07.01.09
Posted in Famara at 12:40 am by admin
Holidays in Famara, Lanzarote
Many holiday makers visiting the island of Lanzarote have only one magical place they head straight for, that place is Famara. Even on a world wide scale a holiday in Famara can rival most any other location. Beautiful, wild and dramatic are the words that probably sum up Famara the best. A 700 metre vertical cliff back drop round out into a 4 kilometre long golden sand beach which in turn leads onto the sea with its year round surf and kitesurf conditions.
Staying in Famara
A self catering holiday in Famara is the one and only most popular choice for visitors to the area. There are two areas to find your accommodation, that of the town of Famara (Caleta de Famara) or the Famara bungalows.
Famara town is a small and sleepy relaxed fishing village with a fine sprinkling of restaurants, shops, bars, surf and kitesurf shops with rental and training courses.
Famara bungalows
The Famara bungalows are located a few hundred metres from the Famara town on the slopes leading to the beach. Each bungalow is on its own 1000 metre plot, each bungalow has a full glass frontage, large terrace and amazing sea and sunset views. If not your first then certainly your second visit to the area will be in a Famara bungalow.
Permalink
06.29.09
Posted in Canary island news at 8:10 am by admin
A fin whale which was found entangled in fishermans nets off the coast of Lanzarote has been freed by a team of divers from the Emerlan emergency consortium on the island.
The juvenile whale, weighing around twenty tons and measuring some ten metres long, was initially spotted by staff from SECAC Cetaceans Society. Vidal Martín, president of SECAC, stated that the whale was scarcely able to move and is believed to have been entangled, unable to eat, for a number of days. Closer inspection revealed the nets had become embedded in the whale’s flesh and were cutting through its tail fin.
It’s the second such incident off the Canary Islands in recent weeks. Another fin whale which had also become entangled in nets was recently found dead off of the coast of Gran Canaria.
Permalink
Posted in Canary island news at 8:09 am by admin
Climate change has had an enormous impact on the Canary Islands, whose rugged volcanic landscape and unique native flora have inspired one of this year’s most dramatic show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show, the Canary Island’s Spa Garden. The lush, exotic beauty of the Islands’ has made them a magnet for beach-loving sun-seekers as we all know, but this exhibit aims to offer an alternative view.
“There is so much more to the Canary Islands than sun, sea and sand,” says David Cubero, a professional florist, award-winning garden designer and Canary Island native, who collaborated on the design with James Wong, an ethnobotanist who will be familiar to many from the BBC2 series Grow Your Own Drugs.
“We wanted to show a side of the islands that many visitors never see – a unique, remote archipelago of breathtaking landscapes and utterly unique plant life.” This strikingly modern garden, the pair’s first design for Chelsea, is set 1,000m above sea level within the collapsed crater of an extinct volcano.
At its centre is a bathing pavilion, surrounded by a steaming spa (a stunning effect that has been achieved with mist-scaping, which is used on film sets), with gushing fountains, and both covered and open-air bathing areas. The water is from a natural spring – reducing the design’s reliance on costly desalinated seawater – which generates enough heat to power the pumps and lighting. It will even benefit the island’s wildlife by providing food, water and shelter. As well as blurring the distinction between inside and outside space, the garden juxtaposes nature and artifice by framing its exuberant, naturalistic planting – designed to mimic the native vegetation that lies between the island’s endemic highland cloud forest and its rugged arid lowland – with the disciplined lines and angles of hard landscaping.
“David and I have been keen to challenge many of the conventional beliefs of how gardens ’should’ look,” says James. “Like many parts of the world, the Canary Islands have tended to look abroad for their horticultural inspiration, with gardeners struggling against climate to create idealised pastoral landscapes. In this design we aim to discard these imported concepts and create a truly Canarian garden that embraces local climate, planting, landscape and materials.”
Working with the environment, natural springs, monochrome blocks of lava and soaring palms have replaced traditional manicured lawns and flower borders. Showpieces include the statuesque 1.9m Dragon’s Blood Tree (Dracaena draco) dracaena aborea, which is familiar as a houseplant in this country but was once sacred to the island’s Guanche people and is becoming increasingly rare in the wild, the lush fronds of Woodwardia ferns (Woodwardia radicans is close to a native Canarian tree fern) and Euphorbia mellifera, which is popular in British gardens but close is to extinction in its natural home.
