Archives for August 2010
August 31st, 2010
Valencia has the weather, food and culture. Here are 10 good reasons to visit Spain’s third largest, most exciting and wonderfully diverse city. Paella The famous Spanish dish originated in Valencia and locals insist their recipe is best. Good paella must be cooked to order, be alarmed if it arrives in under ...
Continue reading Valencia – Spain's Third Largest City
August 31st, 2010
Our programmers pulled out all the stops, and I'm delighted to announce that our new discounted property features are now live. When searching for property, check the box that says Discounted. You'll find property results with a minimum discount of 10%. You can also sort them by the most ...
Continue reading Discounted Spanish Properties – Part 3
August 30th, 2010
Spain’s economic growth accelerated in the second quarter as consumers stepped up spending before a sales tax increase in July. House-hold spending grew 2 percent from a year earlier after a 0.3 percent contraction in the first quarter, the National Statistics Institute said in Madrid today in its breakdown of gross ...
Continue reading Spanish Economic Growth Up in Q2
August 27th, 2010
A group of Spaniards from the finance sector on Tuesday announced plans to launch the country’s first alternative trading platform for securities, to compete against the near-monopoly of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME). Called Pave – for Plataforma Alternativa de Valores Españoles – the project is still in its early stages, ...
Continue reading Spain to Launch Alternative Trading Facility
August 26th, 2010
The British holiday maker’s flirtation with the ‘staycation’ appears to be over with holidays to Spain enjoying a late upsurge in popularity. Britons had been staying at home as the recession led to a rise in summer holiday belt-tightening. But it appears the wash-out summer we've experienced this year and the strengthening ...
Continue reading Staycations Over as Tourists Flock Back to the Costas
August 25th, 2010
The most famous luxury train in Spain is El Transcantábrico. It has been chugging through the Cantabrian Mountains and following the Galician coast for more than 20 years. With itineraries of eight days and cabins with double beds, it costs nearly £2,500 a person. Now, if you fancy a similar ...
Continue reading Spain On the Slow Train – El Expreso
August 24th, 2010
Thanks to all of you who commented on my article last week about discounted properties in Spain. There were some great suggestions, and there certainly seems to be an interest in discounted properties in Spain. We're currently investigating developing these new features: Search for discounted properties Discounted properties highlighted in search results Displaying ...
Continue reading Spanish Property Bargains – Part 2
August 24th, 2010
British drivers in the Costas face £500 on-the-spot fines for speeding in a new scheme by Spanish authorities aimed at foreign number plates. Traffic chiefs have installed hi-tech traps to identify vehicles with foreign vehicles travelling over the speed limit and ensure the fine is paid before they return home. The new ...
Continue reading On-the-Spot Speeding Fines for Tourists
August 23rd, 2010
Spain said on Wednesday it would restore €500m cut from the state infrastructure investment budget for next year in a slight easing of its austerity plans, but would fulfil its promises to keep cutting the annual budget deficit in line with agreed targets. Elena Salgado, finance minister, made the announcement in ...
Continue reading Spain to Restore €500M of Spending
August 20th, 2010
Britons are the least likely to retire at home, according to a new survey revealing that more than half of us plan to desert the UK in favour of a sunnier climate. Better weather and a fiesta lifestyle have obvious appeal, but does this come with any nasty surprises? Only 43 ...
Continue reading Beware the Financial Risks of Retiring Abroad
August 19th, 2010
The annual Anglo-German race to be first to the coveted Mediterranean sun lounger with the beach towel looks set to be resoundingly won by Teutonic tourists this year, as it seems growing numbers of hard-pressed British holidaymakers are forgoing their annual package holiday. Almost one in three Britons who took ...
Continue reading Travel Operators Feeling the Pinch in Bookings Slump
August 18th, 2010
Spain maintained a feeble pace of growth in the second quarter, data showed on Friday, but analysts warned even that may be hard to repeat in the final half of the year as austerity measures take effect. The economy grew by 0.2 percent quarter on quarter between April and July, as ...
Continue reading Spain Economy Grows in Q2 But Outlook Still Cautious
August 17th, 2010
Deep gorges cutting through mountains, secret villages in high alpine valleys, serene lakes, bubbling rivers and historic market towns await those who take the loop around the Picos de Europa, surely one of the great drives of Europe. This national park rears skywards just behind the coast to the west of ...
Continue reading Northern Spain’s Picos de Europa – A Spectacular Drive
August 17th, 2010
I recently took a bit of flak when I told the Guardian newspaper that buyers should ignore the asking price when buying a property in Spain. My reason for doing so wasn't spite, just an observation that since the market peak in late 2007, asking prices hadn't come down much at ...
Continue reading Spanish Property Discounts Revealed
August 16th, 2010
Spain will need to make extra budget cuts in 2011 and must not be over-optimistic about economic growth, European Central Bank Executive Board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo was quoted on Thursday as saying. "It is accepted by everyone, even the government, that in 2011 and in later years additional budgetary measures ...
Continue reading ECB Urges More Budget Cuts for Spain
