Inaugural Mallorca Ironman 70.3 Triathlon to be held in May 2011

One of the toughest endurance events on the planet comes to Mallorca next year when the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon takes place in Alcudia next year on 14th May, 2011. The event is sponsored by tour operator Thomas Cook in conjunction with the Department of Tourism, and the organisers hope to attract 2,500 competitors.

The event consists of a swim of 1.9km, followed by a bike ride of 90km, and finishes with a 21km run, and it will act as a qualifying race for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. The race will take place in Alcudia, with the swim being held in the harbour of Alcudia. The cycling course runs up and through the Tramuntana mountain range, providing a challenging one-loop route with plenty of up and downhill stretches. A four-loop running course along the beach of Alcudia will conclude the race, with the finish line being approximately 500 metres from the starting line.

The expected water temperature for May is between 18 and 20 degrees, with air temperature in a range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Majorca, and in particular the north-east of the island, is already well known amongst the cycling community as a superb training ground due to its climate and challenging terrain. It is hoped the the Ironman competition will attract up to 20,000 visitors to the Alcudia area in what is traditionally a quieter time for the tourism industry.

Race Information

Date

The race is on the May 14th, 2011.

Location

The race takes place in the northern part of Mallorca, an island in the mediterranean sea. The swim course is located in the harbour area of the city of Alcudia. The bike course takes the athletes up the mountains of the island and is a one loop course. It is a challenging up- and downhill course with long flat parts. The run course is a flat 4 loop course along the wonderful beach of Alcudia. The finishline is located in the harbour area, about 500 meters apart from the swim start.

Registration

Online registration opens on October 11th, 2010 onwww.ironmanmallorca.com.

Entry Fee

Until December 31st, the entry fee is EUR 210 (+ 5 % Active processing fee) for single athletes and EUR 255 (+ 5 % Active processing fee) for teams. After January 1st, 2011 a late registration fee of EUR 50 is added. Major credit cards only (VISA, AMEX and MASTER CARD); cash or checks will not be accepted.

Climate

The expected water temperature for May is between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. Air temperature is expected to be in a range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Age Groups

All qualifying events will implement both the International Triathlon Federation and USA Triathlon’s Age Group Competition rule: All age group athletes must compete in the age group division corresponding to the athlete’s age on December 31st of the year of the event.

Entrants must be at least 18 years of age on race day. Participants entering the race at 17 years of age need a parental permission.

Montesol – Calpe – Calpe (Costa Blanca)

HOUSES FOR SALE IN CALPE, ALICANTE. MONTESOL TAYLOR WIMPEY’S RESIDENTIAL

Taylor Wimpey’s residential complex, Montesol can be found at Maryvilla, the best location of Calpe, combining astonishing sea views with the tranquillity of this peaceful area.

The properties are ample 3 bedroom townhouses with two bathrooms, cloakroom, garden, roof sun terrace and private parking. The properties have been built with theTaylor Wimpey top quality standards and designed to satisfy all our customers’ needs. We deliver them with air conditioning and heating system and hydro massage baths. Some of the units also have basements.

The Montesol residential complex has a communal area with beautiful gardens and swimming pools.

MONTESOL AND CALPE SPORT ACTIVITIES

The Costa Blanca coast has a wide offer of golf courses and some are near Montesols such as the Club the Golf Ifach (Moraira), Club de Golf Don Cayo (Altea) and Javea Golf Club.

Sailing and practicing all sorts of water sports is easy in these long and warm beaches and coves of Calpe and its marina, the Club Náutico de Calpe.

Visiting the small and beautiful villages close to Calpe like Javea or Altea and enjoying their culture and food is also advisable as well as it is a walk to the top of the Peñón de Ifach rock with its excellent views.

Montesol houses boast peace and quite and beautiful sea views from the best location in Calpe, the area of Maryvilla. Though close to the life of the Mediterranean villages, Montesol is within a reasonable distance to enjoy peaceful moments at your property in Spain.

MONTESOL AND CALPE CONNECTIONS

Calpe has excellent connections. The international Alicante airport has good connections with UK and most European capitals, including an increasing volume of low cost companies. It is at only a 40 minutes drive from Montesol.

The Euromed high speed train has very good links with Barcelona and Valencia and the ports at Alicante are included in the Mediterranean cruising ships’ circuit.

The A-7 motorway connects the main interesting spots of the Costa Blanca as well as Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona and the French border.

A Late Dinner

In Mallorca, the food culture is fast becoming an integral part of the Balearic island’s appeal. Paul Richardson, food writer and author of A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain, has charted the rise in popularity of the capital, Palma.

