# best expat communities in southern spain



## bonniesue (Jun 29, 2013)

hi will be retiring in a years time and have decided to sell up and move to southern spain.Nowhere specific at present,but would like to live in a community with a few bars, shops and near the sea, good transport links as i dont drive.also i live alone an would like to make friends and live in an english feel enviroment.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

bonniesue said:


> hi will be retiring in a years time and have decided to sell up and move to southern spain.Nowhere specific at present,but would like to live in a community with a few bars, shops and near the sea, good transport links as i dont drive.also i live alone an would like to make friends and live in an english feel enviroment.


Purely out of interest, why have you chosen to move to Spain if you want to live in an expat community - is it solely for the weather?

If that's the case, then I totally understand.

Javea is a great place to be if that's what you're looking for. All the amenities are there plus a large expat community.


----------



## bonniesue (Jun 29, 2013)

snikpoh said:


> Purely out of interest, why have you chosen to move to Spain if you want to live in an expat community - is it solely for the weather?
> 
> If that's the case, then I totally understand.
> 
> Javea is a great place to be if that's what you're looking for. All the amenities are there plus a large expat community.


the weather is mainly the reason ,cold wet weather just doesnt agree with me,but also the laid back take it easy atmosphere also appeals.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Purely out of interest, why have you chosen to move to Spain if you want to live in an expat community - is it solely for the weather?
> 
> If that's the case, then I totally understand.
> 
> Javea is a great place to be if that's what you're looking for. All the amenities are there plus a large expat community.





bonniesue said:


> the weather is mainly the reason ,cold wet weather just doesnt agree with me,but also the laid back take it easy atmosphere also appeals.



yes, Jávea is a great place to live - but it certainly doesn't have an 'English' feel

around 55% of the population isn't native Spanish - but we have something like 80 different nationalities living here 

it's true that the British are second in % to Spanish - but there are still nearly twice as many Spanish as Brits - so although it's very International, it's still essentially Spanish - but with plenty of Brits if that's what you need

Home - Xàbia Tourism Portal - Town Council of Xàbia


----------



## bonniesue (Jun 29, 2013)

thankyou any other ideas gratefully recieved,im staying in malaga for 4 weeks in june,so hopefully will have 1 or 2 ideas by then.


----------



## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

My English neighbours always said to stay clear off ex-pats. I never asked them why. 

Although I always wondered why people (from UK) want to move to Spain to live around UK people, spending the day playing darts, drinking ale, and eating fish and chips with cups of tea.... I am sure people have their reasons.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Have a look at Nerja. Thriving ex-pat community plus loads of very good public transport. My parents retired there and absolutely love it. They have never had such a full social life!!


----------



## Goldeneye (Nov 12, 2011)

My hubby and I would move to Spain in a heartbeat except for some practicalities..

Access to affordable healthcare and future IHT .. (Inheritance tax) Meanwhile, we are now considering the option of the 60/ 182 day rules..

We too would like an expat community, not because we don't want to embrace the Spanish culture, however, we would be kidding ourselves if we believed we would integrate easily into a predominantly Spanish setting, with that in mind we narrowed our search to the Northern Costa Blanca, Javea, Denia and the Jalon Valley. I may be wrong but I get the impression that Javea expats on the whole seem to take pride in being part of the community of their town and having a seasoned expat base I would hope it would ease our transition. We both would like to get involved in various community activities, charities and fundraisers.

For those wanting a slice of 'Little Britain' in the Sun then imho it would be either the Costa Del Sol ~ Marbella or in the Costa Blanca the area around Torrevieja.

Recently, Hubby & I have been watching numerous episodes of 'A place in the Sun' we are blown away by the number of expats who have lived in Spain for 8+ years and freely admit that the only Spanish they know is how to order a coffee or Beer and say please or thank you!


----------



## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

Well, I think after 8 years in Spain, those expats know a lot of spanish! I know some that don't even know how to say Thanks or Please, let alone order a beer. lol! That's what happens with expats communities, they don't make the effort as if they lived in some other place.


----------



## Derek H (Dec 7, 2008)

Hi jacking a thread, as usual.

When we finally do come over. And that date seems to creep farther away every day. The importance of our being in an expat area does not seem too high. Although being amongst some English speakers would be helpful, especially during the early days. Spanish cannot be that difficult, kids can speak it.

