Owning a second home overseas provides the chance to experience a country in a way that just holidaying there rarely does. With your own home you can live, cook, eat, drink and be merry in just the same way as the locals do – something which is impossible from even the largest of hotel rooms.
In Spain, owning a property to spend the Christmas holidays in means feasting in true Spanish style. Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director for leading Spanish homebuilder Taylor Wimpey España, explains,
“In the UK, Christmas is a much more commercial holiday than it is in Spain. The UK’s emphasis on gift buying is much greater – here it is more about investing time in making intricate meals and spending precious moments with family. It’s a very different kind of holiday season and one that feels really special to experience: it’s less about money and more about family time.”
In the most recent ING International Survey for Christmas 2016, respondents were asked if Christmas is too focused on spending money. And across Europe 70% answered yes, with a substantial 83% agreeing in Spain, higher than any other country featured in the report. The figures also revealed that 42% of people in Europe agree with the statement “I feel forced to spend money at Christmas”, again with the largest share in Spain at 57%.
Spending Christmas with family and loved ones is an important tradition in Spain and with such a strong emphasis on food and drink to accompany these gatherings, many of those with a second home there delight in experimenting with local dishes in the kitchen over the holiday season.
The feasting begins in earnest on Christmas Eve night – La Noche Buena – when families gather together to dine at length over the course of the evening, often spending hours at the table and finishing past midnight.
Shellfish, Iberian ham, garlicky mushrooms, grilled shrimp, garlic soup, clams with salsa verde, roast lamb, roast suckling pig, lobster stew… the list of delicious delights is long and complex. Nor do the Spanish neglect the sweeter side of the culinary spectrum when it comes to Christmas dishes.
Mantecados, mainly produced in the quaint little town of Estepa in the region of Andalusia, are a baked mixture of toasted wheat flour, sugar, pork lard, cinnamon and roasted almonds. There are different varieties depending on the extra ingredients that may be added, for example cocoa, lemon peel or sesame seeds.
For those looking to experience the true taste of Spain this Christmas, Taylor Wimpey España is offering a range of homes for sale 150 km to the Mantecados heartland in Andalusia. Set in beautiful surroundings declared a natural biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the new phase of La Floresta Sur is situated only a short drive away from Elviria and its beach, close to Marbella and Malaga.
Designed in a typical Mediterranean style, from just €190,000 +VAT, the 2 and 3 bed apartments and penthouses include an Italian-designed integrated kitchen with Silestone worktops, perfect for creating a spectacular Spanish feast, thermal and acoustic insulation and air-conditioning. Benefitting from stunning views towards the oak and pine forest as well as towards the sea, the resort boasts communal swimming pools, landscaped gardens and external private parking.
With large terraces on which to enjoy the beautiful sea views, La Floresta Sur is a ten minute drive from two of the best known golf courses on the Costa del Sol, La Cala Golf Resort and Santa Maria Golf, and has direct access to El Soto Golf Club. It is also just a few minutes from the exclusive Nikki Beach Club.
