Located just north of Barcelona and occupying the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the hills of Serralada Litoral Natural Park, Costa Maresme, with its sterling reputation as a desirable place in which to live, boasts a real estate market with strong international appeal thanks to the region’s magnificent beaches, superb golf courses, quaint villages, lovely natural parks and, above all, excellent transportation links to Barcelona City.
Wealthy Catalans who have long flocked to Spain's Costa Barcelona-Maresme now find they are sharing their favourite vacation spot with an influx of foreign property buyers. They are all attracted to the emblematic villages that dot the 52-kilometre-long coastline north of Barcelona, delighted by the easy access they have to the beaches, the mountains and the city.
In the past few years, international buyers have been particularly drawn to the Maresme Coast when in search of a primary or a secondary residence, often because they are keen to take advantage of the best of both worlds. Easy access to the world-class city of Barcelona, whilst being far enough away to enjoy a country-coastal lifestyle in stunning surroundings at a more tranquil pace are key drivers.
These buyers are drawn by the fabulous quality of life on offer, the superb climate, the natural surroundings and the excellent facilities for enjoying sporting activities, including sailing and golf. Expat buyers are particularly coming from Western Europe and North America, yet more and more, they hail from Eastern Europe as well.
Communications between Maresme and Barcelona are excellent, with good road and rail passage. As well, there is a good range of local and international schools that are a strong attraction for foreign buyers with school-aged children.
Also, Costa Maresme is home to an excellent winemaking industry, and the region is becoming an important gastronomic centre, with a fine range of restaurants and bodegas.
Alella remains a very active wine-growing town. Alta Alella, one of the town’s small, family-run wineries, comes with vineyards set in such a way that they overlook the town. Wines from this family business are making their way into some of the finest restaurants anywhere, including The Fat Duck in Bray, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona and Oxfordshire’s Le Manoir. The quality of Maresme’s wines and gastronomy is excellent, including the 3-Michelin star restaurant, Sant Pau, in Sant Pol de Mar.
The hills that define the region’s fine natural park run down the coastline and create a wonderful microclimate that is warmer than farther inland. Away from the sea, head to the nearby Spanish Pyrenees for excellent skiing, less than a 2-hour drive. Imagine the luxury of heading up to the mountains for an early morning ski run, then back to the beach for lunch.
Transport into and out of the region is fast and easy, with Barcelona airport about half an hour away and Girona airport about a 40-minute drive.
Pretty villages and towns pepper the coastline and the areas inland, places such as El Masnou, Alella, Premià de Dalt, Vilassar de Dalt, Cabrils, Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Sant Vicenç de Montalt and Caldes d'Estrac.
Maresme boasts a wide range of properties for sale, with the selection including apartments on the beach, luxury villas, traditional masias and fine townhouses. Exclusive developments such as Supermaresme in Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Sant Berger in Teià and Can Teixidó in Alella provide a supply of villas as well as open building lots for those with their own special bespoke project in mind.
The combination of city and country-coastal living, of culture and nature, of tradition and modernity, of life and work, guarantees a high quality of living for anyone buying a luxury property in Maresme.
