline. Its crystal-clear waters and numerous nature reserves make this area extremely popular with water enthusiasts and scuba divers. The towns and villages that line this coastline are a mixture of well-known tourist destinations and more exclusive hideaways.
Our weather is simply fantastic, it’s naturally dry and the often barren landscape has made it home to many a spaghetti western. Our area has more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, the average annual temperature is around 28°c and winter is mild with temperatures of around 18°c. The best part of living here is not the fabulous summers with their blue skies, hot summer days and long warm evenings, it’s the superb winter days, fresh but with fabulous blue skies!
Communication is very good, the motorway is just a few kilometres away from most places, with Almeria airport at 90km, Corvera-Murcia at 130km and Alicante at 220km.
More Information
Indalo is human figure which served as a lucky talisman, and which conferred health and love to the owner of the figure.
Its origin goes back to prehistoric time, as Indalos have found at the cave “Cueva de los Letreros” on the hill of Maimun, Velez Blanco. The figure has the shape of a little man holding an arch. If we take into account that the paintings in that cave are all from Neolithic times, we should agree that the Indalo is also from prehistoric times. The primitive residence of the province adopted the indalo, so that as time passed, it become the symbol of this Area.
During those ancient times, the fisherman in the province used to have the symbol on their houses facades before going into the sea, in order to be protected against storms and to get plenty of fish. A theory about its origin, which is supported by some archaeologists, is that it was a prehistoric “Iberian” leader, and that he used to hold the rainbow between his open arms presumably this was the symbol on the union between man and the natural elements.
A
- Abogado – Lawyer
- Act de notoriedad – Legal act or document
- Acta notarial – Notary’s certificate (debts)
- Actos jurídicos documentados – Title registry
- Agrupación de Fincas – Group of country properties
- Aseroria – Accountant
- Alta catastral – Land registry inscription
- API (Agente de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria – Official estate agent
- Arrendamiento de obra – Building contract
- Asiento de presentación – Provisional property inscription at the land registry
B
- Banco – Bank
- Cuenta de Banco – Bank account
- Tarjeta de Banco – Bank card
- Boletin de enganche – Supply report. It contains information on how much power and water a property is allowed.
C
- Cargas – Land charges registered against the property
- Cancelacion – Cancellation
- Cédula de habitabilidad – Habitation certificate
- Certificado registral – Certificate showing debts attached to a property
- Certificación – Certification
- Certificado final de obra – Building completion certificate
- Código civil – Civil Rights
- Comisión de urbanismo – Building/Planning commission
- Comunidad de propietarios – Community of owners
- Condición resolutoria – Condition to concel a contract
- Contrato de opción – Optional contract, with the right to buy a property, mostly by paying 10% deposit
- Contracto privado de compraventa – Private purchase contract
- Copropietarios – Co-owner , when several persons own a property together
- Cuerpo cierto – Non variable condition. A condition that cannot be changed
- Cuota – Instalment, changes
D
- Declaración de obra nueva – New build certificate
- Demarcación de Costas – Coastal
- Derecho de retención – Deposit that you pay to the internal revenue office if you are not resident in Spain
- Deracho de superficie – Land management rights
- Deracho de tanteo/retracto – Purchasing Rights enables you to reserve an object to them later buy it or not
- Deposito – Deposit
E
- Edificabildad Máxima – Construction limits
- Embargo – Repossessions
- Escritura – Deeds
- Escritura publico de compraventa – Public sales deeds
F
