# Deciding what area is the nicest please help



## Guest (Aug 27, 2009)

Can anyone please give some info on really nice areas to live in Alicante area.

My husband works offshore and works 4 on 4 off so i will be on my own with my 2 children half the year and I need a really safe and secure area to live and not isolated ideally with young families.

I want to be close to a beach, school, lots of out of school activities I can hopefully get my 8 yr old boy into.


The area's Ive been advised to look in to are Guardamar, Torrevieja and Mar Menor, La Manga this is what the selling agent is telling me in the UK anyway obviously because that's where they are building house's... Please tell me as much info about these area's as possible. We will be visting sunny Costa Blanca soon so I want as much info as I can before we come over to help us make our choice's.

Thanks Lynda x


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

lyndamarcx said:


> Can anyone please give some info on really nice areas to live in Alicante area.
> 
> My husband works offshore and works 4 on 4 off so i will be on my own with my 2 children half the year and I need a really safe and secure area to live and not isolated ideally with young families.
> 
> ...


Hi Lynda

Im on the Costa del Sol so cant comment specifically on the Alicante area as I dont really know it!!

What I would say is be careful about following an agents lead in where you should be looking - they may have their own agenda, and also their own opinion which is not necessarily going to match yours or your families! Thats not to say that you should not use an agent .... but please take your time and do plenty of research yourself. An absolute must is for you to visit the areas you are considering and look at it through "living here" eyes as opposed to "holiday eyes"  try to keep in mind your normal day to day life .... despite the glorious sunshine etc we still have all the usual stuff to do just like we did in the UK!

Best of luck  Sue


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2009)

Thanks sue for your advice


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Suenneil said:


> Hi Lynda
> 
> Im on the Costa del Sol so cant comment specifically on the Alicante area as I dont really know it!!
> 
> ...


Very sound advice. Personally I would recommend the Costa Del Sol from Marbella westward but it is more expensive -for good reasons
I went to Alicante donkeys years ago when it was a dozy little place but I have read that it is now over 50% Brit -rather like Great Yarmouth on heat
That suits a lot of people, though, especially if you are a novice at living abroad.
Sue's advice about 'holiday eyes' is very sensible. Even then, you don't really get to know a place until you've lived in it for quite a while, doing the normal boring daily chores.


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## Liberty (Jul 12, 2009)

lyndamarcx said:


> Can anyone please give some info on really nice areas to live in Alicante area.
> 
> My husband works offshore and works 4 on 4 off so i will be on my own with my 2 children half the year and I need a really safe and secure area to live and not isolated ideally with young families.
> 
> ...


I'm sure the areas you have listed will fulfill your needs in terms of the proximity to the beach, lots of activities and schools. There will also be hoards of British which you may or may not view as a good thing. 

However, I've travelled all over Spain and the Torrevieja/La Manga/Murcia region holds the proud title of "Ugliest part of Spain I have ever visited". (Sorry if I offend anyone who lives there - just my opinion).

Torrevieja is synonimous with crime. Mar Menor....well, what can I say.....very Kiss Me Quick. The region in general is a barren dust bowl. 

I'm sure there are some nicer towns in that part of Spain than the ones you have listed, (perhaps someone will come along a suggest some). If you don't care too much about where you live and all you want is to make a few British friends quickly and have plenty to do then your choices will be fine I'm sure. If you want somewhere "nice" to live I would keep looking.


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## Expat Ben (Jul 28, 2009)

Liberty said:


> I've travelled all over Spain and the Torrevieja/La Manga/Murcia region holds the proud title of "Ugliest part of Spain I have ever visited". (Sorry if I offend anyone who lives there - just my opinion).
> 
> Torrevieja is synonimous with crime. Mar Menor....well, what can I say.....very Kiss Me Quick. The region in general is a barren dust bowl.



I've been to Almeria and was not that keen on the region; but the people I met from the UK said they would avoid Murcia like the plague. A good friend of mine lived in Murcia for a few months and said it was very ugly and she does not wish to return.

I've not ever made the trip to Murcia or Torrevieja; but the latter has a reputation for being full of Brits and crime. I've also heard people describe Torrevieja in words I cannot really put on a public forum.


Ben


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

OMG!!! I love Murcia!!! It's much nicer than where I live!! Certainly the Aguilas region. So unspoilt without highrises!!


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

Chica said:


> OMG!!! I love Murcia!!! It's much nicer than where I live!! Certainly the Aguilas region. So unspoilt without highrises!!


Horse for courses Chica ..... we all like and enjoy different things ..... it would be awful if we didnt! how boring would that be  if you love it, you love it ... doesnt matter whether anyone else does.

