Calpe property guide: the Penon, new-build towers and rental yield
Calpe's two beach markets, what drives summer rental yield, the Valencia tourist-licence rules and the full purchase cost breakdown.
Calpe is the most liquid market on the northern Costa Blanca. There is always stock, entry prices are lower than in Moraira or Jávea, and the Peñón de Ifach divides the coast into two quite different beach economies.
Arenal-Bol versus La Fossa
| Arenal-Bol | La Fossa (Levante) | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | Next to the old town and marina, busier and more commercial | Wider, more open, family-oriented |
| Stock | Older seafront blocks, some renovated | Newer towers and apartment complexes |
| Walkability | Old town, fish market, restaurants on foot | Promenade-led, more resort in feel |
| Typical buyer | Year-round owners and retirees | Summer letting investors and families |
Price per square metre falls sharply as you move back from the promenade — usually the single largest lever a value-focused buyer has in Calpe. Hillside villas at Maryvilla, Empedrola and Oltamar trade on view rather than beach access.
Purchase costs
| Item | Resale | New build |
|---|---|---|
| ITP / IVA | 10% | 10% |
| AJD stamp duty | — | 1.5% |
| Notary, registry, lawyer | ~1.5% | ~1.5% |
| Total | ~11.5% | ~13% |
Modelling rental yield honestly
Calpe's rental season is real but concentrated. A defensible model looks like this:
- Assume high occupancy only for July and August, moderate for June and September, and low outside that unless the property suits long winter lets.
- Deduct 20–25% for platform commission, cleaning and linen if you use a manager.
- Deduct community fees, IBI, insurance and maintenance before quoting yourself a yield.
- Apply non-resident income tax at 19% (EU/EEA) or 24% on the net figure.
Any agent's headline gross yield that ignores those four lines is not a yield, it is a brochure number.
The licence question
Tourist letting in the Valencian Community requires a licence registered to the specific property, and Calpe has been tightening issuance in saturated blocks. Some communities of owners have also voted to prohibit tourist letting in their statutes — check the community rules, not just the municipal register, before you buy for rental income.
Checklist
- Nota simple from the Land Registry: ownership, charges, embargoes.
- Community fee statement and minutes of the last two meetings — this is where you learn about pending façade or pool works.
- Confirm the tourist licence status in writing if income matters.
- Check the ITE (building inspection) status on blocks over 50 years old.
- Last IBI and rubbish-tax receipts; debts attach to the property.
Source for statutory rates: Agencia Tributaria and the Generalitat Valenciana.