# Where to live



## beverleyp (May 26, 2009)

Hi - Can anyone advise please? We are currently living on the Silver Coast, Portugal but are having doubts about it. We are 54/60 and have taken early retirement. Would like somewhere where:


* there's a vibrant expat scene
* there's plenty of activities/things going on
* a village or small town that is quiet, but with life
* interesting scenery/surroundings, not spoilt
* friendly locals
* cost of living/accommo (rental) not too expensive 
* preferably where some people speak English
* where there are good health facilities (I have Diabetes)


Thanks for any suggestions.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Spain is such a big place - you could find those facilities and more anywhere. What you need to do is drive down and have a good look around. Marbella area is expensive as is Barcelona, but apart from that ........

Jo xxxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

beverleyp said:


> Hi - Can anyone advise please? We are currently living on the Silver Coast, Portugal but are having doubts about it. We are 54/60 and have taken early retirement. Would like somewhere where:
> 
> 
> * there's a vibrant expat scene
> ...


There are several threads about this already so you could search the forum to find those. Other than that it would be useful to know why you think the Silver coast is not for you and why you've decided to leave the UK. 
Having said that most people are going to reply along the lines of Jojo. Spain is enormous, more than 5 times the size of Portugal, and varied. The only way to make any headway is to see things yourself. 
If you have a city in mind, also search that on the forum too


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## beverleyp (May 26, 2009)

]Hi Beverley,

why you are having doubts about the Silver Coast? Excuse me that I am asking for, but I am just curious - no other intentions!



Hi Antonio - Como estas? ...Why I am having doubts about the Silver Coast...That's a difficult one to put into words as it is a bit of this and a bit of that over a few months that eventually makes you decide that the no's outweigh the yeses' at the end of the day. O.K. here goes...the pros first: lovely, lovely people, the weather, the cons: the scenery, (I wouldn't mind if I never saw a eucalyptus or pine tree again), the food both in supermarkets and restaurants is uninspiring, the inefficiency, (was told to come back tomorrow for both prescription, and medication after repeated trips to both recently), the general greyness one senses in both the lifestyle and towns and villages, the lack of shops/poor quality of clothes. That said there's a sizeable expat community who are very happy here.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

beverleyp said:


> ]Hi Beverley,
> 
> why you are having doubts about the Silver Coast? Excuse me that I am asking for, but I am just curious - no other intentions!
> 
> ...


Seems that Antonio has left us, but I did ask you the same question anyway...
I'd say there are quite a few Pine and Eucalyptus trees on the Spanish coast too, so be prepared!
I wouldn't say the food was uninspiring though, especially if you can shop in a non expat area where you'll get less baked beans and HP sauce and more Spanish produce. 
Inefficiency - a fair amount, but Spanish systems can be surprisingly efficient as well. You just never know until you go!!
Medication - I have a friend who is diabetic and I think he's very pleased with his treatment.
When I went on holiday to Portugal I was struck by how different it was to Spain. Much quieter, poorer, meal times much more in line with other European countries and yes, I remember having the same meal (which was very good) in every town we went to!!
Spain is different (as they used to say in Spanish tourism ads)


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## beverleyp (May 26, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Seems that Antonio has left us, but I did ask you the same question anyway...
> I'd say there are quite a few Pine and Eucalyptus trees on the Spanish coast too, so be prepared!
> I wouldn't say the food was uninspiring though, especially if you can shop in a non expat area where you'll get less baked beans and HP sauce and more Spanish produce.
> Inefficiency - a fair amount, but Spanish systems can be surprisingly efficient as well. You just never know until you go!!
> ...


Pesky - many thanks for the info. So sorry I didn't reply before. Have got a few threads going on different sites. So you think Spain would be more to our liking then, more vibrant, fun? It would be nice to find some work actually, I'm a writer/copywriter, my husband was in Customer Service but otherwise voluntary work of some kind. Where can we find up-to-date info on the Costa Del Sol would you know? Had difficult finding comprehensive, up-to-date info.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

beverleyp said:


> Pesky - many thanks for the info. So sorry I didn't reply before. Have got a few threads going on different sites. So you think Spain would be more to our liking then, more vibrant, fun? It would be nice to find some work actually, I'm a writer/copywriter, my husband was in Customer Service but otherwise voluntary work of some kind. Where can we find up-to-date info on the Costa Del Sol would you know? Had difficult finding comprehensive, up-to-date info.


