The Spanish Rich List – Five Well Known Stars Who Live in Spain

Because of its ideal location on the Mediterranean, Spain with its beautiful waters and beaches, countryside with rugged mountains, lush forests and crystal clear rivers and streams, is a very popular place for celebrities to live.  Ernest Hemingway knew early on just how remarkable Spain was, and spent a considerable amount of time there in the 1920s and 1930s soaking up the culture and enjoying the magnificent art of bullfighting.  Many other celebrities have decided to make Spain their home, many of them settling in on the beautiful island of Majorca.

Catherine Zeta Jones by David Shankbone

Majorca has long been known as a playground for the rich and famous in Spain.  The secret has gotten out though, and even though it is an incredibly popular holiday destination for the rest of Europe, many celebrities still choose to buy or build homes there.  Here are five of the most affluent celebrities that make Spain their home.

Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas

Welsh beauty Catherine Zeta Jones and her wealthy older husband Michael Douglas own a property on the north end of the island of Majorca.  They have a lovely luxury villa on the island where they spend part of the year.  They have also been spotted holidaying in various other places around the country.

Rafael Nadal

Grand Slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal not only has a home on Majorca, but he is also a native of the island.  He was born in the district of Manacor on Majorca, and he still has a beautiful mansion there.

Zinedine Zidane

Former French footballer and head-butting enthusiast Zinedine Zidane has a home in Madrid, Spain where he settled during his time spent playing for legendary football club Real Madrid.  Many people wonder why he has stayed in Spain, but can you think of a better place for a retired footballer who David Beckham has described as being “the greatest of all time?” He lives there with his wife and their four sons, three of whom are members of the Real Madrid Academy; one as a midfielder, one as a goalkeeper and one as a striker.

Antonio Banderas

Famous actor Antonio Banderas not only has a beautiful beachfront mansion in Andalucía, Spain, but he was also born there in Malaga.  He began acting in Spain at the age of 19, but in 1991 he managed to break through to Hollywood in Madonna’s documentary Truth or Dare.  Even though he spoke minimal English, he was still able to perform in major roles, and his big break came in 1993 when he appeared on screen as the gay lover of an AIDS infected Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.  He retains close ties to Malaga, thanks in part to his home there and despite currently being married to actress Melanie Griffith, an American.  Banderas is a huge supporter of Malaga CF and even owns a vineyard in Andalucía that he spends a lot of time promoting in both America and Spain.

Alan Sugar

Alan Sugar, also known as Baron Sugar or Lord Sugar, former owner of football club Tottenham Hotspur and the UK version of the TV show The Apprentice also has a house in Marbella, Andalucía.  The savvy businessman started from humble beginnings in London’s East End and now is ranked as the 89th richest man in the world.  Alan Sugar also has estates in the USA and his primary estate in Essex, but I am sure he manages to make quite a lot of visits to his relatively modest beachfront home in Spain using his private aircraft, or possibly one of the many classic Rolls Royce or Bentley cars that he is well known for collecting.

If you want to do some celebrity spotting on your next holiday abroad, look into La Manga Club holidays – dozens of celebrities are spotted here year after year and you never know who you may bump into.

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Category: Spain