Research shows that there is a growing demand for a place in the sun and the second homes market is buoyant. "In the year ending August 2004, Britons alone purchased 95,000 homes in Spain at an average price of £150,000", according to Travelex. It is estimated by the Centre for Future Studies that 1 in 5 Britons will choose to spend their retirement years abroad by the year 2020. The market for overseas property extends beyond the UK to other countries in northern Europe, in particular Germany, Scandinavia and the Benelux Countries.

Demand for second homes is shifting away from Spain and Portugal to areas of southern Europe that are less crowded and offer better value.

Crete currently has little to offer the high-income tourist and the majority of its 2 million annual visitors are on low-value package deals. By contrast, the Spanish island of Majorca attracts 9 million holidaymakers, mainly on the strength of its first class leisure amenities, including its golf courses.

With an increasing demand for high quality integrated resorts in Europe, Cavo Sidero is targeted at the second home buyer looking for a less crowded, better value alternative to the near-saturated regions of Spain and Portugal.