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Buying in Isla Canela?

Buying in Isla Canela?

Old Jul 27th 2019, 9:36 am
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Post Buying in Isla Canela?

Hi everyone - new to the forum.

My wife and I are thinking of buying in the Isla Canela area. We visited earlier this year and plan on returning in September to take a 2nd look and view some properties. Our initial view was that the Marina area would provide good access to the bars and restaurants within walking distance but may become crowded in summer (we visited in April and it was very quiet). Also, not too keen on the bigger blocks. We like the look of Prado and Rincon I&II golf complexes but obviously no access to shop or cafes on site and a car would probably be essential. Hoyo and Quinta seem cheaper but look as if they need a bit more refurb.
I would be grateful for a view from anyone with property on the golf complexes:

1. How feasible to cope without a car - is the bus route convenient at night or taxi recommended for trip to Punta Moral or Ayamonte?
2. What are the complexes like in terms of visitors in our typical visit months of April/May or Sept/Oct -?
3. Are there permanent residents that might be the basis of a community or basically mostly rental/holiday makers?

We have also noticed that properties seem to be on sale for a while - maybe Brexit slowing the market down or putting people off?

Any thoughts / advice welcome

Thanks
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Old Jul 27th 2019, 4:05 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by sevjan
Hi everyone - new to the forum.

My wife and I are thinking of buying in the Isla Canela area. We visited earlier this year and plan on returning in September to take a 2nd look and view some properties. Our initial view was that the Marina area would provide good access to the bars and restaurants within walking distance but may become crowded in summer (we visited in April and it was very quiet). Also, not too keen on the bigger blocks. We like the look of Prado and Rincon I&II golf complexes but obviously no access to shop or cafes on site and a car would probably be essential. Hoyo and Quinta seem cheaper but look as if they need a bit more refurb.
I would be grateful for a view from anyone with property on the golf complexes:

1. How feasible to cope without a car - is the bus route convenient at night or taxi recommended for trip to Punta Moral or Ayamonte?
2. What are the complexes like in terms of visitors in our typical visit months of April/May or Sept/Oct -?
3. Are there permanent residents that might be the basis of a community or basically mostly rental/holiday makers?

We have also noticed that properties seem to be on sale for a while - maybe Brexit slowing the market down or putting people off?

Any thoughts / advice welcome

Thanks
Hi
We are in Isla Canela Marina
The buses run to Punta ,Isla Canela beach ,Marina & Ayamonte .the service is excellent I believe the last bus is mid evening there bus time table is printed on he site in a previous thread
Going to Ayamonte you get off by the zoo & walk into town 5 minutes if that
The taxi are much better than they used to be , I would imagine there are cab numbers in the golf club bar.
The bars/restaurants have numbers & will order you a cab
In Ayamonte itself there is a taxi rank by the square they operate quite late but you could always book a return that what we normally do
Hope this helps
Chris
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Old Jul 27th 2019, 4:22 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Punta Del Moral largely closes down after October and re opens again for Easter. Only a couple of bars stay open through most of the year. Of course the actual village of Punta Del Moral is a local Spanish community so is always going. If you are at the golf area near the hotel it is a 45 minute walk to town or the bus service runs from the roundabout for golf club.
We own at La Quinta, which is due for its external maintenance and painting in the next couple of years. Though I admit it is not looking too good at the moment! But Rincón 3 which is looking very smart after its recent repaint, was looking similar a year ago! If the communities are well run there is a regular cycle of external maintenance, though not always as quick as owners might wish. La Quinta has underground parking and individual store rooms. It has quite a few permanent Spanish residents. It is noticeable that as properties there have come up for sale, in recent years, they have been bought by Spanish residents. In the months you are looking at it is relatively quiet, but not deserted.
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Old Jul 27th 2019, 4:29 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by sevjan
Hi everyone - new to the forum.