My more immediate problem is finding an area where we would not be confronted by steep hills each time we leave the house. I will be 70+ and OH has a back problem, worsened by the cold and damp. Most of the White Villages I've seen photographs of, would be a no no.
So a small town, near amenities, shops, medics also within 30 minutes of the coast, with a gentle slope. Okay, some hills. I'd prefer to seek out hills, not to be confronted by them. ( I can be picky)
Would prefer South Coast ( for no special reason), but open to suggestions from you nice people in the East. Xabiachica et al. 
So, put down the GnT, put your thinking heads on 

It really is time for us to come over and have a good look around, I know. Soon as I can get some Travel insurance, I promise. Ticker repair's improving.
Derek


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Derek H said:


> Hi jacking a thread, as usual.
> 
> When we finally do come over. And that date seems to creep farther away every day. The importance of our being in an expat area does not seem too high. Although being amongst some English speakers would be helpful, especially during the early days. Spanish cannot be that difficult, kids can speak it.
> 
> ...


oh for goodness sake just come to Jávea/Xàbia  (really must have a word with Antonio Miragall our councillor for tourism - I'm doing his job for him  ) 

I don't drive & have mobility problems - unless I go to parts of the 'old town' or feel like climbing Montgó I can hobble & cycle on the more or less flat to everywhere I need to go

& you won't get any further east on the coast without dropping off...............


----------



## Micksan (Feb 2, 2014)

*live alone...*



bonniesue said:


> hi will be retiring in a years time and have decided to sell up and move to southern spain.Nowhere specific at present,but would like to live in a community with a few bars, shops and near the sea, good transport links as i dont drive.also i live alone an would like to make friends and live in an english feel enviroment.


Hi,yes its great to think of moving to Spain on your retirement....but you have said the three words that spells ..problems for you...
" i live alone"
..............if you live alone you have to think about what you would do if you were ill/have a fall and break your leg etc.......who will look after you/shopping/cooking/take you to hospitals/doctors etc..????...a lot of people forget this important thing.
if you move in to a area with other Brits,dont assume they will help you,as they have their own lives to lead....they wont want to be bothered playing nurse to you.......but it is a very important factor.
Please consider this....when you retire why not travel around to different places and rent a house/apartment...???:fingerscrossed:


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Micksan said:


> Hi,yes its great to think of moving to Spain on your retirement....but you have said the three words that spells ..problems for you...
> " i live alone"
> ..............if you live alone you have to think about what you would do if you were ill/have a fall and break your leg etc.......who will look after you/shopping/cooking/take you to hospitals/doctors etc..????...a lot of people forget this important thing.
> if you move in to a area with other Brits,dont assume they will help you,as they have their own lives to lead....they wont want to be bothered playing nurse to you.......but it is a very important factor.
> Please consider this....when you retire why not travel around to different places and rent a house/apartment...???:fingerscrossed:


Agree that can be a problem - are you Ex Forces ? because if so the Royal British
Legion, can ( to a certain extent ) be a help in Spain.

Royal British Legion - southern Spain


----------



## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Micksan said:


> Hi,yes its great to think of moving to Spain on your retirement....but you have said the three words that spells ..problems for you...
> " i live alone"
> ..............if you live alone you have to think about what you would do if you were ill/have a fall and break your leg etc.......who will look after you/shopping/cooking/take you to hospitals/doctors etc..????...a lot of people forget this important thing.
> if you move in to a area with other Brits,dont assume they will help you,as they have their own lives to lead....they wont want to be bothered playing nurse to you.......but it is a very important factor.
> *Please consider this....when you retire why not travel around to different places and rent a house/apartment*...???:fingerscrossed:


You make some good points. I sold a London property to fund a Spanish property just before the doom and gloom of a few years ago (sold just before it went pear shaped) and at the same time became very ill here in the UK ("Better phone the family" type ill) but obviously survived with the help of family and the NHS. This left me with the money in the bank and having to think what to do in the future.

I/we decided that shorter breaks (weekend/week/month) in different places would fill our urge to travel and live away from home. I'd not buy overseas now, I'm 60 and property is cheap enough to rent pretty much anywhere these days, certainly in Spain. Perhaps the original poster could go out on several trips looking at different areas? Find somewhere that suits and rent an apartment or town house for a year and see how she feels before committing to a full time move.

I fully understand the attraction of moving into or close to a 'Brit' community; no language problems, answers to common questions readily available, perhaps support or at least guidance if they fall ill et al. Nothing wrong in that at all. Look at immigrants coming into the UK, do they not often live in areas close to others from the same country? Yes they do and for the same reasons, common language and mutual support.

