Where Spain turns the bend on its south eastern corner you find the start of the province of Almeria on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Though the pretty whitewashed town and seaside resort of Mojacar has lured artists and holidaymakers for nearly 40 years, the rest of the region has remained little known to most foreign visitors to Spain… although you may have unwittingly watched one of the many Hollywood films set in northern Almeria’s Tabernas desert – the only true desert in Europe - including Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Now, however, not just Almeria’s coastal towns but its inland villages are starting to attract second home buyers who are attracted by comparatively low property prices, the pleasures of living in “unspoilt” Spain and the driest climate in Europe.

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PROPERTY PRICES
With the exception of Mojacar, where property in the beautiful old town is highly desirable and the prices are accordingly high, Almeria offers foreign buyers excellent value for money. Until relatively recently, due to a limited road network which has now improved drastically and limited options by air, its coastline was also spurned in favour of Malaga’s and Alicante’s offerings and prices remained low. Now low-cost airlines fly to Almeria airport and new development is taking off, particularly in rapidly-expanding resorts such as Almerimar and Vera Playa, where you can expect to pay around 100,000-150,000 euros for a one- or two-bed apartment near the sea.

Generally in Almeria prices inland are still far lower than you could find in equivalent areas near the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca, with houses in need of renovation for as little as 35,000 euros and large villas from around 250,000 – about half the amount you would expect to pay for a similar property in Marbella or northern Costa Blanca.

The average cost of new housing in Almeria is 1,393 euros per m2, compared with 1,631 euros per m2 in Seville and 1,457 euros per m2 in Malaga. Overall in Andalucia, which includes Almeria, property prices are expected to rise by 11% in 2005.

CLIMATE
Almeria’s warm and dry Mediterranean climate sees little rain and more than 3,000 hours of sun annually. This is the hottest province in Andalucia. Temperatures rarely dip below 13º C in winter and although average summer temperatures are said to be 25º C, you can expect plenty of weeks in the 30s and 40s between May and October.

GEOGRAPHY
Nestled in between Granada to the west and Murcia to the north east, the province of Almeria has 425,000 inhabitants, a third of whom live in its capital city, Almeria.

The landscapes here are wonderfully diverse, from the sandy beaches and snug coves around Mojacar and Roquetas del Mar to the lunar landscapes of its desert-like north.

There are also areas of high mountains and wide plains in the Sierra del Gador, where the mountain range protects the surrounding area to make it one of the most productive agricultural zones in Europe. Almeria’s inland towns are starting to attract international attention now too, particularly around the Almanzora Valley where you are still only 40 minutes from beautiful beaches.

GETTING THERE
Almeria airport, 9km (5 miles) east of Almeria city, has regular from the UK with BA, Easyjet, Ryanair, Flybe and MyTravelLite. Malaga airport is a three-hour drive west of Almeria and Murcia’s San Javier airport is two and half hours’ drive north of Almeria city, a possibility if you are heading for areas in northern Almeria such as Huercal Overa or Albox.