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Category: Culture Lessons

Written by Chris Cotter

In many countries, there has been a flight from rural to urban areas as young people seek jobs, prosperity, and a more exciting life. As a result, much of the population in the countryside consists largely of the elderly, as well as a few youths with dreams of escape. Of course, many of these communities have attempted to lure residents back with tax breaks; a modern infrastructure of fast and reliable Internet ideal for telecommuting; or advertisements appealing to a safer, more wholesome environment in which to raise children. The successes have been mixed, depending on the location and the incentive.

In Spain, though, the problem of depopulation is so serious that whole villages have been abandoned. In fact, there are hundreds upon hundreds of villages where not a single soul lives. In recent years, as numbers dwindled in smaller hamlets, schools closed, which then exacerbated the problem. Residents moved to other, somewhat larger villages and town with schools, hospitals, public transportation, and the like.

For some, the result is an opportunity. People with spare cash can buy houses, farmland, or even whole villages. In fact, a village in a fertile area might go for as little as $230,000, while only tens of thousands of dollars might be the asking price in a poorer area. Naturally, all prices are negotiable.

For others, though, there is only sadness. The older people in the area remember happier times, and at least hope that if people buy the various properties for retreats, schools, and second homes, then someone will look after part of the country's heritage.