Alicante or Alicant (Valencian Catalan) is the largest city in the Costa Blanca region of Spain and is one of the most beautiful places you could wish to travel to if you take the time and the effort to explore the region and some of it’s sheer beauty.
Located between Murcia and Valencia, Alicante has some of the best beaches in Spain with San Juan, Muchavista and Campello beaches being real gems with beautiful, clean sea and sand which appeal to both families, couples and surfers alike with calm days and days when the waves can be quite high due to strong winds of late.
Amongst the many varied and more popular attractions are the Castillo de Santa Barbara (Alicante City), Terra Natura (Benidorm), Terra Mitica (Benidorm) and Mundomar (Benidorm). There are also areas of outstanding beauty such as the mountains of Busot village situated just outside of Campello (also known as El Campello). Not only does Busot have it’s popular attraction Cuevas de Canelobre (Canelobre Caves) but it also has vast amounts of stunning scenery in complete tranquillity. To get to these spots you need to do some investigating, but it is well worth it because you will find yourself all alone on some breath-taking trails overlooking Campello and surrounding villages.
To see all that is on offer, you have to arrange car hire in Alicante from either the airport or from a local town or city and prices start at €10 per day for a small car and reserving before your visit is essential in busy periods of the year.
Where else but Alicante can you find such a diverse amount of activities, places of interest and things to do. In the morning you could travel to the Sierra Nevadas (Grenada) and be snowboarding and in the afternoon soaking up the sun, sea and sand on a beautiful, spacious beach. Not only this, but you can also get ferries to Majorca, Ibiza and Tabarca Island from Alicante harbour, so you will never have a lack of options available to you.
Real estate property in Alicante is another reason for visitors to come and like the rest of Costa Blanca, is a popular place where expats come to invest or to emigrate to. Property prices have rapidly increased over the years due to demand and the Euro being introduced, but if you are prepared to move inland slightly, or away from popular areas such as Benidorm and Javea, you can find some real bargains in comparison to the UK property market. Purchasing property in Spain is more expensive tax and legal-wise but it is still worthwhile as long as the Euro is weaker than the Pound.
Alicante’s hotels are varied and you have a wide variety of choice when coming to this region of Spain and if you do some research you will get a hotel to suit your budget and requirements, just remember to book early in high-seasons to ensure a beach-side location.
Getting cheap flights to Alicante has never been easier thanks to Alicante airport being such a popular international destination and it is expanding continuously with new airlines operating from there.
You can view this and more articles at: Alicante
Alicante – a Jewel in Spain’s Crown
December 12th, 2009Mallorca The Place For Investment In The Crises
December 11th, 2009Vacations In The Balearic Islands
December 11th, 2009The Balearic Islands is made up of the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. In the last few years holiday homes have become extremely popular on these islands. As a result there is a fantastic choice of direct holidays to Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera to choose from. There are some stunning holiday villas with pools and a great choice of self catering apartments to choose from.
The selection of holiday accommodation on the Balearic Islands is superb with a fabulous selection of holiday villas in Majorca, self catering apartments in Menorca and country cottages in Ibiza. Holiday rentals can be found all over the Balearic Islands and there are holiday properties for rental to suite almost every taste and budget.
The islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera have a tremendous diversity of character in their landscapes and atmospheres. However they all have one important thing in common and that is good weather.
The sunshine lasts almost 300 days a year, and so people going on holiday to the Balearic Islands are almost guaranteed good weather. This means that holiday makers wanting sun, sea and sand go to Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza attracted by the great choice of holiday apartments and villas.
People don’t just go on vacation to Mallorca for the sand and the sea. It has stunning mountain scenery and fascinating ancient architecture with lots of local bars and restaurants up in the mountain villages. It is possible to find holiday villas tucked out of the way in these quieter areas and many people rent a holiday home to experience the local way of life.
For holiday makers looking for rocky coves and wild, natural habitats, there is a good choice of local farmhouses to rent in Menorca. People looking for a faster pace of life and parties can rent a holiday cottage or apartment direct from their owners in Ibiza. If you are looking for total tranquillity and nudist sun bathing you can self catering apartment in Formentera.
Holiday makers with younger families looking for long clean sandy beaches are able to rent any one of the many quality self catering villas, apartments or farmhouses with private pools available. The Balearic Islands can satisfy all your holiday rental accommodation requirements.
The Balearic Islands are an autonomous division of Spain and are located between Spain and the North African coast. They are the most popular destination in the whole of Europe. Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera have an excellent climate with around 300 days of sun per year, wonderful golden beaches and a rich cultural offering.