My wife and I are thinking of buying in the Isla Canela area. We visited earlier this year and plan on returning in September to take a 2nd look and view some properties. Our initial view was that the Marina area would provide good access to the bars and restaurants within walking distance but may become crowded in summer (we visited in April and it was very quiet). Also, not too keen on the bigger blocks. We like the look of Prado and Rincon I&II golf complexes but obviously no access to shop or cafes on site and a car would probably be essential. Hoyo and Quinta seem cheaper but look as if they need a bit more refurb.
I would be grateful for a view from anyone with property on the golf complexes:

1. How feasible to cope without a car - is the bus route convenient at night or taxi recommended for trip to Punta Moral or Ayamonte?
2. What are the complexes like in terms of visitors in our typical visit months of April/May or Sept/Oct -?
3. Are there permanent residents that might be the basis of a community or basically mostly rental/holiday makers?

We have also noticed that properties seem to be on sale for a while - maybe Brexit slowing the market down or putting people off?

Any thoughts / advice welcome

Thanks
Hi
Just thought of another mode of transport
During the season a train runs & covers both ends of the beach & Punta & I believe it runs up to the golf course ( not 100 percent sure ) it would be ideal to use during the day & I think it runs up to mid evening
Chris
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Old Jul 27th 2019, 4:37 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by Kayann
Punta Del Moral largely closes down after October and re opens again for Easter. Only a couple of bars stay open through most of the year. Of course the actual village of Punta Del Moral is a local Spanish community so is always going. If you are at the golf area near the hotel it is a 45 minute walk to town or the bus service runs from the roundabout for golf club.
We own at La Quinta, which is due for its external maintenance and painting in the next couple of years. Though I admit it is not looking too good at the moment! But Rincón 3 which is looking very smart after its recent repaint, was looking similar a year ago! If the communities are well run there is a regular cycle of external maintenance, though not always as quick as owners might wish. La Quinta has underground parking and individual store rooms. It has quite a few permanent Spanish residents. It is noticeable that as properties there have come up for sale, in recent years, they have been bought by Spanish residents. In the months you are looking at it is relatively quiet, but not deserted.
Thanks Kayann that is really good to know as there is a definite price gap - so hopefully La Quinta looks the part soon - as well as being really handy for golf.
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Old Jul 27th 2019, 4:38 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Thanks Chris for the information. Very helpful
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Old Jul 27th 2019, 5:49 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

I'm going to say immediately that I'm almost certainly biased because our property is at Marina Esuri - not at Canela. If all you want is easy access to the beach then I guess Canela is the one for you. We tend to spend more time at our place off season. We rarely use it between late June and late September. In winter almost everything on Isla Canela except the community at Punto Moral is CLOSED. Two of the chiringhitos stay open but thats about it. All the hotels area closes except for a couple of bars. We go down for lunch at the Chiringhitos in winter and its lovely. The problem is that if you want to go anywhere you need to come up past Ayamonte to get to the motorway. We believe a car is essential. Otherwise you have to arrange for transport to & from Faro airport. Not having a car would prove very restrictive. For example : you can't just nip inland to Alcoutim for lunch overlooking the Guadiana river. In winter I often rent cars for £40 a week, hence cheap as chips. The biggest major advantage for buying anywhere in the region is that you have access to Portugal. Just over the bridge you have a tiny village open all year with good food ( Monte francisco). VRSA stays open all winter and is a lovely town improving all the time with new resto's. Same goes for Monte Gordo. From Costa Esuri access is very quick and easy to both Ayamonte & Portugal. Beach takes a good 20 mins though which is the downside. However, the same goes for Canela - it is a trek to get to the international bridge to enter Portugal. Despite often having nice sunny weather in winter and having access to a deserted beach - Canela is a ghost town !!

Hence you need to think about exactly what you want out of your home and WHEN you are planning to use it. PS, You might ask - why not buy in Portugal instead and then cross over to Spain for a change. Answer : Property is roughly 80 - 100% MORE expensive in Portugal. Spain is a comparative bargain. If you want more than Golf / beach I personally would not suggest Isla Canela.

Keith
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 7:49 am
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by sevjan
Thanks Chris for the information. Very helpful
The train that Chris mentioned, is that the tourist train please?

In season the last bus goes into town quite late. Friends were taking it after the last footy matches in last year's world cup, they even had time to have a 'swift one' after the match.