- Finca – Country property
- Finca registrada – Registered country property
G
- Gestoria – Specialists used to obtain official authorisations, permits & licences
H
- Hacienda publica – Internal Revenue
- Hipoteca – Mortgage
I
- IBI (Impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles) – Real Estate Tax (Rates)
- Impuesto de actos jurídicos documentados – Documented legal acts tax, that is to be paid to lawyers
- Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales – Property Transfer Tax currently 8% levied at all re-sale property
- Impuesto sobre el incremento del valor de los terrenos – Tax on increase of land value
- Impuesto sobre el patrimonio – Wealth tax
- Impuesto sobre sucesiones y donaciones – Succession and gift tax
- Impuesto municipales – Local tax
- Información urbanística cédula – Urban planning department
- Institución de heredero – Appoint an inheritor
- IRPF – Income tax
- IVA – Value added tax (VAT) currently 10% levied at new property not yet registed
L
- Ley de arrendamientos urbanos – Local rental laws / Tenancies Act
- Ley de la propiedad horizontal – Horizontal property tax
- Ley del suelo – Floor area regulations
- Libre de cargas – Debt free
- Licencia de obras – Building Licence (building permission)
- Licencia de primera ocupación – First occupation licence
N
- NIE (número personal de identificación de Extranjeros – Foreigners personal identification Number
- NIF (número de identificación fiscal – Fiscal identity Number
- Nota simple – Information document on a property and its owner
- Nota simple informativa – Land registry certifícate – local searches
- Notario – Official authorised to certify contracts
O
- Obligación personal – Obligation to pay tax as a resident
- Obra nueva – New build
- Oferta vinculante – Bank document specifying mortgage conditions
- Ocupación Máxima – Maximum occupancy
P
- Parcela – Plot
- Permiso de obra menor – Minor builing permission
- Plan parcial – Urbanisation plan
- Pago en efectivo – Cash payment
- Planta – Floor or level
- Plusvalia – Municipal tax for increase value on land a property sits on
- Poder – Authorisation / Power of Attorney
- Prestamo / con techo – Loan / with variable interest rates minimuma & maximums
- Posesión – Possession
- Prestamo hipotecario – Mortgage loan
- Precio de venta – Sales price
- Procurador – Barrister
- Promotor – Promoter
- Propiedad – Property
- Propietario – Owner
R
- Recepción definitiva – Construction completion
- Registro de la propiedad – Land register
- Representante fiscal – Foreigners official tax representative
- Residencia – Residency permit – required for foreigners livig in Spain for more than 180 days per year
S
- Representante fiscal – Fiscal representative
- S.A. (Sociedad Anónima) – Association / Incorporation
- Saneamiento – Reconstruction
- Seguro multirriesgo hogar – Home insurance
- Seguro de amortizacion de prestamos – Loan repayments insurance
- Segregación de fincas – Country property positioning
- Señal – Deposit or down payment
- Separación a linderos – Distance between plots
- Servidumbre de tránsito – Accessibility
- Solar – Building Plot
- Subasta – Auction
- Suelo no urbanizable – Non buildable floor
- Suelo Rústico – Non permanente floor
- Suelo urbanizable – Building land or plot
- Suelo urbano – Urban area
T
- Tarjeta de residencia – Residence card
- Tasa de cambio – Exchange rate
- Tasa – Fee
- Titulo de propiedad – Title deeds stating the ownership of a property – date of sale etc
- Tipo de interes – Rate of interest
- Toma de posesión – Taking possesion
- Tasadores – Assessor required by the bank before granting a mortgage
- Tasación – Independent valuaton of a property
- Traspaco – Transfer
U
- Urbanización privada – Private Urbanisation
- Uso de oficinas – Office use
- Usucapión – When you get a plot for a time period awarded by the courts
- Usufructo – Rights of use
- UTM – Plot number at the land register
V
- Valor catastral – Land registry value for tax purposes
- Valor comprobado por la administración – Amount checked ny Internal Revenue
