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Learn more about Hondón Villas… We are into our 5th year as a member of the AIPP which sets out professional conduct and ethics for Real Estate agents globally.
We are the only Hondón agent to win the Business of the Year for the whole of the Costa Blanca.
We have ta local office in the main village plaza of Hondón Frailes in the Hondón Valley. We are local and employ local people who know the area well.
We list and sell more houses than any other Hondón agent in the area. We lead and they try to follow.
Maureen Cook, the owner and director, has more professional experience in Real Estate and financial services than any other agent for miles. She is trained and been rewarded for sales targets and competency at a corporate level for over 30 years. She prides herself on being honest, fair and giving personal service. She lives and breathes property!
As real estate agents for the area we like to know the general trends and demographics of the Hondon Valley area. Well, the Spanish Institute of National Statistics (INE) and the Alicante government publishes annual figures on the population (births, deaths, marriages, migration, etc) of it’s towns and cities. E.G. this page is for Hondon de las Nieves published 29 Jan 2019.
http://documentacion.diputacionalicante.es/4hogares.asp?codigo=03077 or you can do your own reports on the www.ine.es website <
Figures here are based* on the Padron registrations, however experience suggests that the figures will not be wholly accurate (lower) as many of the foreign influx do not register or forget to re-register on the Padron, particularly when changing address.
The Town Hall, Nieves Plaza
So using the Hondón de las Nieves figures (rounded up/down for ease) as an example for 2018 we can see that Nieves village had nearly 2,500 people on their Padron. The Padron register suggests that the overall population has decreased a few % over the last 3 years but again is that due to inertia of signing the Padron, deaths or some migration away or maybe less influx of foreigners / Brexit? There are some clues in the figures but no reasons given.
Age Span: It may come as no surprise that over 50% of these Hondon residents are over 50 years of age. Nieves has 5 people over 95 but less that 200 are under age 19.
Sex Span: The spilt of male (1,256) and female (1,218) is slightly in favour of men for this Hondon village.
Nationality and Birth: Nearly 1,600 people were born in Spain. Nieves has a 98% European population with about 900 as Extranjeros (foreigners). That number is down on other years. Why?
The figures of country split I looked at seem to omit the Dutch and Belguique. However, some working out would suggest that the Brits, Dutch and Belguique make up most of the foreign population in Nieves. But there are also a few German, French, Italians from the EU but about 40 Russian, Asian and South Americans amongst the population.
So Hondon de las Nieves is about 36% foreigners according to these recent stats. Which seems lower than most people would guess. What do you think?
Historically, the European influx was strongest after the 2008 crash! 2012/2013 shows the highest EU populas to number about 1,420. However that is a total but per year. e.g. in 2007 235 foreigners arrived but 2017 (ten years later) that was down to 79. It would appear we lost about 500 foreigners between then and 2018? From a real estate view point that would suggest there is lees of the property pie to serve which contrasts with our sales records over the last 5 years! We’ll try to puzzle that one out later.
Well now we know at least some basic population facts for Hondon de las Nieves… we’ll look at the Frailes figures soon. It’ll be interesting to compare Frailes with Nieves. Thank you for reading.
AIPP MEMBER : We look after you.
*NOTES: Any figures here are interpreted from the official INE stat’s and only for general interest, rounded up and not for re-publication or official in any way. it’s also worth noting that most of us regard the area as the Hondon Valley which includes many small towns and villages as a population so the Nieves stats cannot reflect the true picture of the valley or does it?
Novelda is about 25 minutes from the Hondon Valley and 20 minutess from Alicante airport. It is often overlooked by foreign visitors which is a shame as it has a long history and significance for the local community and culture. Particularly for industry (agriculture and building), the local economy and historic architecture. Watch the video or visit The Novelda Tourist site for up-to-date information.
So, in the Middle Ages, Novelda had two population centres, one on the hill of La Mola (there’s a castle & triangular Keep there) which was eventually abandoned to make way for the current location of the city we know today.
Novelda’s geographical location is in the Vinalopó corridor. This, has made it an important industrial and exporting town in the area. Its main economic activities are focused on: A) the manufacture and processing of marble and natural stone which is extracted from the quarries of the district. It’s common as you drive in the area to see the marble factories and lorries with huge blocks of marble. And B) the packaging and commercialisation of spices (especially saffron), condiments and infusions. C) the cultivation of grapes, the uva embolsada for wine and eating. The Novelda grape farmers use an innovative “paper bag” technique to delay the grape harvest until winter, being these the typical grapes that people consume around Christmas and the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena.
Undoubtedly, any travvler to Novelda should make a visit to the premier building in the area: The Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena.
This religious building was built from a project drawn up by the novel engineer Don José Sala Sala who imbued his project with the Catalan modernist style. Its construction, begun in 1918, required three phases, to complete the work in 1946.
In the main façade there are two 25m high lateral towers, culminated by a stone cross, which is also found in the dome and on the upper arches of the façade.
The decorative reasons would have antecedents in the medieval styles, baroque and in the own nature; influences that led the author to combine pebbles from the Vinalopó river, polychrome tiles, bricks, reddish colors, masonry, etc., which are reflected throughout the exterior of the building.
