Buying a holiday home on the Costa Blanca can give you your own place in the Spanish sunshine, with the freedom to visit whenever it suits you and a property that can become part of your family’s lifestyle for years to come. The key is choosing a location and property that work for the way you intend to use your home. Consider beach or golf access, local amenities, maintenance, outdoor space and travel connections. From lock-up-and-leave apartments to private villas, the Costa Blanca South offers options for a wide range of budgets and lifestyles.
Highly Rewarding in So Many Ways
For many international buyers, that feeling of opening the door to your own home, where you know the area, the people, the restaurants and everything else you chose to be near, is what makes buying a holiday home on the Costa Blanca so appealing.
The Costa Blanca South is particularly well suited to second-home ownership. Beaches, golf courses, restaurants and established international communities sit alongside a wide variety of apartments, town-houses and villas.
However, the best holiday home isn’t necessarily the most impressive property you can find.
It’s the one you’ll genuinely enjoy using.
Why Buy a Holiday Home on the Costa Blanca?
The obvious attraction is the Mediterranean lifestyle, but there are several reasons overseas buyers continue to choose this part of Spain.
The region combines coastal living with excellent everyday amenities, established residential areas and convenient international travel connections.
For holiday-home owners, that means you don’t have to choose between somewhere that feels like a holiday destination and somewhere that’s practical to own.
Owning rather than renting also gives you something that’s difficult to put a price on: familiarity.
Your belongings can already be there. You can decorate the property to your taste and return to a neighbourhood you know each time you visit.
For buyers who regularly holiday in Spain, that can completely change the experience.
Where Should You Buy a Holiday Home?
This is probably the most important decision you’ll make.
Costa Blanca South includes numerous locations that work exceptionally well for second-home ownership, but they don’t all offer the same lifestyle.
| Area | Particularly Suited To | Holiday Lifestyle |
|---|---|---|
| La Zenia | Beach and amenity lovers | Lively and convenient |
| Cabo Roig | Coastal lifestyle buyers | Beaches, restaurants and marina |
| Playa Flamenca | Easy holiday living | Amenities and international community |
| Punta Prima | Coastal apartment buyers | Modern and well connected |
| VillamartÃn | Golfers and social buyers | Golf, restaurants and community |
| Campoamor | Beach and golf buyers | Relaxed and established |
| Ciudad Quesada | Villa and longer-stay buyers | Residential and spacious |
| Torrevieja | Buyers wanting a town atmosphere | Beaches, marina and year-round amenities |
| Guardamar | Beach lovers | Spanish coastal lifestyle |
| Pilar de la Horadada | Buyers wanting coast and town life | Relaxed and well connected |
Before choosing, think about what you actually do when you’re in Spain.
If most of your holidays involve walking to the beach and restaurants, buying a beautiful villa that requires driving everywhere might not be the right decision.
Equally, if your idea of a perfect afternoon involves golf and relaxing around your own pool, paying a premium to be 200 metres from the beach may be unnecessary.
For a more detailed comparison, see our Best Areas to Buy Property in Costa Blanca South guide.
Beach, Golf or Somewhere in Between?
One of the pleasures of buying on the Costa Blanca South is that you often don’t have to choose completely between beach and golf.
Areas such as VillamartÃn, Campoamor and Las Ramblas put you close to established golf courses while keeping the Mediterranean coastline within easy reach.
La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Playa Flamenca and Punta Prima place greater emphasis on coastal living, with beaches, restaurants and amenities nearby.
Neither option is inherently better.
The right choice depends on how you envisage using the property.
A keen golfer spending several weeks at a time in Spain may value being minutes from the first tee. A family with children might prioritise the beach, swimming pool and places they can reach without constantly getting into the car.
This is where viewing several areas can be incredibly useful.
Sometimes buyers arrive focused entirely on the property and discover that the location changes their priorities.
What Type of Holiday Home Should You Buy?
There is no single property type that makes the perfect holiday home.
A modern apartment can be ideal for one buyer, while another wouldn’t consider anything without a private garden and swimming pool.
Apartments
Apartments are particularly popular with buyers wanting convenience.
Communal swimming pools, terraces and gardens can provide the Mediterranean lifestyle without requiring you to maintain everything yourself.
They can also work extremely well as lock-up-and-leave homes.
Townhouses
A townhouse can provide additional indoor and outdoor space while retaining the convenience of a residential community.
For families or buyers expecting regular guests, the extra bedrooms and terraces can be particularly useful.
Villas
If privacy and outdoor living are priorities, a villa may be the natural choice.
Private swimming pools, gardens, terraces and additional space can make villas wonderful holiday homes, particularly for longer stays and larger families.
The important question isn’t which type is “best”.
It’s which property will make your holidays better?