All of the plants have been sourced in Britain or Europe instead of being flown from their homeland “We decided that all our plants would come from within 300 miles of the showground,” says James. “This was for environmental reasons but also because many of them, such as echiums, are simply not cultivated in the Canary Islands, where they are considered to be little better then weeds. Luckily we managed to find nearly everything we wanted in Cornish and Dutch nurseries.” Even the “lava” rock is actually clinker, a by-product from British coal-fired power stations that the designers have recycled.
When the garden is eventually dismantled all the planting will be donated to charitable projects – most notably the Chelsea Physic Garden. “Their exotics were decimated by the harsh winter weather,” James explains. “We have plants of a size that they would never normally be able to afford, so we are thrilled that we can contribute them to this world-famous educational botanic garden.”
So now there will always be a little bit of Canarian sunshine in Chelsea.
Permalink
Posted in Canary Island property at 8:07 am by admin
On the second day of the State of the Nation debate in Congress, the Prime Minister has presented a new measure to boost a sector which is key to the Spanish economy – tourism. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero announced that airlines which bring in more tourists to the country will be freed from airport tax.
The government will pay the tax on behalf of all passengers for airlines which carry more passengers in the second half of 2009 than their amount for the last six months of 2008. There will be increased travel assistance for residents of the Canary Islands in the form of a 30% subsidy on tickets for flights between the islands and the mainland. They currently get 15%.
In reply to a spokesman of the ‘Grupo Miixto’ during the second session of the debate of the state of the nation, Zapatero indicated that this modification in airport rates will have national reach and will be set in motion ‘immediately’. Zapatero was sure that this would be “a much more efficient and useful incentive” to increase tourism and passengers.
The CEOE employers’ organisation has meanwhile said that most of the measures announced by the Prime Minister are going in the right direction. The organisation said in a release that the tax reduction was a positive move.
Permalink
Posted in Canary Island property at 8:02 am by admin
As prices in the Spanish and Canarian property markets hit rock bottom, interest rates fall and stock markets remain volatile, a growing number of industry specialists believe that the first signs of recovery in the market are being seen. Leading the charge are high net-worth (HNW) individuals, according to the latest Wealth Report from Knight Frank, with 55% recognising present fundamentals and planning to increase their exposure to residential property over the next two years. “In turbulent times the wealthy want their investments to be both tangible and transparent,” said Liam Bailey, head of residential research at Knight Frank. HNWs are not the only ones looking for a relative safe-haven for their money at present. In spite of difficult economic conditions and significant falls in the value of Sterling, online searches for international property have increased by up to 72% month-on-month. Some analysts believe that the resurgent mortgage market in the UK is also behind the sudden rise in confidence. “Further evidence that the pick-up in buyer interest in the UK housing market is feeding through into actual activity is seen in the latest mortgage approvals data from the Bank of England,” said Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at RICS. “The number of mortgages sanctioned last month climbed to the best level since May 2008.” Behind these fundamentals, a growing number in the industry are recording a rising level of sales. Across Spain and the Canaries there seems to be a realistic, but optimistic sense that the beginning of the end could be approaching as more buyers discover the value. “I believe that there will be enough volume of sales this year that people will start to wake up and think that they better get in now before prices rise any further after the bottom of the market has been reached,” said one agent. “This means that the beginning of a recovery can commence, with total recovery happening within three to four years.”
Permalink
Posted in Canary Island property at 7:25 am by admin
Thousands of UK holiday-home owners face losing a range of tax benefits under changes announced in the Budget.
From April next year, holiday property landlords will no longer be able to write off “trading” losses from second homes against their tax bill. Capital allowances and capital gains benefits will also go.
Tax experts say the move is likely to anger tens of thousands of people – many of whom based retirement plans on the current tax rules for second homes.
In a small silver lining, those owning homes within the EU, but outside the UK, will get the tax benefits currently enjoyed by owners of UK holiday homes until April 2010. However, these will then also be scrapped.
“You are going to see a very vocal, articulate section of society screaming blue murder about this,” said tax expert Anne Redston, Visiting Professor at King’s College, London.
