This Andalusian village is considered a “mini-Britain”. But while Brits have long lived in harmony with locals in the area, the country’s housing crisis is taking a toll
While crackdowns on properties escalate across Spain, thousands of UK expats continue to call this Andalusian town home.
The Brits that settle in this area have been lauded for their contributions to the local economy but their high purchasing power has been the source of some friction. The small mountain village of Albanchez has been home to couples like Clare Shirley and her husband for over two decades, as reported by The Express. The couple told the publication they had “no problems with integration” when they arrived in the region.
Shirley and her husband are among the more than 92,000 Britons that moved to Andalusia, turning the region into a “mini Britain” which houses more Brits than Bath and Chester. Andalusia in southern Spain has long been a holiday hotspot for Brits, with popular destinations including Seville, Malaga, and the resort haven of the Costa del Sol.
Albanchez sits in the south of the province, between olive groves and gentle hills. The village belongs to the Sierra Magina Natural Park, known for its scenic and diverse landscapes.
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Albanchez is a semi-desert town, a landscape that will look familiar to anyone that’s seen Clint Eastwood’s famous western The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (which was filmed not too far away).
The quiet town is immediately identifiable by its white-washed houses, which stand out in the shade of the surrounding hills. It is also home to a few key architectural landmarks, including the Albanchez de Magina Castle which stands above the town on the first crag in Sierra de los Castillejos Mountains.
The castle was built at the beginning of the 14th century and was declared a site of Cultural Interest in 1985. Another architectural gem is the Torre del Reloj: the 19th-century square tower in the village that was built in 1883. The nearby Canava Pine Wood – comprising Aleppo pines – also adds to the picturesque and tranquil atmosphere that has drawn so many UK citizens to settle in the area.
While Brits like Shirley have enjoyed a relatively peaceful life in Albanchez and been embraced by locals, Andalusians are not immune from the country’s housing crisis. The issue of rising housing costs – due in part to foreigners relocating to Spain – has been a growing sore spot.
‘Total ban’ of property sales to non-Spanish residents
This past April, mass demonstrations overtook 42 cities across Spain as protestors sought to spotlight the housing shortage and soaring rental prices. Following the protests, the Malaga City Council reportedly cancelled plans to build 1,300 tourist homes in the city.
The new Malaga city strategy will reportedly veer away from property sales to non-Spaniards, considering a “total ban” altogether. Malaga City Council has already worked to curb the construction and acquisition of tourist housing after growing animosity from locals in recent years.
But after the most recent protest and the projected plans for a summer of tourist disruption, Malaga’s mayor Francisco de la Torre said “a global moratorium” is under consideration.