New Build or Resale for a Holiday Home?
Both can work extremely well.
New-build properties often appeal to holiday-home buyers because of their contemporary design, modern communal facilities and relatively low-maintenance approach.
Resale properties offer another advantage: choice.
They can be found throughout established coastal and golf communities, sometimes in locations where very little new development is available.
A resale home may also have mature outdoor areas and an established neighbourhood that allows you to understand exactly what your surroundings will be like.
Rather than deciding in advance that you will only consider one or the other, we’d recommend viewing both where possible.
Our New Build vs Resale Property in Costa Blanca South guide explores this decision in more detail.
You can also browse Costa Blanca Sales’ New Build Property on the Costa Blanca and Resale Property on the Costa Blanca collections to compare what’s available.
Think About How Often You’ll Use Your Property
This is an important question that sometimes gets overlooked during the excitement of searching.
Will you visit for several long stays each year?
Or are you imagining frequent long weekends and shorter holidays?
If you’ll regularly fly in for three or four days, easy access and low maintenance can become extremely important.
If you’re planning to spend several months at a time in Spain, you might place more emphasis on storage, larger living spaces and the amenities you’d want for everyday life.
Also consider who else will use the property.
Will children and grandchildren visit? Do you regularly travel with friends? Will elderly relatives stay with you?
Buying for the way you’ll genuinely use the property usually leads to a much better decision than buying solely on first impressions.
Local Insight from Costa Blanca Sales
One thing we’ve learned from helping international buyers is that the property people initially describe isn’t always the property they eventually buy.
That’s often a good thing.
A buyer may contact us asking exclusively for a detached villa, then discover that a spacious penthouse with a large terrace gives them the outdoor lifestyle they wanted with considerably less maintenance.
Someone focused entirely on beachfront property may visit VillamartÃn and realise they prefer the golf and restaurant lifestyle.
Others arrive wanting a new build and fall in love with the location and character of a resale home.
This is why we encourage buyers to keep an open mind during the early stages of their search.
Have clear priorities, but give yourself permission to be surprised.
Don’t Forget About Maintenance
When you’re buying a holiday home, think about what happens when you’re not there.
A huge garden and private pool may look fantastic during a viewing, but they’ll need looking after while you’re back home.
For some buyers, that’s absolutely worthwhile.
Others prefer an apartment or town-house where communal areas and swimming pools are professionally maintained through the community.
There is no right answer, but maintenance should form part of your buying decision.
Consider things such as:
- Private or communal swimming pool
- Garden maintenance
- Security
- Community fees
- Air conditioning
- Outdoor furniture
- Property management
- Cleaning between visits
The objective is simple: when you arrive for your holiday, you want to enjoy the property rather than spend the first few days looking after it.
What About Renting Out Your Holiday Home?
Some buyers purchase purely for their own enjoyment, while others are interested in generating rental income during periods when they aren’t using the property.
If rental potential is important to you, mention this at the beginning of your property search.
Rules surrounding tourist accommodation and holiday letting can depend on the property, location, community rules and current regional or municipal requirements.
For that reason, don’t assume that every property can automatically be used for holiday rentals.
Your independent lawyer should confirm the position for the specific property you’re considering before you buy.
Even if rental income is part of your plan, we’d still recommend choosing somewhere you’d personally be happy to own.
After all, it’s your holiday home first.
Budgeting for Your Costa Blanca Holiday Home
Your budget needs to cover more than the advertised property price.
There are taxes and professional costs associated with purchasing property in Spain, and these vary depending on whether you’re buying a new-build or resale property and on your individual transaction.
Once you own the property, you’ll also have ongoing costs.
Depending on the home, these might include community fees, local property taxes, insurance, utilities, pool or garden maintenance and other ownership expenses.
For a detailed breakdown, read our guide on Property Taxes Costa Blanca, because knowing your complete budget before you start viewing makes the search considerably easier.
Buying a Holiday Home as a Non-Resident
You don’t have to live permanently in Spain to own a holiday home here.
Many Costa Blanca property owners live overseas and use their Spanish home for holidays and extended stays throughout the year.
The purchasing process typically involves obtaining an NIE number, appointing an independent lawyer and completing the purchase before a Spanish notary.
Buyers requiring finance may also be able to obtain a Spanish mortgage subject to their financial circumstances and the lender’s criteria.
We’ve covered the process in much more detail in Buying Property in Spain as a Non-Resident, while buyers considering finance can also read our article on Mortgage Approvals on the Costa Blanca.
Why Viewing in Person Matters
Online property searching is incredibly useful.
It helps you understand prices, compare property styles and build a shortlist before travelling to Spain.
But it can’t tell you everything.
