Step off the tourist trail to get to the heart of the matter this Valentine’s Day
- Seville is for more than oranges, offering a true taste of Spain (Kyero.com)
- Le Marche is the heart of Italian living (Appassionata)
- Tavira tempts those in the know away from the crowds of Portugal’s Algarve (Ideal Homes Portugal)
Visiting a country’s tourist hotspots can be an exciting experience but exploring its hidden gems can be even more rewarding. Move away from the biggest cities and the busiest coastal resorts and suddenly you find yourself able to get to the true heart of a country.
With love in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches, three property entrepreneurs talk about how their passion for Spain, Italy and Portugal led them off the tourist trail and into the heart of their chosen country.
“The southern Spanish city of Seville is one of those places that captures your imagination and fills your soul with excitement as you explore,” enthuses Martin Dell, Director of leading Spanish property portal Kyero.com. “The architecture is simply stunning – everywhere you turn there’s another wonderful building and I challenge any city to show me a more beautiful site that the Plaza de España at sunset.”
Seville is a city that presents the visitor with a wonderful glimpse of everyday life in Spain. The gardens and grand boulevards of Seville’s Maria Luisa Park are simply gorgeous, with lush foliage interspersed with ponds, pavilions and tiled fountains, but visitors are more likely to find locals jogging than tourists picnicking.
The tapas bars and restaurants are also bustling with locals of an evening and provide some gastronomic delights that will impress even the most serious foodie. Seville is believed to be the birthplace of the tapas concept and is rumoured to have more than 1,000 establishments for diners to choose from.
While Seville does actually attract a few million tourists each year, it tends to draw those wanting to discover the ‘real’ Spain, as Martin explains,
“Visitors who make it beyond Barcelona and Madrid, or the beach resorts of the Costa del Sol, tend to be those looking for a deeper understanding and experience of Spain. They want to get to the heart of the country and that is precisely what Seville enables them to do.”
Property prices in Seville are at just 58% of the national average according to Kyero’s Spanish House Price Index Q4 2014, making second homes a tempting prospect for those who want to do more than just scratch the surface of Spain as a holiday destination.
Over in Italy, it is the Le Marche region that offers visitors a taste of true Italian living. Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder of luxury fractional ownership holiday home company Appassionata, reveals why it is that Le Marche has stolen her heart,
“Living in Le Marche is like having the whole of Italy on your doorstep. We have the sea, the mountains, the gorgeous weather, incredible local food and some really welcoming neighbours. This isn’t the wealthiest region of Italy by a long way, but it’s definitely the place to be to experience Italian life at its best.”
Dawn and her family have been in Le Marche since 2005, when they founded Appassionata and set about renovating their first fractional ownership holiday home. A decade later, they have recently launched their third luxury property, the urban fractional Casa Tre Archi, which owners can enjoy from £65,000 for a one tenth share.
“Life here is a long way from the mass consumerism that you see in the big cities,” continues Dawn. “We buy our groceries from tiny shops and market stalls and our fish directly from the local fishermen. We drink wine from grapes grown in the region and cook with locally pressed olive oil. Restaurant menus focus on the area’s bountiful produce, like game and truffles, rather than imported goods or products that have to be shipped here from distant parts of the country. This is true, local Italian living.”
It is that sense of being part of a real, local community that inspires Chris White, founding director of boutique real estate agency Ideal Homes Portugal, whose passion is for the eastern Algarve town of Tavira. He explains,
“So many places in the Algarve are packed with tourists during the summer months. You see restaurants with menus outside them written only in English and everywhere around you hear English being spoken rather than Portuguese. Tavira is a welcome relief for those looking to experience the Portuguese version of Portugal!”
Straddling a tidal river that runs through the city centre, Tavira is a mishmash of cobbled streets and different architectural styles, from ancient Moorish influences to smart modern townhouses. Its ruined castle with pretty courtyard garden allows visitors brave enough to climb to the top of the walls (there’s not a safety rail in sight) stunning views over the city, while a generous helping of restaurants serve incredible value seafood and traditional Portuguese peasant-style meals.
Tavira Island, accessed from the town via a regular boat service, offers a spectacular beach to those looking for sea and sand, and is a top spot for locals as well as those wise tourists who have had the sense to turn right rather than left upon leaving Faro airport. The local area is also perfect for enjoying the spectacular sunsets for which the Algarve is known.
Properties for sale in Tavira itself are fairly few and far between, though this two bedroom house with swimming pool from Ideal Homes Portugal is within walking distance of the town centre and should be the perfect base for anyone wishing to own their own slice of the real Algarve.
For more information please contact:
Kyero.com: www.kyero.com
Appassionata: +39 073 465 8775 or www.appassionata.com
Ideal Homes Portugal: +44 800 133 7644 or +351 289 513 434 or www.idealhomesportugal.com