As we say to many people who come on here asking for advice and opinion - it isnt always necessarily going to be the same answer from everyone ... and rightly so!


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## Xose (Dec 10, 2008)

lyndamarcx said:


> Can anyone please give some info on really nice areas to live in Alicante area.
> 
> My husband works offshore and works 4 on 4 off so i will be on my own with my 2 children half the year and I need a really safe and secure area to live and not isolated ideally with young families.
> 
> ...


Hi Lynda,
Appart from Sue's very sound advice, do keep in mind that Spanish regions are large places, so when someone says "such and such a place is horrible", they're talking about thousands of square kilometres. In various places I lived in the UK a couple of miles made all the difference, never mind an hour's drive away.

For example, Murcia is over 11000 Km2 in area and Alicante less than 8000, so chances are that Murcia, it would appear not highly rated by many, has some nice places also...perhaps

Bottom line, you need to do some ground work and cover some serious ground. You will probably get it wrong the first couple of times, so don't do anything too permanent until you've found your ideal zone.

Good luck,
Xose


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## Liberty (Jul 12, 2009)

Expat Ben said:


> I've been to Almeria and was not that keen on the region; but the people I met from the UK said they would avoid Murcia like the plague. A good friend of mine lived in Murcia for a few months and said it was very ugly and she does not wish to return.
> 
> I've not ever made the trip to Murcia or Torrevieja; but the latter has a reputation for being full of Brits and crime. I've also heard people describe Torrevieja in words I cannot really put on a public forum.
> 
> ...


My OH has a business trip to Almeria next month and I will be tagging along. I think I'll have to take a couple of good books to read to keep me occupied!


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2009)

Thanks Guy's for all your sound advice anyone know what Barcelona is like then!!!


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

Liberty said:


> My OH has a business trip to Almeria next month and I will be tagging along. I think I'll have to take a couple of good books to read to keep me occupied!


Get yersel out & about! You'll be missing out if you don't. Just like everywhere else there's good & bad bits but there's also absolutely jaw dropping scenery to rival anywhere, bonny little villages, friendly people ....... not to mention restaurants where the food is so good your mouth will love you forever

What I'm trying to say is if you don't see for yourself how will you know?

Go on, you know it makes sense



Doggy


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## Rosemary (Aug 14, 2009)

lyndamarcx said:


> Can anyone please give some info on really nice areas to live in Alicante area.
> 
> My husband works offshore and works 4 on 4 off so i will be on my own with my 2 children half the year and I need a really safe and secure area to live and not isolated ideally with young families.
> 
> ...


We have been in Alicante region for 5 years. We are now on the move, only because our house is finished and we want a new project. 
I have told agents that we MUST stay in this area! We have been very happy here. Infrastructure is good. Amentiies etc , schools all good
Okay we are 40 min s from the beach but when we do go, its full of holiday makers and not what we want anyway
We are obviously inland, its rural but we have large towns like Elda, Elche and Jumilla all within 30 minutes drive
Our town is Pinoso, it has its own website so you can look for yourself. We have some british people and a few dutch. Plenty of families.
We have a 9 year old girl and she goes to state school, fully fluent in spanish, attends ballet classes, swimming lessons, could go to any number of other activities - time permitting. Of course spansih school days are long, she is there frm 9.00am to 5.00pm so evening activities have to be tailored or she would never do her homework or sleep.I spent 2 years researching areas before ending up in Pinoso and have not been disappointed.
You know what you want, just keep looking about till you find te area that ticks your boxes and dont be rushed into a wrong decision.
Good luck


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2009)

lyndamarcx said:


> Can anyone please give some info on really nice areas to live in Alicante area.
> 
> My husband works offshore and works 4 on 4 off so i will be on my own with my 2 children half the year and I need a really safe and secure area to live and not isolated ideally with young families.
> 
> ...


Hi, we live in a place called Las Lomas del Rame which is just outside of a place called Los Alcazares on the shores of the Mar Menor. We think it's a fantastic place to live. Once you know where you are going you can always find a deserted beach in the summer, there is nightlife and good restaurants if you want them and we have excellent shops and markets. We visit Torrevieja on business at least twice a week and personally it would not suit us. There are probably some nice bits but we have yet to find them. La Manga .....Well let’s not even go there! Guardamar has some fantastic beaches but I don't think I would want to live there. Have a look on Google at Los Alcazares I think you will be pleasantly surprised. If you want to know specifics about anywhere mentions just let me know. We have been in this area permanently for around 6 years now and have had holidays here for over 25 years so know it quite well


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