# Guardamar Property 2026: River, Dunes and a Calmer Torrevieja > Guardamar del Segura sits 12 km north of Torrevieja but a 1988 planning code capped buildings at four storeys. In 2026 a 2-bed apartment 300 m from the beach still trades near EUR 220,000, roughly EUR 40,000 below the equivalent in central Torrevieja. Published: 2026-09-15 Author: Oleg Fesechko Canonical: https://wesnagroup.com/blog/guardamar-2026-river-dunes-calmer-torrevieja License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Cite as: Wesna Group, "Guardamar Property 2026: River, Dunes and a Calmer Torrevieja", wesnagroup.com --- Guardamar del Segura sits 12 km north of Torrevieja on the same stretch of Costa Blanca South, but a 1988 planning ordinance capped buildings at four storeys and preserved the 800-hectare pine forest that lines its dunes. In 2026 the town of roughly 15,700 residents still trades a 2-bed apartment 300 m from the beach near EUR 220,000, while a comparable Torrevieja centre unit runs closer to EUR 260,000. ## Who buys in Guardamar in 2026? British retirees and Nordic couples dominate the resale market. Spanish weekend buyers from Madrid and Murcia drive new-build villa demand in El Raso and La Marquesa. The buyer profile skews older and calmer than Torrevieja. First-time investors chasing short-let yield rarely make it here because the town hall issues few tourist licences and enforcement has tightened since 2023. About six in ten resale enquiries at our office come from buyers who have already rejected Torrevieja on specific grounds: too dense, too many high-rises, too much summer noise. The four-storey ceiling and the Pinada de Guardamar mean the town cannot become what Torrevieja became. That planning cap is the single most-cited reason repeat visitors settle here. The other identifiable group is the Spanish second-home buyer. Madrid families with a 400 km drive prefer Guardamar's beach quality (five Blue Flag beaches in 2025) and the fact that the town centre still functions as a Spanish town, with a Wednesday market, a working fishing port at the Segura river mouth, and restaurants that fill with locals in February. Their share of villa transactions has risen steadily since 2022. A smaller but growing group is the pre-retirement Northern European buyer aged 55-62 who wants to spend six months a year in Spain before formally retiring. This cohort drives the growth in three-bedroom townhouses in El Raso, where a private pool and a room for visiting adult children matter more than beach walkability. The foreign-resident share in Guardamar sits at roughly 32% per the padrón municipal, split across identifiable clusters. **British buyers** remain the largest single foreign group. They concentrate in El Raso and in town-centre apartments near Avenida Cervantes, tend to be retired or semi-retired, and since Brexit have shifted toward outright purchase (no mortgage). The 90/180 rule shapes their calendar, and many now hold a Non-Lucrative Visa to stay longer. Our note on the [Brexit 90/180 rule for British owners](/blog/brexit-90-180-rule-spain-british-owners-2026) covers the practical impact. **Norwegian and Swedish buyers** appear in La Marquesa and in newer Dunas apartments. The Norwegian community is smaller than in Alfaz del Pi but has grown steadily since 2021. Winter residency from November to April is the common pattern, with the property let long-term rather than short-let in summer. **Belgian and Dutch buyers** favour El Raso townhouses. Typical budget is EUR 250,000 to EUR 350,000 for a 3-bed semi-detached with a small pool. This group buys for family use, not investment. **German buyers** are present but scattered, with a preference for La Marquesa villas above EUR 500,000. **Spanish domestic buyers** from Madrid and Murcia drive a large share of the villa market and increasingly the front-line apartment market. This is the group with rising share since 2022, and the reason villa prices have moved faster than town apartments. Ukrainian families who arrived under temporary protection are present in Guardamar but in small numbers relative to Torrevieja. Most Ukrainian buyers in the wider Vega Baja concentrate in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa where the community infrastructure is denser. Our overview of [Ukrainian families settling on the Costa Blanca in 2026](/blog/ukrainian-families-settling-costa-blanca-2026-2026-06-19) explains the