Foreign interest has long shaped Spain’s seaside property market, but fresh idealista data from late 2025 shows more precisely where that attention is concentrated – and how international some coastal provinces have become. Between August and October 2025, foreign users accounted for 18.69% of all listing views for homes for sale in Spain’s coastal areas.
- Top coastal municipalities for foreigners
- What makes a coastal province “international”?
- Alicante: more than one‑third of views from abroad
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife: strong foreign interest in the Canary Islands
- Girona: cross‑border French interest on the Costa Brava
- Provincial snapshots: where foreign views cluster
- Insights when planning to buy on the Spanish coast
Top coastal municipalities for foreigners
Before looking at provinces, it helps to see which individual towns and cities attracted the most foreign attention overall. Across all of Spain’s coastal areas, these were the most‑viewed municipalities by foreign users between August and October 2025:
- Torrevieja
- Calvià
- Marbella
- Alicante city
- Orihuela
- Palma de Mallorca
- Estepona
- Barcelona
- Mijas
- Calpe
Torrevieja clearly stands out. With 3.35% of all foreign coastal views, it attracts over double the share of foreign attention compared with Calvià, the second‑placed municipality at 1.92%. The rest of the top 10 confirms the prominence of a few key areas:
- The Costa Blanca (Torrevieja, Alicante city, Orihuela)
- The Balearic Islands (Calvià, Palma de Mallorca)
- The Costa del Sol (Marbella, Estepona, Mijas)
- The Barcelona coastline
These hotspots sit within provinces where foreign buyers have a significant presence, and in some cases where international interest shapes a large part of the coastal market.
What makes a coastal province “international”?
In this context, an “international” coastal province is one in which a high share of all listing views comes from people outside Spain.
At the same time, the data shows that within each province, a small number of coastal municipalities can concentrate most of the foreign attention. Understanding both the province and its key towns helps you judge how international day‑to‑day life might feel.
Alicante: more than one‑third of views from abroad
By share of foreign views, Alicante is currently the most international coastal province in Spain. Just over 34% of all coastal property listing views in Alicante come from foreign users.
| Nationality | Percentage of foreign views |
| Dutch | 16.54% |
| German | 10.63% |
| British | 10.10% |
Torrevieja and other focal points in Alicante
Within Alicante, Torrevieja plays a central role for northern European buyers, reflected in the profiles of users viewing listings there:
- It captures the largest share of foreign coastal listing views in Spain, making it the single most‑viewed coastal municipality in the country.
- Swedish users are the largest foreign group, accounting for 18.23% of foreign views of the municipality. This is followed by Germans (around 11%) and Polish users (around 10%).
Beyond Torrevieja, Alicante city and Orihuela also appear in the Spain‑wide top 10 for foreign coastal views, confirming how foreign interest in the Costa Blanca is anchored in several municipalities rather than just one.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife: strong foreign interest in the Canary Islands
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, over 31% of property listing views come from foreigners, putting it close behind Alicante in terms of foreign share.
This reflects Tenerife’s appeal for year‑round sunshine, long‑stay winter residents and retirees, and buyers seeking a mild climate.
| Nationality | Percentage of foreign views |
| German | 24.43% |
| Italian | 11.23% |
| British | 8.67% |
Arona and other hotspots in Tenerife
Foreign interest is not evenly spread across the province. A few municipalities stand out:
- Around 22% of all foreign views in Santa Cruz de Tenerife focus on Arona.
- In Puerto de la Cruz, 39.60% of foreign views come from Germans.
- In Santiago del Teide, 18.47% of foreign views are from German users, while 12.4% come from Lithuanian users.
Girona: cross‑border French interest on the Costa Brava
In Girona province, around 30% of listing views are from foreign users, with a particularly strong presence of French users.
The Costa Brava coastline is attractive for French buyers who value quick access from southern France by car or train. It is also appealing due to its more 'local' feel compared with more heavily internationalised provinces further south.
The municipality of Roses accounts for 21.43% of all listing views in the province. The majority of these views come from French users, both looking at homes for sale and viewing rental listings.
Provincial snapshots: where foreign views cluster
Beyond Alicante, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Girona, the 2025 data highlights other coastal provinces where foreign interest is focused on a single standout municipality.
Province (Region) | Key coastal municipality | Share of provincial foreign views | Main foreign nationalities for each muncipality |
|---|---|---|---|
Castellón (Valencian Community) | Peñíscola | 23.36% | Many viewers are French, continuing a pattern of cross‑border Mediterranean interest |
Almería (Andalusia) | Roquetas de Mar | 22.04% | Key reference point on a quieter stretch of the Costa del Sol for Germans and Brits |
Granada (Andalusia) | Almuñécar | 59.77% | Top three nationalities: Swedish, British and German |
Huelva (Andalusia) | Ayamonte | 27.40% | Border town with 46% from Portuguese users |
Las Palmas (Canary Islands) | San Bartolomé de Tirajana | 21.22% | Over one‑third of foreign views are from Germans |
Bizkaia (Basque Country) | Getxo | 25.13% | US (20.85%), UK (12.17%) and Germany (8.37%) |
Gipuzkoa (Basque Country) | San Sebastián | 60.26% | Almost a quarter of foreign views are from US users |
Valencia (Valencian Community) | Valencia city | 26.08% | Key international hub on this stretch of the Mediterranean for French and German buyers. |
Tarragona (Catalonia) | Salou | 18.76% | Large share of foreign views from French users |
In the Spanish enclave of Melilla, on the North African coast, foreign listing views are dominated by Moroccan users. They are followed by German and French users. In Ceuta, foreign views also come primarily from Moroccan users, followed by French and US users.
Insights when planning to buy on the Spanish coast
For anyone weighing up where to live or buy on the Spanish coast, these figures can help you match the type of environment you want with the reality on the ground.
International environment and established expat networks
Focus on provinces with strong foreign interest and on the municipalities that concentrate that attention:
- Alicante – Spain’s most international coastal province by foreign share, anchored by Costa Blanca towns such as Torrevieja, Alicante city and Orihuela.
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife – where more than a third of foreign views are German, with key areas including Arona, Puerto de la Cruz and Santiago del Teide.
- Girona – where foreign interest, especially from France, focuses on Roses and the wider Costa Brava.
- Málaga – home to Marbella, Estepona and Mijas, all of which rank among the most‑viewed coastal municipalities in Spain.
- Balearic Islands – particularly Calvià and Palma de Mallorca, which attract a sizeable share of foreign views.
If you prefer a more local feel
You may want to look at less internationally known towns within Alicante, Girona, Almería or Castellón that see fewer foreigners than the provincial hotspots. Plus, coastal provinces where domestic Spanish buyers still dominate interest, which may suit those who want to integrate more deeply into local life.
All of this analysis has been prepared by the idealista/data team and is based on property listing views from August to October 2025, rather than on final transaction data.
Stay in the know about living in Spain as a foreigner—get our weekly newsletter for the latest travel, legal, and lifestyle news.
