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Where to find luxury property in Spain

14 min read

  1. What Spain's luxury housing market can offer
  2. Where are the most luxury homes for sale in Spain?
  3. Costa del Sol
  4. Madrid region
  5. Barcelona city and province
  6. Balearic Islands
  7. Costa Blanca

Demand for luxury residences in Spain is growing fast, especially among foreign buyers. Fortunately, supply is keeping up with this demand: At any one time, tens of thousands of top-budget homes are for sale nationwide. And the high-end property market is expected to continue to expand throughout 2025, even now the 'golden visa' scheme has ended. Buyers from outside the European Union (EU) can no longer acquire automatic residence by spending half a million euros or more on a property, but this has not, apparently, put investors off. Top-of-the-range villas and élite apartments remain highly sought-after, according to industry experts.

modern white mansion with swimming pool
Spain's fast-growing luxury property market will continue to expand in 2025. Photo: Canva

The majority of buyers of luxury Spanish homes are from Germany and France, and from the UK and Russia, with growing interest from the USA and countries in Latin America and the Middle East.

Exclusive properties can be found anywhere in Spain, but availability is greater in specific areas, as we'll show you here.

What Spain's luxury housing market can offer

Luxury property does not necessarily mean the most expensive. In fact, one reason Spain is so popular with high net-worth buyers is that their money goes further. Whilst a sum in the low millions might get you a small or medium-sized modern flat in many global cities, such as London, New York, or Dubai, it would be enough for a spacious villa with a garden and private swimming pool in most of Spain.

In price terms, Spain's property market considers 'luxury' to be over €1 million, and 'super-luxury' to be over €3m. Compared with many other countries, these figures are really quite low for what they will actually buy you.

Estate agencies say top-budget buyers typically look for uniqueness, quality, energy efficiency, and attractive surroundings. High-demand features include 'Smart home' technology, and private leisure facilities such as an infinity pool, large garden, private beach, cinema room, gym and tennis court.

Privacy and security are frequently a major priority. Often, the wealthiest buyers are instantly-recognisable faces, including global celebrities, for whom Spain has long been a choice destination. Gated urbanisations (residential complexes) with 24-hour patrols, and secluded villas in open countryside, are widely available.

Unlike the mainstream housing market, which relies largely upon existing stock, demand for top-flight residences fuels supply. Choice is greater, since the market caters to you as a buyer – however selective your criteria.

In the unlikely event you can't find what you're looking for, despite budget not being an issue for you, then you could consider buying a plot and building your own a home.

Where are the most luxury homes for sale in Spain?

According to estate agency industry data, nearly 80% of Spain's luxury homes are in these locations:

  • Costa del Sol (Málaga province)
  • Madrid
  • Barcelona
  • Balearic Islands
  • Costa Blanca (Alicante province)

At present, the bulk of demand for this type of home among Spanish buyers is in the Madrid commuter belt; among non-Spanish buyers, the islands and Costas are the first choice, whilst the Barcelona area is equally popular with nationals and foreigners.

The remaining 20% of luxury home hotspots, with prices typically between €1m and €2m, include:

  • Sotogrande, in San Roque (Cádiz province). An exclusive urbanisation known for its superior sports facilities: five golf courses, a river marina and a polo club. Sotogrande is regularly used as a venue for international yachting regattas, polo matches, and golf tournaments, including the Ryder Cup.
  • Girona province, including the Costa Brava. Traditional fishing villages like Palafrugell, Castell-Platja d'Aro, and Blanes, and the Mediaeval town of Begur.
  • Canary Islands. In Tenerife, Guía de Isora, Adeje, and Arona; in Gran Canaria, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and in Lanzarote, Yaiza.
  • Valencia metropolitan area. For the above price range, you can findspacious villas – sometimes of around 1,000m2 with six to eight bedrooms - with private pools. Alboraia's Port Saplaya district is known as 'the Venice of Valencia', and its La Patacona beach zone are the best for high-end homes. Rocafort and the Santa Bárbara urbanisation, plus the Campolivar urbanisation in Godella, and the Torre en Conill and Cumbres de San Antonio estates in Bétera, have a modest range of luxury villas for sale.

Costa del Sol

Still the most popular area for European expatriates on any budget, the coast of the province of Málaga has seen its fair share of global celebrity neighbours thanks to its huge supply of top-end homes in highly-secure, private locations. As at 2025, the Costa del Sol was where nine of Spain's top-10 highest-price homes for sale were found; the cheapest of these 10 was marketed for €27.5m.

