Located just 40km over the French border in the Spanish foothills of the Pyrenees is the beautiful Bay of Roses,  where the stunning local scenery combines mountains, villages and long Mediterranean beaches. The shore is scattered with the typically Spanish costal resorts, of Santa Margarita, Empuriabrava and the fishing port of Roses all the way down to L' Escala. The all year round sunshine helps to make this a vibrant community that is not just made of tourists, but locals of all nationalities. The Bay of Roses is a popular destination for discerning people who want the benefits of Spanish Mediterranean living without the hustle, bustle and more concrete feel of southern Spain. Throughout the winter, the white-capped mountains provide a number of very easily accessible skiing resorts, the closest of which can be reached from the Bay of Roses within an hour and a half. Local residents of all nationalities take full advantage of this. The summer tourist season starts in April with many hotels and attractions open for business. It is an area that caters exceptionally well for families. There are a number of well-respected schools, including an international school where the English National Curriculum is taught. The health care system is also very well run. The World Health Organisation ranked Spain as 7th in the world; it is efficient, effective and, most importantly, treatment is quick. Having one of the lowest crime rates in Europe it is also a safe and relaxed place to be. Catalonia, especially the Bay of Roses, is one of the wealthiest areas of Spain. Many Spaniards have second homes here. The investment potential within the Bay of Roses area has enjoyed steady growth for a number of years now. Conservative estimates put the investment potential at about 12-15 %. Within Spain, 150,000 houses are bought by foreigners each year which is 15% of all real estate. 1.8 million Spanish homes belong to foreigners and 90,000 of the properties are second homes. The largest contingent of investors is the British. The Consultants’ International Financial Analysts claim that by 2008 up to 2000,000 second homes will be sold to outside investors. As a result, there has been a heavy investment in the road system. Existing roads have been widened and many new roads have been built to link areas together. The European Community has invested in a new train network linking Paris and Barcelona and further development of the marina of Empuriabrava is under consideration. The potential for good market increases seems very positive. |
Locality 
