Botanical gardens on the Costa Brava
5/12/2015
People flock to the Costa Brava for its beaches, warm seas and relaxed lifestyle every year but there's more to its natural offerings to be found in the botanical gardens dotted along the coast. A perfect day out from a holiday home on the Costa Brava, the botanical gardens of Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar, Pinya de Rosa in Blanes, Marimurtra, also in Blanes, and Cap Roig in Palafrugell offer the opportunity to see tropical plants, water features and of course, to relax on a hot day. The botanical gardens at Santa Clotilde were designed in the style of the gardens of the Italian Renaissance by Nicolau Rubió i Tuduri during the Noucentista period in Catalonia's art history. Rubió i Tuduri took advantage of the steep location and rocky landscape to create a garden which gives impressive views over the bay in Lloret de Mar. Marimutra was created in 1920 and is home to over 4,000 species of plants and fauna. With a focus on Mediterranean plants but also boasting plant species from sub-tropical countries in southern Africa and Central America, there is a vast collection of cacti, a lake and the Linnaeus temple which is the ideal place within the gardens to look out to sea. Pinya de Rosa was once the home of industrial engineer Fernando Riviere de Caralt who purchased the land in 1945 before developing its 50 hectare surface area to include the features they have today. Nowadays there are over 7,000 plant species at Pinya de Rosa and the collections of yucca, agave, opuntias and aloes are recognised as some of the best collections in the world of such species. Cap Roig occupies an area of 17 hectares and was originally constructed with a castle and park in 1927. Located with breathtaking views out to sea, it is home to both native Spanish plants and international species which run in a terraced format from the castle to the sea. Highlights include the Cactus Garden and Geranium Walk as well as sculptures by local and international artists. Cap Roig is also home to a fantastic music festival which takes place throughout July and August every year, with major international artists taking to the stage on a warm summer's evening. If you own a home or want to buy a property for sale on the Costa Brava, it is definitely worth visiting these beautiful gardens whether you want a change of scenery, or simply wish to learn more about indigenous or tropical plants. Sources: lloretdemar.org Spain.info Marimurtra.cat Spain.info Pinya-de-rosa.es Spain.info Independent.co.uk Caproigfestival.com
Spain: a golfer's paradise
4/20/2015
Good year-round climate, the large volume of interesting golf courses and high standards of accommodation make Spain a magnet for golfers. The country remains a top destination for holidaymakers and foreigners seeking a permanent or second home. Many of the country’s 50 million visitors each year are raring to hit the golf courses. And it’s not surprising with so many great courses to choose from. According to the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, there are over 500 and many more are planned across the mainland, the Canary and Balearic islands. Courses are well maintained and designed to suit all standards of play with green fees to please different pockets. Most are located around major cities and in the main tourist areas including Europe’s biggest concentration of golf courses - on the Costa del Sol from Malaga to Cadiz, nicknamed the ‘Costa del Golf’ - where there’s even a floodlit course (the Dama de Noche) open around the clock. Many courses are in picturesque settings with views of spectacular coastline, pine-scented forests or mountaintops, with many linked with real-estate developments. Properties on or near golf clubs sometimes offer golf shares, free rounds, reduced green fees and even free golf for life. Some clubs have weekly rates and offer reductions to groups, senior citizens and couples. You can rent golf clubs, trolleys or buggies and a buggy might be advisable on some courses built on difficult, hilly terrain. Clubs usually have a professional shop, driving range, practice putting and pitching area, golf instruction, changing rooms and restaurants. Spain truly is a golfer’s paradise with so many areas and courses to choose from. Airports on the Costa Brava and Costa Blanca give easy access to courses, Almeria boasts a warm, dry, Mediterranean climate, the Costa del Sol’s courses practically border each other for the entire length of the coastline and the relatively inexpensive area of Cadiz is reached easily from Faro Airport in Portugal. If you want a break from the greens, you can go shopping, visit a theme park, explore Spain’s culture, architecture, traditional towns and villages, miles of beaches and mountain trails or try a water sport. The options are endless. Whether you wish to live permanently, buy a second home, or are looking to rent, details of properties available for purchase and rental can be found on our website: ImmoVario.com. Further reading: A guide to playing golf in Spain:- Teetimesanywhere.com Information on Spanish clubs and facilities:- Costablanca.angloinfo.com
New property offer in the South of Spain!