There are more passengers passing through the airport of Palma de Majorca than at the airport of any other Spanish city making the Balearic Islands one of the top destinations for many people.
Menorca and Formentera are particularly famous for their magical white sandy beaches and crystal clear seawaters. Menorca’s superb beaches owe much to the natural seaweed filters which sit just off-shore of the island. People come back on their vacations year after year and enjoy the excellent choice of self catering accommodation that the islands have to offer.
Why Renting Holiday Accommodation is so Popular?
December 10th, 2009If you are already dreading the thought of the imminent onset of those dark and dreary autumn and winter days, try to bring a little sunshine and relaxation into your life by planning your summer holiday 2009 whilst the memories of this years holiday are still fresh in your mind, or better still, how about booking a short break away during the next few months to find some much needed winter sun?
With the children now back at school and the cool chill of shorter autumn days now upon us, your thoughts may already be turning to next summers holiday or perhaps you are looking to get away from the damp and dreary British winter for a few days in sunnier climes.
So once you have drawn up your shortlist of suitable countries where the amount of sunshine and average daily temperature is significantly warmer than Margate or Skegness in January or July, the next most important decision is where to stay. The alternatives to booking a hotel room or two rooms and more if you have a family are numerous. It just takes a little thought and advanced planning?
With the growth of the internet, the advent of cheap and plentiful flights especially throughout Europe, there is so much choice and flexibility when it comes to booking a holiday break whether it be a weekend in Paris to a full two week break with all the family in Spain… With the advent of cheap flights from an increasing number of UK airports to dozens of resorts around Europe, there has never been more choice and flexibility in terms of when and where to go!
Your choice really is without limit! Fancy a holiday villa in Majorca, Menorca or Ibiza, a stunning apartment in Tenerife, Lanzarote or Fuerteventura, a vacation rental in one of the many states in America, even South Africa or Australia. Wherever you want to go, you are sure to find the right type of accommodation to suit your needs!
However despite all of these wonderful choices of destinations, the wrong choice of holiday accommodation can put a real dampener on what should be a time of carefree relaxation under foreign skies, a time to relax and distress from the daily grind in the UK.
For families of more than the typical 2 parents and 2 children, and for those who may consider extended winter breaks for example, the typical hotel offering can be very restrictive not to mention the expense!
More and more people are now aware of the many real benefits in renting a holiday home, apartment or villa directly from the owner.
In order to make the most of their investment, many holiday property owners are keen to let out their properties as often as they can in order to generate that all important extra revenue.
Renting your own holiday apartment in Tenerife or Lanzarote, a holiday villa in Majorca or Menorica or a holiday cottage in Scotland or Wales, gives you so much more flexibility in terms of privacy, sleeping arrangements, and quite simply, being able to do what you want when you want! No more rushing down 6 flights of hotel stairs each morning to make sure you don’t miss breakfast!
It has never been easier to locate holiday apartments and holiday villas to rent and all manner of self catering holiday accommodation anywhere in the world!
The advent of the Internet has given rise to many holiday property rental websites where you can choose in the comfort of your own home, the resort, the time and the type of accommodation which suits you best.
The choice of accommodation and the countries where these self catering rental accommodations can be found, is limitless. There are villas or apartments to rent in Florida, Spain or even the Caribbean, with private or shared pools on or near golf courses, quaint country cottages in France, England or Ireland, townhouses in Tenerife, Lanzarote or Fuerteventura with shared gardens and pool complexes, mountain chalets in the French, Italian, Austrian and Swiss Alps, suitable for self catering, walking , skiing and adventure holidays.
So whatever your budget, you will find a good quality and reputable holiday property rental website can provide you with rental holiday and self catering accommodation to suit your every need whether its a golf holiday, a weekend city break or some form of exciting activity holiday or that relaxing beach holiday.
Renting self -catering accommodation including holiday villas allows you to make the most of what each country has to offer.
From coastal villas, apartments, townhouses, studios or rustic fincas you can take advantage of wonderful sun drenched beaches, fabulous golfing resorts, or if it’s rural tranquillity which you seek, then accommodation set against a backdrop of soaring mountain peaks, lush green valleys and quiet rural retreats will be just for you.
Pounds to Euros
December 10th, 2009The Shrinking Wallet
December 9th, 2009The first of the summer holiday travellers are beginning to feel the pinch on their wallet as they arrange to transfer the holiday spending money into a different currency.
