# Living in Catral: natural hazards, housing and amenities Catral is a municipality in the province of Alicante, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain, with 9,600 registered residents (1 January 2025). The centre lies outside mapped flood areas. Resale homes pay 9 % transfer tax (ITP). This overview covers 8 topics from official open data, measured at the centre; values at a specific address can differ. As of: 12 November 2026 · Source: https://www.place-check.com/places/spain/catral ## About Catral ### Catral: everyday life in Alicante’s inland Vega Baja Catral sits in the Vega Baja del Segura, the agricultural plain in the south of Alicante province, within the Comunitat Valenciana. This is inland Costa Blanca rather than beachfront Spain: a compact town surrounded by cultivated land, irrigation channels and a broad, open landscape. Its character owes more to the farming settlements of the Segura plain than to the province’s coastal resorts. For anyone considering living in Catral, the appeal is the combination of a working, year-round town and access to the wider Alicante area. It has around **9,600 residents**, with a population that has grown by **7.9% over five years**. Foreign nationals account for roughly **26%** of residents, giving this agricultural town a substantial international presence without making it solely a relocation or retirement destination. ### Living in Catral: a town shaped by the huerta The *huerta*—irrigated agricultural land—is central to understanding Catral. The wider Vega Baja landscape has been shaped by generations of water management and cultivation, and the transition from built-up town to farmland remains an important part of its identity. This is a flatter, more open setting than Alicante’s mountain villages, with everyday surroundings that are agricultural rather than wooded or coastal. That distinction matters when choosing a home. Living near the centre offers a different routine from living towards the agricultural edges, where access to shops and services needs checking at the property itself. Catral is not a beach town: time on the coast involves a separate journey, rather than a walk from the town centre. Its resident population supports everyday activity beyond the summer season. The mean age is around 43, another useful counterweight to the assumption that an inland town with many foreign residents must be predominantly a retirement community. ### Shops, healthcare and family life in Catral The centre has a useful concentration of daily essentials. OpenStreetMap records eight supermarkets and grocery shops within 2 km, with the nearest grocery option and pharmacy each about 100 m from the central reference point. There are also three pharmacies across that wider area. Food and drink provision is substantial for the town’s size: the same mapping records 20 restaurants, seven cafés and 12 bars within 2 km. These are listings rather than a guarantee of current opening hours, but they suggest that meeting friends or eating out need not always involve leaving Catral. For families, the mapped area contains two schools and a nursery school; the nearest nursery is about 600 m from the centre. These counts do not establish places available, age ranges or teaching languages, all of which need checking directly before a move. Healthcare deserves a closer look at address level. One doctor’s practice is mapped within 2 km, while the nearest doctor or health centre is about 1.8 km from the centre in a straight line. A central home may therefore be convenient for groceries and prescriptions without putting medical appointments equally close. ### Commuting from Catral: road access and the station gap Catral’s road connections are a practical strength. The AP-7 runs about 900 m from the centre, and motorway junction 730 is about 1 km away. That makes motorway access a relevant consideration for people travelling regularly outside town, although those distances are not driving routes or journey times. The railway requires more planning. **San Isidro-Albatera-Catral station is about 3.3 km from the centre**, so having Catral in its name should not be mistaken for a central-town location. Check how the journey between a prospective home and the station would work in practice, along with current rail timetables. Only one public transport stop is recorded within 2 km of the centre. Its proximity—about 50 m from the reference point—says nothing about frequency or destinations. Alicante-Elche airport is about 25 km away in a straight line, useful regional context but not a