A Place in the Sun

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The UK’s best-selling overseas Property Magazine August 2008 edition CASTLES IN THE SAND FOR UNDER £100,000

IT’S STILL POSSIBLE TO GET A BOLT-HOLE NEAR THE BEACH FOR A SNIP, EVEN IN DISTANT DREAM LOCATIONS. WHICH OF OUR HALF DOZEN HOTSPOTS TICKS THE MOST BOXES FOR YOU?

1ST Place

VENEZUELA

What’s it like?Isla of Margarita, off the north coast of Venezuela, is sparking a lot of interest. Formed from two peninsulas linked by an 18km spit of sand, it’s tropical and mountainous, with everything you’d want for an idyllic Caribbean holiday. Its property market is taking off due to its improving tourism, economy and infrastructure. It offers diving and snorkelling, golf, horse riding and miles of white sandy beaches.

Getting there: Fly direct from the UK to Porlamor in nine hours, or fly to Caracas on the Mainland and take a 35-minutes ferry link.

Seasonality:The island basks in sun for 340 days of a year and there is no defined seasons. It’s a year round destination, but for Venezuelans, Easter to September is high season.

Why buy there? It’s a rare early bird investment opportunity with beach front property available for 70 per cent lower than on most other Caribbean islands. Rental yields can reach up to 12 per cent.

The buying process: Margarita is a tax and duty-free zone, with some developers putting the property into an off-shore company for you, so you only pay three per cent on top for legal and admin costs. All buying costs, including your purchase, have to be paid in Venezuelan Bolivares (VBS) – and in order to go through the buying process, you’ll first need to register at the government offices.

2nd Place Egypt

3rd Place Goa

4th Place Thailand

5th Place Turkey

6th Place Brazil

SIX OF THE BEST

WE WERE SPOILT FOR CHOICE WHEN PICKING THE BEST BARGAIN BEACH PROPERTIES. HERE WE SHOWCASE APARTMENTS, TOWNHOUSES AND VILLAS

1ST PLACE

SPADES AND SPAS

Where - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Price from €79,000 (£63,000)?

What you get One and two-bed apartments overlooking the pristine white of Caracola beach. This fabulous spa resort boasts swimming pools, a luxury spa and gym, and exotic landscaped garden

2nd Place Soukhna, Egypt

3rd Place Goa, India

4th Place Hua Hin, Thailand

5th Place Antayla, Turkey

6th Place Natal, Brazil

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