Journal
Ley de Costas: Seafront Property on the Costa Blanca
By Elia Living ·
Spain's coastline is protected by a framework that every buyer of seafront or near-beach property should understand before viewing a single villa. The Ley de Costas (Law 22/1988), updated by Ley 2/2013 and implemented through Real Decreto 876/2014, defines who can own what — and how close to the sea — along the entire Spanish littoral, including the Costa Blanca North.
Far from being a deterrent, the law is a clear, well-established set of rules. Once you understand the zones it creates, you can approach any coastal purchase with confidence, knowing exactly what you are buying and what you can do with it.
What the Ley de Costas actually does
The law divides the coastline into a hierarchy of zones, each with its own ownership and use rules. At its core is the Dominio Público Marítimo-Terrestre (DPMT) — the public maritime-terrestrial domain — which belongs to the Spanish state. This covers the beach itself, the rocky shoreline, and the land that waves reach during the worst recorded storms. No private ownership is possible inside the DPMT.
From the landward edge of the DPMT, several servitude zones extend inland, protecting both public access and coastal ecology while permitting private ownership under defined conditions.
The four zones at a glance
| Zone | Width from DPMT inner edge | Key restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Transit easement | 6 m (up to 20 m in difficult terrain) | Must remain open for public passage and emergency vehicles |
| Protection easement | 100 m (20 m on land already urban in 1988) | No new construction; no extensions to existing buildings |
| Sea-access easement | As needed | Public routes to the shore every 500 m (vehicles) and 200 m (pedestrians) |
| Zone of influence | Up to 500 m | No screening walls or high-rise clusters; parking requirements; urban-planning controls |
The protection easement: the zone that matters most
The 100-metre protection easement is the zone that most directly affects property buyers. Within it, new construction is banned and existing buildings cannot be extended. Buildings erected without a valid licence can be demolished by the authorities. Works of maintenance, repair, and improvement that do not increase a building's volume, height, or footprint are permitted with the appropriate licence.
There is a crucial nuance here. Where coastal land was formally classified as urban before the 1988 law came into force, the protection strip narrows to 20 metres, not 100. In practice, many established urbanisations on the Costa Blanca North — where streets, services, and buildings were already in place before 1988 — fall under the narrower strip. This is precisely what happened at Dénia's Les Marines, where the Ministry approved a deslinde setting a 20-metre protection strip for the urban sections while keeping the full 100-metre rule for undeveloped rural land.
What is a deslinde — and why does it matter?
The deslinde is the official boundary survey that draws the line between state-owned DPMT and privately owned land. It is carried out by the Demarcación de Costas (the national Coastal Authority), and the resulting map fixes exactly where the public domain ends for a given stretch of coastline.
Until a deslinde is completed, the boundary is provisional. Once approved, it is registered and becomes definitive. Buyers should always confirm whether the deslinde for a specific coastal section is complete, pending, or subject to appeal. The official DPMT boundary map is publicly accessible through the Ministry's geographic information system, allowing anyone to check a plot's position against the approved boundary before purchase.
Pre-1988 properties and concessions
Properties that were legally built inside what is now classified as public domain, and that existed before 1988, are protected by transitional provisions in the law. Under Ley 2/2013, their owners hold an occupation and use concession for up to 75 years in total (the previous 30-year ceiling was extended by the reform). The concession respects existing uses and carries no annual fee.
The 2013 reform also clarified that concession properties can be sold, inherited, and mortgaged, with any transfer requiring prior authorisation from the Costas authority. Heirs must notify the authority within four years of inheriting. When the concession eventually expires, any structure encroaching on DPMT land reverts to the state — which is why understanding the remaining concession term is essential before buying.
If you buy a concession property, you acquire the right to occupy and use it for the remaining term, not freehold ownership of the land. This will be stated clearly in the title deeds and must be reflected in the asking price.
Due diligence for seafront buyers on the Costa Blanca North
A few well-targeted checks will tell you exactly where a property stands:
- Identify the zone. Ask your lawyer to confirm whether the property sits inside the DPMT, the transit easement, the protection easement, or the influence zone using the Ministry's DPMT map.
- Check the deslinde status. Confirm whether the boundary survey for that coastal section has been formally approved and whether any objection is pending.
- Verify the 1988 urban classification. This determines whether the 20-metre or 100-metre protection strip applies to the plot.
- Review any concession documents. If any part of the plot sits on public-domain land, check the concession type, start date, remaining term, and conditions for transfer.
- Confirm permitted works. Any renovation inside the protection easement requires a specific coastal-authority permit alongside the local building licence.
These checks are routine for a competent Spanish property lawyer and add very little time to a normal conveyancing process.
The Costa Blanca North in context
The Costa Blanca North's main seafront towns — Jávea, Moraira, Dénia — are well-mapped, and many of their established beachside urbanisations benefit from the 20-metre urban strip rather than the full 100-metre rule, reflecting their consolidated, pre-1988 residential character. Where deslindes are still in progress, the Costas authority works with local councils to reach solutions that respect legitimate ownership.
The legal framework around coastal property in Spain is mature, transparent, and thoroughly navigable with proper advice. Knowing the rules is precisely what turns a question into a confident purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a property directly adjacent to the beach on the Costa Blanca North? Yes — the beach itself (DPMT) is state-owned, but private land immediately behind it can be bought. If a building on that land was lawfully erected before 1988, it may operate under a concession. Land in the protection easement can be owned privately, subject to the no-build and no-extension rules.
What is a deslinde and how do I check whether one affects a property? A deslinde is the official coastal boundary survey that fixes where the public maritime domain ends. The Ministry of Ecological Transition maintains a publicly accessible map (sig.mapama.gob.es/dpmt) where you can see the approved boundary for any stretch of coast. Your lawyer can also check the Demarcación de Costas de Alicante records for any pending surveys.
Can I renovate a property inside the 100-metre protection easement? Maintenance and repair that do not increase a building's volume, height, or footprint are permitted with the appropriate licences from both the local council and the Demarcación de Costas. Extensions and new outbuildings are not permitted within the protection easement.
What does buying a concession property mean in practice? You acquire the right to occupy and use the property for the remaining concession term — potentially up to 75 years in total from 1988 — not freehold ownership of the land. Selling, inheriting, or mortgaging such a property requires prior authorisation from the coastal authority. The title deeds will reflect the concession status.
Does the 100-metre rule apply to all seafront properties on the Costa Blanca North? Not necessarily. Land formally classified as urban before 1988 falls under a 20-metre protection strip. Many consolidated coastal urbanisations in Jávea, Dénia, and Moraira qualify for the narrower zone, as confirmed by completed deslinde procedures.
Who handles Ley de Costas matters on the Costa Blanca? The Demarcación de Costas de Alicante, part of the national Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, manages boundary surveys, issues coastal-authority permits, and oversees concessions for the Alicante coastline.