Spain has around 95 people per square kilometre. The UK has 265, Belgium 370 and the Netherlands nearly 500. So for new arrivals from northern Europe, Spain is bigger, emptier, hotter and far more mountainous. Go just a few miles inland from the coast and it’s not unusual to see farmers riding donkeys and shepherds tending flocks. This is the ‘campo’, the countryside. People are just as warm and friendly as on the coasts (maybe more so), but they are unlikely to speak English.
Living in the campo certainly has its attractions – the quiet, the space, the beauty both of the countryside and the farmhouses, and all at a much lower price than you would normally pay for British rural properties.
If looking to buy in the countryside you need to pay close attention to where utility supplies will come from and how easy access will be in weather extremes. Historically, there have been problems over planning and ownership of rural properties so always take extra care to get a good, experienced lawyer. Certainly, you should not use the same lawyer as the seller.
Source. THE AIPP/RICS/RDE Guide to buying a property in Spain