Beach holiday favourite Fuengirola is not one of the Costa's most expensive towns, but its exclusive and ever-growing El Higuerón urbanisation typically has hundreds of villas and apartments for sale in the luxury bracket.

An abundance of luxury homes can also be found in the Marbella area. Arguably the most sophisticated town in Spain, this celebrity favourite is replete with prestigious urbanisations and neighbourhoods.

For more general information about this area, have a look at The best areas on the Costa del Sol for expats.

Marbella town: Milla de Oro and Cascada de Camoján

The Milla de Oro ('Golden Mile') is an eight-kilometre seafront strip where some of the province's best hotels, resorts, restaurants, art galleries and nightclubs can be found. Homes for sale range from traditional Mediterranean-style right on the beach to spacious modern villas on urbanisations in the mountains behind. The former tend to be more expensive, with the average 'Golden Mile' price ranging from €5m to €35m. Similarly-priced homes can be found in Marbella town itself, in the secluded, high-class Cascada de Camoján neighbourhood.

Nueva Andalucía and Puerto Banús, Marbella

Marbella's Nueva Andalucía estate is practically a separate town, with all necessary amenities for year-round living, offering the ideal Marbella experience but with more open space and almost zero traffic. It is widely known as 'Golf Valley' due to its proliferation of professional-standard greens,

Nueva Andalucía is also popular with sailing fans: Puerto Banús, the yacht marina integrated into the urbanisation, was purpose-built as an élite watersports, shopping and residential zone. It currently costs €4,300 a day to moor a yacht there, and the long list of high-profile residents in its 50-year lifespan have made it a world-famous holiday and living location.

Nueva Milla de Oro: Marbella and Estepona

The Costa del Sol's other major luxury-home hotspot is known as the Nueva Milla de Oro ('New Golden Mile'), which links Marbella with the neighbouring municipalities of Estepona, Ronda, and Benahavís. Two of Marbella's most exclusive urbanisations are found here: Las Lomas, where homes have been marketed for up to €35m, has an average property-for-sale price of €9.5m, and Sierra Blanca, where properties of between €50m and €70m have been on sale.

Guadalmansa, a quiet and seclude seaside district in Estepona, is made up of high-class urbanisations right on the beach. Torre Bermeja, Menara Beach, Los Granados del Mar, and Las Salinas all offer luxury homes for sale, at average prices comfortably within the €1-3m range.

Benahavís: La Quinta, Los Flamingos and other urbanisations

Benahavís, seven kilometres from the beach and the most mountainous location on the Málaga-province coast, is a traditional white village of narrow lanes and bright, flower-filled balconies. Yet over 8,000 of Benahavís' 9,000 inhabitants live on its satellite urbanisations, which include some of the highest-budget homes in Spain.

The 'lower-end luxury' estates include El Paraíso, Montemayor-Marbella Club, and La Quinta, which houses a five-star hotel, three top restaurants and a golf course and is minutes by car from Marbella town. Also Los Flamingos, which is a green valley with a natural lake, three golf courses and one of the world's most exquisite hotels. In either, properties with ample space, beautiful views and high-end private facilities can be found for around €2m to €3m.

Why do we call these prices 'lower-end luxury'? That's because they're cheap compared with Benahavís' most famous urbanisation, La Zagaleta.

La Zagaleta, Benahavís

The urbanisation La Zagaleta is statistically the most expensive neighbourhood in Spain to buy a home in. As at the end of 2024, the average residence in La Zagaleta cost €12.3m – one of only two residential areas nationwide with an average home sale price of over €10m, along with La Moraleja (Madrid).

White villa of modern design with swimming pool on the urbanisation La Zagaleta, Málaga province
La Zagaleta is Spain's most expensive urbanisation – the average property costs €12.3m. Photo: Antonio Ruiz TKM/Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Originally a hunting estate owned by a Saudi billionaire and auctioned off in 1989, the ex-owner's mansion is now the Zagaleta Country Club, which has its own heliport. The estate includes two resident-only 18-hole golf courses, a private equestrian centre, vast green spaces between homes to guarantee privacy, and 24-hour security. Individual homes frequently come equipped with their own spa, cinema, gym, wine-cellar, and typically a minimum of nine bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Their kitchens are often the size of a typical Spanish two- or three- bedroom flat, or around 120m2.

