# Looking for a Winter base for 3 or 4 months, any suggestions please



## Kezar001 (Mar 29, 2014)

hi

We are retiring shortly and have bought a place in Spain but do not intend to become tax resident there and therefore we are looking for somewhere else outside Spain for 3 to 4 months during the winter months, which along with returns to the UK and other travels would allow us to fall below the Spanish tax threshold timeframe of 183 days.

We have only visited Portugal once and stayed at vale de lobo for the tennis for our son. 

We will be driving from murcia in Spain and looking for somewhere nice, traditional if possible but importantly not dead during the winter period. 

I also enjoy cycling with my road bike so cycling options would be a significant advantage.

Thanks for any advice and help


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## izian (Nov 21, 2013)

I'm probably going to get lynched for saying this but if I could, I'd go back to uk for Dec to March time. The reason being is that I've found the pt houses far colder than I imagined and miss central heating! I've only been out here since Feb last year, so only done 1 full pt winter, so maybe I'm not used to them yet, but I have bad circulation and my digits suffered terribly this last winter. 
Having said that, if you can get out and about then the scenery round here is stunning and plenty of flatish beach side paths ideal for cycling  
I'm on the Silver Coast of Portugal, and apart from the cold fingers and toes, I'm loving it


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## Slackrat (Apr 30, 2013)

Kezar001 said:


> hi
> 
> We are retiring shortly and have bought a place in Spain but do not intend to become tax resident there and therefore we are looking for somewhere else outside Spain for 3 to 4 months during the winter months, which along with returns to the UK and other travels would allow us to fall below the Spanish tax threshold timeframe of 183 days.


There are several parts of your post that worry me as someone who practiced in the international arena for a lifetime

Get some professional advice before you commit to a particular routine or plan remembering that when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

We have lived in Central Portugal for eight years and each January to March we go to South Africa. As Izian has pointed out, Portuguese houses are NOT warm in winter. Generally, they have no insulation or adequate heating. We have a very efficient wood burner in a large kitchen/dining/living room but the bedrooms are not heated and we rely on electric blankets and spot heating in other rooms.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
How is Cyprus or Malta during the winter months?
Cheers
Steve


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

A few sweeping generalisations here so in an attempt to rebalance things, I'll point out that not all Portuguese houses are fridges or ovens dependent on season. 

We have a converted barn and a guest apartment that we occasionally rent out where all rooms are very well insulated, all centrally heated with at least one radiator in every room so it all stays toasty warm on even the coldest winter days and the wood pellet burning boiler ensures it's kept like that for just a few Euros per day......... In summer, both house and apartment have air con to keep us cool.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Totally agree with IT's observations. We stay here year round on the Silver Coast. 
Cesar.... you could always move in with TM for those months!!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Our place is available from mid October and details can be found by clicking the link in my signature line........ and for some reason the area seems to attract a lot of cycling clubs etc. 

And I guarantee the heating will always be up to scratch....... My wife & I spent a large part of our life together in Africa and I especially hate the cold!!!!!


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## weatherwatcher (Nov 27, 2011)

Kezar001 said:


> hi
> 
> We are retiring shortly and have bought a place in Spain but do not intend to become tax resident there and therefore we are looking for somewhere else outside Spain for 3 to 4 months during the winter months, which along with returns to the UK and other travels would allow us to fall below the Spanish tax threshold timeframe of 183 days.
> 
> ...


I'm with Izian here. We bought our house here in Central Portugal and moved in January last year and boy was it cold and wet, there's a reason that everywhere is so green. We have lived in Murcia Spain for 10 years now and still have our house there and we fully intend going back to stay for the winter. I think you'll find that once you move to Spain you may prefer to spend some of the summer months away as it gets very hot and spend the winter months there in Murcia. The winter in Spain is lovely, blue skies, hardly any rain, can get cool but nowhere near as cold as it gets here in Portugal. I also suffered with joint pain in the UK but never had a problem in Spain but since coming here to Portugal it's back again.
I must say that Portugal is very beautiful but if there was a choice as to where to spend winter ( and there is in our case ) it wouldn't be Portugal it's Spain every time.:juggle:


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