Which cities and areas in Spain are most in demand by foreigners?

The Mediterranean coast and both archipelagos concentrate the greatest interest of foreigners in living in Spain, exceeding 50% in more than 100 locations.

The purchase of homes in Spain by foreigners is concentrated in the Mediterranean arc and in both archipelagos. The latest report highlights the more than 100 districts and neighborhoods of these municipalities on the Spanish coast where foreign demand accounts for more than 50% of the total interest in buying a house in these sun, beach and relaxation destinations.

With this data, it is worth noting that in locations within Roses (Girona), Calpe (Alicante) or Andratx (Balearic Islands), the relative foreign demand exceeds 65% of the total searches and interactions carried out from the real estate portal, where nationalities such as French, Dutch or German. Discover the 120 locations where foreigners are most interested in buying a house in Spain and the most prominent nationality.

Where do foreigners look to buy a house in Spain?

The purchase of homes by foreigners has been showing notable behavior in recent years. Between 2021 and 2023, it has seen intense increases in operations and its importance within the national sales market, according to the Property Registrars. In the last year, foreigners made 15% of total home purchases in Spain, compared to 13.8% in 2022, exceeding 87,300 operations. In 2022, with a lower percentage of the total, they exceeded 88,800 transactions, in their best year in the historical series.

And this interest continues to be highlighted in the first months of this year. Foreign demand for housing has reached 14.2% of sales between January and March, just 0.9 percentage points less compared to the end of last year. Even so, these data continue to far exceed the usual percentages since 2014, which were above 12%.

But where is the demand for home purchases by foreigners going? The coastal locations, especially in the Levante, from the Costa Brava to Cádiz, and both archipelagos, monopolize the greatest pressure from demand from abroad, according to data.

Just over 120 locations spread across different municipalities, districts and neighborhoods in up to seven different provinces on the Spanish coast and islands concentrate more than 50% of purchasing interest from foreigners, reaching more than 70% in the districts of Port Esportiu - Puig Rom – Canyelles de Roses, in Girona; or the Maryvilla district, in Calpe (Alicante).

In fact, it is the province of Alicante that brings together the largest number of destinations, up to 30 areas, where the interest in foreign demand exceeds 50% of the total demand.

And where names appear such as the Frutales de Torrevieja area; the Moraia districts of Moravit-Cap Blanc, Paichi or Pinar of Advocat-Cometa, all with a foreign demand of 65% of the total; or areas of Orihuela with Playa Flamenca or La Zenia, with the same percentage.

Behind Alicante, the Balearic Islands appear, with 28 locations, some of them arousing the interest of up to 67% of the demand from abroad, such as Cala Ratjada or Canyamel, in Mallorca, along with districts of notable towns such as Andratx, where the Port d'Andratx or Es Camp de Mar or Cala Murada, in Manacor.

Still above 60% of foreign interest in buying houses, there are towns in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which in total have 23 locations among the 120 most in demand. The majority are found on the island of Tenerife, such as Playa de Fañabé, Torviscas Bajo or La Caleta, in the municipality of Adeje, but the municipality of Vallehermoso also appears, on the island of La Gomera, or Barlovento, on the island of The Palm.

Next, there is a triple tie of outstanding locations between the provinces of Girona, Málaga and Las Palmas, all three with 12 favorite destinations for foreigners, which arouses interest above national demand. Each one represents the destinations preferred by foreigners, such as the Costa Brava, the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands.

In Girona, the districts of Roses de Port Esportiu - Puig Rom - Canyelles, Santa Margarida and Salatar stand out above all the others, together with the municipality of Empuriabrava, all with more than 60% of foreign demand.

In the province of Malaga, the districts of the municipality of Nerja stand out such as Burriana, Nueva Nerja, Chaparil - Torrecilla - Punta Lara or the Town Center, next to the Bahía de Casares or the neighborhoods of Guadalobón, Buenas Noches and Bahía Dorada de Estepona, without forgetting Puerto Banús, in Marbella.

In Las Palmas, as in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the most popular destinations are spread across islands, where the beaches of Mogán, in Gran Canaria, such as Tau, Playa de Mogán, Los Caideros-Anfi del Mar or Puerto Rico, along with a classic like Playa del Inglés, and where they also appear with more than half of the demand coming from abroad in towns on the island of Fuerteventura such as Pájara or Antigua, next to the areas of El Cotillo or Lajares, in La Oliva.

Finally, from Granada the towns of Rubite or Gualchos stand out, along with the districts of Monte los Almendros - El Pargo - Costa Aguilera, Salobreña, and Las Palomas, in Almuñécar.

Germans, Swedes and Dutch are the ones most looking for a house in Spain from their countries.

For the first time in a long time, the British do not top a list referring to the demand for foreign housing in Spain. Although they are the main home buyers in our country, they are not the most prominent nationality in these locations with the greatest demand from abroad.

Visits from Germany are the most notable among the 120 areas analyzed, with the nationality most interested in buying in 55 of them, practically half, especially in the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

Sweden is the next country that stands out on the list, showing great interest in Alicante, but also being the first country that demands a house in areas of Malaga. An interest that they share with the demand from the Netherlands, which in addition to focusing on Alicante expands its radius of interest in Malaga and Granada.

Another of the prominent nationalities in France, being the most prominent in the areas of Girona, while Italians prefer the Canary Islands as a destination. Finally, the British monopolize the greatest foreign demand in areas of Manilva, Estepona and Gualchos, in Granada.

It is worth highlighting how the demand from Poland has stood out in La Mata, Alicante, and the Bay of Casares, while from Lithuania they have focused on the Cliffs of Los Gigantes in Tenerife, and the Norwegians in Patalavaca, in the municipality of Mogán in Gran Canaria , where there is already a prominent colony of Norwegians.