geography. Russian-owned property in Guardamar is largely legacy stock from 2013-2018 purchases. New Russian purchases have been rare since 2022 due to banking and payment friction rather than any Spanish ban on non-EU buyers. ## What do Guardamar prices look like in 2026? Median asking prices in September 2026 sit roughly 6-8% above September 2024, in line with the wider Costa Blanca South trend reported by INE and Idealista. New-build supply has been thin: only three small developments delivered keys in the first half of 2026, all in the El Raso extension. | Property type | Typical size | Price range 2026 | Median EUR/m2 | |---|---|---|---| | 1-bed apartment, town or Dunas | 45-60 m2 | EUR 140,000 - 210,000 | EUR 3,100 | | 2-bed apartment, resale | 65-85 m2 | EUR 190,000 - 285,000 | EUR 2,900 | | 2-bed apartment, new-build first line | 80-110 m2 | EUR 310,000 - 720,000 | EUR 4,400 | | 3-bed townhouse, El Raso | 90-130 m2 | EUR 240,000 - 360,000 | EUR 2,600 | | Villa with pool, La Marquesa | 150-260 m2 | EUR 380,000 - 850,000 | EUR 2,900 | | Front-line villa or penthouse | varies | EUR 700,000 - 1,400,000 | EUR 4,700+ | For a working reference, our [2-bed 64 m2 apartment in El Raso at EUR 222,000](/property/wes-2110) sits close to the median for a resale in that area. A newer 2-bed at 112 m2 is asking [EUR 318,240](/property/wes-2477), and a 126 m2 front-line unit lists at [EUR 721,000](/property/wes-2477c). Those three points bracket most of what buyers see when they visit. Compared with 2024, the biggest jump is in front-line stock, up roughly 11%. Interior town resales moved less, around 4%. See our wider comparison in [Costa Blanca square-metre prices 2026 vs 2024](/blog/costa-blanca-square-meter-prices-2026-vs-2024) for how Guardamar tracks against neighbouring towns. Roughly, Guardamar's premium over central Torrevieja runs EUR 15,000 to EUR 30,000 on a comparable 2-bed apartment, in exchange for lower density, better beaches and a Spanish town centre. Buyers weighing the two often read our comparison of [Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa](/blog/torrevieja-vs-orihuela-costa-2026) to calibrate the difference at the resort end. ## Which Guardamar sub-areas suit which buyer? The town breaks cleanly into five sub-areas, and they do not compete for the same buyer. ### El Raso: townhouses and new-build for families El Raso sits 2 km inland from the beach, west of the CV-895. Density is low, streets are wide, and roughly 70% of stock is townhouses and semi-detached houses with small private pools. Norwegian, British and Belgian families who need three bedrooms under EUR 400,000 concentrate here. Drawback: the beach is a 25-minute walk or a 5-minute drive, and August parking near the sand is grim. A second honest point is that El Raso keeps expanding westward, so a property that was on the edge in 2020 now sits inside a larger perimeter. ### La Marquesa: villas and golf La Marquesa runs along the golf course north-west of El Raso. Plots start at 400 m2 and villas commonly sit at 150-200 m2 built. Prices push above EUR 500,000 quickly. Spanish weekend buyers from Madrid concentrate here, alongside older Northern European buyers who want a garden and a pool without the maintenance of a rural finca. The downside is honest: you need a car for everything, and the golf-course setting means green fees and irrigation politics are part of the local conversation. ### Casco Urbano: Spanish everyday life The old town sits between the Segura river and the pine forest. Apartments here trade cheapest per square metre, EUR 2,300 to EUR 2,700 for a resale 2-bed. Buildings from the 1970s and 1980s dominate, most have no lift, and community fees on well-maintained blocks reach EUR 60-90 per month. In exchange, you get a Spanish town with a real bakery on every second street, a Wednesday market that still matters to residents, and a walk to the beach that takes 8-12 minutes. ### Dunas de Guardamar: apartments in the pine forest The Dunas strip runs north from the port along the beach, behind the protected dune system. Buildings follow the four-storey rule. Two-bedroom apartments with sea or pine views trade EUR 260,000 to EUR 370,000 for standard resale, and new-build front-line runs higher. The area empties in winter, which is either the point or the problem depending on why you are buying. Community fees in Dunas blocks with lifts, pools and gardens run EUR 90-160 