Catalonia stretching from the French Border at Emporda down to Blanes the southern most part, this coastline is a mix of cliffs, wooded coves and pretty beaches. Lloret de Mar is the busiest, most popular tourist resort on the coast closely followed by Tossa del Mar and La Planja d'Aro. For a relatively unspoilt district former fishing villages like Cadaques on this naturally attractive coast are the perfect visit.

Inland there is a rich artistic heritage to be explored. Catalonia (Costa Blanca or "wild coast") has several spectacular monasteries, especially Montserrat, its spiritual heart and Poblet. There are also many medieval towns such as Montblanc, Besalu and Girona which contain a wealth of monuments and museums. In the countryside there is a lot to view, from the wetland wildlife of the Rio Ebro delta to the vineyards of Penedes, where most of Spain's sparkling wine is made.

For the divers amongst us L'Estartit now form a marine reserve with clear waters perfect for skin and wetsuit diving. All in all a perfect area for those who would like a choice from unspoilt untouched to the more built up areas of the coast.

Buying a Spanish property will normally be contained in a private contract with a deposit of around 10% payable which is binding by law. It is possible to agree a contract where either party may change their minds at a financial cost. The private contract should contain details of the agreed deposit payment, purchase price and details for payment of the outstanding balance of the agreed buying price plus any additional extras and your intended completion. A Notary will prepare the official contracts and make sure it complies with Spanish regulations. If there is common ownership a Community of Owners must be established through which community charges can be shared. If your property is contained in an apartment block then the law will relate to the Horizontal Division and this should be clarified, especially in new developments. Any property sale or purchase in Spain should be registered in the Land Registry and its important to make sure any relevant taxes are paid before this is done.

It is common practice for the sale and purchase price to be understated by Spanish sellers, enabling them to reduce their tax liability and reducing your stamp duty fees. However, you could be liable for Capital Gains tax on additional profit once the true price is declared and non residents will normally be expected to deposit 5% of the sale proceeds with local tax offices until any agreements are reached, and could have liability by both seller and buyer if the profits or in excess of set limits around Pt2,000,000.

You would expect to pay a total of around 10% of the purchase price for realestate in Spain. This could include Stamp duty, charged at 7% of the official selling price (4.5% for the Canaries), and 0.5% for contract documents Land Registry is charged against a rateable table held by local authorities. There will also be a tax on the increase of the land your property lies on since it was last sold and should be paid by the vendor. Notary fees will also be included in the total costs.

All your Spanish property taxes will be based on the official price registered, not on selling prices and you would expect to pay under 1% annually, plus additional service taxes set by the local authority. Wealth tax charges apply for residents after 17m ptas of net assets; if you don't apply for residency you could be charged tax for all your net assets. Rate varies from fractions of a percent to over 2% depending on net assets. Click Here for more info.

Spanish lenders will allow you to borrow against Spanish property and can usually be arranged in most major currencies normally over terms of up to 15 years, with exception of 25 years at up to 80% of the buying price.