I’m back on at my home on Portugal’s Silver Coast…
At the weekend, I returned to my condo and to perfect spring-like weather on the Silver Coast, a stretch of Portugal’s Atlantic coastline between Lisbon and Porto.
My ocean-view condo is in the beach and golf community of Praia D’El Rey, where the Atlantic crashes onto a stunning swath of sand running for miles.
Temperatures have yet to approach their summer highs here. The sun is shining, but the breezes are cool and refreshing. It’s perfect weather for a relaxing stroll on the dunes and the cliffside trails on this coast.
This is one of the big reasons I bought here—I love this spring-like weather, with warm afternoons and cool evenings. I love the tranquility of this pristine, unspoiled coastline. And I love to golf in a T-shirt by day, but enjoy dinner al fresco by the ocean with a warm jumper by night.
Lately, others have been discovering the appeal of this destination, too…
Real estate on the Silver Coast has gone from strength to strength in recent years as vacationers and second-home owners look for quieter escapes away from Lisbon and Portugal’s ever-popular southern Algarve region.
I brought my condo here for €300,000 a few years back. Last year, an agent wanted to list it for €450,000, but I’m not selling…not when I can recoup the entire annual cost of owning my condo—including taxes, HOA fees, golf club dues on two great courses, and the mortgage, when I had one—just by renting it out in the peak summer months when I like to be in Ireland anyway.
In the days ahead, I’ll been taking stock of the latest real estate developments and opportunities here. And I’ll be sharing my full on-the-ground insights and latest intelligence about the Silver Coast with members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group. (Not a RETA member? Click here to join.)
In the days ahead, I’ll been taking stock of the latest real estate developments and opportunities here. And I’ll be sharing my full on-the-ground insights and latest intelligence about the Silver Coast with members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group.
Today, though, I wanted to discuss beachfront properties from another part of Europe’s coastline…
Stunning beaches are just one of the many reasons I love owning on Portugal’s Silver Coast. I shared the others in a recent video. Click here to view it now.
As I write, my scout, Ciaran, has just returned from his trip to Sicily, where he was exploring the island’s incredible real estate bargains.
The Italian island of Sicily—the biggest in the Mediterranean—boasts historic cities…ancient temples…quaint little villages…towering mountains…and stunning beaches on every shore…
Yet, in towns there set amongst lost-in-time landscapes and surrounded by sun-drenched hills, you can find homes for $70,000…$50,000…even $20,000, or less.
So far, Ciaran has reported back from the stunning hill town of Mussomeli in central Sicily, where he toured homes available for astonishing prices from €28,000 to €35,000. Check out his report from Mussomeli here.
He also offered a report on listings he found in other incredible hill towns in central Sicily, where you can own from insane prices like €15,500. Read his article on listings in central Sicily here.
Today, he offers something different, a taste of the kinds of properties you’ll find along Sicily’s breathtaking northern coast…
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. Do you have a question about Sicily or Portugal’s Silver Coast? I’d love to hear it. Share it with us by clicking here.
Condos by the Beach in Sicily from $80,000
By Ciaran Madden
The hills beneath the small village of Gratteri roll down in waves to the sea, offering stunning views of Sicily’s Mediterranean coast all the way to the capital, Palermo.
Gratteri offers spectacular coastal views to Palermo, an hour’s drive west.
This medieval village is one of the oldest in this region. In centuries long past, pilgrims passed through heading south from the cathedral city of Cefalu on their way to Jerusalem.
These trails are well-trodden still…these days by hikers soaking up the views and historic ruins that lie along the paths.
Gratteri is one of the oldest and most picturesque villages in Sicily’s Madonie National Park.
Gratteri is quaint, charming…and it has much to offer. It’s set in a national park and it’s only 15 to 20 minutes’ drive from the beach. In winter, you’ll find ski resorts in this region, too. And the historic city of Cefalu is just 30 minutes northeast.
Despite all this, traditional homes in Gratteri are highly affordable.
I met a broker who showed me four in various states of repair listed from €25,000 to €55,000, including the one below…
Ciaran’s walkthrough of a home on the market in Gratteri for €55,000. Click to view.
I’d come to the coast not just to scout Gratteri, but to look for opportunities to own on or near the beach in northern Sicily.
While prices on the coast are more expensive than you’ll find inland, they can still be shockingly affordable.