measure of transfer time. ### Catral’s climate, open landscape and environmental checks Catral offers an inland base for exploring the Vega Baja, with the El Hondo wetland landscape nearby providing a contrast to the cultivated plain. Outdoor life here is not dependent on the beach. The centre falls outside the river and coastal flood areas mapped by Spain’s national system for the supplied return periods. That finding applies to the measured point, not every property in this low-lying agricultural setting. Likewise, the centre is outside the strategic noise-map contours supplied, but those maps do not capture every local source of noise. With the AP-7 nearby, listening at the actual property matters more than assuming the whole town is quiet. ### Moving to Catral: who it suits and what to check Catral suits people seeking a settled inland town, an international population and everyday services without a coastal-resort setting. It is particularly worth considering where road access matters more than having a railway station within the centre. Before choosing an address, check the actual routes to groceries, healthcare, schools and the station; local traffic and noise; and the property’s own flood-map position. The central-area figures are a useful starting point, but the difference between a town-centre home and one beside the surrounding farmland can materially change daily life. ## Where Catral is Catral is a municipality in the province of Alicante, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain (INE municipality code 03055). The centre lies at about 10 m above sea level, on level ground. - Province: Alicante - Autonomous community: Comunitat Valenciana - INE code: 03055 - Elevation of the centre: 10 m ## Population Catral had 9,600 registered residents on 1 January 2025 (+7.9 % over five years), according to the municipal register (padrón). The mean age is 43.1 years; 19.8 % of residents are 65 or older; 18.3 % are under 18 (2024). The average household has 2.7 people. 26.2 % of residents are foreign nationals and 27.8 % were born abroad (Spain overall: 14.1 % foreign nationals). The largest foreign groups are United Kingdom (8.9 %) and Morocco (5.4 %); INE annual census, 1 January 2025. Average net income is €11,129 per person and €30,471 per household a year (2024, INE household income atlas, based on tax records). - Residents (1 Jan 2025): 9,600 - Change over five years: +7.9 % - Mean age: 43.1 years - Foreign nationals: 26.2 % - Net income per person (2024): €11,129 ## Housing: prices, rents and purchase taxes In Comunitat Valenciana, house prices changed by +13.0 % over the last year (resale homes: +13.8 %) and by +54.5 % over five years, according to the INE house price index (IPV) for 2026Q2. The index is only published per autonomous community and does not give prices per square metre. Buying a resale home in Comunitat Valenciana costs transfer tax (ITP) of 9 % of the price, rising on a scale to 11 % above €1,000,000. A new home bought from a developer pays 10 % VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty (AJD, 0.5 to 1.5 % depending on the region) instead. Reduced rates exist, for example for young buyers, large families or a main residence. Catral is not a declared stressed rental market area under Spain's 2023 Housing Act (declarations published up to 3 November 2026), so the rent caps for such areas do not apply. - House prices, year on year (Comunitat Valenciana): +13.0 % - House prices, five years: +54.5 % - Transfer tax (ITP), resale: 9 % - Stressed rental area: no ## Everyday life and amenities Within 2 km of the centre, OpenStreetMap lists 8 supermarkets and groceries, 20 restaurants, 7 cafés, 12 bars, 2 schools, 1 nursery school, 1 doctor's practice, 3 pharmacies and 1 public transport stop. Nearest to the centre, in a straight line: supermarket, about 100 m; pharmacy, about 100 m; doctor or health centre, about 1.8 km; nursery school, about 600 m; public transport stop, about 50 m. The nearest railway station (San Isidro-Albatera-Catral) is about 3.3 km from the centre. ## Noise and traffic The AP-7 runs about 900 m from the centre. The nearest railway line is about 3.2 km from the centre. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Alicante-Elche (ALC), about 25 km in a straight line. The centre is not inside any noise contour of the strategic noise maps (European Environment Agency, 2022); the maps only cover major roads, railways, airports and large urban areas, so this is no guarantee of quiet. ## Natural hazards The centre lies outside the river and coastal flood areas mapped by Spain's national flood mapping system (SNCZI) for 10-, 100- and 500-year return periods. Small streams and dry riverbeds (ramblas), flash floods after torrential rain (DANA) and urban runoff are largely not mapped: "not mapped" does not mean "no risk". Under Spain's seismic building code (NCSE-02), Catral has a basic seismic acceleration of 0.15 g, so buildings must be designed to resist earthquakes. Since 2000, the European seismic catalogue (EMSC) lists 63 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 km, the strongest of magnitude 4.5 (2003). Radon: the radon potential map of Spain's Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) puts the area at 101-200 Bq/m³ (P90, class 2 of 5), below the 300 Bq/m³ reference level. Actual indoor levels depend on the building; only a measurement gives certainty. No landslides or other ground movements are documented within 2 km of the centre (IGME BDMoves inventory). - Flood area at the centre: none mapped - Seismic acceleration (NCSE-02): 0.15 g - Radon potential (P90): 101-200 Bq/m³ ## Connections and internet The nearest motorway junction (exit 730) is about 1.0 km from the centre. 98 % of households in Catral can get fibre to the home (FTTH) and 79 % at least 1 Gbit/s; 5G reaches 100 % (operator data, 2025). Coverage can differ from street to street. ## Climate and sun On 21 December the centre gets about 9:18 h of direct sun, on 21 June about 14:36 h (terrain only; buildings and trees not included). A solar PV system at the optimal tilt yields about 1,660 kWh per kWp a year here (PVGIS). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a flood risk in Catral? The centre lies outside the river and coastal flood areas mapped by Spain's national flood mapping system (SNCZI) for 10-, 100- and 500-year return periods. Small streams and dry riverbeds (ramblas), flash floods after torrential rain (DANA) and urban runoff are largely not mapped: "not mapped" does not mean "no risk". For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### What purchase tax do you pay when buying a home in Catral? Buying a resale home in Comunitat Valenciana costs transfer tax (ITP) of 9 % of the price, rising on a scale to 11 % above €1,000,000. A new home bought from a developer pays 10 % VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty (AJD, 0.5 to 1.5 % depending on the region) instead. Reduced rates exist, for example for young buyers, large families or a main residence. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### Is Catral a stressed rental market area? Catral is not a declared stressed rental market area under Spain's 2023 Housing Act (declarations published up to 3 November 2026), so the rent caps for such areas do not apply. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### Is Catral in an earthquake zone? Under Spain's seismic building code (NCSE-02), Catral has a basic seismic acceleration of 0.15 g, so buildings must be designed to resist earthquakes. Since 2000, the European seismic catalogue (EMSC) lists 63 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 km, the strongest of magnitude 4.5 (2003). For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### How many people live in Catral? Catral had 9,600 registered residents on 1 January 2025 (INE). 26.2 % are foreign nationals. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### Are there schools and shops in Catral? Within 2 km of the centre, OpenStreetMap lists 8 supermarkets and groceries, 20 restaurants, 7 cafés, 12 bars, 2 schools, 1 nursery school, 1 doctor's practice, 3 pharmacies and 1 public transport stop. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ## Sources - Photon geocoder (OpenStreetMap data) (komoot / OpenStreetMap contributors; ODbL 1.0): https://photon.komoot.io - CartoCiudad reverse geocoding (municipio, provincia, comunidad autónoma) (Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) / CNIG, CartoCiudad; CC BY 4.0; data 2025-02): https://www.cartociudad.es/geocoder/api/geocoder - INE: Padrón municipal (population), Atlas de distribución de renta de los hogares (ADRH: demographics, income) (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE); INE terms of use (free reuse incl. commercial, citing the source); data padrón 1 Jan 2025; ADRH 2024): https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177088&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735976608 - INE Índice de Precios de Vivienda (IPV, base 2025, by comunidad autónoma) and Índice de Precios de Vivienda en Alquiler (IPVA, by