# Calpe October. with a view to moving to Spain



## rke.golfer (May 23, 2010)

We are in Calpe (Coral Beach apartments) between Oct. 3rd. and Oct. 15th. 2010. Idea is to research areas we want to move to in late 2011. Would like to meet some expats to find out about pitfalls etc. We'll buy the beer!

Not looking for a business. only for a happy retirement.

I'm 60ish. and my partner is mid fifties.

Cheers

Richard Everett
(SNIP)


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

rke.golfer said:


> We are in Calpe (Coral Beach apartments) between Oct. 3rd. and Oct. 15th. 2010. Idea is to research areas we want to move to in late 2011. Would like to meet some expats to find out about pitfalls etc. We'll buy the beer!
> 
> Not looking for a business. only for a happy retirement.
> 
> ...



Well, you're not too far from us ..... Calpe is an interesting place. Do you know it well?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Pity, I'm 900 miles away (El Hierro) or I would have had a beer with you.

My father used to live further up the coast in Moraira, you shouldn't have ant trouble finding Ex Pats and Calpe is a pretty place,

Hepa


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2010)

Hepa said:


> Pity, I'm 900 miles away (El Hierro) or I would have had a beer with you.
> 
> My father used to live further up the coast in Moraira, you shouldn't have ant trouble finding Ex Pats and Calpe is a pretty place,
> 
> Hepa


If you like to be on the coast and prefer the more old spanish pueblo type, then have a look at Altea. It is located 15 minutes by car, south of Calpe. Eva33


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Eva33 said:


> If you like to be on the coast and prefer the more old spanish pueblo type, then have a look at Altea. It is located 15 minutes by car, south of Calpe. Eva33



Altea .... yes, its just a shame they have ruined it with all the building. We looked at it when we first came over here, but the old town is so busy in the summer with tourists.


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2010)

Stravinsky said:


> Altea .... yes, its just a shame they have ruined it with all the building. We looked at it when we first came over here, but the old town is so busy in the summer with tourists.


Stravinsky, what in your opinion would be a good place at the Costa Blanca? I think you live in Oliva (but I may be wrong, I just seem to remember reading it somewhere) Your are right Altea has many new buildings and the beaches are zero (I am not going to the beach, so no problem for me), but for me it is still better as Calpe, Benidorm etc. And, actually Altea, at least this year is not busy at all, maybe the crisis. There are much more people in Albir. Eva33


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## rke.golfer (May 23, 2010)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the input to date. As well as Altea we're thinking of looking at Torrevieja, ciudad Quesada, Playa Flamenca Villamartin and Los Altos. Any thoughts and other ideas welcome.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2010)

rke.golfer said:


> Thanks for the input to date. As well as Altea we're thinking of looking at Torrevieja, ciudad Quesada, Playa Flamenca Villamartin and Los Altos. Any thoughts and other ideas welcome.


Since My last post I did more thinking about your question. First off all, it does really depend your taste. When we came to the Costa Blanca two years ago, we first rented a temporary flat in Alicante, and we did look around. For our own needs Altea is the best. Stravinsky is right, there are many new constructions in Altea, but they are limited in height (I don't think there are houses with more as 5 floors) and most of them are not as ugly (for my personal taste) as in many other places on this coast. Also security is known to be much better as for example Torrevieja and some others towns at the Costa Blanca. But if you are looking for nice beaches, forget about Altea. This is actually also in my opinion the reason that why we have much less tourists in Altea, which I personally really enjoy... There are quite a few good restaurants (not cheap…) here, so in the evening there are people from outside coming to eat and the locals are coming just to sit outside on the paseo, or having a drink, enjoying the cool down of the evening. But during the day it is very quiet. Another question is: Are there some places on this coast where the building boom of the last 15 years did not destroy at least some parts or even the major part of the landscape? But as I write before, some people love to have a flat in a skyscraper at the 49th floor in Benidorm and others enjoy living in a place where they have to take their car to buy a loaf of bread. There are a lot of places in between these two extremes, but finding the perfect match is not so easy, even with the very big offer, which is available now.


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## dgjamison (Jul 6, 2009)

Hepa said:


> Pity, I'm 900 miles away (El Hierro) or I would have had a beer with you.
> 
> My father used to live further up the coast in Moraira, you shouldn't have ant trouble finding Ex Pats and Calpe is a pretty place,
> 
> Hepa


Hi I have heard Moraira is lovely, my daughter stayed at her brother in laws house there and she loved it, she wants us to look there, did your dad like it,
did he find the people friendly, My daughter did, but she has kids to help break the ice, I would be quite shy about meeting people for the first time, Thanks a lot:ranger:


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

Moraira IS lovely and would have maybe been my first choice but it is VERY quiet in the winter. October won't be too bad, but come in February and a lot of the town is shut. We chose Javea as it is busy all year, not busy like it is now (!) but always people around, and we don't lower the average age by 30 years!!


