Hot Property News Letter – November 2009

Welcome to this issue of the Hot Property news letter which we hope you find informative and helpful. If you have any suggestions for future issues, comments or questions, which we can address in future issues, you can contact us at info@hotpropertyspain.net  

1: MONTGÓ MOUNTAIN
 
In many property details, we have included the phrase "views of the Montgó” but what is the Montgó?
The answer is one of Costa Blanca’s biggest mountains.  It rises to a height of 753 meters (2470 feet) and is located between Denia, to the North, and Javea to the South.  It reaches to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.

In Arab times the Dénia Taifa or emirate was declared and Abu-Abdalla wrote: ”... At its southern end there is a large mountain, round in shape, and this mountain is known as Caon” – From this it would change into Mont Caon, Mont-Gaun, and today’s Mont-gó.

This impressive mountain, which stands resolutely alone, rises dramatically from the valley floors surrounding it and dominates the skyline for miles around and it’s craggy cliffs are home to some of the most unique flora and fauna in Spain. It is renowned for its rock formations, cliffs, caves and natural harbours.

From the Jávea side the Montgó is red in colour with a hint of softness about it and is often said to resemble the head and trunk of an elephant.  However, on the Northern side, the colour is a green-grey and is much harder looking and less approachable in appearance.

The mountain was formed during the Cretaceous period, some 70 million years ago, when platetechtonic processes forced the African and European continental plates upwards, creating spectacular mountainous landscapes such as the Montgó and many other local mountain ranges. Over the next few million years, strong erosion and rock slides sculpted it to the shape it has today.

In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows on from the Jurassic period and  is a period with a relatively warm climate and high Eustatic sea levels. The oceans and seas were populated with now extinct marine reptiles, ammonites, and rudists (a group of box, tube or ring shaped marine bivalves that arose during the Jurassic, and became so diverse during the Cretaceous that they were major reef-building organisms) and the land by dinosaurs, including, Tyrannosaurus Rex, which was one of the largest land predators of all time and lived during the late Cretaceous. At the same time, new groups of mammals and birds as well as flowering plants appeared.

The Cretaceous ended with one of the largest mass extinctions in Earth history, the K-T extinction, which occurred approximately 65.5 million years ago, was believed to have been caused by an asteroid strike and resulted in a large-scale extinction of animal and plant species, including the dinosaurs, in a geologically short period of time and the K-T band is clearly seen on the mountain today.

The Montgó Nature Reserve, which encompasses 2150 hectares (5312 acres) around the mountain, was formed in 1987 and also includes a coastal section that covers over 3 kilometres (1.9 miles).

The Reserve contains important archaeological finds, such as cave painting, and the first evidence of human presence on Montgó dates to the Paleolithic period some 30,000 years ago. During this period, small nomadic groups occupied the caves and hills that faced the sea in the Cap de San Antoni. The communities lived a hunter-gatherer way of life and were able to survive thanks to rich fishing grounds, plentiful supply of animals and mild temperatures. Evidence of human presence in past millennia can be seen in the famous paintings in Migdia cave. Elsewhere on the mountain, Stone-Age hand-axes and flints have been found, along with Roman pottery and Muslim ceramics.

At the beginning of the 10th century the Moorish Caliph, Abd ur Rahman the Third, made a special trip from Cordoba to collect over a hundred medicinal herbs from the slopes of Montgó.

At the end of the 19th century, a high demand for raisins led to the cultivation of the Moscatel grape on its slopes. Today, these areas have been largely abandoned due to difficulty in accessibility and non-profitability. Yet some vines, which produce the sweet grape variety, mostly the Mistela of the Marina Alta, as well as some citrus products, are still grown.

Clouds are often seen forming around the peak of Montgó even when the sky is clear elsewhere. Humid air from the Mediterranean is forced up towards the summit of the Montgó, which then condenses and falls as rain. Despite its dry and austere appearance, rain is common on the mountain, with peak precipitation occurring between September and November. However, during the summer there is often a long period of drought.

It is possible for an experienced person to climb to the top of Montgó from all sides and the various routes lead through numerous eco-systems: stony terrain, croplands, pine forests and scrub land.  On reaching the summit, which takes about 4 to 5 hours, the intrepid traveller will find the remains of the Casa de Biot, an Iberian settlement of the eighth century B.C, as well as the magnificent views of the coast and the sea and, on a clear day, Ibiza.

The ideal starting point is as follows: On the CV736 from Javea to Denia, turn West towards the mountain at the 2.5km mark. Follow an un-surfaced road for about 1 km, ignore the track to the right which leads to a shooting club. On reaching the notice board for the park, find a parking place and follow the broad track, which heads North - West towards the mountain until the track ends joins a distinct trail which will take you to the summit, via the North East face of the mountain.

