A Place in the Sun - Top Ten Destinations

On March 22nd of this year, on this Blog we announced that in our opinion Spain was "The New Spain"!

Now A Place in the Sun have published their Top Ten Destinations for 2010 and guess which country is number 1? Yep, you've got it. Spain.

Remember that A Place in the Sun choose their best destinations based on several criteria, usually based on entry level pricing, potential for capital growth, level of development and quality of product.

So, as we said in March, if you are still undecided as to where to start your property search, you could do a lot worse than Spain!

For those who are interested in the next destinations here is the full list:

1. Spain
2 Florida
3. France
4. Portugal
5. Turkey
6. Italy
7. Cyprus
8. Greece
9 Caribbean
10.Bulgaria

We at Compass Amazing Resorts offer amazing properties in Spain (1), Florida (2), Portugal (4), Turkey (5) and Cyprus (7).

So that's 50% of the list! Not at all bad, I am sure you'll agree.

Green Shoots?

According to the The Spanish National Statistics Institute, INE, the sale of apartments in the province of Alicante rose by 15% in September making it the best month for sales this year.

Many of us may know the province better as The Costa Blanca, including holiday destinations such as Torrevieja, Altea, Denia and of course the mighty Benidorm.

This is not the only province to experience some positive stats. The regions of Galicia (North West Spain) and the Basque country have also experienced positive sales figures for the first time in 2009.

Further good news for the Spanish ecomony comes in the form of an increase of 37.7% in the sale of cars in November, making it the third consecutive month to show an increase.

This increase in new car sales is another sign of the return of confidence to the Spanish market.

‘Motorsport Facility of the Year’ for the Portimão Racetrack in Portugal

In the Professional Motorsport World Expo 2009 Awards, which recognise the best teams, personalities, technology and infrastructures in the motoring world, the Algarve Motor Park won the award of ‘Motorsport Facility of the Year’.



Gary Anderson, a Formula 1 commentator and one of the judges at the awards, considers the Algarve Motor Park “One of the best circuits at the moment. It has a unique configuration and
demanding curves that provide unique challenges, to both drivers and engineers.
Making a car drive fast around this circuit will guarantee the same occurs the
rest of the season.”

This means that the circuit is recognised internationally and viewed highly by the best in the business.

What a Scorcher!!

In 2009, the month of October was the hottest on record for the last 14 years.

The Portuguese met office confirmed that the average temperatures in October of 2009 were far superior to the standard comparative average.

There were several days last month when the temperature soared above 25 degrees and even peaked at 30 degrees in the South and central Portugal. Some regions of Portugal even registered heat waves (several consecutive days of above-average temperatures) between October 10th and 18th.

Actual Photo taken 31.10.2009, Santa Eulalia Beach, nr Albufeira!

An “Oscar” for the Algarve

The Algarve was awarded the travel trade’s equivalent of an ‘Oscar’ for its marketing and promotional strategies during the annual World Travel Market fair.

The fair, held in London between 9th & 12th October, is described as the premier global event for the travel industry. The Algarve’s regional tourism board (ERTA) won the award for its alternative marketing programmes aimed at selling the region as more than just a sun and beach destination to modern tourists.During the awards ceremony, the region’s annual Allgarve events programme was cited as an example of good promotional practices. The events are held in the region every summer and incorporate various types of activities including concerts, gastronomic events, sports and leisure.

Fiona Jeffery, chairman of the WTM, said: “Allgarve is an excellent example for all traditional sun and beach destinations to follow.”

Next year, the ERTA is also looking to work on tourism offers in niche markets as well as attracting more tourists from Scandinavia and the Benelux countries as well as its traditional market of visitors from the UK, Germany and Holland.

Amazing Resorts to Launch Florida Property Showcase

Compass Amazing Resorts is proud to announce that it will soon launch a dedicated website to showcase the best properties in Florida. Amazing Properties in Florida will offer the very best in property with the Compass Amazing Resorts level of service and attention to detail.

So watch this space, soon Amazing Property in Florida will be filled with the sunshine state just for you.

Portugal Property IS 'more affordable'

According to experts, Portuguese property has become more affordable both in resort areas and other parts of the country.

There is no doubt that the market had seen falls as overseas investors have dwindled in the recession. In the major resort areas prices have dropped by around five per cent, while elsewhere the fall has been 25 to 30 per cent. Such dips in cost may interest buyers looking at acquiring property abroad.

Those who do invest in Portugal may be encouraged by recent news that it was among the countries reporting an end to their recessions. During the second quarter of this year Portugal's gross domestic product grew by 0.3 per cent which was the same figure as those recorded in the period by France and Germany.