One thing to consider is the ocean water quality. Certainly at the Punta Moral end. Look at the forum there is a thread about the shocking level of pollution and illegal dumping of waste, including toilet waste. I personally was disgusted to hear this, and it'll take many years to sort it out. I dont think we would even swim at IC beach. Just a personal opinion, but worth checking before buying. This is a shame as the village all year, and the Marina in season is buzzing and easily walkable.

https://britishexpats.com/forum/ayam...eaches-925882/

The bus service however is good to IC, far better than the one to CE, even in the low season when IC is quite a ghost town.

There is now an emergency number (they say) for a taxi, where someone will pickup even very late. But having had to walk back a few times even with so-called 24hour services makes me hesitate. There are now a few that can be trusted, do ask around in your area for the few that are trustworthy

Good luck

Jon

PS like Keith we always rent a car. If you search you will see what we do to get a great deal. We have a car at the end of August into October for 10€ a day all-in. Thats high-mid season!!. In low season Ive had cars for <6€ day all-in. We simply cannot justify financially (or for the hassle) owning a car. And we spend several months a year in CE

Its sometimes cheaper to split the rental especially if crossing seasons to get an overall cheaper price but at 10€ / day we didn't bother. Splitting means doubling up on eg border entry, transponder etc, but its just a maths exercise

Last edited by Jon-Bxl; Jul 28th 2019 at 8:17 am.
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 9:13 am
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by Jon-Bxl
The train that Chris mentioned, is that the tourist train please?

In season the last bus goes into town quite late. Friends were taking it after the last footy matches in last year's world cup, they even had time to have a 'swift one' after the match.

One thing to consider is the ocean water quality. Certainly at the Punta Moral end. Look at the forum there is a thread about the shocking level of pollution and illegal dumping of waste, including toilet waste. I personally was disgusted to hear this, and it'll take many years to sort it out. I dont think we would even swim at IC beach. Just a personal opinion, but worth checking before buying. This is a shame as the village all year, and the Marina in season is buzzing and easily walkable.

https://britishexpats.com/forum/ayam...eaches-925882/

The bus service however is good to IC, far better than the one to CE, even in the low season when IC is quite a ghost town.

There is now an emergency number (they say) for a taxi, where someone will pickup even very late. But having had to walk back a few times even with so-called 24hour services makes me hesitate. There are now a few that can be trusted, do ask around in your area for the few that are trustworthy

Good luck

Jon

PS like Keith we always rent a car. If you search you will see what we do to get a great deal. We have a car at the end of August into October for 10€ a day all-in. Thats high-mid season!!. In low season Ive had cars for <6€ day all-in. We simply cannot justify financially (or for the hassle) owning a car. And we spend several months a year in CE

Its sometimes cheaper to split the rental especially if crossing seasons to get an overall cheaper price but at 10€ / day we didn't bother. Splitting means doubling up on eg border entry, transponder etc, but its just a maths exercise
Hi
I was referring to the tourist train & there is a time table on a board by the marina shops, I'm sure this is posted elsewhere
The water pollution doesn't seem to bother the Spanish we were there recently & there were plenty of people taking the plunge
Chris

Last edited by chrismortley; Jul 28th 2019 at 9:17 am.
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 9:21 am
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Hi
We like many people have bought bicycles a round trip from the golf club both ends of the beach & Punta doesn't take much more than 30 mins but with a few pit stops you can easily make a morning out of it
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 9:57 am
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by chrismortley
Hi
I was referring to the tourist train & there is a time table on a board by the marina shops, I'm sure this is posted elsewhere
The water pollution doesn't seem to bother the Spanish we were there recently & there were plenty of people taking the plunge
Chris
Thanks Chris
The Spanish may swim, but after reading the thread I'm choosing 'safe' vs 'sorry' !

It never occurred to me to use the tourist train as 'public transport' good idea - I imagine its pricey?

I have seen people on the path between IC & PM on those electric scooters with fat tyres (close to car size wheels) .. looks like fun & I want to have a go! anyone know where we can rent them at IC or PM please? I know you can get them just off Coronacion plaza.