The path levels a little to pass under the cliffs, then steepens in shorter zig-zags to gain height until you leave the track to take the rock for the final section. There is no path but there are a couple of red markers to keep you on course.

When you are in doubt, just head upwards. Follow a small ledge on the southern side of the rocks which goes directly to the main summit.

The Montgó can be climbed all year round, but during the spring the flower bordered tracks are a riot of pinks, purples, yellows and whites. The vegetation is made up mainly of low growing shrubs but is sprinkled with heather, lavender, rosemary, miniature palms and juniper bushes. Despite its proximity to the bustling coastline of the Costa Blanca, it survives as an ecological enclave and home to wild boar, genets, lizard, foxes together with birds of prey and some pelagic seabirds.

Always be prepared, as the weather can change in a blink of an eye in this area so always take warm rain and wind proof clothes and enough water and food.

In autumn and winter, the weather on the North/Denia side can change in a minute and mist and cloud can form very quickly, so take at least a compass or GPS.

Finally, to contribute to its conservation, make the least noise possible, respect the animals and plants and do not drop litter or leave any other traces of your visit.

2: BRITAIN IS THE WORST PLACE TO LIVE IN EUROPE – OFFICIAL

Despite being among the biggest wage earners in Europe, a recent study of ten European states, including Spain, Germany, Sweden & Poland, reveals that high incomes are cancelled out by long working hours, poor annual leave, rising food and fuel bills, and a lack of sunshine.

The study found that Britons enjoy the highest after-tax household income, which, at £35,730-a-year, is more than £10,000 above the European average.

But most of this sum is spent on keeping a 'roof over one’s head, food on the table and the home warm', according to the uSwitch.com European Quality of Life Index.

After taking into account 17 quality of life measures, the study put Britain at the BOTTOM of the list of the most, supposedly, happy country in Europe - Ireland second from last.

The best quality of life could be found in Spain and France.

Currently, British workers can expect to retire on average 6 months later than the rest of Europe, as the average European retirement age is 62.

Although Spanish workers allegedly work longer weekly hours, they get 41 annual days leave a year, compared to 28 in the UK.

Fuel and food costs in the UK are also above European average.

Britons can expect to work three years longer and die two years younger than their continental neighbours.
Britains also have to contend with a higher cost of living and pay more for most basics such as fuel, food, alcohol and train travel.

With a litre of petrol costing £1.08, the UK is the second most expensive country for unleaded petrol and the most expensive for diesel.

Meanwhile, a basket of food items that costs £134.48 in the UK will be £124 in Europe.

Annual household energy bills come in at £1,239 on average, with Britons paying the third-highest electricity charges.

Only Ireland and Sweden pays more for a round of drinks than the UK, and only the Irish pay more for cigarettes.

Life expectancy is also slightly lower than the European average, according to the study, which was carried out in conjunction with Research Insight.

While Britons can expect to live to 78.9, the Spanish can expect to reach 79.9.
As a result, UK workers can expect to work an average of five days a year more than their European counterparts and 13 days more than the Spanish.

The UK also spends a smaller percentage of its national wealth on health and education, despite evidence linking education with longer life expectancy.

Only Ireland and Poland spend less on healthcare, but Ireland has more doctors. and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK. These figures pre- -date the recession and there are fears UK quality of life will suffer even more as the Government reins in public spending to tackle the national debt.
In addition, Britons enjoy fewer hours of sunshine than the countries studied, apart from Ireland and the Netherlands. Spain is top with 2665, Italy has 2356, France 1,967 and the UK 1,476.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: 'There is more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the UK and heading to Spain.

'We earn substantially more than our European neighbours, but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and our homes warm. 'It's giving us a decent standard of living, but it's not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy. For too long the focus in the UK has been on standard of living rather than quality of life. As a result we have lost all sense of balance between wealth and well-being. The recession could prove to be a turning point, forcing us to re-evaluate our way of life, get back to basics and to the things that really count. Consumers are already beginning to do this - the Government and its policymakers would do well to follow suit.'

Spain and France came out top in the quality of life survey of ten European countries.

Spain, which has the lowest net household income of the ten countries, had a ranking of 6.4. The UK ranking was minus 7.65. Other rankings were Denmark 3.68. Germany 0.84. Italy minus 1.12 and Ireland minus 7.45. 

Finally, the current Mail on Line Poll on "Is Britain the worst country in Europe to live in?” stands at: ‘Yes’ 61%, ‘No’ 39.

3: STOP PRESS – STERLING MORTGAGES IN SPAIN

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This newsletter is intended as a guide and to be informative and helpful in the process of searching for and purchasing a property in Spain. Total accuracy cannot be guaranteed and in all legal, fiscal and other matters a fully qualified professional should be consulted. Reproduction of any part of this newsletter is not permitted without written permission.