Famed for its hot, dry climate, Murcia and its coastline, the Costa Calida ('Warm Coast'), is still playing catch-up with both the level of development and property prices on the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca.

However, if the plans of Polaris World are anything to go by, it won't be long before Murcia is dotted with developments, both east and south of its capital – the city of Murcia – all the way to the Costa Calida.

With six golf resorts already in the province, Polaris World has just announced that the Condado de Alhama development will be joining them after local councillors overturned a previous decision to prevent the resort being built.

Based around a purpose-built lagoon, three 18-hole golf courses, and a Moorish-style town centre, Condado de Alhama is split into two distinct areas. At the Jardines de Alhama, two-bedroom apartments will start from £81,000, while at neighbouring Cortios de Alhama 'luxury' villas start from £402,000.

Polaris World is, of course, not the only developer hard at work in Murcia – which is great news for golfers who like to have a range of courses – and famous course designers' work – to choose from.

The development of La Corvera, 20 minutes from the site of a new international airport due to open in 2008, will offer two-bedroom properties from around £150,000 and a golf course designed by US Masters and Ryder Cup winner Jose Maria Olazabal.

Nearby, the Sucina Golf and Country Club development is entering its third and final stage of development. Yet, as with other resorts in the province, British buyers aren't waiting in the wings for the new airport to enter operation but are entering the property marketplace as quickly as possible.

Take John and Sheila Spooner, a fifty-something couple from Newcastle. With a budget ruling them out of buying a second home on the most popular costas, and convenient air access from their Tyneside home an important concern, the Spooners quickly settled on Murcia.

Says John Spooner, "Even though there are already flights from Newcastle into the military airport of San Javier, the fact that Corvera airport will be open in the next three years was an important factor in our decision to buy as it means we'll have a drive of less than ten minutes to our new holiday home in Sucina Golf and Country Club".

Despite the fact that their budget of £175,000 could have stretched to a two-bedroom apartment in one of the Costa Calida's leading resorts – the famous golf resort of La Manga, for example, or the relatively lightly developed coastal towns of Puerto de Mazarron and Aguilas – Spooner explains that the couple had their hearts set on "a three-bedroom detached villa, so we headed a few miles inland to find what we wanted".

Although the Spooners are planning to use their properties purely for extended holidays, thousands of other Brits have made a permanent move to Murcia. In fact, the official British population in the province reached 13,300 last year, a 33 per cent increase over 2004.

Louise Carter, from property agency Elite Overseas, appreciates Murcia's appeal and believes that it genuinely offers a cheap alternative to the more established areas of Spain.

"Murcia offers the same excellent facilities as the Costa del Sol, just on a smaller scale. There are inland villages, mountains, lakes, fantastic sports facilities, sandy beaches and a great climate, plus there's nightlife and superb restaurants. English is widely spoken in the resorts, and there are also significant expat communities inland."

And the property price for joining the growing band of Brits on the warm coast? Carter, providing an approximate guide, puts the cost of a two-bedroom apartment at £100,000, a villa on the coast at £150,000 and a country house at £120,000.

Unsurprisingly, as Murcia gains in popularity, so do its property values. The province's prices increased by 12.9 per cent last year, with the historic village of Lorca leading the way courtesy of a 17.2 per cent price hike.

However, despite Murcia's relatively recent arrival on the Spanish property scene, concerns have been expressed that Murcia's prices may be overheating.

Says Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight, "If Spain's property market has been hot in recent years, then Murcia has been its white-hot molten core. According to government figures, average property prices in Murcia are up by 134 per cent over five years to the end of 2005, trouncing the next best performance by Andalusia with 123 per cent."

Like soaring summer temperatures triggering thunderstorms, such rapid price rises do bring with them the possibility of a downward correction.

"In 2005, Murcia's property market has cooled somewhat, with prices rising by 11.6 per cent, compared to the national average of 12.8 per cent, so some of the heat might have gone out of Murcia's property market," explains Stucklin.

Nonetheless, Murcia's average property prices are still 20 to 50 per cent lower than those of Costa del Sol or Blanca, and those who choose their property wisely and use a reputable agent shouldn't get too hot under the collar.

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Read other articles about Spain:
Spain's inland areas and the Islands
The property buying process in Spain
Spain pain for British property owners

Article published on 11 August 2006