Thanks
Jon
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 3:44 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by keithBT
I'm going to say immediately that I'm almost certainly biased because our property is at Marina Esuri - not at Canela. If all you want is easy access to the beach then I guess Canela is the one for you. We tend to spend more time at our place off season. We rarely use it between late June and late September. In winter almost everything on Isla Canela except the community at Punto Moral is CLOSED. Two of the chiringhitos stay open but thats about it. All the hotels area closes except for a couple of bars. We go down for lunch at the Chiringhitos in winter and its lovely. The problem is that if you want to go anywhere you need to come up past Ayamonte to get to the motorway. We believe a car is essential. Otherwise you have to arrange for transport to & from Faro airport. Not having a car would prove very restrictive. For example : you can't just nip inland to Alcoutim for lunch overlooking the Guadiana river. In winter I often rent cars for £40 a week, hence cheap as chips. The biggest major advantage for buying anywhere in the region is that you have access to Portugal. Just over the bridge you have a tiny village open all year with good food ( Monte francisco). VRSA stays open all winter and is a lovely town improving all the time with new resto's. Same goes for Monte Gordo. From Costa Esuri access is very quick and easy to both Ayamonte & Portugal. Beach takes a good 20 mins though which is the downside. However, the same goes for Canela - it is a trek to get to the international bridge to enter Portugal. Despite often having nice sunny weather in winter and having access to a deserted beach - Canela is a ghost town !!

Hence you need to think about exactly what you want out of your home and WHEN you are planning to use it. PS, You might ask - why not buy in Portugal instead and then cross over to Spain for a change. Answer : Property is roughly 80 - 100% MORE expensive in Portugal. Spain is a comparative bargain. If you want more than Golf / beach I personally would not suggest Isla Canela.

Keith
Thanks Keith. Food for thought. We visited CE when over and I suppose were put off by the what appeared to be the somewhat abandoned nature of some buildings and parts of the area. Clearly from the forum however there is more going on that would first appear. One of the reasons we like the idea of the area overall is the proximity to Portugal/Huelva/Seville etc.

Will take a 2nd look when over
Thanks

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Old Jul 28th 2019, 3:46 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by chrismortley
Hi
We like many people have bought bicycles a round trip from the golf club both ends of the beach & Punta doesn't take much more than 30 mins but with a few pit stops you can easily make a morning out of it
Thanks chris. Yes cycling seems a good attraction for the area. I think overall a car might be necessary but good to know that long term car hire might be cheaper than thought.
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 3:53 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by Jon-Bxl
Thanks Chris
The Spanish may swim, but after reading the thread I'm choosing 'safe' vs 'sorry' !

It never occurred to me to use the tourist train as 'public transport' good idea - I imagine its pricey?

I have seen people on the path between IC & PM on those electric scooters with fat tyres (close to car size wheels) .. looks like fun & I want to have a go! anyone know where we can rent them at IC or PM please? I know you can get them just off Coronacion plaza.

Thanks
Jon
Thanks Jon. I think the beach situation is a worry as that isn't a quick fix. Will see what the situation is when over in September. In terms of car hire we will be renting form Faro - usually one of the local companies Drive4Fun or Travelnet. I avoid Goldcar etc but sometimes use one of the main companies like Sixt/Europcar etc.

I generally find car hire pretty hard work and stressful with the tricks they get up to if you don't secumb to their insurance but found the local companies mentioned much more reasonable.

Who do you tend to use?
Sev
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Old Jul 28th 2019, 8:02 pm
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Default Re: Buying in Isla Canela?

Originally Posted by sevjan
Thanks Jon. I think the beach situation is a worry as that isn't a quick fix. Will see what the situation is when over in September. In terms of car hire we will be renting form Faro - usually one of the local companies Drive4Fun or Travelnet. I avoid Goldcar etc but sometimes use one of the main companies like Sixt/Europcar etc.

I generally find car hire pretty hard work and stressful with the tricks they get up to if you don't secumb to their insurance but found the local companies mentioned much more reasonable.

Who do you tend to use?
Sev
we always book through Zest (formerly Economycars) and usually use either Rentauto or Travelrent. I know that Jon would agree but would also have other options. We have had problems when using both (car not working when using Rentauto and a dent in the car when using Travelrent) and both times the relevant company dealt with the problem to our satisfaction. We also have a separate insurance: insurance4carhire which costs about £50 pa and then never pay for the extra insurance. Never been a problem.
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