This is a nice forum but sometimes there comes across a bit of 'looking down' on folk moving to Spain who choose not to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture which really is uncalled for. Lots of immigrants coming into the UK are looking for work, a better life, a lot of UK folk going to Spain just want a bit of sunshine and to be surrounded by others who feel the same when they have retired and there is certainly nowt wrong with that either.


----------



## suenmike (Dec 27, 2011)

Hi
We are watching these posts with similar ideas - what's the weather like in winter down there?


----------



## Expatliving (Oct 21, 2013)

I believe it's raining? Whereas in London it's beautifully sunny! 

The empire strikes back ...


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

suenmike said:


> Hi
> We are watching these posts with similar ideas - what's the weather like in winter down there?


I have to say that the winter weather in the Malaga/costa del sol area was a big disappointment for me. We were there for four years and apart from our last winter (2011), they were all grim. Cold, wet, windy, floods, landslides, damp, ice on the windscreen in the mornings - very few nice sunny days, but even then when the sun goes down, so does the temperature. To top it all, most Spanish houses seem to be very cold, with minimum heating, lots of cold tiles and no damp proofing - in fact I got a bit of a reputation on the forum for always moaning about it lol!!! 

Jo xxx


----------



## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

That's the reason why we chose Valencia in the end, as Andalucia is worse regarding winters. Here pretty much every day in winter is sunny, might be cold, but as long as it is sunny, I don't care. Today is probably one of the coldest day this winter, we are around 12 degrees right now, at 1.30 in the afternoon. But most days we are around 16-20, which is not bad. Besides, it doesn't last long. Houses around here (including mine) are not made for winter, but with a 'blanket and a brasero', we are doing pretty well. 

Not sure about other people in Valencia, (we are on the coast, so there is a difference if you live inland Valencia), but I have never worm scarves, hats, gloves and thick coats... since we arrived in 2011. Might have to give them to charities! Or keep them for when we go to UK on holidays.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The driest part of Spain is in Andalucía - at at its eastern end, Almeria is officially semi-desert. I am at the western end, near the Atlantic coast where winter rainfall is fairly high, but it rarely goes below 15º in the daytime in winter. (This past week has been an exception )

Rain makes the grass and flowers grow. Sounds obvious, but I'd rather live in a place with a bit of winter rain and flower-covered green meadows in spring, than somewhere where the seasons all look the same. It's worth a few wet days!


----------



## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Expatliving said:


> I believe it's raining? Whereas in London it's beautifully sunny!
> 
> The empire strikes back ...


No rain here ? I'm in the middle about halfway between Valencia & Malaga. The City of the Sun. They forecast rain here to give the farmers hope, but it rarely happens.


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Someone posted this, this morning ??? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...12118471.50888.106152756100731&type=1&theater But I think we're all (Spain and the UK) being subject to these dreadful weather fronts of wind and rain that are around at the moment

Jo xxx


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> The driest part of Spain is in Andalucía - at at its eastern end, Almeria is officially semi-desert. I am at the western end, near the Atlantic coast where winter rainfall is fairly high, but it rarely goes below 15º in the daytime in winter. (This past week has been an exception )
> 
> Rain makes the grass and flowers grow. Sounds obvious, but I'd rather live in a place with a bit of winter rain and flower-covered green meadows in spring, than somewhere where the seasons all look the same. It's worth a few wet days!


Then come to Asturias, its such a green and pleasant land - you would think
your back in England or the Cornish side at any rate.
As for travel tips, well at this time of year - don't forget your brolly. :rain:


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jojo said:


> Someone posted this, this morning ??? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...12118471.50888.106152756100731&type=1&theater But I think we're all (Spain and the UK) being subject to these dreadful weather fronts of wind and rain that are around at the moment
> 
> Jo xxx


Yes, but this was the worst weather for XXX years along with high tides and and don't know what else. This is taken in the old town of San Sebastian/ Donosti









And this is what was left of Bermeo after the storm










It's been snowing here quite a lot today, although it didn't stay around for long!


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

bob_bob said:


> This is a nice forum but sometimes there comes across a bit of 'looking down' on folk moving to Spain who choose not to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture which really is uncalled for. Lots of immigrants coming into the UK are looking for work, a better life, a lot of UK folk going to Spain just want a bit of sunshine and to be surrounded by others who feel the same when they have retired and there is certainly nowt wrong with that either.



