Houses in towns

Some people enjoy weekend breaks in medieval villages – others dream of living in one or buying a second home. If that sounds like you, read on. Here we highlight a selection of medieval villages with affordable houses for sale, including Alpuente in Valencia, once a Taifa stronghold defended by El Cid, and Cacabelos in the heart of El Bierzo in León.

Buying a home in major cities has become an almost impossible task. Saving the minimum 20% deposit required by banks for a mortgage is challenging, especially in cities with soaring rents like Barcelona.

Besides being one of the most sought-after places to live, the province of Málaga is home to countless picturesque villages waiting to be discovered.

"Happiness is a way of travel – not a destination".

Spain has many facets, from bustling urban centres to villages where peace and quiet are the order of the day. Whatever the case may be, Spain has a myriad of options for living or spending a few days on holiday.

More than 260 villages from 60 different countries applied for the United Nations Tourism Agency's 2024 'Best Tourism Villages'. Casares (Malaga), Ainsa (Huesca), Sos del Rey Catolico (Zaragoza), Cudillero (Asturias), Mura (Barcelona) and Pals (Girona) have been nominated for the Best Tourist Town award, as they are committed to responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism.

The Alfa Inmobiliaria network assures that in the last two years the number of people interested in purchasing a home outside of large cities has doubled, caused by factors such as the difficulty of accessing property and the greater facilities for working remotely.

Four years have passed since Covid fully hit our lives and began a long period of lockdowns and limited mobility, which awakened a desire in many Spaniards to leave the city behind and move to live in the countryside. This phenomenon reached its peak in the spring of 2021, when 5.8% of all contact with advertisers on idealista was for properties in towns with less than 5,000 inhabitants.

Asturias is an autonomous community in Spain known for its natural beauty, being the cradle of the Reconquista, green landscapes, mountains, great food and countless other attributes.