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## dgjamison (Jul 6, 2009)

fourgotospain said:


> Moraira IS lovely and would have maybe been my first choice but it is VERY quiet in the winter. October won't be too bad, but come in February and a lot of the town is shut. We chose Javea as it is busy all year, not busy like it is now (!) but always people around, and we don't lower the average age by 30 years!!


Thank you for the information, it was greatly appreciated, that is exactly what I don't want a place to be closed jan/feb/ we want to meet people and become integrated with the community. Thanks again, we were thinking of Olivia, is it any better in the winter. We don't want larger cities, but a nice town close to airports, beaches and golf, where the restaurants, cafes ect: stay open all year round, do you know of anywhere like that please:ranger:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

fourgotospain said:


> Moraira IS lovely and would have maybe been my first choice but it is VERY quiet in the winter. October won't be too bad, but come in February and a lot of the town is shut. We chose Javea as it is busy all year, not busy like it is now (!) but always people around, and we don't lower the average age by 30 years!!


that's exactly why we prefer Javea too


it doesn't actually seem that busy yet this summer - but maybe because the Brit invasion is only just starting (school hols in the UK)


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dgjamison said:


> Thank you for the information, it was greatly appreciated, that is exactly what I don't want a place to be closed jan/feb/ we want to meet people and become integrated with the community. Thanks again, we were thinking of Olivia, is it any better in the winter. We don't want larger cities, but a nice town close to airports, beaches and golf, where the restaurants, cafes ect: stay open all year round, *do you know of anywhere like that please*:ranger:


Javea


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## Guest (Jul 26, 2010)

fourgotospain said:


> Moraira IS lovely and would have maybe been my first choice but it is VERY quiet in the winter. October won't be too bad, but come in February and a lot of the town is shut. We chose Javea as it is busy all year, not busy like it is now (!) but always people around, and we don't lower the average age by 30 years!!


This is the same in Altea. A little more busy in July and August, but not dead during the winter as most of the towns on this coast, where there are only hotels and holiday apartments/villas. Altea has an all year population of Spaniards and foreigners (Dutch, English, German, Skandinavian). Despite the fact that it is not really easy to make friends with locals - even if you do speak Spanish -, most of them are very friendly and nice to foreigners.


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

fourgotospain said:


> Moraira IS lovely and would have maybe been my first choice but it is VERY quiet in the winter. October won't be too bad, but come in February and a lot of the town is shut. We chose Javea as it is busy all year, not busy like it is now (!) but always people around, and we don't lower the average age by 30 years!!


Actually we enjoy it during the winter, during main season all the tourists can get a bit much  And the only things closed during the winter are mainly restaurants. There are still enough good restaurants and bars open for business if you know where to look.

I am completely biased, but I really love this area. It is *very* expat heavy, so you will hear a lot of foreign languages in Mercadona. Still you can put your spanish to good use every day. Overall the location is very good with close by motorway connection. Calpe next door for all your bigger needs. Benidorm in reach for all the big hypermarkets and fast food needs


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

I agree Seb, it's great being able to mooch around in the winter - everyone is always so happy to see you! I also love the area (again totally biased) - we drove from Malaga to Barcelona and THIS bit was our first choice. Great landscape, good services, sensitive development (mostly), lovely underwater and a welcoming vibe. We go to Benissa quite a bit as our gestor is there.

Xab - started this weekend, went to the bank this morning - had to queue to get into town!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

fourgotospain said:


> I agree Seb, it's great being able to mooch around in the winter - everyone is always so happy to see you! I also love the area (again totally biased) - we drove from Malaga to Barcelona and THIS bit was our first choice. Great landscape, good services, sensitive development (mostly), lovely underwater and a welcoming vibe. We go to Benissa quite a bit as our gestor is there.
> 
> Xab - started this weekend, went to the bank this morning - had to queue to get into town!


aahh - I walk/cycle where I want to go - no queues for me!!

yes the brits are by the pool....................................


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

> aahh - I walk/cycle where I want to go - no queues for me!!


well I don't mind cycling down the hill, but not back up!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

fourgotospain said:


> well I don't mind cycling down the hill, but not back up!!


no hills in the port!!


we used to live up the hill too

then dh got fed up with being a taxi service


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