I personally don't 'look down' on anyone who doesn't want to 'integrate' (how I hate that word, but for want of a better one...) 

I do however think it's a shame that a lot of people live here but have no idea what is happening here, because they don't 'have access' to Spanish news/TV/radio/people

they miss so much 

for example - I was talking to someone yesterday, who has lived here some years now - I mentioned this dreadful weather that they're having in the north


Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, but this was the worst weather for XXX years along with high tides and and don't know what else. This is taken in the old town of San Sebastian/ Donosti
> 
> 
> 
> ...


he had no clue about it - he assumed I meant the UK

& even after living here for years it took me a while to convince him that this isn't especially unusual - I showed him photos of the snow near here from November - he had had no idea at all

he misses out on all sorts of local events - I'll mention something to get the reply 'oh we'd have enjoyed that' - although the ayto is pretty good now at advertising everything in English & also German


----------



## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, but this was the worst weather for XXX years along with high tides and and don't know what else. This is taken in the old town of San Sebastian/ Donosti
> 
> ...
> And this is what was left of Bermeo after the storm
> ...





Have you ever been to Laredo? 
Las olas arrasan Laredo - eldiariomontanes.es
The cars and the shops they show are usually about a five minute walk from the water line. Big chunks of the paseo maritimo are covered in sand. It felt like walking on the beach!!


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> I personally don't 'look down' on anyone who doesn't want to 'integrate' (how I hate that word, but for want of a better one...)
> 
> I do however think it's a shame that a lot of people live here but have no idea what is happening here, because they don't 'have access' to Spanish news/TV/radio/people
> 
> ...


I did used to "look down on" people who just want a Britain in the sun type of life, until I came on the forum! It made me realise that my experience of coming to Spain in my 20's, working and living amongst Spaniards, being fortunate to have a certain aptitude for languages and eventually marrying a local is totally different to coming in your 60's with no language skills, with children, grand children and indeed a whole life in another country. We have/ had different needs different expectations and different skills.
However, there are two important points here for me.
1. I if you don't embrace local life here then you are not experiencing Spain. That should be recognised by the foreigner living in those conditions and therefore they, IMHO, should refrain from passing opinion on Spain and Spaniards because they have such a limited experience of the country and its people.
I do so agree with xabia that it's a shame that this kind of person has such a limited understanding and knowledge of this country. Still, that is their choice, but as I said, it should be recognised on their part that their perception of life around them might be mistaken because of their inability or lack of interest in interacting
2. I am very much against the idea that Spain should change to adapt to the foreign residents that it has, for example when people complain that they can't get a decent cup of tea, or that the supermarket cashier doesn't speak English or that there isn't a translator in the hospital. If Bar Manolo decides to brew tea to the liking of the British customers that one thing, but to expect that Manolo does it because that's what we want is another


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> Have you ever been to Laredo?
> Las olas arrasan Laredo - eldiariomontanes.es
> The cars and the shops they show are usually about a five minute walk from the water line. Big chunks of the paseo maritimo are covered in sand. It felt like walking on the beach!!


Yes! I lost a watch there many moons ago on that very paseo. 
I heard on the radio that there are gale force winds again today. I woder what will happen in paces like Bermeo where there are big lumps of concrete and stone that might get picked up again in the waves.

PS Were there any ferry crossings in the last couple of days?uke::fish2:


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

*xabia*, when I do two posts in a row it always makes me think of that language forum where you'd get a right bollo**ing if you dared to do the same


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

We live in Southern Spain and as far as I am concerned winters here are far far better than we experienced in darkest Surrey. Our last three years in UK gave us a total of around 7 weeks completely snowed in, temperatures reaching -10C and what seemed like permafrost on the windscreen every morning and often evening when coming home from work on an icy train. Here, the lowest temperature we have ever had recorded was 5C (a few nights ago) and the daytime temperature is usually around 16 - 19C; in fact, last week we had two days with temps of 24/25C. We have only lived here three years but my OH parents have been here for 12 and record the day/night temps for every day they have been here (barring trips abroad of course) and their lowest temp is 2C. Of course, it is all relative, and for me 16C (BBQ weather in the summer in UK) is freezing since we have acclimatised to the very hot summers. But we did have a BBQ last week at around 6.30 pm...


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes! I lost a watch there many moons ago on that very paseo.
> I heard on the radio that there are gale force winds again today. I woder what will happen in paces like Bermeo where there are big lumps of concrete and stone that might get picked up again in the waves.
> 
> PS Were there any ferry crossings in the last couple of days?uke::fish2:


OOps!
I woNder what will happen in pLaces


----------



## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

The weather rather mild down on the Costa Blanca, not warm but pleasant. We have had very little rain over winter too.