Very occasionally, a medium-sized flat will come up for sale for around half a million, but otherwise, virtually nothing can be found on La Zagaleta for less than €3m. For comparatively modestly-priced and sized villas, the El Madroñal section comes in at an average of €11,630 p/m2, or about €5-7m.

These prices alone make La Zagaleta a safe place for homeowners keen to avoid public recognition: Even permanent residents generally have no idea who their neighbours are. Security is watertight and houses largely hidden from each others' view.

Madrid region

Nine of the top 10 most sought-after areas for buying luxury homes are in the Madrid region, according to property industry statistics. An average price of €1m to €2m – or roughly €4,000 to €7,000 per square metre (p/m2) - includes high-end flats in the city itself and villas on gated developments in suburbs and satellite towns. Certain pockets of the region include an abundance of 'super-luxury' homes of well over €3m.

Madrid city

The most exclusive homes in Madrid city are typically found in the Chamberí, Salamanca, Moncloa, Chamartín, Fuencarral and Retiro neighbourhoods. In the Paseo de la Castellana 'business strip' of the Salamanca district, prices for 2025 nearly double those of the other luxury property belts, coming in at over €10,000 p/m2. Buyers who prefer classical, stately designs over ultra-modern architecture will find plenty of choice in all these areas.

La Finca, Pozuelo de Alarcón

Spain's most in-demand luxury location is the urbanisation La Finca, in Pozuelo de Alarcón, about 12 kilometres west of Madrid city. Its residents include professional footballers and TV personalities, given that it is one of the safest and most private estates in Europe. The typical buying price is lower than on most of the Costas, and the mean figure of €11.31 p/m2 to rent is exactly the national average. But this includes small flats and modest-sized villas with shared facilities; the standard 'luxury' price range would get you a villa in the upmarket Los Lagos or Luis García Cereceda areas.

La Moraleja, Alcobendas

Privacy, security and tranquil, idyllic surroundings also attract high-profile Spaniards to the urbanisation La Moraleja, in Alcobendas.

Statistically the second-most expensive location in Spain, the average property for sale carries a price tag of €11.3m. Along with La Finca, La Moraleja is popular with ultra-high income professionals who commute to the city for work, given that both towns are served by the Madrid metro.

Fuente del Fresno, San Sebastián de los Reyes

Right in the heart of a nature reserve and almost next door to Alcobendas, the low-density urbanisation Fuente del Fresno in San Sebastián de los Reyes is equally exclusive, but considerably cheaper. This is partly because it takes longer to get to central Madrid – San Sebastián is served by multiple bus routes, but not by direct train.

Other towns in the Madrid area where luxury homes within the €1-2m price range are in demand are Boadilla del Monte, Las Rozas, Majadahonda, Villaviciosa de Odón, and Torrelodones.

Barcelona city and province

Spain's second-largest metropolitan area completes the top 10 municipalities which attract the greatest demand for luxury homes. A colourful and vibrant city with some of the world's most beautiful and unique architecture, Barcelona is right on the coast, making it ideal for combining urban life with relaxing on the beach.

Just over half of Barcelona's buyers of big-budget property are Spanish, although high numbers of French, Italian and Chinese nationals have made purchases in the past year. More than seven in 10 luxury homes were sold as a main residence, and 14% as a holiday home.

Some of the most prestigious neighbourhoods in Barcelona city centre include the Eixample district and Diagonal-Mar zone, where average prices have soared to between €7,000 and €8,500 p/m2 in 2025. Others are less central, but still within the urban heartland, such as Pedralbes and Sant Gervasi.

Pedralbes, Barcelona city

Barcelona's most exclusive neighbourhood is Pedralbes, where vast gardens, woodlands, private swimming pools and panoramic views combine with privacy and tranquillity – and where the top-three most expensive homes in Catalunya are found, all valued at around €21m. The average home price in Pedralbes, though, is somewhat cheaper – typically under €3m.

Sarrià-Sant-Gervasi, Barcelona city

Prestigious urban zones include the Sarrià-Sant-Gervasi area – encompassing Galvany and Bonanova - where one in eight home sales are for over €2m and more than half for over €1m, and the cost of renting is double the national average.

The greenest district in the city centre, part of it is surrounded by enormous parkland, meaning residents enjoy all urban amenities but feel as though they live in open countryside. Within the Sant Gervasi belt is Tres Torres, the richest neighbourhood in Catalunya. Its rural backdrop makes this area popular for hiking and cycling, and also with buyers who prefer older-style architecture.

