In Spain, the village of Salto de Castro in the province of Zamora is for sale at a price lower than the average price of an apartment in Barcelona.
The previous owners, who bought the village in the early 2000s for approximately 300,000 euros, aimed to turn it into a tourist destination, but they failed to realize the project. The village was put up for sale for the second time, but the price has doubled.
The new owner for 580,000 euros will receive 44 houses, a bar, a hostel, a swimming pool, a sports area, a church and an old barracks building that formerly housed the Civil Guard. There is even a pharmacy and a police station – everything you need for a Spanish village.
The village is located close to the Portuguese border and is in the heart of the UNESCO Meseta Biosphere Reserve. Salto de Castro also has stunning views of the Duoro River.
The small settlement was built by the electricity company Iberdrola in the 1940s for workers building a nearby dam. In the 1980s, people began to leave the village as jobs became scarce, and by 1989 there were no residents left at all. The village has been empty for more than 30 years.
By the way, many Spanish villages are suffering from an aging population, as young people move to the cities. Local governments actively attract foreigners by providing them with grants and financial incentives to move. For example, just a few hundred kilometers away is the village of Rubai in Galatia, where expats are offered up to 150 euros per month for accommodation. The local government hopes to increase enrollment in local schools by encouraging families to move to the village.