“People have bought holiday properties and worked out their projections based on the tax rules as they exist at the moment.”
The Government withdrew the concession after the European Union ruled that it breached EU law by discriminating against non UK owners of second homes in other European countries.
Although the most published elements of the recent Budget concentrated on tax increases, much less published is the new opportunity for owners of holiday lets in Spain and the Canary Islands, who have been given the chance to apply retrospectively for tax repayments going back up to a full five tax years. Property owners who think they may be eligible should act quickly, as the tax breaks will cease in April 2010.
Currently a home qualifies as a holiday property if it is furnished, being run as a commercial business and available for rent to the public for at least 140 days per year. It must also be let for at least 70 days a year to attract the tax benefits.
HM Revenue and Customs said it was extending the tax benefit to those owning holiday homes inside the EU but outside the UK until next April because it feared it was unlawful to have the current discrepancy.
More than two million Britons currently own a property abroad, and a number may recently have become eligible for one of these tax breaks. Many owners who previously kept their homes for private use have been renting them out to holiday makers over the last couple of years, to generate an extra source of income during the economic downturn.
This is a one-off opportunity in the 2009/10 tax year to secure a unique tax rebate. In 2010/11 the set-off or carry back allowances which create the rebate will no longer apply. To be eligible for the allowance, properties must have been let for ten weeks a year and available to let for 140 days.
Permalink
04.22.09
Posted in Apartments for sale Benalmadena at 5:18 am by admin
Benalmadena has long been noted as one of the Costa del Sol’s hidden jewels with many loyal visitors coming back year after year. Located only a mere twenty kilometers from Malaga and just seven kilometers from Torremolinas and Fuengirola, Benalmadena is not wanting in the location stakes.
The great news for all Benalmadena lovers, especially those looking for that perfect apartment for sale in Benalmadena, is that a new development with has just been completed with amazing facilities and literally unbelievable prices.
You can secure yourself a beautiful and brand new two bedroom and two bathroom apartment for only 145,000 euros. These Benalmadena apartments have been very well finished with their own facilities of an eighteen golf course, swimming pools, kids area, gymnasium etc.
Offers like this only come about in hard times but are well worth snapping up now that the market is due for an upturn.
Permalink
04.08.09
Posted in Capital gains tax at 4:48 am by admin
A British couple have successfully taken the Spanish tax authorities to court, winning £10,000 after it was proved that they had been illegally charged more than twice the amount of capital gains tax that would have been charged to Spanish residents when they sold a property in 2004.
After a battle lasting more than a year, they have successfully reclaimed their overpayment and the case now paves the way for thousands of other Britons to make similar claims from the Spanish government.
Until recently, British residents who owned Spanish property had to pay thirty five percent tax on any gains made when selling on Spanish property. This compared to just fifteen percent paid by Spanish nationals. The European Union challenged the rules, claiming they were discriminatory, and since the beginning of 2007 the Spanish tax authorities have charged the same fifteen pecent tax rate to Spanish and overseas property owners.
The Spanish court ruled that the initial case put forward by solicitors Costa, Alvarez, Manglano & Associates on behalf of Mr and Mrs Roy from the UK was so convincing that there was no need for it to be passed on to the European Courts of Justice (ECJ), which would be the usual procedure.
“Anyone else who believes they have been affected should come forward now with their cases,” said Emilio Alvarez, from the law firm. Six hundred other British couples are now putting cases forward, and all the cases will be decided separately by the Spanish court.
Whilst it is thought that thousands more British people could be affected, as a result of the Spanish legal system, claims can only be made if the tax bill was paid within the past four years.
Currency broker HiFX estimate that between 2002 and 2006 the average UK family selling property in Spain paid a tax bill of £14,000, compared with just £6,000 for a Spanish resident.
Taxpayers are also entitled to claim a refund for loss of interest at a rate of six percent from the date the reclaim is presented, making the total value of the claim even higher.
Mark Bodega, from HiFX, said “It is fantastic news that the first British couple has been successful and that a total of 600 other British claimants are now in the process of putting their cases forward. Between them they could reclaim £8.4m plus interest, based on the average reclaim figure at the moment of £14,100, but it is absolutely vital that anyone who believes they are affected comes forward to reclaim what they have wrongly been overcharged by the Spanish Government; £8.4m is a lot of money but really just a small fraction of what could potentially be reclaimed by Brits, which could be as much as £140m.”