“Over the past five years the food in Mallorca has just taken off, with new local products coming to the organic food market in Santa Catalina, which now rivals mainland Spain’s la Boquería in Barcelona for quality,” he says.

The market has become a focus and around it smart restaurants, such as Kent-born Marc Fosh’s Simply Fosh, have sprung up. Unlike mainland coastal Spain, where there has been overdevelopment, the Mallorcan government has been careful to restrict building in the south-west of the island, from Palma to Andratx, where houses often change hands for €8m to €15m. With a resident population of only 450,000, Palma sustains 1,500 restaurants, and some, like Santi Taura, run by a local chef, are booked up six months ahead.

A Late Dinner: discovering the food of Spain The latest book by acclaimed writer Paul Richardson is a unique vision of Spain and its food.

“For a long time Spanish cooking, like Spain itself, was locked in the past. Until a few decades ago, traditional food was all there was. And old-fashioned forms of eating, with the ingredients and dishes typical of region, village, time of year, and occasion, still form the bedrock of the nation’s culinary habits even today.

But there is more to the story than this. In the last 15 years – the time I have lived in Spain – Spanish food has been undergoing a revolution. The country has surged ahead as a modern democratic state. From a largely agricultural, rural country, parochial and inward-looking, it has re-invented itself as a dynamic urban society. And its cooking has reflected these changes in no uncertain terms. Against the backdrop of traditional food with its comforting certainties, a series of brilliant chefs and cooks have invented a Spanish haute cuisine where none existed before.”

This book takes the reader on a journey through Spain and Spanishness, using the metaphor of food to illuminate the remarkable nature of the country and its people.

Spain’s bargain homes

Discounts on Spain’s Costas are breathtaking for a reason. UK buyers MUST know where to look for true bargains, says Cathy Hawker.

British tourists heading for a sun-soaked Spanish holiday this summer were probably more concerned with the temperature of the sea than the heat of the local economy. But all is not well on our favourite Costas.

Spain’s unemployment rate is now nudging 20 per cent, making it the highest in Europe; there’s a budget deficit of 11.2 per cent to plug, and the El Economista newspaper is claiming that a third of Spain’s local councils will soon be so broke many will be unable to pay their wage bills. And in the property market the bad news just keeps on coming.

Three-quarters of Spain’s estate agents have gone under and 170,000 construction companies have collapsed in a little over two years. Low interest rates and loose lending helped drive property prices sky high, but now the bubble has burst and finding eye-watering discounts is easy.

A tale of two markets

As for the banks, they have so many bankrupt stock properties to get off their books, they will sell them at bargain basement prices and give you a 100 per cent mortage to take one of their hands. But it’s a case of buyer beware, warns Barbara Wood of The Property Finders. “Spain is a market of two halves,” she says. “There is the well-located, quality product and then there is everywhere else. For the stack-it-high and sell-it-cheap brigade, the predominantly British and Irish buyers who piled in to dreary resorts miles from anywhere, the situation is dreadful.”

Wood highlights parts of Murcia, Southern Costa Blanca and Almeria as typical examples. “I have heard of 50 per cent discounts and can easily envisage them going to 75 per cent,” says Wood. “But frankly some property and locations are so bad that discerning European buyers wouldn’t touch them at any price.”

The good areas, says Wood, include the six miles around Marbella, the NorthernCosta Blanca and the niche markets of Sotogrande and Tarifa: traditional, stable markets where prices have fallen 30 to 40 per cent from their peak and which Wood believes have now bottomed out.

Smadar Kahana, of Engel & Volkers Marbella, agrees that away from prime Golden Mile locations, over-supply is the issue. “In Calahonda or Benalmadina east of Marbella and around Estepona and Manilva to the west, 200,000 apartments came on the market around the same time,” says Kahana. “Who was ever going to buy them all? Many of the complexes are now empty, the community charges are unpaid and gardens are not cared for. Even with 50 per cent off, buyers don’t want them.” It’s a backlog that will take many years to clear.

Too much to handle

Ratings agency Fitch estimate that there are one million unsold new-build properties in Spain, most near the coast. Chris Mercer of Mercers Property stopped selling off-plan property last year. “There’s no point when buyers can get good resales for the same price or even lower,” says Mercer.

Mercers operates in one of the worst hit areas around Torrevieja in south eastern Spain. Most residents there are British, Mercer admits, though he has seen a marked increase in Spanish bargain hunters.

