Foreign buyers have been a driving force in Spain’s coastal housing market for years, but fresh idealista data from late 2025 shows in detail who is looking, where, and how international some stretches of coastline have become.
How much foreign interest is there in Spanish coastal property?
Between August and October 2025, foreign users made up 18.69% of all idealista listing views in Spanish coastal areas. It is important to stress that this reflects property listing views, not completed demand or sales. However, the numbers still offer a clear snapshot of where international interest is strongest right now.
Which nationalities are most interested in Spanish coastal property?
According to the data, among all foreign users viewing coastal homes for sale, a small group of countries dominates the statistics.
Top nationalities by share of foreign listing views on idealista
| Nationality | Percentage of all foreign coastal property views |
|---|---|
| Germany | 16.93% |
| United Kingdom | 10.97% |
| France | 10.91% |
| Netherlands | 9.87% |
| United States | 6.09% |
These top five countries are followed by Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Poland and Switzerland. Together, these 10 nationalities represent the bulk of international interest in Spanish coastal property for sale.
In broad terms:
- German buyers remain a crucial group, especially in the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands.
- British buyers are still very present, with strong interest in Almería, Alicante and classic Costa del Sol locations.
- French buyers focus heavily on the north‑eastern Mediterranean coast, especially Girona and Castellón.
- Dutch buyers are increasingly concentrated in the Alicante province.
- US buyers remain a smaller group but represent a noticeable share of foreign views and are an important emerging audience.
The most popular Spanish coastal hotspots for foreigners
When all foreign nationalities are combined, three locations stand out as the top seaside destinations for property listing views.
Torrevieja (Alicante): the most‑searched town among foreign buyers
The coastal town of Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca is the single most popular destination for foreign users looking at coastal property for sale, 3.35% of views.
Torrevieja also sits in the province that currently shows the highest share of foreign views of all Spanish coastal provinces, underlining just how international this stretch of the Costa Blanca has become.
Calvià (Mallorca): high‑end international interest
The municipality of Calvià, on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, comes next. It draws a particularly strong audience from Germany and the UK, reflecting its reputation as a resort and second‑home area with marinas, golf and coastal communities.
The most popular places for foreigners in the Balearic Islands, after Calvià, were Palma de Mallorca and Andratx.
Marbella (Málaga): a long‑standing international hub
Marbella, on the Costa del Sol in Málaga province, completes the top three. It continues to attract buyers from multiple countries thanks to its long history as a resort town with luxury properties and services, and a highly international environment.
Marbella remains one of the best‑known names for foreign property buyers on the Spanish coast and consistently appears among the most‑viewed locations.
Where each nationality is focusing on the Spanish coast
Beyond overall rankings, the 2025 data shows clear geographical preferences by nationality. This can be particularly helpful if you want to live near people from your own country, or if you prefer the opposite – a more mixed or more Spanish environment.
Germans: Balearic Islands and Tenerife lead the way
Out of the top 15 most popular coastal municipalities for Germans, all except four are located on the Balearic or Canary Islands.
Area / Province | Share of foreign listing views from Germany | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Balearic Islands | 41.79% | Germans are clearly the dominant foreign audience in the islands. |
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) | 24.43% | Strong German interest in year‑round, warm‑weather coastal property. |
Alicante province (Costa Blanca) | 10.63% | Germans are one of the top three foreign nationalities in the area. |
For a German buyer, this means you will find particularly established German‑speaking communities and services in parts of Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and in Tenerife and the Costa Blanca.
British: strong in Almería, Alicante and the Balearic Islands
Orihuela, Los Alcázares and Estepona are the top three most viewed municipalities.
Area / Province | Share of foreign listing views from UK | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Almería (Andalusia) | 19.95% | British buyers are a key international group along this quieter stretch of the coast. |
Alicante (Costa Blanca) | 10.10% | British viewers sit just behind Dutch and German users among foreign nationalities. |
Balearic Islands | 11% | Second‑largest foreign group after Germans in the islands. |
For British buyers, this data confirms that Almería, Alicante, the Balearic Islands and long‑established Costa del Sol municipalities remain key areas to watch on the Spanish coast.
Dutch: heavily focused on the Alicante province
Dutch users' interest is particularly concentrated in one province. 16.54% of all foreign listing views in Alicante come from the Netherlands. This makes Dutch users the single largest foreign group in that province. They are followed by Germans (10.63%) and British buyers (10.10%).
This helps explain the strong Dutch presence in and around towns such as Torrevieja, as well as across the Costa Blanca more broadly.
French: Girona and Castellón as main Mediterranean targets
French users attention is focused on the Castellón province in Valencia. 25.79% of foreign views in Castellón are from French users, suggesting this lesser‑known stretch of coast is a key focus for French second‑home seekers.
In Girona, Catalonia, around 30% of listing views are from foreigners, and just under half of them are French. The municipality of Roses is particularly popular, thanks to its proximity to the French border, which makes it convenient for cross‑border commuting and weekend trips.
US buyers: a small but growing presence
Potential buyers' share of views is large enough to matter, especially in more international environments such as major resort areas, popular islands, and towns and cities that already attract digital nomads and remote workers
For US citizens planning a relocation or second home in Spain, you are likely to find more English‑speaking professionals, services and communities than in the past.
All of this analysis has been prepared by the idealista/data team and is based on property listing views from August to October 2025.
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