- Valor real – Real estate value
Z
- Zona de servidumbre de protección – Accessibility protected area
Consulates
- British · Alicante. 965 216 022. More info
- British · Malaga. 952 352 300. More info
- Irish · Malaga. 952 475 108. More info
British Embassy
- Madrid. 913 190 200. More info
- Passports. 807 429 026. More info
In Case of Emergency
- Emergencies (Police, Fire Brigade, & Civil Protection). 122
- Guardia Civil. 062
- Local Police. 092
- National Police. 091
- Fire. 080
- Ambulance. 061
- Coast Guard. 900 202 202
Local Police
- Albox. 950 121 080
- Carbonares. 950 136 136
- Cuevas del Almonzora. 950 456 489
- Garrucha. 950 460 012
- Mojacar. 950 472 000
- Vera. 950 390 010
Hospitals
- Huercal-Overa La Inmaculada. 950 029 000
- Almeria, Torrecardenas. 950 016 000
- Almeria, Virgen del Mar. 950 217 240
Electricity
- Sevillana Endesa. 902 509 509
- Sevillana Endesa – Breakdown. 902 516 516
Water
- Galasa. 950 391 200
- Gestagua (Albox) 950 120 649
Gas
- Repsol (Leaks) 901 121 212
ALBOX
Calle Rosario 1
04800 Albox
Phone: 950 120 908
ANTAS
Plaza de España 1
04628 Antas
Phone: 950 619 015
ARBOLEAS
Plaza de España 1
04660 Arboleas
Phone: 950 449 430
BEDAR
Plaza de la Constitución 1
04288 Bedar
Phone: 950 469 277
CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA
Plaza de la Constitución 1
04610 Cuevas Del Almanzora
Phone: 950 456 488
GARRUCHA
Plaza Malecón 1
04630 Garrucha
Phone: 950 460 058
HUERCAL OVERA
Avda/ Guillermo Reina 7
04600 Huercal Overa
Phone: 950 134 900
LOS GALLARDOS
Calle Major 65
04280 Los Gallardos
Phone: 950 469 000
LUBRIN
Plaza de la Constitución 1
04271 Lubrin
Phone: 950 477 001
MOJACAR
Plaza del Ayuntamiento 1
04638 Mojácar
Phone: 950 615 009
SAN JUAN
Plaza Constitución 1
04003 San Juan
Phone: 950 210 000
SORBAS
Plaza de la Constitución 1
04270 Sorbas
Phone: 950 364 701
TURRE
Paseo de la Rambla 44
04639 Turre
Phone: 950 479 011
VERA
Plaza Mayor 1
04620 Vera
Phone: 950 393 016
ZURGENA
Calle Mesón s/n
04650 Zurgena
Phone: 950 449 006
It’s hard to believe, but there is skiing in southern Spain, The natural park of the Sierra Nevada and its mountains expend over the provinces of Granada and Almeria and skiing resort itself is purpose built just for skiing. The resort itself comprises of hotels, and apartments at the base of the first series of lifts.
The resort is not traditionally Spanish nor does appear to resemble an Alpine resort. It is what it is and if you are looking for skiing in southern Spain this is the place. The feel of the place is friendly and welcoming with good food, bars, quaint shops and elegant hotels climbing the mountain side.
It’s Europe’s most southern ski resort, where the ski season generally runs from November to April. If unfortunately on your visit it does not snow (don’t panic) Sierra Nevada has one Europe’s most advanced snowmaking machines for this very reason. On a clear day you can see the peaks from the coast of Africa, and vice versa while you are skiing down the mountains.
Sierra Nevada is also very popular with climbers and hikers. Several mountain specialized companies offer guided tours through the natural park and up to the peaks of the beautiful mountains. Apart from skiers and snowboardersat the resort, the park and mountains are popular with hikers, climbers and birdwatchers
Almeria offers ten challenging golf courses, nine of them are 18 hole, and one 9 hole. Some of these golf course are inspired by the famous golf courses in Arazona and California, which are Desert Springs and Valle del Este. Almeria is split into two main golfing areas Close to Almeria City, Almeria International airport and the tourist resorts of Aguadulce, you will find 4 golf courses, La Envia, Playa Serena Golf, Alboran Golf and Almerimar.
North of Almeria City and close to the tourist resort of Mojacar, you will find 5 golf courses; Marina de la Torre, Playa Macenas, El Cortijo Grande, Desert Springs and Valle del Este Resort. A little further north at the beautiful tourist resort of San Juan de los Terreros you will find Aguilon Golf.