The interior is composed of a rectangular central nave with two attached side spaces, that is, an original base with the shape of a glass of ointment, a container with which, according to the Christian tradition, Mary Magdalene anointed the feet of Jesus Christ. In the background, in the apse, is the dressing room of Santa María Magdalena, copatrona de Novelda, and behind the altar we can admire a beautiful painting attributed to Gastón Castelló.
Modernism
Novelda architecture is know for it’s Modernism design history, being an embellishment of arty and excessive shapes and curves with soft and delicate waves, where flower and vegetable elements are found. The Casa-Museo Modernista is a good example of this and well worth a visit. Here and around the town you will see this in sculpture, painting, printing, literature, music and other artistic spheres.
Casa Museo Modernista
The local society developed towards a landowner upper class with their riches, political and social levels, the benefits obtained via the local agriculture, commerce and financial activities. With that wealth came ever more fancy building and decoration.
Curiously, in this town we find three of the best examples of the Modernist style in the Valencian areas: The Casa-Museo Modernista (24, Mayor St. – website here), the Centro Cultural Gómez- Tortosa (6, Mayor St.) and the Casa Mira (San Vicente St.), being the last one a private house and not open to visitors.
Well seems that the Hondón area is getting better known and it’s residents are keen to show you what they are doing and what is going on here in the Hondón Valley…. many people have uploaded their videos of local fiestas, events, concerts, markets, bars and restaurants.
If you search HONDÓN on YouTube there’s quite a lot of videos to see (of varying quality and interest). Look out for the ones about the local fiestas in the local villages of Hondon de las Nieves, Hondon de los Frailes, La Canalosa, La Romana and Aspe.
Well at least the Noel Edmonds TV quiz of the same name was entertaining and understandable! As for Brexit? Well we are still nervously waiting to fully know how Brexit will affect us Expats in Spain. Although a lot of positive bulletins have been confirmed, all we can do now is watch the news and keep as up-to-date as possible.
Live Podcast Jan 2019 on Brexit
Yesterday Jan 31st 2019 they broadcast live via Facebook on the latest Brexit news and answered many questions from concerned people. it was very informative and well presented, albeit an hour long. Well worth a watch as it should answer common concerns or point you on to further information. Login to Facebook to see this here: https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/
Living In Spain Information
The British Embassy are also making a lot of information available to Expats in Spain via their “Living In Spain” series of articles on the UK Gov website: www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain . This includes useful information about residency, driving, healthcare, tax and working and so much more. You really should read and bookmark this site if you are already or wanting to be an Expat in Spain.
So check out the official information British people moving to and living in Spain need to know.
A local Dutch man called Jan has diligently been recording lots of local festivals and events for years to help the community and promote the area … like this one from the 2013 CorreFocs Firework Fiesta in Hondon de las Nieves.
His excellent work can be seen on YouTube but he now has his own video website “Hondon Home TV”. It is very good indeed and shows many a fiesta and social event for the area and well worth a look.
So well done to Jan and thank you for your excellent community spirit.
Almost without fail many Spanish cycle clubs visit the Hondón area each weekend. The local mountains are ideal for cycling, mountain bikes or walking enthusiasts. And Hondón has been part of the country’s major tour “Vuelta España” tour.
These are serious “peddle pushers”, all geared up, with bikes that probably cost a few months wages. They most often come over the very long and steep Albatera mountain ranges into the About the Hondón Valley. That’s one hell of a climb (even for a car) so it requires a very good level of fitness. They then stop off at the local bars and restaurants in Frailes & Nieves for refreshment and a rest. It gives the villages a real buzz on weekend mornings.
Now on to the coast ... Do you fancy a relaxing cycle ride overlooking the Mediterranean sea? This 26-km (16-mile) route from San Juan beach through El Campello village is ideal for bikers of all ages. Get to the finish line and cool down at Coveta Fuma cove before taking the tram back to the city center.
The Hondón Valley is to have a bumper grape harvest despite the reported activities of high numbers of wild rabbits! Harvest time does seem to vary a lot across the valley and Costa Blanca. Near Nieves it seems to be anywhere between September and New Year. The late grapes are used for the New Year Celebrations with ’12 grapes and champagne’.
The grape harvest creates about 10,000 temporary jobs across the Costa Blanca and local growers have had a good year, despite a new “plague” of wild rabbits which have threatened the harvest in some areas.
In the main they grow table grapes in the areas of Novelda, Aspe, Hondón de los Frailes, Hondón de las Nieves, La Montanosa Urb, La Romana, Monforte del Cid and Agost. (most wine grapes are grown further north in the Jumilla area).
You will see millions & millions of grapes wrapped in paper bags to protect the grapes until they are picked from September onwards.
Last year production in the Hondón region was more than 40,000 tons.
SO EAT MORE GRAPES!
Hola! thank you for your visit.
If you are looking to buy or sell property in the Hondón Valley area, please consider Hondón Villas, a local family business for 15 years. We are passionate about property and can advise & hold your hand throughout the process. Our office is in the main Frailes plaza, open Mon-Fri 10.00-17-00 and by appointment at evenings and weekends, WEBSITE : WWW.HONDONVILLAS.NET
Now on to the coast ... Do you fancy a relaxing cycle ride overlooking the Mediterranean sea? This 26-km (16-mile) route from San Juan beach through El Campello village is ideal for bikers of all ages. Get to the finish line and cool down at Coveta Fuma cove before taking the tram back to the city center.
