Alicante has emerged as Britain’s most coveted destination for a holiday home abroad, according to new research that lays bare the enduring pull of Spain’s sun-soaked coast among UK buyers.
The study, carried out by UK property investment company ERE Property, analysed more than 1,000 episodes of Channel 4’s long-running series A Place in the Sun and found that Alicante was the most frequently featured location for would-be British buyers seeking a property overseas.
The province, which includes popular resorts such as Benidorm, Denia and the city of Alicante itself, appeared in 60 separate episodes — more than any other destination tracked in the research.
In total, the analysis covered 127 different provinces and counties featured on the programme, offering a snapshot of where British holiday home hunters are most drawn when cameras follow them abroad.
Spain’s eastern coastline came out as the clear winner.
Almería followed closely behind Alicante, appearing in 57 episodes. Stretching along Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast, the province is home to Mojácar, Roquetas de Mar and a string of quieter resorts that continue to attract British buyers priced out of more established markets.
The Costa del Sol Occidental ranked third with 56 appearances, underscoring the continuing dominance of southern Spain in the UK’s overseas property imagination. The region includes some of the most recognisable names in British expat life — Marbella, Fuengirola and Torremolinos among them.
Málaga itself placed fourth with 43 episodes, while Murcia completed the top five on 34.
Taken together, the findings suggest a striking concentration of British interest in a relatively narrow stretch of Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, where established expat communities, familiar infrastructure and year-round sunshine continue to outweigh newer or more distant alternatives.
The first non-Spanish destination to break into the top ten is Faro in Portugal, which appears in eighth place with 28 episodes. It is the only entry outside Spain in the upper rankings.
Elsewhere in the list, Vega Baja del Segura in southern Spain placed sixth, followed by Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Granada completing the top ten.
When grouped by wider region, Andalusia stands out as the clear centre of gravity for British overseas property interest.
With 240 appearances across the episodes analysed, the region accounts for a significant share of all featured locations. It encompasses much of the Costa del Sol as well as inland cities such as Seville and Granada, reinforcing its position as the long-standing heartland of the British second-home market.
The Valencian Community, which includes Alicante, Valencia and Benidorm, ranks second with 122 appearances, while the Canary Islands come third on 95.
Further afield, France retains a foothold in British property aspirations. Nouvelle-Aquitaine — home to the Dordogne and Charente-Maritime — placed fourth with 68 appearances, reflecting continued demand for rural French retreats.
Florida rounds out the top five regions with 42 appearances, driven by interest in Orlando, Tampa and Sarasota, though it remains a distant competitor to Spain’s dominance.
For all the talk of shifting tastes and emerging markets, the data suggests the British dream of a home in the sun remains remarkably consistent.
Warm weather, short-haul flights, established expat communities and familiar culture continue to anchor demand — and Spain, in particular, continues to dominate the imagination.
Alicante, it seems, is still where the dream begins.
Helen Mercer-Jones, Managing Director, ERE Property said: “Brits have had a love affair with Spain ever since package holidays existed, and this data shows just how popular the country continues to be, with more episodes on Andalucia alone than Portugal, Italy, Greece and the US combined.
“But with Spain being so popular, that means there are plenty of other hidden gems available to people searching for a holiday home.
“Up and coming areas such as Cyprus are a great place to invest, and we are also seeing increased interest in attractive locations beyond Europe like Bali.”
At the national level, places in Spain are the focus of 550 episodes, France is in second on 152, and Portugal is third with 54. Italy ranks as the fourth most popular country, being featured 52 times, while Greece is fifth on 49.
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