municipality) (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE); INE terms of use (free reuse incl. commercial, citing the source); data 2020Q3-2026Q2): https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736152838&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735976607 - INE Censo anual de población: población por nacionalidad y país de nacimiento (sección censal, municipio, provincia) (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE); INE terms of use (free reuse incl. commercial, citing the source); data 1 Jan 2025): https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176992&idp=1254735572981 - OpenStreetMap via OpenFreeMap vector tiles (OpenMapTiles schema) (OpenStreetMap contributors; tiles: OpenFreeMap (fallback VersaTiles); ODbL 1.0 (OpenStreetMap data); OpenMapTiles schema CC BY 4.0; data 2026-11-01): https://openfreemap.org/ - Transitous stop index (MOTIS 2 map/stops) (Transitous (community service); timetable data per transitous.org/sources; Transitous usage policy: non-commercial only (fallback, replace before launch); data per source licences; data 2026-11-12): https://transitous.org/sources/ - Transitous public transport routing (MOTIS 2) (Transitous (community service); timetable data per transitous.org/sources; Transitous usage policy: non-commercial only (fallback, replace before launch); data per source licences, OSM ODbL; data 2026-11-13): https://transitous.org/sources/ - Strategic noise maps (Environmental Noise Directive, round 2022), EEA noise contours (European Environment Agency (EEA), data reported by the member states; EEA standard re-use policy (CC BY 4.0); data 2022): https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise - Purchase taxes (ITP by comunidad autónoma; IVA / AJD) and stressed rental zones (Ley 12/2023), static tables (Regional tax laws (BOE / regional gazettes); Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana, quarterly BOE resolutions; Official legal texts (BOE: free reuse, Real Decreto 1495/2011); data 2026-11-04): https://www.boe.es/ - SNCZI flood hazard maps T10/T100/T500 (fluvial) and T500 (coastal), INSPIRE WMS (Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO), served by the IDEE / IGN; CC BY 4.0): https://sig.miteco.gob.es/snczi/ - BDMoves landslide inventory and Mapa de Movimientos del Terreno 1:1,000,000 (Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME-CSIC); CC BY 4.0): https://mapas.igme.es/gis/rest/services/BasesDatos/IGME_BDMoves_ES/MapServer - NCSE-02 seismic code, Annex 1 (basic acceleration per municipality); EMSC earthquake catalogue (FDSN event service) (Ministerio de Fomento / IGN (NCSE-02, BOE); European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC); BOE: free reuse; EMSC data policy (free use with attribution); data 2000-2026): https://www.seismicportal.eu/ - Mapa del potencial de radón de España (P90 classes), republished in the SIU (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (CSN); service: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (SIU); CSN / MIVAU open data (reuse with attribution)): https://www.csn.es/mapa-del-potencial-de-radon-en-espana - Cobertura de banda ancha en España, by municipality (FTTH, ≥ 100 Mbit/s, ≥ 1 Gbit/s, 4G, 5G) (Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, Secretaría de Estado de Telecomunicaciones e Infraestructuras Digitales; Public sector information, free reuse with attribution (Ley 37/2007, RD 1495/2011; datos.gob.es); data 2025-06-30): https://digital.gob.es/telecomunicaciones-infraestructuras-digitales/areas-interes/banda-ancha/informacion-cobertura - Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m surface model, read live) (European Space Agency (ESA) / Copernicus, served by AWS Open Data; Copernicus DEM licence (free use with attribution); data 2021): https://copernicus-dem-30m.s3.amazonaws.com/ - Terrain horizon + sun path, computed from Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (radius 20 km) (European Space Agency (ESA) / Copernicus, served by AWS Open Data; Copernicus DEM licence (free use with attribution); data 2021): https://copernicus-dem-30m.s3.amazonaws.com/ - PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (1 kWp, crystalline Si, 14 % losses, optimal angles) (European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC); EC reuse notice (Decision 2011/833/EU), reuse incl. commercial with acknowledgement; data PVGIS-SARAH3 2005-2023): https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/ --- What is it like at your address? Create a report for your exact address: https://www.place-check.com/es?address=Catral