Case in point, while the broker was showing me homes in Gratteri, he shared a listing he’d just gotten (and which is not yet online) of an older sea-view penthouse minutes walk from the beach in a town called Acquedolci. He planned to list it for just €60,000.
A sea-view penthouse for €60,000? I put the town on my itinerary for the following day…
The view from the Rock of Cefalu, a mountain that sits behind the city. The hike to the top offers spectacular views of Cefalu.
The town of Acquedolci is about an hour’s drive east of Cefalu, where I was based during this final portion of my scouting trip.
Cefalu is one of Sicily’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its beautiful in-city beaches, historic cathedral, charming Old Town, and the Rock of Cefalu, a towering outcropping that looms dramatically over the city.
When I scouted Cefalu, it was teeming with visitors. (Locals say, it becomes unbearably crowded in high season.) As you head east, though, the number of vacationers drops precipitously. By the time you reach the town of Acquedolci, they are rare.
Acquedolci is a quiet, charming community of 5,000 people. In the context of Sicily, this town is practically a new-build. The town center was constructed in just 1922.
This is a pattern you see repeated along the coast. The buildings feel newer and cleaner, with brightly colored facades…a sharp contrast to the often gray, well-weathered stone buildings in Sicily’s hill towns.
The Chiesa Madre church sits at the center of the “new” town of Acquedolci.
The broker’s pricing was in line with what I found here. There are older homes and condos with sea views for less than €80,000, such as this one for €75,000 ($80,000).
More modern listings with larger terraces are available in the low six-figure range, such as this two-bed condo. It’s on the market for €120,000 ($130,000).
This 850-square-foot condo in Acquedolci has a vast rooftop terrace that’s bigger than the internal living space. Listing here.
The views from the terrace would be spectacular. The Mediterranean looks striking here with flashes of azure that fade to deep navy as the waters extend offshore.
But the beach in Acquedolci leaves much to be desired. It’s rocky, with small patches of black sand. Difficult to swim from. Tedious to walk across.
The beach at Acquedolci…black sands and lots of rocks.
I pushed farther east, scouting and exploring. The beaches largely continued this way, with stretches of darker sand covered by rock, until I reached Capo d’Orlando.
This town was impressive…leafy and upmarket with a long seafront promenade dotted with bars, cafés and restaurants running alongside its picturesque golden-sand beach.
Piazza Europa, a community garden and children’s play area, at the heart of Capo d’Orlando.
This is a more luxurious enclave. Tourism is big business here. In Capo d’Orlando, you’ll see flash cars…luxury boutiques…some high-end restaurants. And you’ll find homes listing for north of €400,000, such as this expansive three-bed condo with breathtaking ocean views.
But there are more affordable options too in the sub-€200,000 range, like this three-bed condo for €170,000. No sea views, but you’d be just a block or two back from the beach and the glistening Mediterranean.
The boardwalk at Capo d’Orlando extends for a mile and a half alongside the town’s beautiful coastline.
P.S. We’ll be wrapping up everything Ciaran’s seen along the north coast of Sicily, as well as in its mountainous interior, in a special report for members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group. It will include listings, links, videos, and our on-the-ground insights and intelligence. Sicily is an incredible lifestyle play, but is there a way to make a profit there as an investor as well? All this and more will be in our upcoming report. Stay tuned for that. (Not a RETA member…learn how you can join here now).
P.P.S. We’ll be wrapping up everything Ciaran’s seen along the north coast of Sicily, as well as in its mountainous interior, in a special report for members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group. It will include listings, links, videos, and our on-the-ground insights and intelligence. Sicily is an incredible lifestyle play, but is there a way to make a profit there as an investor as well? All this and more will be in our upcoming report. Stay tuned for that.
Your Daily Dream Home
Hagfors, Sweden
Just a 10-minute drive from the city of Hagfors in west central Sweden is this charming country home. The area is a popular fishing, canoeing, and wildlife spot.
The first floor has a kitchen, a living room, a dining room, and a bathroom. On the second floor you’ll find another living room, and a bedroom. Outside there is a sizable garden and an outbuilding.
Remember, we don’t make money from any listing shared here in the Your Daily Dream Home section. We have no dog in the fight. We’re just sharing cool properties we’ve found.
I haven’t visited this property or done due diligence on it. If you’re interested in the listing, you should hire an attorney and do your own due diligence.
