If you are looking at PAU 5 in Playa de San Juan, the first homes you see will be apartments: the district was planned and built around gated residential blocks. A house with its own garden is also possible in this part of Alicante, just not inside the district itself. This article sets the two formats side by side, so you can decide which one fits before you start viewing.
What PAU 5 gives you either way
PAU 5 (Programa de Actuación Urbanística 5) is a planned residential sector inland of Playa de San Juan beach, built from the mid-2000s onwards. It carries the highest asking prices in Alicante: the zone averaged €5,051/m² in October 2026, up 6.7% year on year, against €4,169/m² for the Playa de San Juan beachfront zone and €2,702/m² for Alicante city (Fotocasa, October 2026). For the district itself, prices, beach distances and the tram, see our PAU 5 district guide.
The price pays for the setting rather than for views: newer buildings, wide avenues and parks, TRAM line L3 at the Campo de Golf and Carrabiners stops, shops and restaurants on the ground floors, and the beach within walking distance. Most of PAU 5 sits inland of the coastal road, so a direct sea view is the exception, found mainly on the upper floors of the blocks nearest the sea.
The apartment format
Inside PAU 5 almost all homes are apartments in gated residentials, usually with a communal pool, gardens, a lift and underground parking. What this format gives you:
- Lock-and-leave. The community looks after the pool, gardens and building, so the home works well as a second residence you visit for weeks at a time.
- Shared amenities that would be expensive to run alone: pool, gardens, sometimes a gym or a children's area.
- A wide choice of sizes, from two-bedroom flats to penthouses with large terraces, mostly resale and ready to move into.
- The best chance of a sea view in the area, on upper floors of the blocks closest to the coast.
What you share: walls, the lift and the community rules, and you pay monthly community fees for the amenities.
The house format
Detached houses are found on the edges of PAU 5 and in the neighbouring areas of San Juan and Cabo de las Huertas, where plots are older and often larger. From time to time new detached villas are also built next to the district. What a house gives you:
- Your own plot with a garden and, usually, a private pool.
- More space for the money spent on living area, often with a basement or an extra floor that an apartment at the same budget does not have.
- Privacy: no shared walls, no shared lift, no community timetable.
What you take on: the garden, pool and building are maintained by you, and the entry price for a house this close to the beach is well above that of a comparable apartment.
Side by side
| Apartment in PAU 5 | House next to PAU 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor space | Terrace, shared gardens and pool | Own plot, garden, usually own pool |
| Upkeep | Community, paid through monthly fees | Owner |
| Second-home use | Easy to lock and leave | Needs someone to look after the garden and pool |
| Sea views | Possible on upper floors near the coast | Rare |
| Typical stock | Resale, ready to move into | Resale and occasional new builds |
Same neighbourhood, different format. The choice usually comes down to how you will use the home: a few weeks at a time, or most of the year with family.
Which format fits your brief
- Second home, short stays, minimum maintenance: an apartment inside PAU 5.
- Family use, long stays, space and privacy first: a house next to the district or in Cabo de las Huertas.
- Not sure yet: view one of each; the difference in daily life is clearer on site than on paper.
The current apartments and houses in this part of Alicante are in our Playa de San Juan catalogue, and the Alicante – Playa de San Juan area page describes the wider area. Purchase taxes and fees are the same for both formats on a resale; see our guide to buying costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is PAU 5 in Playa de San Juan?
PAU 5 is a planned residential district of Alicante (Programa de Actuación Urbanística 5), inland of Playa de San Juan beach, built from the mid-2000s onwards and made up mostly of gated apartment residentials.
How much is an apartment in PAU 5 in 2026?
The PAU 5 zone averaged €5,051/m² in October 2026 (Fotocasa, up 6.7% year on year), against €4,169/m² for the Playa de San Juan beachfront zone and €2,702/m² for Alicante city.
Do PAU 5 apartments have sea views?
Most do not, because the district sits inland of the coastal road. Direct sea views are mainly found on upper floors of the blocks nearest the sea.
Can I buy a house in PAU 5?
Inside the district the stock is almost entirely apartments. Detached houses are on the edges of PAU 5 and in the neighbouring areas of San Juan and Cabo de las Huertas; the current ones are in our Playa de San Juan catalogue.
Which format is easier to manage from abroad?
An apartment. The community maintains the pool, gardens and building; a house needs someone to look after the garden and pool while you are away.
How far is PAU 5 from Alicante airport?
About 20 km, roughly 25 minutes by car. The TRAM line L3 runs from the district to the city centre.
