Dubbed El Rincon Olvidado, the forgotten corner, because it’s so far off the beaten track, the Spanish province of Teruel on Aragon’s southernmost tip is one of Spain’s most overlooked regions. Yet Valencia airport is just an hour and a half away by car, and the fish eateries and beaches of the Costa Blanca are closer still.
The lovers of Teruel
Wander down these winding lanes and you’ll discover dingy bars vending the famed jamon de Teruel (celebrated during the ham feria in September) and dusty stores selling souvenirs commemorating Isabel de Segura and Juan Diego Martinez de Marcilla, better known as “The Lovers of Teruel.” Their 13th-century tale of thwarted love rates as the Spanish equivalent of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and their fancy marble mausoleum can be visited at the Los Amantes museum downtown.
The region was dominated by the Moors for centuries, and the architecture that grew from this period when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived harmoniously together was classed a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1986. This translates as an atmospheric clutter of the Mudejar building linked by narrow alleys packed with bodegas serving pork and chickpea soups, stews of local-bred lamb or rabbit, and fruity wines from Calatayud, Campo de Borja, and Cariñena, just down the road.
Seventh cheapest province for real estate
Property prices in the town center are slightly higher than elsewhere in the province, but since a recent index for new-build prices reveals that Teruel is the seventh cheapest province in Spain for buying real estate, that still spells value for money. To give an example, I discovered a tiny town property in need of renovation for 22,000 euro ($29,000), while
larger, renovated properties were selling from between 50,000 and
100,000 euro ($66,000 to $132,000).
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Teruel real estate contacts Mundo Rural Teruel S.L. Tel: (+34) 978-608-878; website: www.mundoruralteruel.com My Valencian Home; tel. (+34) 962-728-066; website: www.myvalencianhome.com |
Further into the province are several ski slopes, including the 6,600-foot Javalambre Sierra, and a landscape of contrasts: breathtaking precipices then dense forest. If you decide to hit the highway and head out to the heart of this province, you’ll find that property prices get even more attractive. I saw a three-bedroom, one-bath house for 52,000 euro ($69,000) and a new-build villa that needs finishing for 99,000 euro ($130,000).