Further north, close to the desirable towns of Denia and Javea, Taylor Wimpey de Espana has three-bedroom houses at Montesol in Calpe reduced from £277,310 to £182,115, a 35 per cent price drop. The new homes, 40 miles north of Alicante airport, are set around communal pools and gardens.

Where once British buyers accounted for 60 per cent of sales, through Engel & Volkers Marbella office, they are now 10 per cent at most. It’s the French, Scandinavians, Swiss and Germans who are bagging the best buys now. “We have a saying here,” says Wood. “The British buy when the Germans are fearful and the Germans buy when the Brits are fearful.” Caution is clearly necessary, but there are good buys to be found from realistic sellers and it is Euro buyers who are grabbing them.

Spanish property prices down, but sales rise !

Property Wire reports that Residential real estate prices in Spain seem to be falling at a faster rate in recent months as the latest figures show they are down 4.6% over the last 12 months.

Figures from Tinsa, one of Spain’s leading property appraisal companies, show that after nine months of slowing price falls the decline is accelerating again. Price falls have increased from -4% in June, to -4.6% in August.

It means that property prices on the coast, where the market has suffered the most because of a high number of holiday and second homes on the market, are now down 22% since August 2007.

But sales seem to be doing better. There were concerns that real estate sales would plunge after a rise in VAT on new home sales kicked in at the start of July. But the latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics show there were 38,838 home sales in July, up 15% on the same time last year and 16% on the previous month.

It means that year to date cumulative sales to the end of July are 10.3% up on last year, though still down 47% compared to 2007.On an annualised basis, sales have increased every month this year.

‘If the figures are a true reflection of the market, that suggests that the worst is behind us, assuming there is no second act in this drama,’ said Spanish property expert Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight.

He said that he had expected sales to plunge after an increase in VAT on new home sales came into effect. ‘Once again, new home sales were greater than resales, as they have been most months since the crisis began. In a normal market, resales should be bigger than new home sales. One explanation for this anomaly might be that banks are using a lending bias to off-load their new homes. Some banks are reported to be lending up to 100% on new homes they have taken over from bankrupt developers,’ he added.

He points out that official figures for home sales are contradictory and confusing and few analysts trust them.

Property sales soared in the second quarter of the year compared with the first quarter, rising 39.6%, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Housing. The Ministry get their data from Notaries who have to sign all deeds before they can be inscribed in the property register.

But according to Spain’s property registrars, the Colegio de Registradores, who inscribe the deeds in the registry, sales were down 6.3% in the second quarter compared with the first three months of the year.

On an annualised basis sales were up 24.7% according to Ministry figures and up 9.5% according to the Registrars. ‘At least they agree sales were up over 12 months, even if they can’t agree by how much,’ said Stucklin.

The Ministry’s figures also show that resales were significantly higher than new sales in the second quarter and sales of new build property jumped by 45% in the second quarter over the first quarter.

Stucklin believes this is due to the VAT changes. ‘VAT on new home sales went up from 7 to 8% on 1 July, which would have brought a lot of sales forward into the second quarter. It will be interesting to see how much sales go down in the third quarter as a consequence. If the sales slump in the US after first home buyer tax credits expired is anything to go buy, the news won’t be good,’ he explained.

Published by Property Wire Tuesday 21st September 2010

What price Costa Blanca ?

Victor Sague, sales and marketing director of Taylor Wimpey de España answers your questions on this popular stretch of Southern Spain

How is the market in the Costa Blanca?
Like the whole of the Spanish market, the Costa Blanca itself is segmented when it comes to property. There are areas which have suffered in the downturn more than others. From Torrevieja to Santa Pola there are a high number of units available on the market and so prices have dropped in these areas considerably whereas along the northern coast of the region, from Calpe upwards, development over the years has not been so prolific and so prices have held much better. It is in this part of theCosta Blanca that Taylor Wimpey de España has focused its developments and having adapted their pricing to fit the weaker demand plus importantly their high quality of build and specification has resulted in a consistent level of sales to an international audience.

Is there much British interest?
The British market is still one of our most important, second only to the local Spanish market. 39% of all enquiries this year have come from the UK.

Are people still wary of buying in Spain after a)market dip  b) land grab/planning scandals c)continued economic climate in Spain etc?People are more wary about purchasing in Spain, and purchasing abroad generally, however, I think there are in fact many positives to this. Buyers coming over to view homes are much better informed on the market, the properties themselves and the purchasing process; they are looking for quality products and established developers from which to purchase. Clients are not simply looking for a bargain, they want value for money and most of all the security of knowing they are buying from an established and reputable developer.