 
Here are some links to newspapers from the CDS. I thought they might give you a feel for the place. Quite honestly, I'm probably the least qualified to be giving you answers cos I live near Madrid and don't go down that way very often, so I'm going to shut up and see if anybody else from that area will fill in the gaps.
Have you asked the same question on other forums? If so, I'd be interested in what other peoples' opinions are, so if you have time you could post smth on here??
Thanks, and good luck!
Leader Newspaper - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain

http://www.euroweeklynews.com/virtual-newspaper/costa-del-sol/


News, Costa del Sol, Spain, Town Crier Newspaper, News, Costa del Sol, Spain


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I live in the costa del sol - well a couple of KMs inland, but I really dont know what to say about it lol!!! I love it. The costas themselves are very touristy, but fun, I wouldnt want to live there, but I enjoy going down and being a tourist for an afternoon! Inland a bit IMO is better. There are some lovely towns and villages, some have lots of expats, others dont. I think I have the best of everything. I'm on the edge of a village close to a medium sized town which is mainly Spanish, we're close to the campo and its fairly rural where I live - lots of views and space. 

My advice, as usual is you have to come and take a look. We all have different opinions, views and likes! 

I'm not sure theres much work about tho, but there are loads of areas that would "tick your boxes" !!


Jo xxx


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

What type of info do you need? PW has given you some great resourse but there is NOTHING like getting across and smelling the coffee. The CdS is a huge coastline (London to Yorkshire) and I would have thought had something for most people. The bright lights of Marbella and Puerto Banús, the tacky gay bars of Torremolinos, package tourism in Benalmádena, La Liga, Picasso and bull-fights in Málaga quiet coves, sand dunes, Tivoli and safari parks or the understated elegance of places like Cásares. You want it, the Costa del Sol has probably got it.


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## beverleyp (May 26, 2009)

SteveHall said:


> What type of info do you need? PW has given you some great resourse but there is NOTHING like getting across and smelling the coffee. The CdS is a huge coastline (London to Yorkshire) and I would have thought had something for most people. The bright lights of Marbella and Puerto Banús, the tacky gay bars of Torremolinos, package tourism in Benalmádena, La Liga, Picasso and bull-fights in Málaga quiet coves, sand dunes, Tivoli and safari parks or the understated elegance of places like Cásares. You want it, the Costa del Sol has probably got it.


Thanks Guys and Gals - this is all very encouraging and interesting. It is easy to be put off of the Costas for the obvious reasons, but as Jojo points out if one lives a little inland one can experience a bit of the real Spain and a bit of peace and quiet whilst at the same time dipping into the fun as and when one wishes. What about the weather...does it get REALLY hot or just HOT! Also we are looking to rent a house whilst we make up our minds/smell the coffee at around 400 per month starting from November. Is this about the right price? Many many thanks.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

beverleyp said:


> Thanks Guys and Gals - this is all very encouraging and interesting. It is easy to be put off of the Costas for the obvious reasons, but as Jojo points out if one lives a little inland one can experience a bit of the real Spain and a bit of peace and quiet whilst at the same time dipping into the fun as and when one wishes. What about the weather...does it get REALLY hot or just HOT! Also we are looking to rent a house whilst we make up our minds/smell the coffee at around 400 per month starting from November. Is this about the right price? Many many thanks.


The actual coast isn't uniform from say Malaga to Estepona -there are tacky, touristy places that are cheap e.g. Mijas and tacky touristy places that are expensive e.g. Marbella. There are also stretches of unspoilt quiet beaches which cannot be easily accessed by road. Some inland places aren't particularly 'Spanish' - as Jo will tell you, Alhaurin el Grande has a large British population.
Around our area you would not get a house for 400 euros pcm, in fact I doubt if you would find a two-bedroomed piso in a 'good' urbanizacion for less than 600 euros pcm.
A detached villa/house with pool would set you back at least 1200 euros upwards, I'd say.
We live in a middle-class Spanish residential street, very quiet but only a short walk to an unspoilt beach. This whole area is very tranquil, no bars or night-life but you have Marbella for glitz and Estepona for a quieter, more Spanish experience..
Last summer it was hot...really hot. We spent almost every day for months just lying by and swimming in the pool and only ventured out after sunset. (Rather like a pair of vampire bats) I think the temperatures must have been in the mid-forties at least. Whatever, it was too hot to do anything that required a lot of physical effort.
My ideal home here would be an isolated vine-clad finca with unspoilt views of orange, lemon and fig groves, a stream flowing, views of the mountains and the sea, total tranquility.......but then I also want satellite tv, internet, good shops of all kinds, a vet and health facilities. 
I don't think it's easy to combine all these requirements!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

you need to come over and have a look!!! It is very hot in the summer months - it was 50c around our pool in the heat of last summer, even the pool was 35c and like a bath! Oh how I could do with some of that now, altho its sunny today, its still a bit nippy - only 15c!!! The nights are cold in the winter!