As for integration it's a toughy and what each person means by that probably varies too.
I'm reminded of going over to my Greek or Italian friends from schools house in the 80's and their Mum or Dad, Grandparents etc... couldn't speak a lick of English aside from some choice swears despite being in Oz for 20/30 years. Of course as a kid this meant nothing to me at all but when you grow older you start hearing the same comments,"if they want to live here then they could at least speak the language".

It's the same everywhere I suspect but you know what?
It actually didn't/doesn't matter, what these immigrants brought with them to Australia was a huge amount of culture, labour, sense of community etc...

I suspect the language thing is partly because there in some circumstance was no need and partly that old addage about old dogs.

Now having been in the same position somewhat as an immigrant to 2 different countries I can get somewhat a feeling for what these folk may of been through.

My wife is French, so I have to learn that and admittedly I could do a much better job at it but it's slow progress and now in Spain I am trying to learn that too.
It's useful to go to a shop and understand what is going on or to hold your own enough to get your point across but as for integration just what exactly does that mean?

No matter where we are we just live our lives the same as the next person, it's rather mundane really. I don't know if that's experiencing "the real Spain" or not. We are not overly social people but that wouldn't change in an English speaking society. I doubt it's important anyway.

I don't know, the benefits of speaking the local tongue definitely far outweigh not speaking it but it's everyones personal choice and I respect that either way.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> *xabia*, when I do two posts in a row it always makes me think of that language forum where you'd get a right bollo**ing if you dared to do the same


lol - I just gave up there in the end!

what I hated the most was the unlimited 'editing' time

they would go back sometimes days later to edit a post when they realised they had made a mistake - which often made a mockery of the rest of the thread 

anyway :focus:

expat areas in the South - you visited one a few years back didn't you?


----------



## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

Not wanting to integrate or speak the lingo is one thing, but what I really don't like is their attitude as if everything in Spain should be like in Britain, and I am sorry, but that's not right at all. It is those people, that I would happily send back to wherever they come from very very happily. 

Once thing I can say is that if I had stayed with my spanish friends in London and stayed working in the Spanish restaurant I used to work, and within the Spanish Community, TODAY I would not speak English and I would have missed on sooooo much, I wouldn't have been able to learn the lingo, to go to university in UK and to get a job as an accountant for the Government for almost 20 years. I integrated so much, that my Spanish family and friends think I am more 'British' than 'Spanish'. But it does not matter becuase that's what you do when you go abroad. Integrate. 

I know it is different in you are on your 60s and blah blah blah... but at least you can try. Make an effort.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Williams2 said:


> Then come to Asturias, its such a green and pleasant land - you would think your back in England or the Cornish side at any rate.
> As for travel tips, well at this time of year - don't forget your brolly. :rain:


It is beautiful, we've driven through it a few times. If I won the lottery I would buy a little house in the mountains of Asturias and spend July and August there, when it gets a bit too hot down south!


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lolito said:


> Not wanting to integrate or speak the lingo is one thing, but what I really don't like is their attitude as if everything in Spain should be like in Britain, and I am sorry, but that's not right at all.


Yes, I've met a few people like that - mainly back in England. They spent a few years in Spain and went back because it didn't turn out to be "Britain in the Sun" after all, but a foreign country. 

Yet they talk as if they are an authority on all things Spanish, and it's almost all bad. It's as if they are blaming the Spanish for their failure to feel at home here.

I don't mind at all if people choose not to or can't learn Spanish or adapt their lifestyle. But if they can't fit in here, they should at least have the grace to acknowledge where the responsibility lies.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> lol - I just gave up there in the end!
> 
> what I hated the most was the unlimited 'editing' time
> 
> ...


I've been to the urbanización La Florida a couple of times on Orihuela Costa. One of the most important places around there is The Emerald Isle pub. I've also been to another place on Orihuela Costa near the Carrefour on the N332. My impression was of a population made up almost in its entirety of 55+ european immigrants, the vast majority of which were from the UK and Ireland. These areas were very residential interspersed with pubs and shops geared in the main to English speaking residents. The same could be said of the parts of Torrevieja that we went to. It was difficult to find Spanish newspapers, Spanish tv, Spanish food and to hear Spanish being spoken.
The British people that I met were very happy with their life there.


----------

