Looking for a house that is the perfect antidote to a villa ona crowded costa? Then look no further than the latest in desirable Spanish residences   a cave. Sales of converted caverns, properties with adjoining caves and undeveloped grottos have soared in recent months, according to Spanish agents. Purchasers range from those that can’t refuse a bargain to buyers that are keen to live among Spanish people in a house that is in no way “anglicisedâ€. Many seem unlikely pioneers of underground cave life. Some have swapped suburban comforts in the Home Counties for a rocky hole in the ground. While others, like Dave Williamson from Hampshire, leapt straight from a career as a teacher into a major multi-cave renovation project. He may still be trying to convince family and friends that his mental faculties are intact   but he has absolutely no regrets.
“My fascination with caves began after visiting Freila in AndalucÃa in 2003 with my wife,†he explains. “I could see real potential in developing a variety of cave-dwellings into fantastic places to live. A stunning location, beautiful setting and peaceful atmosphere seemed a winning combination to me. What’s more the rates are negligible, the sales price reasonable and the temperature inside remains constant   nice and cool in summer, and warm in winter.â€
Williamson’s next step was the purchase of two vast caves in Castilléjar, approximately 150 kilometres from Granada. Although both had water and electricity as well as good access, the work required to renovate them was extensive. The project began in earnest in June 2004 and lasted four and a half months thanks to a troop of hardworking local builders. One cave was partitioned off to form a Casa Cueva complete with building frontage, three double bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes, a very large L-shaped lounge, modern kitchen, bathroom, shower-room and utility room. Outside a patio and barbecue area contains a solarium   and no modern cave is complete without satellite TV, central heating and a log-burning stove.
“I spent ‬110,000 buying the two caves with an additional outlay of approximately ‬90,000 for the renovation works,†Williamson explains. “The first cave house is now finished and ready to be sold. I’ll be starting work on the remaining caves soon to convert them into a further five properties. My plan is to renovate these to the same high standard as the first, either for sale again or for renting out as holiday homes. It’s also possible that my wife and I might hold onto one for ourselvesâ€.
Williamson admits that he’s already been inundated with enquires from British buyers keen to become Spain´s 21st-century troglodytes. “There is an extraordinary demand for Spanish cave properties from foreign buyers. Many are amazed to find such spacious underground accommodation. Caves can be huge and also are surprisingly light and airy.â€
In eighth-century Spain, caves were the hideaways of Moorish invaders who used them as strategic and tactical headquarters. In the generations that followed, they were occupied by Spain’s nomadic communities of peasants who lived underground with their livestock in summer to escape the searing heat.
Today they are fast becoming the domain of the British expatriate. Just ‬95,000 will buy a large two-bedroom cave in a pleasant hilltop setting in northern AndalucÃa. Caves are endemic in this region and sales to British buyers are increasingly brisk, according to Les Edwards from specialist cave property agency, Spanish Inland Properties.
“There are hundreds of caves along the 60-mile spine of mountains between Granada and Jaén, AlmerÃa and Albacete,†he explains. “Some are empty and ripe for redevelopment. Others are renovated and are empty and ripe for redevelopment. Others are renovated and habitable and enjoy stunning views of rural Spain. Purchasers are looking for peace and quiet in a place where sheep are their neighbours and where a passing tractor constitutes a rush hour. “Buyers get a lot more for their money here,†Edwards continues. “Many trade in their resort apartment in places like Marbella, Fuengirola and Torrevieja because they want to live in a setting that is really spanish. We have specialised in selling caves for several years but have experienced unprecedented demand in 2005. I think more and more people are seeking a character property complete with a traditional Spanish lifestyle in an area that is unspoilt, where prices are lower and the cost of living cheaper.â€
One of the hot spots for cave-dwellers is the pretty village of Galera, one hour from Granada and a two-and-a-half hour drive from both Málaga and Alicante airports. Property development here has transformed more than a hundred caves into fully modernised homes   almost all of which have been sold to British buyers as either permanent or holiday homes. Geological quirks ensure each property is wholly unique. Rooms created by the artistry of a pickaxe boast numerous individual characteristics that mirror the natural conturs of the rock. Kitchens are built into walls. Walls are a metre thick. Bathrooms and baths are made from stone. An absence of sharp angles makes everything warm, curved and rounded   a cosiness that cave owners describe as being “almost womb-likeâ€.
Other distinctive characteristics include expansive ceilings painted with a paint-and-mineral mix, and fossils that provide a fascinating alternative to wallpaper. Prices for a rustic hold-in-the-ground with a water pipe start at ‬25,0000 but rise to ‬130,000 when fully renovated and equipped with all mod cons. Some even contain a broadband connection.
“These flintstone caves may date back to the Iron Age but modern cave-dwelling is far from primitive,†explains Les Edwards. “I´ve seen sumptuous interior-designed cave properties equipped with full computer suites, telephones and satellite televisions   it’s a far, far cry from prehistoric times.â€
