# Where to live? - Northern/Central Spain



## nlarsp (Jan 28, 2020)

Hi everyone! After lurking for a while I'm now finally making my first post on here. 

We are from Argentina, and planning to move to Spain sometime this year. Currently we are planning a trip to see where exactly we would like to go. (We would first be renting for 6 months to a year before buying property). 

I'm hoping people with more experience would be able to recommend some good areas that match our wishes (below), so we can start narrowing down which areas we want to look at during our 3-week trip this spring. 

What we're looking for: 
- A rural area within about an hour drive of a large town/city. Eventually we hope to buy a country home with space for horses and a large garden, but we still want to be near a town with amenities like a proper hospital, restaurants etc. 
- LGBT friendly (we are 2 ladies, married to each other)
- Reliable internet of some sort (We're ok with going satellite if necessary) 
- A green area, nature, hiking. We love mountains and forests, we're not so much beach people. 
- Nice weather, We don't mind rainstorms, but we'd like to avoid areas with constant overcast and drizzle. We like our sunshine! 

Some areas we've been looking at: 
- Asturias
- Catalunya 
- The area around Cuenca
- The mountainous area north of Madrid 

We work from home and will be able to keep our current jobs, so that is no issue. We both speak fluent Spanish (Argentine dialect) and English. I am a EU citizen currently living in Argentina, so we'll get the visa stuff sorted out fairly easily as well. 

Any recommendations are super welcome! Especially if you can include both the pros and the cons of your area  

Thank you!


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Consider Navarra, as it offers different climates and terrains, and plenty of hiking trails.

I have only been on vacation to the area, so can´t comment on what it's like to live there.



nlarsp said:


> What we're looking for:
> - A rural area within about an hour drive of a large town/city. Eventually we hope to buy a country home with space for horses and a large garden, but we still want to be near a town with amenities like a proper hospital, restaurants etc.
> - LGBT friendly (we are 2 ladies, married to each other)
> - Reliable internet of some sort (We're ok with going satellite if necessary)
> ...


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## Marieannem (Feb 4, 2020)

nlarsp said:


> Hi everyone! After lurking for a while I'm now finally making my first post on here.
> 
> We are from Argentina, and planning to move to Spain sometime this year. Currently we are planning a trip to see where exactly we would like to go. (We would first be renting for 6 months to a year before buying property).
> 
> ...


Commenting to follow the thread, I am looking for something very similar to yourselves!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

nlarsp said:


> Hi everyone! After lurking for a while I'm now finally making my first post on here.
> 
> We are from Argentina, and planning to move to Spain sometime this year. Currently we are planning a trip to see where exactly we would like to go. (We would first be renting for 6 months to a year before buying property).
> 
> ...


Jaén Province, in or near the Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas. We live about 1½ hour's drive from there and we always take our Christmas and New Year holiday in the Parque at a village called Arroyo Frío. It is the largest Natural Park (n.b. it is a nature park not national park) in Spain and the second largest in Europe. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_natural_de_las_Sierras_de_Cazorla,_Segura_y_Las_Villas

Jaén Province has the largest quantity of natural parks and protected natural areas, 
Natural Parks,Jaén Province, Southern Spain, Andalucia
all full of nature delights, walks, climbs and other treats but so many people neglect to consider Jaén because so much of it is given over to growing olives (it is also the world's largest producer and exporter of *proper* Extra Virgin Olive Oil - not the inferior stuff that is just labelled EV to push up the price!)


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> Jaén Province, in or near the Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas. We live about 1½ hour's drive from there and we always take our Christmas and New Year holiday in the Parque at a village called Arroyo Frío. It is the largest Natural Park (n.b. it is a nature park not national park) in Spain and the second largest in Europe. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_natural_de_las_Sierras_de_Cazorla,_Segura_y_Las_Villas
> 
> Jaén Province has the largest quantity of natural parks and protected natural areas,
> Natural Parks,Jaén Province, Southern Spain, Andalucia
> all full of nature delights, walks, climbs and other treats but so many people neglect to consider Jaén because so much of it is given over to growing olives (it is also the world's largest producer and exporter of *proper* Extra Virgin Olive Oil - not the inferior stuff that is just labelled EV to push up the price!)


Northern / Central Spain wouldn't include Jaen in many people's opinion I think...

Guadalajara sprang to my mind, not sure why though, I'm no expert on the OPs necessities...


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Overandout said:


> Northern / Central Spain wouldn't include Jaen in many people's opinion I think...
> 
> Guadalajara sprang to my mind, not sure why though, I'm no expert on the OPs necessities...


Maybe not, but looking at the OP's desires, then the North/Central Spain criterion is a bit limiting - the bits that don't fit in the OP's criterion aren't just on the costas which is what the OP's desires to avoid seem to suggest.


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