Head away from the coast into the wide-open spaces of Inland Spain, and you could find a truly authentic bargain  

How many dreams of a home in Spain include a pool and a Mediterranean vista? Plenty, no doubt – though many more centre around a little piece of rustic south European heaven or a handsome townhouse in a ‘real’ Spanish town.

Even as the property market in Spain slows down there are areas of the country that are bucking the trend. Many have been, until now, off the radar as far as Spanish buyers are concerned, let alone foreigners: towns and villages so remote that the population has spent the last half century getting out, not rushing in.
But a lot of expats are looking for something different – remote or picturesque or unspoilt. Which is why you can turn up at a little town in Teruel province, or Extremadura or a tiny hamlet in the north of Granada province and discover that a British couple moved in last year and, yes, they love it here.

Of course, cost is a factor. “Price is the biggest driver when British people buy inland, though not the only one,” says Martin Dell of property portal kyero.com. “People are very keen on that authentic Spanish ‘experience’ too. What happens is that someone finds an ‘undiscovered’ town where property happens to cost very little, moves in, tells their friends and before you know it prices have increased and there’s a healthy foreign presence.”

This selection may not represent the 10 areas with best growth over the past year or so, but it does look at towns and regions where the market is buoyant and doesn’t appear to be in imminent danger of reversing.
It might also bring some inspiration if you’re looking for that little corner of ‘real’ Spain – though you might find British neighbours seeking the same thing when you get there.

Read our full article about Spain's inland property hot-spots in our June 2008 issue.