The Spanish property market took a further knock in May – June of this year with the Spain / Greece market comparison which was grossly exaggerated in the British press. However, the results of the recent bank stress tests and the government plans to reduce deficit have helped reestablish confidence in the market and now buyers are confident in Spain recovering from the crisis.

Are prices still falling? Stable? or indeed rising?

Pricing in the Costa Blanca is very localised, it varies from region to region, even town to town… The prices for new homes in secondary locations where there is a significant over supply are still falling, whilst homes in the best locations are in short supply and already we are seeing some price rises to keep pace with demand.

This year Taylor Wimpey de Espana has sold out in several of our developments, with availability of units in others down to the last couple. We are also one of the only developers to be launching new developments at present.

How far would you say prices have fallen in the last five years on the Costa Blanca (ballpark)?

Between 25% and 35%. Official figures don’t really show the reality of the market

Is the Costa Blanca a market all of its own, or does it mirror the other Costas – del Sol etc?

The Costa Blanca is a different market from Costa del Sol and attracts a different type of buyer. Currently there are more properties on offer at cheaper prices. This part of Spain also seems to attract the people looking to permanently relocate compared with a greater proportion of holiday home owners attracted by the year round sunshine, lower cost of living and excellent infrastructure.

Specific advantages of buying on the Costa Blanca?For many the Costa Blanca offers greater affordability than the Costa del Sol for example, buyers can get more for their money here. This is one of the drivers for buyers in this region. It is an established region with British buyers, offering many a ‘home from home’ experience, however those seeking the Spanish lifestyle are equally able to live out their dreams here. We are finding that increasingly it is not only people of retirement age purchasing in the Costa Blanca but families are attracted to the blue flag beaches, abundant amenities and excellent accessibility by air, 44% of all our enquiries are from people aged between 35 and 45. It also has to be said that the Costa Blanca has a unique micro climate recognized by the World Health Organisation and for those suffering with arthritis and other rheumatic problems living here can greatly improve health.

Off-plan sales have taken a bit of a hammering in recent years, with buyers increasingly worried about losing deposits if sites/developers go bust. Are the British still looking to buy new, or more at re-sales?

We are finding that many people are choosing to purchase stock units – turnkey homes where there is no risk of losing the property. However we are still experiencing interest in off plan products which we believe is down to our reputation as an established and trustworthy developer in Spain.

Presumably having such an established global name and brand as Taylor Wimpey (especially being British) gives a lot of comfort to UK buyers?In today’s climate a well known brand is more relevant than ever. When the property market was thriving any company seemed to be able to jump on the property sales bandwagon however, with the economic shake up, and with so many developers experiencing financial problems and even bankruptcy, buyers are choosing to purchase from reliable brands that they know will be there after the crisis. Sadly for every developer that has gone bust there are plenty of problems left for buyers who are struggling to get their money back amongst other issues. We are contacted everyday by people who have paid deposits to bankrupt developers and are seeking assistance of how to get their money back.

Pollentia Mar - Puerto Pollensa (Mallorca)

POLLENTIA MAR, PUERTO POLLENSA, NORTH COAST OF MALLORCA, SPAIN

Taylor Wimpey's development Pollentia Mar, is located in Puerto Pollença on the north coast of Mallorca, near the famous Cape Formentor and the bay of Alcudia. The area is truly one of the best preserved areas of Mallorca.



Puerto Pollença has a good balance between the number of amenities and the ability to avoid the overcrowded areas. Almost every view from the area incorporates the spectacular view of the Sierra Tramontana mountain range or the beautiful bay of Pollença.



2 AND 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR SALE IN PUERTO POLLENSA, MALLORCA (NORTH COAST)

Taylor Wimpey’s development Pollentia Mar located in the seaside town of Puerto Pollença is a two and three bedroom apartment complex, just 50 meters from the beach and Pollensa’s famous Voramar promenade.



Pollentia Mar is a single block of apartments with a communal area and swimming pool. It also has private parking spaces in the basement and four lifts. Located in port of Pollença, Pollentia Mar is close enough to benefit from all the facilities that the port has to offer but with peaceful and quiet surroundings and beautiful views.




GOLF COURSES
Mallorca and its north coast has a variety of very good golf courses and Pollentia Mar is located very close to the famous Golf Pollença, a nine hole golf course with impressive views to the famous Sierra Tramuntana mountains, nearby olive groves, the bays of Pollença and Alcudia and the Albufereta nature reserve.