The legal action up to now has been pursued on a ”no-win no-fee basis” with successful claimants paying thirty five percent of their tax reclaim to the lawyers. If clients were awarded an £11,000 rebate, they would end up with £7,150 after legal fees.
Derrick Howitt, 66, from Hampshire, is one of the property sellers effected who hopes to benefit from the ruling. “The Spanish Government is going to consider each case on an individual basis,” he said. “I hope they pay out soon, because the euro-sterling exchange rate is so good at the moment.”
Each case will be reviewed and decided upon by a Spanish court on its own merits and if you think you may be eligible the following are steps you can take to start the process.
1. Check you are eligible
You are if you sold a property in Spain between July 2004 and December 31 2006 and were not a fiscal resident in Spain when you sold it. You also have to have paid capital gains tax on the property to claim and need to have sold the property as an individual rather than a company.
2. Check you have the correct forms
You need a copy of a tax form called Modelo 212 or 210 to proceed. If you do not have this you will need a copy. The solicitors mentioned below can provide you with one.
3. Contact lawyers
Costa, Alvarez, Manglano & Associates have been handling cases on a no-win no-fee basis. They take a thirty five percent commission if you win, and can be contacted on 0845 680 3849. Thousands of Britons who sold property in Spain in the past few years could claim a tax rebate worth £10,000 or more after a decision from the Spanish courts recently.
Permalink
Posted in Online property at 4:45 am by admin
The latest statistics from a leading overseas property portal have shown that Spain is still the number one destination for British buyers of overseas property, despite the effects of the credit crunch on the actual numbers of properties purchased. Property Index.com has released statistics showing that Spain leads France, Portugal, Turkey and Bulgaria in the number of enquiries for property in February 2009.
However, the effects of the global economic downturn have been seen in the average price of the properties searched on the portal. In 2008, the average price of property viewed in Spain was £235,223 – a figure which dropped to £211,343 in February 2009, a drop of around ten per cent.
Meanwhile, property in Spain remains much more affordable than in its closest rival in popularity. The average price of property viewed in France was £441,252.
Within Spain, property in Costa Blanca was the most popular, followed by Tenerife in the Spanish Islands then property on the Costa del Sol.
Lee Bramzell, Chief Executive of PropertyIndex.com said, “The British love affair with Spain is far from over, and our data suggests that when we emerge from the recession, it will be the first place on the list for Brits wanting to buy holiday homes and investment properties overseas. While property sale volumes remain low, there is no doubt that the British are keeping a beady eye on the Spanish market, waiting for the right buying opportunity. I expect to see considerable pent up demand when the economy recovers.”
“Tourism both on the mainland and in the islands remains strong and sensible Brits already owning property there will be aiming to maximise their rental income over the coming months while they wait for the market to stabilise. New buyers can get a real bargain – official data shows house price falls in the region of three per cent, but in reality reductions are much greater than this. We are seeing some developers offering discounts of as much as 40 per cent on some schemes. This more than compensates for the strength of the Euro which we expect to weaken against the pound throughout 2009.”
Permalink
Posted in Canary Island travel at 4:34 am by admin
When the going gets tough, the tough get going and, it appears, even when times are hard sun lovers keep flying. We all know that the pull of the Canary Islands keeps people coming back again and again and recent figures show despite the financial hardships many are currently suffering, they will still find a way of getting to their favourite holiday destination.
Recent figures show that the Canary Islands are the only place in Spain where flights with low cost carriers have increased in popularity.
During January, Spain as a whole received one million three hundred thousand foreign visitors on low cost carriers, which represents almost a ten per cent decrease on the same month the last year. More traditional air line companies also reported a fourteen percent fall.
In the Canary Islands, however, the use of low cost airlines during January went up by over seven percent. The biggest increase was in Lanzarote, which is up almost ten percent with an increase of over three percent at Tenerife’s south airport.
Tourism chiefs have been regularly pointing out the need to capitalise on the current trend and to work with these carriers to encourage even more low cost flights to the Canary Islands.
Permalink
« Previous entries Next Page » Next Page »