# Alhama De Granada



## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

We are currently researching property and areas. We have visited Alhama De Granada a couple of times and really like it, although we haven't seen it all. It would be a place we would consider living in. What's it like for all the usual amenities, including health care and is there an ex pat community of some sort? We would be on private HC to start with but hopefully not for ever.

Also if we were to buy two properties and rent on of them out as a holiday let, not necessarily Alhama, would you then qualify for health care as we would be paying taxes on earnings in Spain. It's not a deal breaker but it would be handy.

Thanks 

Roy


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Roy C said:


> We are currently researching property and areas. We have visited Alhama De Granada a couple of times and really like it, although we haven't seen it all. It would be a place we would consider living in. What's it like for all the usual amenities, including health care and is there an ex pat community of some sort? We would be on private HC to start with but hopefully not for ever.
> 
> Also if we were to buy two properties and rent on of them out as a holiday let, not necessarily Alhama, would you then qualify for health care as we would be paying taxes on earnings in Spain. It's not a deal breaker but it would be handy.
> 
> ...


I don't know the area so can't comment on that side of things

however - I do know that my fellow mod snikpoh was told that income from property rental has nothing to do with qualifying for healthcare

you have to be paying NI/SS to qualify for that - so in this case by registering as autónomo / self employed

he was told that he couldn't do so in those circumstances

after you're a registered resident for a year though, there's a 'buy in' scheme for state healthcare


----------



## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

I live in a tiny village about 25kms from Alhama de Granada and would best qualify it as somewhere to visit for a holiday but I wouldn't want to live there permanently. Its like Sleepy Hollow... though not quite as sleepy as where I live! Not much in the way of an expat community and like most of inland Granada province youd be out on a limb somewhat if you dont have a good command of the Andaluz version of Spanish. It's very hilly as you know. Civic facilities are mostly at the top of the hill. The manager of 'La Caixa' bank at the bottom of the hill by the big roundabout speaks passable English and is generally approachable. The nearest big supermarkets are located in Loja or Huetor Tajar each about 25kms Northeast and Northwest via Salar... The main road from Alhama down to Velez Malaga via Zafarraya is extremely dangerous and many accidents have occurred on this road. Alhama is served by four or five buses a day to from Granada and Zafaraya and / or Velez-Malaga (one bus per day. Thre are no services on Sundays and the Saturday service is limited to one bus per day... There are I believe other bus services but I dont have any details... Hot in Summer 30-40C, cold in Winter -10C to +10C. Snow is not all that unusual in Winter. 
Sorry if this appears to be a bit negative but the only reason I need to visit Alhama is when I need to go to La Caixa... There used to be a big market every Friday morning in the lower part of town dont know if its still there cos its a while since Ive been that way on a Friday!

I found this which may be of interest to you... Real Andalucia


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Roy C said:


> We are currently researching property and areas. We have visited Alhama De Granada a couple of times and really like it, although we haven't seen it all. It would be a place we would consider living in. What's it like for all the usual amenities, including health care and is there an ex pat community of some sort? We would be on private HC to start with but hopefully not for ever.
> 
> Also if we were to buy two properties and rent on of them out as a holiday let, not necessarily Alhama, would you then qualify for health care as we would be paying taxes on earnings in Spain. It's not a deal breaker but it would be handy.
> 
> ...


Personally, and if I had my time again, I would not buy any other property that the one I and my family live in.

The idea of having other property to rent out and then live off the rental income is a false one in Spain (IMHO).

So many doors are closed to us just because we have more than one property. For example, even though the properties are not worth much and generate little or no income, we are unable to get becas for our children's schooling, we are unable to get reduced IBI bills on these (empty) properties and we can not get autonomo health care. As Xabiachica says, hacienda will not allow me to declare my self as self-employed on the basis of having a 'property business'.


----------



## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

Alhama de Granada is often called, Little Ronda because of the gorge that runs through the town. It is an agricultural area. The land close to Alhama is great cereal growing country. It is cooler than the coast due to the higher elevation, but I go there often to a Venta called La Hospederia El Ventorro. It is the restaurant of a cave hotel. There are hot springs in Alhama de Granada if you know where to look. It is a beautiful place to visit. 
Alhama de Granada is about 35 minutes from where I live. It is a very compact little town, it is about 30 minutes from Granada airport.


----------



## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Thanks xabiachica and snikpoh for clarifying the healthcare and property thing. At least I know we're I would stand with that and would take out the private healthcare for the first year at least. The idea of the holiday let was not as sole income, it was more of an extra income as I have an early retirement pension which will be doable.

Also whitenoiz thanks for your input and the link to the blog, it looks interesting. How do you find it living in your quiet village close to Alhama, we like quiet and are not to fussed on having a large ex pat community but I'm certainly no Robinson Crusoe so a few would be good. We are looking at various areas and options and yes that road that we have taken down to Periana and Velez certainly seemed a bit dodgy.

Yes Aron I can see why it's called little Ronda with the gorge, it's a very nice area.


----------



## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

> I'm certainly no Robinson Crusoe


 No that would be me, also known occasionally as Peter the Hermit. Insular, introspective and introverted thats me...
Up to a point its ok but it does get a little lonesome at times. We have two other full time Brit couples in the village but we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves and dont spend our time in each others pockets; in fact I haven't seen one of the couples for at least a couple of years. 

I like to think I get on well with the villagers; weve had our ups and downs in the past but I respect their privacy and they respect mine. Locally I'm known as the mad Inglés who takes in the village waifs and strays. (There is one in most villages; its an easy trap to fall into!). 

Our domestic water supply is undrinkable and sometimes the supply is unreliable; in 2011 the tap water was turned off on Dec 24th and remained off until Jan 2nd; bottled water from the local shop or 'agua potable' from one of the village pumps is the order of the day. Our electricity supply is liable to frequent brownouts and interruptions and our ADSL internet can be very slow at times. But these are things one comes to live with in the campo; the locals just shrug and get on with it. Overall the village is described as 'muy tranquilo' except at Fiesta time in August when for three days in a row its wall to wall noise 24 hours a day with fireworks, live bands and frightened dogs. Considered by some to be fun, to me Fiesta is a total P.I.T.A... my usual happy go lucky persona becomes that of Victor Meldrew.

In case you havent been there and fancy a quiet day out from Alhama take the A338 down through Cacin (another local village and the Administartive Centre for ours) and visit the Embalse de Bermajales, a local reservoir with wooded picnic areas and very stony beach. Lakeside, there are a couple of seasonal cafe restaurants there and a watersports centre near a caravan site. The lake is occasionally used by the Spanish Airforce Canadair CL215 Firefighting Waterbombers for training purposes. These guys are among the unsung heroes of Spain; its a dangerous and absolutely essential aspect of Spanish life. 






Continuing down the A338 one has an (occasionally hairy) alternate route into Granada. The A338 emerges at the Armilla interchange with the A44 Jaen-Motril autovia and Granada ring road. Handy for Carrefour Hypermarket and large branch of Lidl and the Parc Ciencias.
Northbound out of Alhama (again the A338) there is a scenic route through Salar which has a few permanent Brits. Then its to Huetor Tajar and or Loja both of which have a thriving Brit community. Hope some of this helps!


----------



## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Actually whitenoiz that sort of place sounds appealing to me and as for the waifs and strays only yesterday my wife commanded me to get off the greyhound rescue site. She has visions of coming home and being greeted by a number of greyhounds. It was only later in the day I was reading they are prone to heat stroke so probably not a good idea and I'll wait until we settle in Spain. Great clip.


----------