As Mary says, with the costa del sol, the rule of thumb is Marbella is expensive and the further east you go the cheaper it gets !!! Inland there are some "British towns" Alhaurin El Grande is very British - has a chippy, a british newsagents, british bars etc - nice to go to if you miss a bit of your mother tongue. Alhaurin de la Torre, is bigger and much more Spanish - in fact a bit on the cosmopolitan side. Shops and Bars of all nationalities, but mainly Spanish live there. 20 minutes from Malaga irport which is a bonus if you need to travel or have visitors

Have a look on "google earth" at these places to get a feel for them and where they are

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Won't be long now before we're having a dip in the pool under the stars, Jo!
It's what keeps us going on chilly days like today.
Weather should be better next month, we'll come over to A de la T and take you out for lunch in return for a guided tour.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> The actual coast isn't uniform from say Malaga to Estepona -there are tacky, touristy places that are cheap e.g. Mijas and tacky touristy places that are expensive e.g. Marbella.
> 
> I don't consider Mijas to be cheap, or tacky. And its not ALL about tourists either. Its a big area as well as a pueblo, and caters for all tastes. I wouldn't dream of making sweeping derogatory statements about a place I don't live in.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

lynn said:


> mrypg9 said:
> 
> 
> > The actual coast isn't uniform from say Malaga to Estepona -there are tacky, touristy places that are cheap e.g. Mijas and tacky touristy places that are expensive e.g. Marbella.
> ...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

lynn said:


> mrypg9 said:
> 
> 
> > . I wouldn't dream of making sweeping derogatory statements about a place I don't live in.[/COLOR]
> ...


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

No worries! I couldn't be offended so easily! The fact is, I'm very content with life as I find it here in my little part of Mijas. I have just had a lovely walk across the campo with my dog, looking at all the beautiful spring flowers down by the stream. I don't know why you think Mijas is a concrete jungle at all??? Do you think you mean Fuengirola? I quite enjoy a wander down the paseo sometimes, in the 'concrete jungle' that is Fuengirola.
I guess I don't judge places so strongly on brief visits.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

lynn said:


> No worries! I couldn't be offended so easily! The fact is, I'm very content with life as I find it here in my little part of Mijas. I have just had a lovely walk across the campo with my dog, looking at all the beautiful spring flowers down by the stream. I don't know why you think Mijas is a concrete jungle at all??? Do you think you mean Fuengirola? I quite enjoy a wander down the paseo sometimes, in the 'concrete jungle' that is Fuengirola.
> I guess I don't judge places so strongly on brief visits.


I've been several times but I think you are quite right, I've seen only a small part and that I didn't like. The part between the A7 and the sea? Is that Fuengirola? And yes, I tend to take instant likes or dislikes to places and remain confirmed in my probably unfair first impressions. Guilty as charged.
Now walking your dog........I am jealous as there isn't a great choice of dogwalking places here - in fact, there are really only three or four and they are not all accessible year round.
I just don't like noisy crowded places as my preferred pastimes are walking the dog in rural surroundings , reading and talking/eating with friends. I'm probably quite a grumpy old sod really. 
I don't think where we live is that attractive in scenic terms but it's so quiet....apart from barking dogs (not ours, he's the strong silent type) and the camion de basuras which for some reason comes between midnight and 01.00.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> I've been several times but I think you are quite right, I've seen only a small part and that I didn't like. The part between the A7 and the sea? Is that Fuengirola? And yes, I tend to take instant likes or dislikes to places and remain confirmed in my probably unfair first impressions. Guilty as charged.
> Now walking your dog........I am jealous as there isn't a great choice of dogwalking places here - in fact, there are really only three or four and they are not all accessible year round.
> I just don't like noisy crowded places as my preferred pastimes are walking the dog in rural surroundings , reading and talking/eating with friends. I'm probably quite a grumpy old sod really.
> I don't think where we live is that attractive in scenic terms but it's so quiet....apart from barking dogs (not ours, he's the strong silent type) and the camion de basuras which for some reason comes between midnight and 01.00.