4/13/2015
Again we would like to introduce to you the offer of 2 new estate agents in the South of Spain and one in the Costa Brava we recently added to ImmoVario.com. Because of this we have new and interesting offers for you again. It is about property in the Costa Blanca: Torrevieja and surroundings, property for sale in Almería and property for sale in the Costa Blanca. These are our new partners. Click on the links here below to see their nice offer on our site. Belspain Company (Torrevieja) Medalmar (Palomares) LocaRosas (Rosas, Empuriabrava) Super easy to contact these agents through ImmoVario, because if you select a property on our site you can ask for more information via the contactform. This message is being send directly to the corresponding estate agent. The agent can respond directly to you again and give you more information about the property and help you out with any further issue. As mentioned earlier, in our main menu you can find an overview of all the Spanish real estate agents who are connected to ImmoVario by clicking at "Estate agents" and make further selections of for example estate agents in the Costa Brava, estate agents in the Costa Blanca, estate agents in Torrevieja, etcetera. It´s quite easy to have a look at the offer of the separate agents like this.
Las Fallas in Valencia, a must-see event
3/28/2015
If you own a property here already or you're thinking of buying a property for sale in the Costa Blanca or a property for sale in the Costa de Valencia, then you simply must visit Valencia's biggest annual event whilst you are there. Las Fallas (or Les Falles) comes from the Latin meaning to torch, and that is exactly what happens at the end of this city-wide party. From the 1st to the 19th March every year, the city celebrates an event that has been taking place for centuries, culminating in a massive firework and bonfire display to get rid of the old and welcome in the new life of Spring. Las Fallas sees the city take on a new appearance, with enormous puppets crafted from papier maché , wire and wood placed around the city in its different neighbourhoods. Key to each of the puppets is satire and fun. For the kids there are famous cartoon characters but for the adults, there's often a more sceptical side to the puppets with politicians and political comment woven, often blatantly, into the message of each puppet. In recent years comment has related to the Spanish heads of state and even giant sized models of Obama have been known to feature. For the duration of the festival, there is a daily event that gets the wheels of the Fallas parties in motion. At 2pm, the town hall sets off the mascletà, a series of gunpowder explosions which indicates that it's time to enjoy the sunshine, a meal with friends or tapas as the party gets underway. The celebrations really get going from the 15th to the 19th March, which is when the puppets are erected in every neighbourhood and the firework displays start. At midnight on each of these days, people gather to watch the fireworks on the Paseo de la Alameda. On the 17th and 18th March the Ofrenda de Flores takes place as girls from the local falleras groups give flowers to Our Lady of the Forsaken in the square near the city's cathedral. Of course, the festival has to end, and it does so with a big bang! On the 19th March, La Crema takes place. This is the enormous firework display and the burning of the puppets – the final end to the festival with parties throughout the day and well into the night. Valencia is easily accessible from houses located on the Costa de Valencia by car and from the Costa Blanca by both car and train. Sources: Visitvalencia.com Foxnews.com
New agents: new offer!
3/10/2015
Again we would like to introduce to you the offer of 3 new estate agents we recently added to ImmoVario.com. Because of this we have new and interesting offers for you again. It is about property in Begur and surroundings, Platja d´Aro and surroundings and property for sale in Empuriabrava. These are our new partners. Click on the links here below to see their offer on our site. Casa Begur Best of Brava Homes ImmoNova Super easy to contact these agents through ImmoVario, because if you select a property on our site you can ask for more information via the contactform. This message is being send directly to the corresponding estate agent. The agent can respond directly to you again and give you more information about the property and help you out with any further issue. As mentioned earlier, in our main menu you can find an overview of all the Spanish real estate agents who are connected to ImmoVario by clicking at "Estate agents" and make further selections of for example estate agents in the Costa Brava, estate agents in the Costa Blanca, estate agents in Begur, etcetera. It´s quite easy to have a look at the offer of the separate agents like this.