per month. ### Los Estaños and El Moncayo: quiet edges South-west of the town, Los Estaños and El Moncayo are lower-density urbanisations that share the postcode but feel semi-rural. Villas here have larger plots and slightly older builds, often 1990s. Prices lag the coast by 15-20% for equivalent built area. Bus links to the town centre are limited, so add a car cost to the annual budget. ## What is daily life in Guardamar like? ### Beaches, pine forest and the Segura river mouth Guardamar holds five Blue Flag beaches as of the 2025 award season: Centro, Vivers, La Roqueta, Els Tossals and Babilonia. Total sand frontage runs roughly 11 km. The Pinada de Guardamar, planted in the early 1900s to stabilise shifting dunes that had been swallowing the town, sits directly behind the beach and gives the town a natural break in summer heat that no other resort on the Costa Blanca South can match. Our list of [Costa Blanca Blue Flag beaches for 2026](/blog/costa-blanca-blue-flag-beaches-2026-2026-06-06) puts Guardamar in the top five towns by count. The Segura river mouth divides the beach in two. North of the mouth you have the Marina and the fishing port; south, Babilonia, the oldest beach cottages in town, and quieter sand. ### Schools, healthcare and administration Guardamar has three public primary schools (CEIP), one concertado (semi-private) and the Instituto Las Dunas for secondary. Families needing English-medium education generally look to Torrevieja (British School of Vega Baja) or to Elche. Primary healthcare runs from the Centro de Salud on Avenida del País Valenciano. The nearest full hospital is Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja, 15 km south, and Hospital Universitario del Vinalopó in Elche sits 25 km north-west. Both accept the Spanish public health system (SNS). For the practical comparison with UK provision, see [NHS versus Spanish healthcare 2026 for UK buyers](/blog/nhs-vs-spanish-healthcare-2026-uk-buyers). ### Getting around and airport access Alicante-Elche airport is 30 km north, typically 25 minutes by car outside peak season, 35 in July and August. Murcia-Corvera airport is 65 km south. There is no train station in Guardamar itself. Buses operated by Costa Azul and ALSA run to Alicante, Torrevieja and Elche, but frequency drops sharply on Sundays. Almost every foreign resident who stays past six months buys a car. The AP-7 tolls were removed at the end of 2019, which put Guardamar within a 15-minute free-motorway hop of Torrevieja and Santa Pola. That single change reshaped weekend day-trip patterns and helps explain why inland Spanish demand rose after 2020. ## What are the running costs and due-diligence checks in Guardamar? IBI in Guardamar runs at a coefficient of roughly 0.66% of the valor catastral. A 2-bed apartment with a catastral value of EUR 55,000 pays around EUR 363 per year. A La Marquesa villa with catastral value EUR 140,000 pays roughly EUR 924. For the mechanics of how the tax is calculated and paid, see [IBI Spain 2026 property tax explained](/blog/ibi-spain-2026-property-tax-explained). Community fees vary widely by sub-area and building type. - Town-centre resale block, no lift, no pool: EUR 45-80 per month - El Raso townhouse in a small community with pool: EUR 60-110 per month - Dunas apartment building with lift, pool and gardens: EUR 90-160 per month - Front-line new-build with concierge or premium landscaping: EUR 160-280 per month Utilities for a couple using the property year-round: electricity EUR 90-140 per month averaged (higher in July and August with air conditioning, lower in shoulder months), water EUR 25-40, internet EUR 30-45. Gas is mostly bottled (bombonas) in older stock; new-build increasingly runs on aerothermal heat pumps or is electric-only. Rubbish collection (tasa de basura) in Guardamar is billed separately at around EUR 90-120 per year. The municipality updates the rate via the ordenanza fiscal each December; check the current year on the [Ayuntamiento de Guardamar website](https://www.guardamar.net). Non-resident owners must also file Modelo 210 annually even if the property is not let. ### Segura flood-zone mapping The lower Segura basin has documented flood-risk areas mapped by the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura. Some plots south-west of the town centre near the river fall within a 500-year event zone. Any nota simple search should be cross-checked against