Plots in Leon - buy, sell or rent easily

Where to buy land in León

The average price of urban land in the province is one of the lowest in Castilla y León. The cheapest land in León is found in towns such as Astorga, Chozas de Abajo and El Carril. Other towns with some of the cheapest estates are La Baña, Villademor de la Vega and San Andrés del Rabanedo.

Interestingly, the city of León also has the most expensive plots: León leads, followed by Ponferrada and La Bañeza, and then by Valencia de Don Juan, Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, Robledo de la Valduerna, Villaquilambre, Lorenzana and Villeza. Developable land is in a very similar situation to urban land: it is spread throughout the province, but most of it is concentrated in the capital.

An economy that has moved from agriculture to services

The province of León is located in the north-west of Castilla y León. It has an area of 15,581 km² and is the second most populous province in the autonomous community, with about 450,000 inhabitants, half of whom live around León and Ponferrada.

More than 50% of its territory lies above 1,000 metres, so it has a continental Mediterranean climate with Atlantic influence. The temperature range is wide: winters are long and cold, with snow and frost (which prevents some horticultural crops from being grown in the highest, most mountainous areas), while summers are short and hot.

Its economy is based on services, construction, industry, energy and the primary sector. In the past, the primary sector was the most important in the region, but over time, as in the rest of Spain, services and trade have taken the lead. Foreign trade is important in León, which exports capital goods and non-chemical semi-finished products.

The decline of traditional activities has not been offset by other economic sectors. Even so, construction, agribusiness and energy stand out.

New companies have joined the pharmaceutical industry, which dates back to previous centuries. In textiles, a few long-established companies survive.

Industrial land has been developed mainly around León and Ponferrada, in the industrial estates of Onzonilla, Villadangos, El Bayo and Bembibre.

Farming adapts to change

The primary sector accounts for 1% of the companies in León. The province has more than 1,300,000 hectares of rustic land, whose value has risen in recent years, used for pasture, herbaceous and fodder crops, forest plantations and livestock. Most farms are smallholdings.

Thanks to its reservoirs and irrigation channels, fruit trees (apple, pear and cherry) and irrigated crops (especially in El Páramo) such as sugar beet, potatoes, beans, sunflowers and hops, of which León is Spain's main producer, can be grown. Maize is also planted on more than 70,000 hectares, with modernised irrigation systems and high-quality produce. There are also rain-fed crops such as vineyards and cereals (wheat, barley, rye and oats), and protein crops are now an interesting alternative.

León is one of the leading provinces in cattle farming, especially dairy. Sheep come next, followed by goats, also raised for milk. Pig farming, on the other hand, ranks last in the region. Poultry and beekeeping are booming as facilities are modernised and younger professional farmers turn to these activities.

A diverse forest area

León's terrain has three zones: the mountains (in the north and part of the western third), the plain (in the south and the eastern third) and the basins (in the western third). This gives it a great diversity of landscapes and great natural and cultural wealth, between La Montaña and La Meseta. Protected natural areas are found throughout the province, many of them declared Biosphere Reserves.

As a result, settlements have adapted to the shape of the land. Most towns are located on the plains, fertile lowlands and riverbanks, to make use of farming resources, while in the mountains villages are more scattered and extensive farming prevails.

Mediterranean and Atlantic species predominate in its mountains and plains: holm oak, juniper, oak, birch, Scots pine, cork oak, chestnut groves (in El Bierzo), beech forests (the Faedo de Ciñera, considered the best-kept forest in Spain) and Pyrenean oak, the latter in the more humid areas, where it covers large expanses, as well as pastures and cultivated land. There are also shrubs such as ferns, heather, gorse, broom and juniper, together with mosses, lichens and fungi, and riverside vegetation (poplars, willows, alders and ash trees).

The availability of these resources reflects the forestry potential of the region, where the timber industry, ecotourism, forest-based agri-food, timber construction and biorefining are developing.

Energy producer and consumer

The river network is made up of three basins: the North, Miño-Sil (27% of the area) and Duero (72% of the area). Rivers, lakes and reservoirs are used to produce hydroelectric power through dams and hydroelectric plants, which is very important in this region, as well as for water supply, irrigation and water sports.

In addition, there are nine wind farms. Until recently there were also coal-fired thermal power stations, now closed.

The energy sector contributes 11% of the province's GDP.

The province of León has moved from an agrarian economy to one focused on services.

Industrial land in León and its metropolitan area is scarce, but work is under way to expand it in order to attract investment to the area and support business initiatives at affordable prices.