Active Life Magazine   January 2007 Issue
Back to your roots
If Spain is your destination of choice and you´re looking for something a bit different, why not try a cave?
A cave house is a home that is constructed either partly or wholly underground. We all know that caves were the original home for homosapiens at the very beginning of its evolution but we are considering here the revolutionary cave homes of the 21st century and beyond   found in various parts of Southern Spain and especially in Northern Andalcia.
Most modern cave homes have a number of rooms that are excavated from the surrounding hillside, often bedrooms, with a conventional part of the house built onto the front. Cave houses have many advantages over a wholly conventional construction, they are cheaper to build and have a lower running costs and each is unique in design and appearance. Because of the dry climatic conditions and the type of rock in which they are built they are dry and it is very rare to find any form of dampness within the cave rooms.
Les Edwards, marketing director for Spanish Inland Properties, said: “We are passionate about cave houses and want more people to know about them. Whether people choose to buy from us or not, we are happy to share our many years of experience on cave houses in the hope that a few more people will be “convertedâ€. Cave houses still represent one of the best property investments money can buy, the proximity of five airports erviced by the low-cost airlines, and the staggering beauty and tranquility of the area are starting to make this a popular choice for Brits wanting their own place in the sun. Fortunately, because the area is still primarily rural and there is only a limited stock of cave houses, this area of Spain is unlikely to ever get as busy as s
the well-trodden tourist routes down on the coast.â€
Spanish Inland Properties (www.spanish-inland-properties.com) currently has a stock of some 180 cave house dwellings for sale   either for redevelopment or as a finished, fully refurbished home. Prices range from 23,000 euros to 950,000 euros.
Cave Owner´s Manual
Spanish Inland Properties has launched a free online guide to buying a cave house. The 49 page pdf contains details information about buying cave houses and the restoration process, and can be downloaded free of charge at www.cave-houses.com/com.pdf.