Almerimar Campo de Golf is located in Almerimar, El Ejido, Almeria. This golf course offers excellent sports facilities as well as apartment and hotels. Address: Avda. Julián Laguna, 1 Urb. Almerimar • 04711 Almería. Tel: (+34) 950 49 70 07 • Fax: (+34) 950 49 71 46
Alboran is located in the city of Almeria, with 66 strategically situated bunkers. Address: C/ de los Juegos de Barcelona s/n Urbanización El Toyo, 04131 El Retamar, ALMERÍA. Tel / Fax: (+34) 950 20 85 83
La Envia Golf in Vicar is located in an authentic scenic lookout to the sea in the midst of the Sierra de Vicar, with ita 18 holes curving through the valley with mountains to the East and West protecting it from the wind, creating optimum conditions for this sport. Tel: +34 950 55 96 56 – Fax: +34 950 55 96 42 More info
Playa Serena Club de Golf in Roquetas de Mar and rated as the flattest golf course in all of Spain. Its holes are easy to play with the main difficulty being the long holes and the design of greens. Address: Urb. Playa Serena, 04740 Roquetas de Mar, Almeria. Tel: (+34) 950 333 055 Fax: (+34) 950 333 055 More info
Desert Springs in Cueves del Almanzora. The first European golf course with an Arozona-desert style which offers a real challenge to any golfer. All in a very particular landscape of huge cactus, rocks and dry river beds. Address: C/ Baria, S/N 04616 Cuevas Del Almanzora, España Tel: (+34) 950 467 104 More info
Marina Golf in Mojacar is modern with 18 holes, par 71 plus par of pitch and putt with a singular and unique driver swing on the 4th hole. Address: Club Marina Golf Mojacar, Avda. del Mar 4, Marina de la Torre, Mojacar, 04368, Almeria. Telephone: (+34) 950 133 235 More info
CURRENTLY CLOSED | Cortijo Grande in Turre Address: Urbanización del Cortijo Grande, S/N, 04639 Turre, España Tel: (+34) 950 479 176
Valle del Este Golf Resort in Vera is an 18 hole golf course located in a high luxury complex with swimming pools, gym, restaurants, bars and sport fields. Address: Valle del Este, 04620, Vera, Almeria. Tel: (+34) 950 548 600
CURRENTLY CLOSED | Macenas Beach Golf Resort in Majacar The Playa Macenas Beach & Golf Resort. Address: Carretera Mojacar- Carboneras Km 15, Paraje Cortijo Blanco s/n 04638 – Mojacar, Almería, Spain. Tel: (+34) 950 548 240
Aguilon Golf in San Juan de los Terreros is a 18 hole course. Address: Urbanización Mundo Aguilon, s/n, 04648 Pilar de Jaravía, Pulpí, Almería, Spain. Tel: (+34) 950 109 518
Not many people know this outside of Almeria. but this province has been a favoured location for many Hollywood films most famously The Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns such as “The Good the Bad and the Ugly”, “Fist Full of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More”.
Sergio Leone discovered the area during the 60’s. Since then, this area is practically synonym for movies all over the world. It would be hard to find anyone who hasn’t seen and admired these settings in one film or another. Texas Hollywood is still the chosen spot for many filmmakers to film, TV, commercials, videos and much much more. Even if you’ve been to Arizona or Texas, you’ll barely be able to tell the difference. And you can find it all here, in Europe
The Film industry has been present here for many years now and a cottage industry of Theme Parks and Film location excursions have grown up around the films filmed here. For example; Theme Parks such as the Oasis formally know as Mini Hollywood wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for the likes of Sergio Leone choosing Almeria for its resemblance of Texas to do his filming.
It’s fair to say, If Clint Eastwood (a struggling TV star of Rawhide fame at the time) wouldn’t have become the international film star (that he later became) if he hadn’t’t chosen to come to Almeria to star in The Sergio Leone Spaghetti western films which were hugely received by critics and film fans alike on their release in the United States. The films today still retain a very strong cult following and are in my all time top ten of favourite movies.
Other films have also used the wonderful backdrop of the desert scenery such as “Cleopatra”, “Laurence of Arabia”, “Patton”, Never Say Never Again (James Bond), “Empire of the Sun” and more recently “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. Arnold Schwarzenegger I believe also filmed “Conan the Barbarian” here.
The climate is the driest and the warmest in mainland Spain and the inland scenery can be quite spectacular when you first visit this rugged and beautiful part of inland Spain.
More films, or part of films that have been film here:
Shalako, Once upon a time in the west, the return to treasure island, king of kings, How I won the war, Doctor Zhivago, The Magnificent seven, Fort Bravo, El Cid, Cleopatra, Tubruk, 2001 a space odyssey, The valley of Gwangi, Zorro, The four feathers, Valentino, Mad Max III and Sexy Beast to mention but a few
Check the Currency Rate Quickly
Don’t spend too much on currency exchange. We have years of experience and can get you the best deals and value for money you can find. Check out Currency Exchange for more information.