CANTORIA “THE PEARL” OF THE ALMANZORA VALLEY

      Just a few minutes north-west of Albox (7 km) there is a fascinating valley of distintinctive interest. CANTORIA, known as “The Pearl” of the Almanzora Valley is an oasis of peace in this tranquil valley. Cantoria is located on the lowlands of the valley, protected by the Sierras of Filabres to the west & Oria to the north, enjoying a microclimate at 300m above sea level. The lower red rock hills surrounding the village are covered in pine tree areas and superb landscape for walkers & country lovers to explore. The village prides itself on it’s historical legacy, pride of place being amongst others, the 1871 Church with the two towers soaring the sky graciously. An ancient town centre, with a distinctive flat urban layout makes visits to the many amenities within the town centre easily negotiable by foot or bicycle.

      The total population of Cantoria, to include Almanzora and many other disperse countryside hamlets, does not top 3000. The Cantoria people, specially the younger generations, thrive to conserve the family ‘Cortijo’ life-style and tend to live & work in the village during the week and in the farmhouses at week-ends & fiestas. The promotion of cultural events take place at the 1926 Theatre and many local fiestas and special events that take place throughout the year are geared towards the local wine produce. Cantoria is embraced by water, hence the fertile landscape that nurtures lavish natural market gardens with a huge variety of citrus and olive trees, vineyards and orchards.

      Cantoria rivals any other usual countryside features other villages of it’s size can offer. Besides usual countryside attractions, there are other highlights which must be considered prioritive when making a decision to settle down in a particular area. Cantoria registers foreign property owners of which there are families with children who attend the local schools, also retired couples who appreciate an efficient medical assistance and other well structured social services. Others have chosen Cantoria for the village atmosphere, with buzzing activities at the sport centre & public pool and plenty of entertainment for children in the summer evenings! The village comes to life at night on the terraces of the local tapas bars. It takes 40 minutes to drive to the coast of Vera Playa which will be reduced considerably with the construction of the motorway Fines- Overa ; works on this major project have been officially announced to commence in August 2004. 

       The marble industry producing “the white gold”, is the economic powerhouse of the area, with large warehouses located on the purposely built industrial sites located between Fines and Macael, some 10 Km north, towards Baza. Most workers from Cantoria conmute to these factories and there are also some local suppliers located on the outskirts of the village who specialise in artistic works to cover the local demand.. There are no ‘eye-sore’ quarries to be seen or heard from Cantoria.

        Cantoria offers little in the way of speculative property development. At RURAL CANTORIA Inmobiliaria we believe that all property purchasers make a positive contribution to the village. We are emphasizing a residential product by offering A-grade quality new country villas, built to clients specification on a choice of attractive plots, mostly within easy walking distance to the village. Each home is carefully planned to fit in with the landscape creating less imposing exteriors but arguably less pretentious interiors as they are designed with all-year-round essential comforts.

       RURAL CANTORIA Inmobiliaria is a professional Agency. A Partnership formed by a Technical Architect and a tri-lingual Conveyancor. Architectural works comprehend technical surveys, topography, detailed planning and close construction supervision. Conveyancing services entail detailed legal advice and the full extent of paperwork required to arrange Private Contracts, Land & Property registry, Rates, Banking, Insurance and Service matters. We can provide an essential fully comprehensive service under one roof to help discerning clients match their needs & requirements when considering a sensible investment.

       Specialising exclusively in the CANTORIA area, we also list a good selection of resale properties, some of which have been carefully reconstructed and tastefully refurbished under our supervision before going on the market In general prices for detached countryside properties start at 120.000 Euros and the village or town houses which boast potential and character starting at aprox. 60.000 Euros. Should you wish to undertake most re-construction works yourself we can advise you with a technical survey on older properties and introduce you to local suppliers & efficient tradesmen. For those wishing to start a business in Cantoria there are a number of possibilities that can be considered to cover certain ‘market gaps’ in the village to cater for a busy village increasing considerably in population.

       Discover Cantoria at your own pace. Visit the weekly market on a Wednesday morning, sit in the square nursing a coffee, go for an easy stroll taking your time to discover this interesting village. Alternatively should you wish structured approach call DONNA GONZALEZ for an appointment or visit our office & shop window.

www.cortijobienvenido.com