Four reasons for buying a property on the Costa Tropical
There are many reasons why one should consider buying a property on the Coast of Granada, known as the Costa Tropical. Cumbre Villas has listed the four main reasons why we think that this Spanish coast is the ideal place to own a property. A haven to live all year round.
1. Unspoilt Spanish coast
The fact that the Costa Tropical of Granada is small and peaceful and doesn’t have much high-rise construction or mass tourism is a major plus to our clients looking to buy a villa in Andalusia. This coast has been a well-kept secret for years and very much appeals to discerning travellers as it is still very Spanish. In fact, you will find that it is very helpful to speak Spanish here.
Over time, the area will develop further, but the development will be controlled and tasteful. The local council has seen the mistakes made by other towns, such as Fuengirola and Marbella, and they are determined to grow wisely. The provincial board, known as the Junta de Andalucía, is now playing an active role in ensuring that the mass construction that has taken place in other parts of Andalusia, especially on the Costa del Sol, doesn’t continue. This means that the Costa Tropical will remain a wonderful place to live.
2. The sea views
One of the major reasons that people choose to buy property in the Costa Tropical is because of the exceptional views to the sea, the mountains, and the beautiful sunsets and sunrises. Many places have a sea view, but we haven’t found a view this beautiful anywhere else in Spain. As most of the houses here are built on the hillside communities along the coast, you can enjoy superb panoramic sea views from almost all the villas we have for sale, yet they are very close to the shore.
In Salobreña, in particular on Urbanization Monte de los Almendros, we have uninterrupted views to the sea, the mountains, the picturesque Moorish castle and the beach front. Since the castle and the beach front are illuminated at night, the view is equally appealing in the evening. La Herradura on the other hand, is famous for the beautiful colours of the sky when the sun rises on the horizon and when it sets behind the natural park of Cerro Gordo. Almuñécar offers great views to its castle and “El Peñon” on the left, while on the right you can enjoy the stunning views to Punta de la Mona and Marina del Este.
3. The tropical weather
The climate also plays a large role in people’s decision to purchase property on this Spanish coast. The Costa Tropical has the warmest winters in mainland Europe thanks to the shelter that is provided by the mountains that surround us. The climate is considered subtropical, hence the name “Costa Tropical”, with an average annual temperature between 18º (in winter) and 28º (in summer) and more than 325 days a year of sun.
Our favourite season is actually winter, as the days are warm and sunny and the skies are crystal clear. The fact that it is possible to ski in the morning in the Sierra Nevada, and relax on the beach in the afternoon is also a big selling point.
4. Value for money
Andalucía is the largest of Spain’s autonomous regions and is normally accountable for nearly 1 in 5 of all property purchases in Spain on a yearly basis, however, most of the properties sold are located in the province of Málaga, more specifically on the Costa del Sol, and not in the province of Granada. The Costa Tropical is still a hidden gem and offers good value for money. Since there is actually a shortage of quality, individually designed villas in this desirable location, prices for the type of properties we sell aren’t very likely to decline.
Investment potential of the Costa Tropical
In recent years, there are several developments that took place, and there are some more interesting developments that will happen in the near future, which will make the Costa Tropical an even more attractive place to invest. Some of which are the following:
The Autovía del Mediterráneo motorway
The most important development that increased the value of properties on the Costa Tropical was the completion of the motorways along the east and south coast of Spain from Barcelona to Cádiz, and the motorway of Granada itself.
In 2009, the motorway from the capital of Granada to the coast was completed. This made Madrid, the airport of Granada, the city of Granada with its Alhambra Palace and the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada even closer to the Costa Tropical. It currently takes 40 minutes to reach the Alhambra and the city, 55 minutes to reach the airport and 70 minutes to the ski slopes. This makes it a viable option for people working in Granada to live on the coast to enjoy the better climate and quality of life here.
In 2015, the last part of the Autovía del Mediterráneo/A7 in the province of Granada was opened, herewith completing this section of the highway in Andalusia. It is now possible to get from Salobreña to the airport of Málaga in under an hour. For those of you who need to travel frequently, this makes commuting much easier. That also means that the N340 is now only being used by local traffic, providing tremendous relief to the area.
The completion of the Autovía del Mediterráneo/A7 to the Granada-road and to Almeria, places the Costa Tropical at a very strategic point between Málaga, Granada and Almeria.
New marina
In 2021, the Costa de Granada has approved the plans to build 3 new marinas that will add 2,000 moorings to the province Granada, where we have less than 500 moorings in total, compared to for example the province Málaga with almost 5,000 moorings. This is very good news as the Costa Tropical is in need of additional mooring space since both the marinas in Motril and Marina del Este in La Herradura have reached their maximum capacity. The dozens of previous projects to add more moorings to the Costa Tropical were called off due to the economic crisis in 2008 or due to urban planning regulations.
Two of these marinas will be private, the ones in Almuñécar and Playa Granada, the one in Motril will be developed by the Port Authority of Motril. The project of the Port of Motril is the one which, a priori, is taking the lead into provoking a tourist revolution on the Costa Tropical with a dock, surrounded by commercial and leisure facilities, similar to Malaga's Muelle Uno. If everything turns out as expected, these three harbours will be a reality in 2026.
Rental potential
Potential rental income is an important factor to bear in mind when making your purchase decision especially if you are planning on only using your home in the winter or for periodic holidays. Many of our villas for sale are currently successful holiday rentals. These villas earn significant returns that cover a good portion of the mortgage costs and ongoing expenses.
Since the beginning of the COVID-pandemic crisis, property prices in Spain increased with 5%. In 2021, Andalusia had a return on rental income of approximately 6.0%, which is lower than the national average of around 6.5% – dragged down by the province Málaga (4.9%). The province Granada (7.6%) is placed is in the top 4 Spanish provinces with the highest return-on-investment in terms of gross rental income.
At Cumbre Villas, we are also offering our clients a rental and property management service so we can handle everything for you from finding your dream home up to generating rental income.