Island heat – Canaries and Balearics
September 28th, 2006
Spain’s two groups of islands could hardly be further apart either geographically or culturally. To the west, the Canaries offer snow birds year-round sunshine while the Balearics serve up rugged beauty, tourist hotspots and a world-famous club scene. Despite their small size, the Balearic Islands have an over-sized reputation for everything from the hugely developed delights of Palma in Mallorca to the tripped-out club scene of Ibiza.
Yet such reputations disguise the real personality of the four islands – Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera – which have a smooth coast line dominated by bays, coves and capes and which throw up contrasts almost as vast as those of the mainland.
The ruggedly beautiful northern Mallorca still surprises many first-time visitors, while Ibiza’s club scene has matured into a serious world festival venue and laid back Menorca provides families with a compact and gentle island enclave. Both Mallorca and Menorca are also home to major caves formations.
Palma remains many visitors’ first introduction to Mallorca and it is famous for its beaches and sea, has a lovely historic quarter and a vibrant nightlife which attracts and deters in equal measure.
The cathedral, the Palau de L’Almudaina, the fish market and Plaza Mayor are cultural stops on tour while to the north the jagged coastline and pine groves are home to villas and a peaceful lifestyle.
The main tourist destinations in Ibiza are party capitals Ibiza Town and San Antonio, synonymous with the global dance scene and hosting world famous clubs and international DJs. Yet look beyond the surface and San Antonio’s old town has recently been given UNESCO World Heritage status and outside of the core summer months the island calms back down. Ibiza is also a hugely popular gay destination.
Little brother Menorca is bookmarked by capital Maó to the east and Ciutadella to the west. Once an important strategic base for the British – the island produces an excellent gin which locals drink with bitter lemon – Maó has also given the world mayonnaise.
Long established as a property buying destination, the Balearics are an enclave for wealthy British and Spanish buyers and villas can run into the millions.
However, price growth has slowed and after years out-performing the mainland there are signs that property increases may now be harder hit on the islands.
Most of the volcanic islands of the Canaries are equally familiar names, notably Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and La Palma. Perched in the Atlantic, close to Africa, their proximity to the equator makes them Europe’s only true warm weather winter destination. The Canary Islands are characterised by their volcanic scenery, with craters and volcanic rocks, while Tenerife’s Teide is the tallest mountain in Spain.
Although the coasts are blessed with vast sandy beaches full of outstanding reefs, capes and bays, the dark sand is not immediately the most picturesque. In some areas along the western and northern coasts of http://www.kyero.com/search?prental=0&pprovince=55567&ptype=&pprice=&submit=Search”>Gran Canaria, there are also many cliffs and steep rock faces.
Gran Canaria and Tenerife are the biggest and most developed of the islands and have been a British enclave for many years. More recently the Germans have moved into the market. However, property price growth in the last 12 months was a modest 8% and in the last few months prices in Tenerife have actually slipped back slightly.
Lanzarote – helped by sensitive local government policy – has kept the quality and quantity of new homes well above Spanish norms and growth potential for investors should be aided by this longer-term vision.