Sounds like you have been to Mijas Costa then. As I said before, Mijas covers quite a large area, and the coastal part going up towards Marbella is indeed built up and busy in the summer. Not my cup of tea either, but it suits some people who like the buzz. I am based on the way up to the pueblo, and have some lovely campo to explore with the dog. There are views both up the mountain and out to sea over Fuengirola. The A7/N340 does not have a particularly nice aspect anywhere along the coast. It's only when you get off the main arteries and drive off a bit that the countryside opens up.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

lynn said:


> . It's only when you get off the main arteries and drive off a bit that the countryside opens up.


Yes, it was Mijas Costa. Not my taste. But lots of people like it Sobre las gustas....
We've decided we need to get about a bit more before it gets too hot. We've really only seen the 'obvious' places from here to Malaga.
Attractive places to walk with a dog are our number one priority.


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, it was Mijas Costa. Not my taste. But lots of people like it Sobre las gustas....
> We've decided we need to get about a bit more before it gets too hot. We've really only seen the 'obvious' places from here to Malaga.
> Attractive places to walk with a dog are our number one priority.


Fancy a trip oop North then Mary?! Not a prob on the temperatures at the mo!!!

xx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, it was Mijas Costa. Not my taste. But lots of people like it Sobre las gustas....
> We've decided we need to get about a bit more before it gets too hot. We've really only seen the 'obvious' places from here to Malaga.
> Attractive places to walk with a dog are our number one priority.


Good idea. I always say to visitors "Don't expect me to go to Madrid in July or August" It's just too hot!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes, it was Mijas Costa. Not my taste. But lots of people like it Sobre las gustas....
> We've decided we need to get about a bit more before it gets too hot. We've really only seen the 'obvious' places from here to Malaga.
> Attractive places to walk with a dog are our number one priority.


You know you have an open invitation to visit here and I'll show you (and OLA) the delights of Alhaurin de la Torre and surrounding areas!!! 


Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jojo said:


> You know you have an open invitation to visit here and I'll show you (and OLA) the delights of Alhaurin de la Torre and surrounding areas!!!
> 
> 
> Jo xxx


We'll be on our way as soon as we can be sure that it won't rain....March should be OK. 
As I said, we'll take you out for a good lunch in return for your guide services!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Tallulah said:


> Fancy a trip oop North then Mary?! Not a prob on the temperatures at the mo!!!
> 
> xx


I would love to travel around before I get too decrepit. (Twenty years??)
We need to compile a long list of hotels that will accept well-behaved dogs across Spain.
I don't think I have the skills or experience to drive a motor home although that would be ideal.
But out of consideration for other road users....


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## Yozhik (Feb 25, 2010)

*Thanks!*

Hi folks!

First post on the forum; just a quick 'thanks' to all contributors for the quality and honesty of the replies.

My wife and I, with young princess at our sides [she is 2yrs], are about to take the plunge into Spain, so all the info found here is gratefull received and ravenously devoured.

Initial plan is to go for 3 months for a recon ... if we like, we'll look at setting up some form of business and staying ... if not, we'll leap back out and regroup.
Yeah ... I know ... dumb/foolhardy/brave/[other expletives] ... but hey - you have to try, right?

The UK does nothing for us anymore ... with the political environment and the CCTV's starting to look into your bedroom windows ... its becoming more and more like a prison sans bars ... so it has zero appeal.
Spain ticks a few more boxes than most; so onwards and upwards. 

OK ... mini-rant over ... just saying 'thanks' and warning you all that I'll be sucking this board and your brains dry of all and any info! :ranger:


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Yozhik said:


> Hi folks!
> 
> First post on the forum; just a quick 'thanks' to all contributors for the quality and honesty of the replies.
> 
> ...


What country would you be in at the moment and what nationality are you? Cos that may make a difference as to whether you are eligible to come to Spain?????


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## Yozhik (Feb 25, 2010)

jojo said:


> What country would you be in at the moment and what nationality are you? Cos that may make a difference as to whether you are eligible to come to Spain?????


We all hold UK citizenship, as well as a plethora of others.
So no probs there.


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