Pounds to Euros… Dollars to Pounds… Dollars to Euros… These currencies especially are feeling the bite from the poor state of the economy. Holidaymakers will not be getting a good deal as in previous years. As much we see the headlines and bulletins about the bad state of our currencies, we ignore the reports as they are not immediately affecting us. Then… it will come as a shock as we go to exchange our hard-earned cash into our destination currency.
Holidaymakers however only have to live with this dire exchange rate while on holiday, but the main affected are those either moving abroad or those investing in property abroad.
This would mean that any transfer of money would have a poor exchange and as a consequence could mean the difference of up to £15,000 on a £100,000 transfer.
Midsummer 2007 saw the exchange rate for the Euro at 1.48 to the pound. Today we see the rate at 1.24. This equates to 24,000 Euros for each 100,000 Euros exchanged. Despite this poor exchange rate, various European property markets, especially Spain, are beginning to rise from the ashes as the influx of visitors arrive because of the summer.
As a consequence of such harsh rates, people having to transfer large sums, are having to think twice on how they transfer the currency. The normal channel chosen is through the banking system. But when the times are tough… alternatives are sought to exchange currencies.
The international ‘Forex market’ use Currency Brokers to exchange their daily transfers. Basically the role of the Currency Broker is to deal with money ‘wholesale’.
It is common for the banks to charge between 2 to 4% on top of their wholesale purchase of currency. 95 times out of 100 Currency Brokers charge less than 1% (the other 5% will be for currencies of third world countries, especially those within a civil war).
Rather than explain further allow me to give some real illustrations…
Case Study 1
In November 2007 Simon from Gloucestershire wanted to invest in a property in Miami, mainly because the dollar was weak against the pound. He had £175,000 to invest which was going to buy him a substantial property. He’d received a quotation from his bank at US $1.80 / £1. A broker in comparison could achieve US $1.84 to the £1; plus of course these brokers don’t charge any incidental fees. Simon if he would have gone through his bank would have $315,000; but because he chose a broker they were able to secure $322,000. This saved Simon $7,000 almost £3,400
Case Study 2
In August 2007 there was Jayne from Southampton, she was buying a property in Almeria, Spain. Her transfer was for a villa at £325,000; a superb 5 bedroom villa with sea views. Her bank had frightened her with the exchange rate, so she decided to look elsewhere; fortunately she came to a broker’s website. She’d been offered an exchange rate of US €1.39 / £1; they were able to offer €1.41 / £1. This meant had she continued with the bank she would have realised €451,750 – however fortunately the broker service could manage €458,250; saving Jayne €6,500 (£4,600)
Case Study 3
In September 2007 Dominique wanted to buy an Apline ski home in Austria. The property had been valued at £295,000. He hadn’t gone to the bank as he had heard the banks weren’t always the best choice. A broker will be fully aware of what the banks charge at what rates they work with: Barclays on this day was working with an exchange rate of €1.35 / £1; the broker on the other hand could get €1.38 / £1. Using Barclays, Dominique would have received €398,250; whereas the broker secured him €407,100 which has a difference of €8,850 (£6,400).
Case Study 4
Margaret and her husband Roy were buying in the Majorca in December 2007; they were buying a 3 Bedroom apartment on a top class complex, swimming pool, bar, shops etc. The property in Majorca is expensive so a three-bedroom apartment was priced at £265,000. Newly retired they wanted the best deal on their currency exchange. Their bank had quoted €1.31 / £1 but the broker was able to secure at deal at €1.33 / £1. This meant the currency broker was able to save Margaret and Roy €5,300 (£3,900).
Case Study 5
Elaine and Robert were buying in Northern France; a second home, but one that needed some renovation. In November 2007 the Euro had taken a bit of a tumble, so it was imperative that they got a good deal on their currency exchange to help with funds for renovation. The property purchase price was £76,000. Their bank had quoted an exchange rate of €1.33 / £1; whereas the broker secured a good price of €1.35. This was a particular good deal as days either side the broker could only secure a rate of €1.34. The exchange at the bank would have returned €101,080. The broker successfully secured €102,600; saving them €1,520 (£1,125). Elaine and Robert were happy with this saving as Robert had earmarked an inexpensive DIY kitchen.
