The beautiful seaside town that's the 'paradise' of Spain with new £33m five-star hotel

A holiday destination on the coast, which has long been a favourite for vacationing Spaniards, has seen a surge in popularity among foreign visitors. So much so it has now become the epicentre of a real estate boom, with high-end , residential projects and tourist apartments springing up across the municipality.

The Costa de la Luz, the "Coast of Light", is a section of the southern Spanish coast facing the . It extends from Tarifa in the south, along the coasts of the provinces of Cadiz and Huelva, to the mouth of the Guadiana River. It has seen a boom in the number of tourists from France, Germany and the . It has also been branded a 'surfer's paradise' in Spanish media outlets.

Over the past two years, at least five major developers, along with Tarifa's City Council, have pushed forward with projects aimed at meeting demand for housing and . Estimates suggest that over 1,200 new homes will be built through the initiatives, including 400 designated as affordable housing and 1,500 hotel beds.

The five-star project Ecohotel Las Piñas is one of the most striking. It will see a 40 million euro (£33.4 million) hotel with 18 private villas with three to six bedrooms, four senior suites, and 22 junior suites. It will also feature an over 10,000-square-foot spa, multiple outdoor pools, a gym, a high-end restaurant, and a beach club. It is currently under judicial review, with investors aiming for completion within just two years.

Some plans, however, are still awaiting approval and have been deemed contentious, including the major development of the coastal area of Los Lances beach.

The proposal, signed in September 2024 between the City Council and Marbella-based developer Granparcela SL, aimed to revamp a 1.6 million-square-foot stretch with high-end apartments, a hotel and commercial spaces, according to .

The plan, which also proposed relocating local schools and a factory, faced immediate backlash from residents and activists. from the "Tarifa no se vende" group forced the City Council to suspend the agreement within a month.

In the summer months, temperatures can reach a balmy 28C with an average of 11 sunshine hours a day and very little rain.

The Costa de la Luz has some of the most beautiful and unspoiled in all of Spain, with vast stretches of golden sand. Indeed, the 2.5-mile El Palmar Beach was named one of the best beaches in the region by . Bolonia Beach, meanwhile lies just a short distance from the from the ruins of Baelo Claudia, an ancient Roman town.

In addition, there are ample opportunities and facilities for leisure activities, including fine dining, golf, kitesurfing, boating, and other water sports.

It also boasts several natural reserves and a number of natural attractions, including the Doñana National Park, where endangered species such as the Spanish imperial eagle and the Iberian lynx can occasionally be spotted. Meanwhile, at the wetlands of the mouths of the Tinto and Odiel rivers, migratory birds including storks and flamingos, can be seen.

While developers see these projects as generating jobs and modernising Tarifa, concerns are mounting over the town's ability to support such rapid growth. The City Council's Urban Planning Department is struggling with outdated regulations and a lack of resources, making it challenging to process permits efficiently. Tarifa is also facing ongoing wastewater treatment problems, with raw sewage still being into the sea at Los Lances beach.