Platja d'Aro - from a small fishing village to ...
3/4/2015
Originally a small fishing village, Platja d'Aro is now a leading, cosmopolitan holiday destination famous for its golden sandy beaches and beautiful, quiet and intimate coves, crystal clear water and exquisite scenery. Offering a mixture of sport, culture and leisure in an idyllic setting, it successfully co-exists with the neighbouring town of S’Agaró and the medieval town of Castell-Platja d'Aro, which was awarded the prestigious and coveted Family Holiday Destination award by the Catalan Tourist Board (i). Tourism is a major source of income for the town and to satisfy demand many hotels, apartments, houses and villas have been built to accommodate the rising number of visitors to this spectacular resort. Platja d'Aro is centrally situated in the Costa Brava, a coastal region in the province of Girona which forms part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. With a combination of rugged cliffs, beautiful countryside, delightful fishing villages and seaside towns with secluded coves and long sandy beaches, this region is easily the most picturesque of Spain's Costas. It is famed for its interesting and delicious food and abundance of traditional festivals, as well as music festivals covering all styles from pop and rock to jazz, flamenco and classical. With eight impressive beaches and coves within the town's vicinity, La Platja Gran being the largest and most popular with over two kilometres of coarse golden sand, excellent shopping facilities and a vast array of restaurants and cafes, Platja d'Aro is capable of accommodating the differing tastes and requirements of its many visitors, ensuring the perfect holiday environment throughout the year. Highlights of the extensive events programme (ii) include the Carnival which is held in February, the Medieval Market of Castell-Platja d'Aro and the Fiesta de Platja d'Aro, both of which are held in August, and the popular October Beer Festival. The Benedormiens Castle (iii) at Castell-Platja d'Aro regularly holds art exhibitions and cultural events. In addition, the Port d’Aro Yacht Club (iv) has an extensive programme of regattas and activities throughout the year. Just 35 minutes drive from Girona Airport (GRO) and one and a half hours drive from Barcelona Airport (BCN), Platja d'Aro is easily accessible. A good, comprehensive and reliable public transport network operates in the area (v). Whether you are looking to live in Platja d'Aro or rent holiday accommodation in the area, ImmoVario can assist with all your requirements. Our informative, easy to use website immoVario.com gives details of available properties for sale in Platja d´Aro and to rent, together with details of land for sale in Platja d'Aro. References and acknowledgements: (i) Catalan Tourist Board Family Holiday Destination award (FHD) (ii) Platja d'Aro Tourist Board (iii) Benedormiens Castle - Platja d'Aro Tourist Board (iv) Port d'Aro Yacht Club (v) Public Transport: Train: www.renfe.com; Bus: www.sarfa.com
Searching for property - Use our Search Service
2/9/2015
One of the navigation buttons on our website is to get to our "Search Service". When you click on it, it says: Do you want to be kept informed about new offers that might satisfy your wishes? Then fill in this form. If you do so you will automatically receive e-mails from then on, that will inform you of the newest offers. At any time you can always change your search criteria and also unsubscribe from the Search Service. We know that a lot of clients are really fond of this option; lots of people make use of it. It is so easy because you will receive any new introduced property which corresponds to your search criteria in your mail, even at the same day as it has been introduced on the website! Tip: Next to this you can also allow ImmoVario to send your search criteria to the estate agents in the area that you choose, so that they can actively help you with your search, send you any options that they think might suit best with your wishes and start actively comunicating with you about it. For our English speaking clients we also made it possible to ask for help with their currency exchange, in case they would need to do so. When buying property in Spain, it may save you a lot money if you do your homework well on this subject. Even better: somebody else can do this homework for you!!!
Newly added Spanish estate agents: Extra property!