Costa Maresme and Barcelona metropolitan area

Outside the city proper but within the metropolitan area, the most luxury homes are found in Sant Just Desvern, Sant Cugat del Vallès, especially in the Valldoreix district; and Gavà and Esplugues de Llobregat, where the average property costs between €2m and €3m. In Esplugues, the average price is at the lower end of the luxury scale – except in the Finestrelles district, where it rises to €11,182 p/m2.

Elsewhere in Barcelona province, the village of Teià, a few kilometres inland from the Costa Maresme, and the lively, much-loved seaside town of Sitges, have similar average prices; these rise by over 50%in Sitges' élite Vinyet neighbourhood.

Balearic Islands

One in four municipalities with luxury homes for sale in Spain is located in these attractive, sunny Mediterranean islands. At least 30 towns and villages have dozens to choose from at any one time, with average prices of around €2m.

The Balearic Islands are particularly popular with foreign buyers seeking upper-budget homes, especially Germans, who make up the largest non-Spanish market. Other prominent international buyers are Dutch, Swedish, Swiss, British, Polish and Austrian. Luxury home-seekers from the USA, although still a minority, are the fastest-growing market.

Mallorca

Mallorca's top luxury homebuying destinations include Bunyola, the second-most sought-after location outside of Madrid and Barcelona, and ideal for buyers seeking countryside estates and traditional, rural-style homes with plenty of land. Newer, designer villas can be found in the Sa Coma and Son Font Seca areas, the most exclusive in the village.

Other high-class homebuying destinations in Mallorca include:

  • Llucmajor

A medium-sized beach town especially popular with European buyers, Llucmajor has a German-speaking international school. Prices are typically highest in the more élite, peaceful areas of Son Gual, Les Palmeres, Sa Torre and Son Veri Nou. Here, a small villa with a pool costs around €1-2m, or a very large one about €5-8m.

  • Calvià

The Balearics' second-most populated municipality after Palma de Mallorca, nearly half the resident population of Calvià is foreign - mainly German - but regular year-round visitors come from all over Europe. The area is particularly suitable for homebuyers seeking a lively holiday atmosphere close enough to enjoy, but far enough away so as not to shatter their peace.

Luxury homes abound in several of these villages, which were mainly purpose-built 'garden cities' for the island's fast-growing tourism industry. They include Cas Català, an élite tourism and residential zone; Portals Nous in the Costa d'en Blanes beach area, with its blue-chip yacht marina, glamorous lifestyle and exquisite shopping, dining and leisure facilities; and the hillside village of Bendinat. Here, homes priced at over €10m are commonplace, especially those on the seafront in Old Bendinat, although you can find apartments next to the golf course for under €700,000.

Calvià's luxury home prices are cheaper in Santa Ponça, where a small villa typically costs just over €1m and a large one about €3m. Hugely popular with Irish residents and tourists, Santa Ponça also has a small community of Italian and Dutch expatriates.

Luxury and city living with countryside and beaches just minutes away are perfectly compatible in the Balearic capital. The old town, or historic quarter, offers property with real character. Spacious apartments in converted stately homes, and palaces and ancient houses down narrow lanes with huge courtyards, fountains and rooftop swimming pools are sold for millions apiece.

For a gated modern urbanisation with 24-hour security and restricted access, Son Vida is home to two élite hotels, three golf courses, natural shrubbery, and over 350 mansions with vast gardens. The average price here - around €9,000 p/m2 - leapt by nearly 10% between April and May 2025, making this a great investment location as well as a desirable residence.

  • Luxury locations for a quiet life

For top-budget homes in more peaceful coastal areas, Port Andratx is the most-searched area among foreigners. Private spas and infinity pools come as standard or, for a few extra million, you can get steps down to your own private gate onto the beach.

Traditionally-Mediterranean luxury residences in Puerto Pollença, mainly Spanish-owed summer homes, are highly-prized and snapped up almost immediately. Or, for a rural and authentically-Balearic environment where your money goes further, pretty inland villages off the tourism trail with luxury homes include Artà, Alaró,and Sóller.

High angle view on Port de Soller, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain at sunset
One in four municipalities with luxury homes for sale in Spain is located in the Balearic Islands. Photo: Getty Images

Ibiza

Famous for its superior nightclub scene, Ibiza also offers a bohemian lifestyle and is a celebrity holiday hotspot, particularly those with their own yachts. Although popular with expatriates of many nationalities, the majority are Dutch, and then German.