A terrace may be larger than it appears in photographs. A beach might feel closer, or further away, than you expected. An area you’ve never considered may immediately feel right when you arrive.
That’s why a well-planned viewing trip should involve more than simply looking inside properties.
Explore the neighbourhood.
Walk to the local restaurants. Visit the supermarket. Drive to the beach. Spend some time around the communal pool or golf area where appropriate.
Most importantly, compare.
If you’re travelling specifically to find a property, our Property Viewing Trips to Costa Blanca South guide will help you prepare.
Why Buy Your Holiday Home Through Costa Blanca Sales?
Buying a holiday home should be exciting.
Our role is to make the search easier by understanding what you want from your time in Spain and helping you identify properties and areas that genuinely match those priorities.
Costa Blanca Sales works with both new-build and resale property across Costa Blanca South.
We can help you compare:
- Beach and golf locations
- Apartments, townhouses and villas
- New-build and resale homes
- Different residential communities
- Property styles within your budget
We can also introduce you to independent legal and mortgage professionals where required.
Rather than simply showing you as many properties as possible, we want your viewing time to be useful.
Sometimes eliminating an area or property type is just as valuable as finding a favourite.
Final Thoughts on Buying a Holiday Home on the Costa Blanca
Buying a holiday home on the Costa Blanca is about more than owning property in Spain.
It’s about having somewhere you look forward to returning to.
For some buyers, that means an apartment where they can walk to the beach every morning. For others, it’s a villa with a pool, a townhouse near the golf course or a penthouse terrace where the family can spend long summer evenings together.
The Costa Blanca South offers enough variety to accommodate all of those lifestyles.
The key is understanding what matters most to you before becoming too focused on a particular property.
If you’re considering a holiday home in Spain, Costa Blanca Sales can help you compare areas, property types and current opportunities across the Costa Blanca South.
Tell us how you’d like to spend your time in Spain, what you’re looking for and your approximate budget, and we’ll help you start narrowing down the possibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Costa Blanca a good place to buy a holiday home?
Yes. The Costa Blanca is particularly popular with international holiday-home buyers because it combines Mediterranean beaches, golf, restaurants and established residential areas with a wide choice of property. Costa Blanca South also offers numerous communities where amenities remain available beyond the main summer holiday season.
Where is the best place to buy a holiday home on the Costa Blanca?
It depends on your lifestyle. La Zenia, Cabo Roig and Punta Prima can suit buyers prioritising the coast, while VillamartÃn is particularly attractive for golf. Torrevieja provides a more urban coastal environment, while Ciudad Quesada appeals to buyers wanting a spacious, established residential setting.
Can foreigners buy a holiday home in Spain?
Yes. Foreign and non-resident buyers can purchase Spanish property. You don’t need to become a permanent Spanish resident simply because you own a holiday home, although property ownership and residency are separate matters with different legal and tax considerations.
Is an apartment or villa better for a holiday home?
Neither is automatically better. Apartments can offer convenience, communal facilities and lower personal maintenance, while villas provide greater privacy, space and potentially a private swimming pool. Think about how often you’ll visit, who will use the property and how much maintenance you want between stays.
Should I buy a new-build or resale holiday property?
Both are worth considering. New builds can offer contemporary design, modern facilities and low-maintenance living, while resale homes provide a wider choice in established areas. Viewing both can help you decide which combination of property, location and lifestyle works best for you.
Can I get a mortgage for a Spanish holiday home?
Potentially, yes. Spanish banks provide mortgages to eligible non-resident buyers, although lending criteria and the amount available can differ from mortgages offered to Spanish residents. Speaking to a mortgage specialist early can help establish your realistic property budget before arranging viewings.
Can I rent out my Costa Blanca holiday home?
Potentially, but don’t assume every property can be used for tourist rentals. Requirements can vary according to current legislation, location, the property itself and community restrictions. If rental income forms part of your buying decision, ask an independent lawyer to verify the position before committing to a purchase.
What ongoing costs does a holiday home have?
Typical costs can include local property taxes, community fees where applicable, insurance, electricity, water, internet and property maintenance. Villas with private gardens or swimming pools may have additional maintenance costs. Understanding these expenses before buying helps you choose a property that’s comfortable to own long term.
Do I need a car if I own a holiday home on the Costa Blanca?
Not necessarily. Buyers choosing properties within walking distance of beaches, supermarkets and restaurants may use a car relatively little during holidays. Other residential and golf areas are more convenient with one. How important this is should form part of your location decision before purchasing.
Can Costa Blanca Sales arrange property viewings for my trip?
Yes. Costa Blanca Sales can help you identify suitable locations and properties before you arrive so your time in Spain is spent viewing homes that genuinely match your requirements. Comparing several areas and property styles can also help clarify exactly what you want from your Costa Blanca holiday home.
