Building your own home in Spain means acting as your own developer. Self-build mortgages pay out in stages, and you’ll face permits, a 3–5% works tax and insurance. Here’s the full picture, including the risks to weigh.

Two high-speed trains collided near Urda, Toledo, on 28th October, in a tragedy that has left Spain in mourning. Madrid-Andalusia high-speed services are suspended until further notice. Read the latest on the investigation, travel alternatives and support helplines.

Only Spanish nationals can vote in the 29th November general election, however long you’ve lived here. Depending on your nationality, though, you may still vote in municipal elections. Here’s who can vote in what.

Before falling for the view, check which way the house faces. Orientation decides when sunlight reaches your rooms, and how hot summers feel. Here’s what each direction means in Spain’s climate.

Alicante averages around 5.9 hours of winter sunshine a day, against 1.8 in the UK. Discover what winter on the Costa Blanca is really like, and what to check before buying a home there.

Halloween falls on Saturday 31st October, with parties, haunted attractions and family events in across the country. Sunday is All Saints’ Day, a quieter public holiday when families visit cemeteries. 

Portugal was named Europe’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards 2026, with Lisbon voted best city, the Algarve best beach destination and the Azores best for adventure. See what else won.

Portugal’s 2027 budget proposal would lift the minimum wage from €920 to €970 a month and update income tax brackets by 3.88%. See how pensions, rents and taxes could change for residents.

Across eight major cities, Genoa, Turin and Palermo have the cheapest streets, from €1,118 per m². But a low price per square metre doesn’t always mean a low total price. See the top ten.