Top-budget homes are mainly found in the coastal towns of Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Josep de Sa Talaia. You'll typically pay between €2.4m and €3.2m for a home in Sant Josep or, in Santa Eulària, eight in 10 homes are sold for between €1.4m and €23m. Here, the average price for a villa is currently just under €5m.

Flats in Santa Eulària range from €288,000 for a studio to €1.63m for three or four bedrooms. Renting a house costs nearly 30 times the national averagetenants pay a typical €10,300 per month – or, for a flat, €2,230 per month. Renting a three-bedroom apartment in Santa Eulària costs around €4,300 a month.

Formentera

The smallest inhabited island in the Balearics and only accessible by boat, Formentera is, officially, a single town, split into nine residential hubs shared by 12,000 people. Sustainability is Formentera's watchword, meaning three-quarters of its power supply comes from renewable sources – compared with around 6% on the other islands – and cars, visitors and resident numbers are limited.

For this reason, Formentera has some of the most expensive property in Spain: Flats cost an average of nearly €9,000 p/m2 and houses, €12,230 p/m2. The average house costs €3.7m and, other than the very smallest, apartment prices start at €1m.

Costa Blanca

Whilst the Costa Blanca (province of Alicante) is not necessarily a luxury destination in itself, certain pockets of it boast a high number of top-budget homes for sale.

Dénia

Acolourful and attractive fishing-port town, Dénia's prestigious Las Rotas area overlooks the rocky beach of the same name to the east and the majestic Montgó mountain to the west. Mostly renovated stately homes on vast plots, they average at around €2.5m. Urbanisations at the foot of the Montgó include the exclusive gated Dénia Village, with typical prices of around €1.2m.

Between the villages of La Xara and Pedreguer, still within Dénia's territory but around 15 kilometres out of town, the upmarket La Sella urbanisation radiates out from a 27-hole golf course, five-star hotel and spa resort. Highly-generous plot sizestypically between 2,000m2 and 7,000m2 – the modern, mountainside villas typically cost around €1.3m.

Jávea

Lively and cosmopolitan, Jávea is popular with expatriates of all nationalities and a real holiday-home hotspot. Its most-photographed beaches in the secluded cliffside bays of Granadella, Portitxol and Cap Martí are where some of Jávea's hundreds of luxury homes for sale are based, with prices typically ranging from €1.2m to €2m. For €3m or more, you can get a much larger plot, breathtaking views, and a villa of up to 1,000m2.

Moraira

The coastal hub of historic Teulada with a modern town centre and picturesque bays, is one of the more exclusive areas on the Costa Blanca. Low-density and quiet, even in summer, most top-end properties are within walking distance of beaches and shops.

Homes at the higher end of the price scale can be found overlooking the semi-rural El Portet bay, L'Andragó beach, and the Benimeit, Paichi, Moràvit and San Jaime neighbourhoods. Prices start at around €1.5m, but you can choose from a wide range of 'super-luxury' properties, mostly right on the beach and of modern design, from €3-6m.

Altea

A quaint and historic town surrounded by mountains, with panoramic views across huge swathes of coast, Altea is a luxury home hotspot - hundreds are for sale there at any one time. Alhama Springs, Altea Hills, Altea la Vella, and Mascarat are the urbanisations with the most high-end properties, typically starting at around €1.8m.

Gated and with 24-hour security, and close to exclusive facilities such as the Greenwich Yacht Marina, usually with four to six bedrooms and plots of about 2,000m2 are what the lower end of Altea's luxury price range will buy you. Dozens of options in the 'super-luxury' category range from €3m to about €6.5m, offering even greater space, choice and stunning views.

The Costa Blanca is very diverse in terms of landscape and lifestyle, and is widely regarded as being split into North and South. If you are considering whether to start your luxury homebuying journey in this area, you might like to read more on what life is like on the North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca.

The information contained in this article is for general information and guidance only. Our articles aim to enrich your understanding of the Spanish property market, not to provide professional legal, tax or financial advice. For specialised guidance, it is wise to consult with professional advisers. While we strive for accuracy, thinkSPAIN cannot guarantee that the information we supply is either complete or fully up to date. Decisions based on our articles are made at your discretion. thinkSPAIN assumes no liability for any actions taken, errors or omissions.

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