Waterfront living in Spain and Italy

From Mallorca to Marbella, Liguria to Sardinia, the Mediterranean coastline of Spain and Italy has some of Europe’s most desirable holiday home locations. A Palma apartment, a contemporary villa on Marbella’s Golden Mile, homes in Portofino or by the white sand beaches of the Costa Smerelda: all offer a healthy lifestyle based around fresh food, natural beauty and good sporting facilities alongside the climate to enjoy them. But which one is right for you?

“Most clients looking at these Mediterranean locations are sure about where they want to be,” explains Mark Harvey, Head of International Sales at Knight Frank. “Each have their distinct appeal but what they all share is a prime reputation with property buyers looking for a Mediterranean waterfront home in a world-class destination.”

Moor up in Mallorca

Mallorca’s superb infrastructure includes Spain’s third busiest airport, providing access across Europe and, since 2023, direct flights to the USA. The island has 23 golf courses, 208 beaches, 11 Michelin-starred restaurants, two private jet terminals and over 40 marinas and it is these marinas that excite particular interest among both professional and eager amateur sailors. 

In the Bay of Palma, three leading marinas are Port Adriano, Puerto Portals and Club de Mar, the latter at the heart of Palma’s waterfront and currently being extended. Between them, these marinas can take yachts up to 135 metres in length and all have extensive modern maintenance, repair and service facilities.

“Mallorca has an active boating fraternity who come for its deep-water ports, the coastline of bays and inlets and its location in the Med,” confirms Harvey. “The super-yachts that head from Barcelona towards the Greek Islands must pass Mallorca and the crew and guests appreciate a stopover in the capital Palma. Just touring the Balearics by any boat is magnificent. Much of Mallorca’s craggy coastline is surprisingly untouched, especially on the heavily protected and undeveloped western coast around Valldemossa on the mountainous ridge.”

On this western coast in the buzzy town of Sóller, a handsome and generously sized stone townhouse over three floors is for sale at €3,950,000. The artfully renovated home has six bedrooms, six bathrooms and an open-plan living area leading to the terrace and mature gardens with a heated pool. Original features retain the property’s character – whitewashed beams, stone floors and wooden shutters – while contemporary furnishings in the bathrooms and kitchen ensure stylish and comfortable living.

“Sóller is a vibrant town in a valley filled with orange groves, well-placed between the sea and the Tramuntana Mountains and so ideal for both water-based sports and hiking,” says Harvey. “A vintage train delivers you from Sóller to the seafront at Port Sóller while the green and layered mountain views are unbeatable.”

From rural fincas in gardens planted with almond and carob trees to ultra-modern glass and stainless steel villas above the waterfront of Port Andratx in the southwest, Mallorca is large enough to offer excellent variety in its properties. Add in its 555km (344 miles) of coastline, strict planning permission restrictions, a growing roster of five-star hotels – the Four Seasons at Formentor is due to open imminently – and the nearby Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera, and it’s easy to see why, in Harvey’s words, buyers in Mallorca enjoy “a pocket-sized yet full Spanish experience”.

The glamour of Marbella

Boating takes more of a back seat in Marbella where it’s more about a glamorous, waterfront lifestyle, with perhaps the widest international mix of holiday homeowners of any Mediterranean location.

“Knight Frank has dealt with clients from around 70 different countries when selling homes in Marbella,” Harvey says. “One reason for its popularity is its truly year-round reputation, but buyers also like the good choice of international schools, easy access through Malaga airport, now with flights from 154 destinations including direct links to the USA and Dubai, and the winning climate. As the most southerly point of mainland Europe, sheltered by La Concha Mountain, Marbella’s microclimate keeps it cooler in summer and warmer in winter than elsewhere on the Costa del Sol.”

Marbella and the illustrious Golden Mile lined with designer boutiques and glamorous restaurants that links to Puerto Portals, is the undoubted second home hotspot of this southern coastline. While the beaches are not the finest in Spain, there are glossy marinas, notably in Puerto Banús and Sotogrande, 90 golf courses with around half within 30 minutes-drive of Marbella, and some of Europe’s most established and elegant hotels. The Marbella Club for example, has entertained European royalty and Hollywood celebrities for over 60 years.

At the Marbella Club Golf Resort & Country Club, an exclusive golf community between Marbella and Puerto Banús, a newly completed villa by award-winning Spanish architectural firm Villarroel Torrico is for sale for €12,500,000. The seven-bedroom property has the all the attributes that international buyers at this price point expect: extensive private parking, full air conditioning and underfloor heating, two pools, one indoor and heated with spa and sauna attached, cinema room, separate guest and staff accommodation and a Japanese garden designed for yoga sessions.

“Buyers in Marbella have the choice of traditional Andalucían-inspired villas with terracotta tiles, covered patios and fountains, or contemporary architecturally bold properties,” says Harvey. “Homes on private domains are popular, offering a broad range of on-site amenities, from golf to equestrian activities, as well as the peace of mind of full-time security and concierge services.”

Splendid Sardinia

Elegant, affluent and supremely gorgeous, the Sardinian hotspots of Costa Smerelda and Porto Cervo serve up white sand beaches, the bluest clean seas and a lifestyle that (quietly) screams luxury.

A five-bedroom villa overlooking Pevero Golf Course, 300 metres from the beach of Cala de Volpe and with good sea views is a prime example of what buyers look for.

“Strong planning restrictions on Sardinia have helped retain its outstanding beauty,” says Harvey. “In its heyday, the northeast coastline was possibly the most chic, upmarket destination in the Med and although it lost a little ground to Mykonos and Ibiza over the years, it is definitely back in high fashion once more.”

The natural beauty is enhanced by the legal requirement that villas must sit in plots of at least 2,500 square metres, restricting over-building and ensuring that even modern homes have lush, green gardens. Exclusive villas on the Costa Smerelda are built low to the ground and well-hidden in the rocky contours of the coast. Property prices in this prime area are high but as the second largest island in the Med, Sardinia also has less expensive coastline homes, notably in the west and south.

Liguria: The Italian Riviera

Head east from the Cote d’Azur and you reach Liguria, a slim ribbon of azure coast that curves between France and Tuscany. This is the Italian Riviera, with highlights that include Cinque Terre, the festival and flower-filled town of San Remo, the key port of Genoa and Portofino, one of the prettiest and most expensive locations on the Med.

“Liguria had a starring role in the recent Netflix drama Ripley, which highlighted the area’s appeal,” says Harvey. “There’s breathtaking topography, steep green hills against a lovely coastline, multicoloured townhouses and picturesque harbours and marinas. On a clear day, you can see the distant Alps.”

Buyers in Liguria look for character homes, often with an interesting history. This is the place to head for properties in generous grounds, waterfront apartments and even castles complete with ramparts.

“Portofino remains stellar in its appeal and romance along with Santa Margherita, a fishing village that’s now a favourite resort with both Italian and international buyers. It’s beautiful but far more low-key and you can find homes within walking distance of the village centre for €1.5 million to €2.3 million,” says Harvey.

A four-bedroom apartment for sale at €3,950,000 in Santa Margherita is a good example of Liguria’s waterfront living. Take a seat on the terrace with a glass of something chilled in hand and soak in the view down over the town, the small boats in the harbour and the super-yachts passing by on the wide bay. A perfect picture of the waterfront Mediterranean lifestyle.

For further information on these locations and Knight Frank’s collection of superb homes in prime Mediterranean locations, contact Mark Harvey.