the CHS flood-zone maps. Standard buildings insurance in Spain (through the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros) covers extraordinary flood damage, but insurers may load premiums for flagged addresses. ### Deslinde marítimo terrestre for front-line stock Properties within the first 100 m of the shore, particularly in Babilonia and parts of the Dunas, need a check against the current deslinde, the official maritime-terrestrial boundary. The 1988 Coastal Law and its 2013 reform can affect ownership status and inheritance for property built inside the public maritime domain. Your lawyer should request the current deslinde plan from the Demarcación de Costas. ### Community fee history and pending derramas Ask for the last three years of community minutes (actas) and confirm there are no approved but unbilled special assessments (derramas) for facade works, lift replacements or pool overhauls. Older town-centre buildings sometimes carry hidden liabilities that only surface when a new owner takes over. ### Tourist licence status if you plan to short-let If your business case depends on short-let income, do not assume a licence transfers automatically or can be obtained fresh. The Comunidad Valenciana registry requires an urbanistic compatibility certificate from the ayuntamiento, and Guardamar has been slow to issue new certificates for apartments in multi-unit buildings. Require the seller to prove an active, current VUT registration number before signing the arras. ## FAQ ### Can I get a short-let (Vivienda de Uso Turístico) licence in Guardamar in 2026? New VUT licences in Guardamar are heavily restricted since the 2023 municipal review. The Comunidad Valenciana Registro de Turismo requires an urbanistic compatibility certificate from the ayuntamiento, and the town hall has been issuing few new certificates for apartments in multi-unit buildings. Detached villas have a better chance. If short-let income is central to your case, require proof of an active registration number before you sign. ### Is Guardamar a good winter town? Yes for climate and infrastructure, moderate for social life. Average January highs run 17-18 degrees Celsius and the pine forest gives sheltered walking on cool days. Most beach-front bars close November to March. The town centre stays open year-round because the resident base is real, unlike some purely-tourist urbanisations further south. Expect a quieter evening scene than Torrevieja and a livelier one than most rural Costa Cálida towns. ### How far is Guardamar from Alicante airport? The drive is 30 km via the AP-7 (toll-free since 2020) and typically takes 25 minutes off-peak, 35 minutes at July and August peak. There is no direct train. Taxi rank fares run roughly EUR 55-70 one-way; pre-booked transfers EUR 45-60. ### Do I need a car to live in Guardamar? For daily life in the town centre, no. Supermarkets, medical centre, market and beaches are walkable. For anything outside the centre (El Raso, La Marquesa, Estaños), yes. Bus service to Alicante and Torrevieja exists but is inconvenient outside weekdays. Nearly every foreign resident who stays past six months buys a car. ### Are new-build deliveries expected in 2026-2027 in Guardamar? Three small developments delivered in H1 2026, all in El Raso, totalling under 90 units. Two further projects are in construction with expected delivery in late 2026 and mid-2027, again in the El Raso extension. Front-line new-build is essentially non-existent due to the coastal law and the four-storey cap; anything new on the beach is a replacement of older stock. ### Is Guardamar suitable for full-time family relocation? For pre-school and primary age, yes, with local Spanish-medium schools and a residential feel. For international-curriculum secondary you will commute to Torrevieja or Elche. Healthcare covers routine needs on-site with hospital care 15-25 minutes away. The main friction for full-time families is bureaucracy speed: NIE, empadronamiento and school enrolment can take longer here than in bigger towns simply because the offices are smaller. ## Next steps Browse our current [Guardamar listings](/catalog?city=guardamar&deal=sale) to see what is available in each sub-area, then compare against neighbouring stock in [Torrevieja](/catalog?city=torrevieja&deal=sale). Call us on +34 744 64 42 28 and we will send a shortlist of five to eight matched properties within 48 hours.