The colour of gold - soft, warm and bright - is predominant along the marine littoral in the southern part of Catalonia and has rightly given it the name of Costa Dorada (Golden Coast).

Beaches are huge, with abundant fine sand sinking into the seawhich along with the holiday apartments for rent, make the Costa Dorada a choice area for family holidays, very appropriate for children and elderly persons and suited to those seeking peace and quiet.

In between the sea and the mountain range there are wide areas filled with peaceful towns and farmlands, where vineyards, olive groves, hazel trees and almond trees grow. The whole area receives an average 3,500,000 visitors per year.

The most well known holiday resort on the Costa Dorada (pop. 18,494) thanks to its magnificent natural conditions and the tourist development it has undergone. Modern tourist facilities, along with the splendid walk by the sea, with large, sunny beaches and nearby coves and seaside hideouts surrounded by pine trees and brush, add up its exceptional appeal.

Salou is set on the hillside of Cap Salou, and amongst fragrant pine trees. Salou centre has the usual town centre amenites, and a number of secluded beaches.

Merges with Salou and Cambril into one continuous resort some 10 miles long. Its general appearance is well-kept and clean partly because it is a "new" resort, which has been growing fast since the early 80s. Consequently most buildings are modern in style. The plentiful beaches are kept extremely clean, some of which have been awarded the European blue flag.

Is on the coast of Garraf with an active cultural and festive life. Located by the sea, it main attraction is Club de Golf Terramar golf course, one of the oldest in Catalonia (founded in 1922), with 18 holes, wide fairways and small greens, surrounded by sand-traps, out-of-bounds areas and a great water hazard to add to the difficulty.

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.