1/22/2015
We would like to introduce to you the offer of 4 new estate agents we recently added to ImmoVario.com. Because of this we have new and interesting offers for you again. It is about property in the Costa Brava (with especially newly added property for sale in Begur and surroundings) and property in Empuriabrava (for sale and for rent), property in the Costa del Maresme - including various very nice apartments for sale in Barcelona! - and newly added property for sale in Mallorca. These are our new partners. Click on the links here below to see their offer on our site. Alliance Real Estate Brava Home Standing Attitude Services SweetHome Costa Brava The first clients already found their way to these agents through ImmoVario! Super easy, because if you select a property on our site you can ask for more information via the contactform. This message is being send directly to the corresponding estate agent. The agent can respond directly to you again and give you more information about the property and help you out with any further issue. In our main menu you can find an overview of all the Spanish real estate agents who are connected to Immovario by clicking at "Estate agents" and make further selections of for example estate agents in the Costa Brava, estate agents in the Costa Blanca, estate agents in Begur, etcetera. It´s quite easy to have a look at the offer of the separate agents like this.
Buying Property in Spain
1/15/2015
Understanding the Spanish property market is a prerequisite to successfully landing good deals when hunting for property. The Spanish market has its own peculiar quirks and nuances. Property prices are at a 10-year low and there is a glut of properties being sold so as a buyer you are in luck. Some of the factors that a property buyer has to look out for when searching for property to buy include: avoiding property scams and fluctuations in the Spanish property market. The Current Spanish Property Market The current Spanish property market is very different from the way it was about 5 years ago. Spain was badly hit by the global economic meltdown of 2008 and consequently property prices plummeted badly. Spanish property prices are about 30% off their pre-crisis level with some regions doing even worse than that. As such, the blanket low prices can be a boon to new arrivals since properties are much more affordable. More than 80% of Spanish people own their own homes with 50% of the population owning property outright with no mortgages. Many sellers are looking to recoup their investment and trying to negotiate good deals can sometimes result in long-drawn haggling. However, with so many properties to choose from, you should have no trouble at all finding the property of your choice. Should you buy or rent in Spain? Spanish people prefer buying property as opposed to renting but with so many properties to choose from, your choices are wider. Prices for properties in desirable locations such as city centre properties are quite similar to what you would find in other large European countries such as Germany, Ireland or Belgium. With the Swiss Bank predicting that prices might continue falling in many locations and might bottom-out or even rise in prime locations, now might be a good time to go shopping. The transaction costs of selling and buying properties in Spain are moderate - around 11.5% of property value. Although Capital gain tax in Spain can be a bit steep, the prevailing low property prices more than make up for this cost item. Can Foreigners buy property in Spain? Absolutely. There are no restrictions whatsoever that hinder foreigners from buying property in Spain whether it’s residential or commercial. In fact, Spain actively encourages investments by both residential and non-residential foreigners. All you require when buying property in Spain is a financial number which you can acquire by visiting a police station with a passport. The number is issued within the day for Spanish and EU citizens and a few weeks for people from other regions. Finding property to buy in Spain You can find property for sale in Spain by visiting the numerous websites of individual real estate agencies of course. Much easier however is to make use of our international online portal ImmoVario, with thousands of property listings. With the right arrangements next it’s possible to buy a home and move right in before you´ll know! So, just take the first step and start your search overhere on ImmoVario.
Welcome at ImmoVario´s first blog!
1/15/2015
Welcome at the first blog of ImmoVario. As we have more then 7 years experience now in presenting the most interesting real estate for sale in Spain it is about time to share our knowledge with you. And of course not only our knowledge but also the knowledge of the 108 real estate agencies which have joined us in these years. Our objective is to present holiday property for sale in Spain to you in an easy way. It is nice to have an overview of the offer of local agencies, instead of having to scroll down endlessly on every single website. We present the houses for sale in your own language. Next to holidayhouses and apartments (existing and new construction properties) we present land for sale (terrains, building plots). Did you already know that ImmoVario has it´s own Facebook site as well with already 1778 followers? Regularly you can find nice tips here as well! After living in Spain for some years you learn what the most interesting subjects can be for people who are new to a region. Of course getting to know the nice local restaurants is super; we notice that people who have a second residence in Spain are always giving each other suggestions about this subject. But also how do you insure your house over here and what about the health care are important issues for instance. Besides from sharing our personal experiences with you, our idea with this blog is to give a platform to other people to present their knowledge and experience to you. You will regularly find articles here that will be interesting to read if you are orientating yourself on the second home market in Spain! Your ImmoVario-team.