Monday, September 08, 2008

Weather in Majorca

Majorca enjoys a typically Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters. The warm seas around the island help to dictate this climate, while the mountain regions cause different parts of the island to have slightly varying climates. Majorca receives around 300 days of sunshine a year on average.

Summer months are hot and see very little rainfall - June to August receives just 10% of the annual rainfall. July and August are the hottest months, though average temperatures are high from June through to September. July and August see average highs of around 30ºC, though daytime temperatures will sometimes hit the mid 30s and occasionally rise up to 40ºC.

Temperatures either side of the summer months are very pleasant. May and October see average highs of 23 ºC, although autumn is the wettest period on the island. Late spring gives the best chance of warm and dry weather outside of the summer high season.

Winter temperatures are mild: the average temperature is at its lowest in January at 9 ºC. At this time of year temperatures above 15 ºC in the daytime are not uncommon, but night time can be chilly. As for rainfall, the winter months of December to February see about 25% of the annual total.

This is roughly the same amount of rain that falls in the spring. Autumn is the wettest period, with September to November seeing 40% of yearly rainfall.

Weather does vary, however, depending on which part of the island you are in. The south and east are generally the warmest as well as being the driest. While the island averages 500-600mm of rain per year, the variation between different areas of the island can be quite large. The south generally sees 350mm a year, yet the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range can get 1500mm a year. Obviously more rain falls in the hills, as clouds have a chance to form there. The mountain rage of Majorca also acts as a weather block and is one of the reasons why the south is hotter and dryer than the north – they shelter the south coast from wind and rain.

The higher regions also see lower temperatures that drop below zero each year. Snowfall on the highest peaks is not uncommon. Majorca’s highest mountain is Puig Major at 1445m above sea level.

The sea around Majorca stays warm year round and this helps to keep winter temperatures mild. The surface temperature of the sea varies between 14 ºC in winter and 26 ºC in summer.

The Mediterranean also gives rise to Majorca’s sea breeze, the Embat. This is a local wind that is formed when hot air rises off the island drawing in the cooler sea air. It can be very welcome in summer!

Best Guest Rated Hotels in Benidorm

Wonna visit to Benidorm. Given below are the Best 20 Guest Rated Hotels in Benidorm. Make your holiday to Benidorm enjoyable one by staying in these Hotels.

Terralta Apartments
Rialto Hotel
Rio Park Hotel
Presidente Hotel
Hotel Levante Club
Hotel Riudor
Hotel Deloix Aqua Center
Flamingo Oasis Hotel
Orange Hotel
Barcelo Asia Gardens
Hotel Mediterraneo Benidorm
Castilla Hotel
Hotel Vista Oro
Best Western Hotel Victoria
Hotel Madeira Centro
Hotel Mar Blau
Calypso Hotel
Nereo Hotel
Mayra Apartments
Villaitana Wellness Golf & Business Sun Resort


This is based on Tripadvisor review rating.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Buying Property in Silver Coast Portugal

Buying property in Silver Coast Portugal is currently popular with Europeans, but as of yet, not so much with the British property buyers. This is because properties are relatively inexpensive and transport links to/from the UK are getting better and cheaper to the Silver Coast. Buying property in Silver Coast Portugal offers superb beach holiday facilities with a great summer climate, great culture, architecture and history. Also, the Silver Coast is tipped to see significant capital property value rises in the coming years.

Portugal is an evergreen in the overseas property market. Build quality is high, property prices have grown a steady 10-15% per annum since the Millennium, and there's a broad choice of property across the price range and country - within the Silver Coast the price grow within the following years will possibly reach the 25 - 35 %.

Buying property in Silver Coast Portugal offers good prospects for rental from both the local market and from holidaymakers, and with the potential of significant property price rises on the Silver Coast Portugal, this could be the ideal place to invest in a holiday home.

Buying property in Portugal still has great appeal as it has a benign tax system which allows avoidance of the worst effects of capital gains and inheritance tax and can put you in a lower tax band.

Why buy in the the Silver Coast

Property experts have been advising clients to look beyond the Algarve, with its pockets of overgrowing, and invest instead in homes 45 minutes' drive from Lisbon on Portugal's Silver Coast. Maddison says, "The Algarve used to be the most popular area. However, it is now rather overrun with Brits and over commercialized. In other words it is too popular now, with many of those looking to purchase in Portugal now looking elsewhere."

According to international property specialists the Silver Coast is now the up-and-coming area in Portugal. "Many Brits are selling up in the Algarve and moving up to the Oeste Region, which is located just north of Lisbon. This area is still very Portuguese, with farming the main source of income for the locals. It does not die in the winter because most of the locals are Portuguese. The cost of properties is so much cheaper than on the Algarve - so there is still room to make money in this area".

But what of the place itself? The Silver Coast stretches from Porto down to Portugal's capital Lisbon and hugs the North Atlantic coastline; it is home to beautiful beaches, amazing cliffs, quaint fishing villages, lush rolling countryside and some of the most fascinating historic sites in Portugal. Here you can discover pretty villages and a real Portuguese way of life. The Silver Coast is a particularly good bet for those with holiday lets in mind, thanks to the new A8 motorway which has cut journey times from Lisbon to the Silver Coast considerably, opening the atmospheric towns of Caldas da Rainha and Turcifal, and pretty villages, such as Peniche, up to tourists and investors.

There is a wide range of property available on the Silver Coast. You can find traditional farmhouses in need of renovation, but there has also been a fair amount of developments popping up and luxury villas with pools and apartments in complexes are easy to find.

Access to the area is becoming even easier as more and more airlines now offer frequent flights to Lisbon.

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/travel_and_leisure/article_3348.shtml