Case Study 6
Natalie and Kevin from Blackburn were transferring two amounts over 3 months. They were buying a property off plan in Tenerife. Their first payment was a deposit of €16,500 and then a final payment of €149,500. Their first payment was in a period during 2007 when (February) the exchange was good, but by May the rate had changed down a little. However their first bank quote for the first transfer was €1.43 / £1; the broker was able to beat that quote and consequently because of their disappointment with their bank they didn’t even get a quote for the second transfer. But the currency broker estimated we saved them €4,100 which is approximately £2,800
Case Study 7
Ines and Kevin from Glasgow were buying a Duplex in Spain, January 2008; it was a strange scenario, they were renting before they bought. They had lived in Spain for approaching 11 months and had left their house sale money in their bank in Scotland. Because of their purchase they had been advised to use a broker. Rather than use the broker the building company recommended, they had chosen to look on the internet. Fortunately they had found a Currency Broker. Most brokers can always beat a bank’s quote, it isn’t so easy to beat another broker. The Currency Broker saved Ines and Kevin €1,300 Euros over another broker, but nearly €6,200 Euros against the banks
Case Study 8
Helen and Darren from Bootle in Cheshire had taken 9 months to purchase a villa in Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy for €650,000; January 2008. Sadly when a house purchase takes so long there can be variations in the currency rate, and on this occasion it wasn’t in Helen and Darren’s favour. So it became even more important to save on the currency exchange. Had they gone to a bank they would have paid €8,100 more than they paid a Currency Broker. They successfully managed to save them £6,090.
Mr. P. Booker
http://www.pounds-to-euros.com/
Look As You Book Video Brochures – Majorca 1 [VHS]
December 9th, 2009![Look As You Book Video Brochures - Majorca 1 [VHS]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/nav2/dp/no-image-avail-img-map._V45450795_AA192_.gif)
Synopsis
A look at the facilities offered by the hotels in Majorca. Includes: Palma, Palma Nova, Magalluf, Illetas, Paguera and Cala Mayor.
Spanish Holidays Off To Flying Start For 2007
December 9th, 2009With fresh challenges every year from new and old competitors to take away market share, Spain increased her number of visitors in the first couple of months of 2007 for what could be a good year for a country that has been the favourite destination for Europeans for nearly fifty years.
The visitor numbers were so good that it broke new records for Spain, with 4 per cent more holiday makers in January 2007 compared to 2007, and a total of 2.8 million tourists overall.
The most popular area of Spain was off the mainland, the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands consist of Tenerife, Fueteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Ganaria. The Canaries enjoy good weather in the winter months due to her geographical location near Africa, and Many British, Dutch and German tourists take villa and hotel holidays for a week November to mid March.
The Costa del Sol, a perennial favourite of the British seeking a winter sunshne break surprisingly saw a near 5 per cent dip in UK visitor numbers, but overall enjoyed a near 6 per cent increase in tourists.
The Balearic Islands recorded a rise in visitors of just over 1 per cent.
The Balearics consist of Menorca (the smallest island), Majorca and Ibiza. The small rise compared to the Canary Islands isn’t too much of a surprise as Menorca has a season that traditionally is at its peak early May to end September, but is now trying to extend that from mid April to mid October.
Majorca
Majorca is hoping to boost visitor numbers this summer by increasing the level of competition at the island’s SuperYacht Cup. As well as drawing extra tourists for the event itself it adds an extra attraction for those holidaymakers already on the island, adding to the possibility of a return visit in future years – and with more destinations to choose from in recent years repeat visitors has become an important strategy in tourist locations.
As part of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has welcomed many visitors back to live full time on the island. Menorca property has proved popular too, for those looking for a gentler pace of life than big sister Mallorca.
Property prices in Mallorca are similar to Menorca property, with a range of apartments and villas in both rural and town locations, and with twenty golf courses plenty of golf course developments too on Mallorca.
Menorca has just the one golf course, recently extended to eighteen holes, and is located in Son Park, which has a choice of hotels, apartments and villas for holiday makers.
The cost of flying to Mallorca has come down in recent years from most European countries due to low cost airlines, especially in the island’s core tourist areas of the United Kingdom and Germany, and last year easyJet started direct flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to the sister island of Menorca, as well as serving Mallorca itself.
Despite competition from other destinantions, Mallorca looks set to remain a favourite holiday spot for some time to come.
Spain Leads 2008 Tourist Race
December 9th, 2009Before the days of the internet, as soon as Christmas Day was over the advertising campaigns for summer holidays would appear on British television.
Millions would book their holidays in January, and many would pay weekly or monthly to their local travel agent so by the time it came to take their summer holiday, it had been paid off and it was just spending money to take care of.
Old habits die hard it seems, as despite late deals and instant access on the internet to hundreds of thousands of holidays, nearly half of the British population still book their holiday in the first two months of the year.
‘It’s a habit the country got into over a couple of decades’, one UK based group of travel sites try to explain, ‘And it continues today despite the fact that the cost of an average holiday compared to salaries is way down on when the internet wasn’t around for the mass market to access.’
