Spanish real estate specialists have claimed that UK buyers are finding top property bargains in many beautiful but as yet underrated Iberian locations.

Property forum Kyero.com identified below average house prices as a prime incentive for property seekers looking into up-and-coming regions in the north-east and south-east of Spain.

The Cuenca area of Castilla La Mancha, just north-west of Valencia, Spain’s third city, was claimed to be a bargain area, with the average property price around €41,000 (£29,000), well below the Spanish average of €248,000.

Meanwhile the Catalonian province of Tarragona on the north-east coast was also identified as a location for bargain-hunters on a slightly higher budget, with average property valued still below average at €226,000 – showing that seaside property can also be affordable.

Neighbouring north-eastern coastline the Costa Azahar has also been identified as a top location for picking up coastal property at below average prices – and in a region famed for its tranquillity and authentic Spanish lifestyle.

Martin Dell, managing director of Kyero.com, said that there was plenty available for UK seaside-seeking property hunters.

"The majority of British buyers are still looking for coastal locations and with nearly 5,000 km of varied coastline from spectacular cliff faces to white sandy beaches Spain does not disappoint."

Brits working in hi-tech industries who fancy a change of lifestyle could be tempted by a Spanish call to action.

It has emerged that the Spanish hi-tech sector is looking to recruit as many as 10,000 overseas workers, with Brits likely to flock to the appeal.

With fewer young people in Spain studying technical degrees, the IT-based industries have sounded the alarm, inviting foreign skilled workers to meet the opportunities in the sector.

Spanish hi-tech industry association AETIC is spearheading the appeal, with the electronics, IT and telecommunications firms comprising it looking to countries like Britain for the skilled and flexible workers they need.

Convincing people to come to Spain and adopt the local lifestyle should not be difficult, with British property-seekers and holidaymakers already flocking to Spain in greater numbers than anywhere else.

Barcelona is one of the key cities identified for the IT recruitment drive, with the bustling city and tranquil surrounding regions like the Costa Azahar making it a likely hit with those who respond to the call.

British property-seekers scouring Iberia for a patch of unspoiled land could soon be flocking to the Costa Azahar, it has been claimed.

The Mirror newspaper has boosted the region – also known as Castellon – by hailing its beautiful landscape and its retention of authentic Spanish lifestyle.

Setting the region aside from others which have experienced a large influx of British and other overseas property buyers, the Mirror claimed that the Costa Azahar still had an authentic Spanish feel, with only 1,000 British ex-pats so far uncovering the gem.

Shawn Luetchens, managing director of HotProperty.co.uk, told the newspaper: “British buyers have always looked to Spain for holiday homes. However now many people are looking for properties off the beaten track.”

Few regions are further off the tourist trail than the Costa Azahar, which is located between Catalonia and Valencia, in reach of big cities like Barcelona but far enough way to retain considerable rural calm.

Backing from the Mirror and other corners could soon see the region receive an investment boost from tourists and property seekers, with Castellon also expecting to raise its accessibility through a soon-to-be complete airport complex.

industry.

The booming region was reported by Spanish news site Terra to be the leading grower in job creation among regions which are experiencing similarly rapid increases in population as housing is developed and more people are attracted to it.

Also known as the Costa Azahar, the area has welcomed as many as 75,000 new inhabitants this year, according to Terra, bringing its yearly population growth to a booming 15.4 per cent.

But while other areas like Guadalajara, Alicante and Tarragon have also grown in population since 2001, the Castellon area was leading the way in job creation, boasting the lowest unemployment rate of the growing regions.

Terra claimed that despite the huge population growth – the majority of which was coming from foreign nationals like Britons setting up in the region – unemployment remained at around half the national average.

Using 2006 figures from bank La Caixa, unemployment in the region was claimed to be as low as 2.7 per cent, making Castellon one of Spain’s most booming locations.

The peaceful Costa Azahar is entering its season of autumnal calm as sizzling Spanish temperatures finally subside, but the region’s current tranquillity tells nothing of the summer festival frenzy which set it alight.

Dubbed “the Costa Azahar’s answer to Glastonbury” by ThinkSpain.com, the Festival Internacional de Benicassim brought a touch of UK rock to its peaceful Spanish setting for the 13th annual mud and music-fest this July.

Running from the 19th to the 22nd of July, this year’s show brought in both local Spaniards and British ex-pats and tourists, with Iggy Pop, The B52s, the Arctic Monkeys and Armand Van Helden leading the host of high profile acts gracing the Costa.

Even popular but controversial UK singer Amy Winehouse was at the Benicassim event, helping attract the 100,000 fans that make the festival one of Spain’s most renowned.

Changing the complexion of Castellon for its three days of musical mayhem, the rock acts grab the spotlight, but the festival is also popular for offering an array of dance, art, theatre, fashion and short films that are not out of place with the region’s rich cultural heritage.

With Valencia in easy travelling distance from the Costa Azahar, the festival is set to light up the region’s summers and bring in British and Spanish music-lovers for years to come.

British property seekers and home-owners in Spain have been given a boost by the announcement of new Iberian flights from low-cost airline Clickair.

The Barcelona-based firm has indicated that a summer-trialled flight route between Edinburgh and the Catalan capital will continue through the winter, on the back of successful passenger uptake.

Bringing British tourists north of the border to the gateway of great coastal regions like the Costa Azahar, the Edinburgh-Barcelona flight path attracted some 18,000 passengers between August and September, meriting the green-light for continuation.

Meanwhile, other great Spanish cities could be brought into ever easier reach by reports suggesting that Clickair plans to increase flights from the UK to Seville and Valencia in the coming year.

Four flights a week are now planned for the promised Edinburgh-Barcelona expansion, with the Seville and Valencia outlook likely to improve if passengers continue to jump at the opportunity of exchanging the Scottish frost for the crisp sunshine of Catalonia.

Spain is an all-year-round hit with UK travellers, with many wishing to make their stay more than just a brief one and set up for good on the Iberian coast – a trend made easier by an abundance of low-cost flights to top regions.