How long the January and February frenzy continues is anyone’s guess, but as even more of the population gets online and time online increases, the holiday bookings Brits make should become more spread out over the year, and with late deals often available the booking peak might shift from early in the year to the early May and June summer months.
Interesting statistics have been released by one of the UK’s leading holiday companies for the bookings they took in the first weeks of 2008, and it suggests the British love affair with Spain shows no sign of slowing down.
Top searched destination was the Spanish island of Majorca. Majorca is one of the longest established tourist destinations in the world, and has had a tourist board for over a hundred years. Their tourist board has helped ensured the island has remained a British favourite for generations.
Today Majorca receives more than six million visitors annually, yet ninety five percent of her tourists concentrate in only five percent of its territory. Less developed areas of this elegant island are ripe for new development and prime property commands a great premium. Majorca is now also successfully selling holidays away from the coast in traditional areas not known for tourism.
Ibiza, well known in Europe for younger tourists and night clubs which feature visiting and resident British DJ’s, is a neighbouring island of Majorca and also makes the top five most booked holiday destinations in the early weeks of 2008.
The Spanish Canary Islands also feature among the most booked holiday destinations, with Tenerife and Gran Canaria being the second and third most popular areas.
Another Canary Island, Lanzarote, was the fourth most searched holiday destination, but Lanzarote is a popular winter getaway and as well as summer bookings would have benifitted from Britons looking for a winter holiday.
Lanzarote maintains relatively constant temperatures and sees low annual rainfall. Few days are lost to weather-related problems due to this environment, which offers the premium atmosphere for technical improvements and beneficial training. In addition to these benefits, the winds are good and steady in the Canary Islands due to the north-east trade winds, which also bring cooler air in the summers to Lanzarote.
If bookings continue in similar patterns throughout the year, Spain and her islands will be again the destination of choice for the British.
Menorca Welcomes New 2007 Brit Tourists
December 8th, 20092007 has proved to be a good year for Spanish tourism, and with Majorca doing particularly well, the sister island of Menorca is doing her best not to be overshadowed.
With official figures some way off, the general feeling in the hotels and holidays trade is that, like Majorca, an increase in the number of visitors compared to 2006 is likely.
But privately run companies often have a quicker gauge on market trends than government bodies, and easyJet, one of Europe’s best known airlines, has begun a new route to Menorca from the island’s important UK market. The new route flies from Newcastle in the north-east of England to Menorca’s capital Mahon, and some 5000 holiday makers are anticipated to be using the service during this season. The Newcastle service to Menorca is in addition to the airline’s existing flights in the UK to the island from London’s Gatwick Airport, Liverpool and Bristol.
In a further boost for Menorca, this time from the financial services sector, one of Britain’s best known banks and mortgage provider is to open three new offices on the Spanish islands of the Canaries plus Menorca to meet demand for Britons looking to buy a home in Spain.
The decision by the Halifax was taken from data showing a trend towards Britons buying homes overseas, with Spain the most popular choice.
Part of the decision was to open in Menorca, the quietest of the three Balearic Islands. Commenting on the move a local travel guide commented:
‘While Majorca and Ibiza are possibly better known than Menorca, it’s perhaps not so surprising that the bank has decided to open an office on the island. The typical buyer for property in Menorca is normally older than that for Majorca and Ibiza, which could mean they are hoping to service their investments and pensions along with a normal account – especially for those moving full time to Menorca.’
Commenting on the new bank branch in Menorca, the bank said that the opening of branches away from mainland Spain is an important step in the development of their branch network, and that they will continue to target the Spanish islands in addition to their Spanish mainland business.
Once bought, Menorca villas are often let out to holidaymakers, with the season generally running from May to end September.
The three Balearic Islands of Menorca, Majorca and Ibiza might be close to each other, but they are all different in character and the type of tourist they typically attract.
A surprise is that the amount of time spent on Ibiza by each tourist is longer than on Menorca and Majorca – destroying the myth that Ibiza is primarily for long weekends or short trips for a couple of nights in the club.
Recent findings by the Balearics Tourist Authority show that after Ibiza, Menorca visitors stay on average for 11 days, with Majorca just behind. And the same pattern emerges for spending per day, with Ibiza top, Majorca second, and Menorca last.
The amount spent by Ibiza tourists averaged 94 Euros a day – a huge contribution to the island’s economy, looked on enviously by Majorca and Menorca. But with new banks and flights Menorca might be starting to catch her sisters up.