# Considering moving to north Spain from Costa Blanca



## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

Open to suggestions here. For a number of reasons we want to leave the Costa Brava and are looking north. Colder winters arent an issue as long as there is plenty of sunshine and THE HOUSES ARE WELL BUILT WITH CENTRAL HEATING!  Which I have been told we will find further north. 

So, recommendations please for attractive, upmarket, classy towns with lots of low level housing (not apartment blocks), in areas with plenty of places for gentle walks, within an hours drive of a good airport and 40 minutes of the sea.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Galicia - Vigo, Pontevedra - lovely area, always green but you do get more weather there.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Tanga said:


> Open to suggestions here. For a number of reasons we want to leave the Costa Brava and are looking north. Colder winters arent an issue as long as there is plenty of sunshine and THE HOUSES ARE WELL BUILT WITH CENTRAL HEATING!  Which I have been told we will find further north.
> 
> So, recommendations please for attractive, upmarket, classy towns with lots of low level housing (not apartment blocks), in areas with plenty of places for gentle walks, within an hours drive of a good airport and 40 minutes of the sea.


Well you cannot go far wrong with Asturias, as it has sea and mountains within fairly easy driving
distance of each other. The coastal towns and villages are particularly attractive with some parts
reminding me of Devon, there's also an Asturian coastal path along many parts of the coast.

The Airports nice and centrally located in the centre of Asturias and within easy driving distance
of the 3 cities of Aviles, Oviedo and Gijon.
Easyjet have a regular flight service between Asturias airport ( also known as Oviedo airport ) 
and London Stansted.
For International flights, Bilbao airport is little more than 3.5 hrs away by car for me, from 
Asturias.

Best of all Britanny Car ferries are but a 2 hour drive away from Asturias to Santander by the A8
and 3 to 3.5hrs away from Britanny Car Ferries other port outside Bilbao where, as you 
know your choice of UK ports are Portsmouth & Plymouth. So real handy for those Expats who
feel lost without their car when visiting friends and family in the UK.

Best of all little or no traffic jams except on a summers weekend from those returning home
from the beach in the evening. Your average Asturian commuter travels with a deckchair in one
arm and a towel slung over the shoulder of their other arm, with perhaps a brolly to hand, 
if the sky turns cloudy.

Finally for upmarket towns, no doubt Oviedo will be your choice for a classy city and for low
level housing with a bit of exclusivity, you can always check out the gated parts of these
cities. There's even the odd gated village - although they tend to be new and a little bit
out of the way.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

All that Williams has said, (I love Asturias) but you could also include Santander and Bilbao both of which could be defined as classy or having classy areas with very little high rise and lots of building at 4 or 5 stories and residential areas of houses. Santander might not have a lot going on, I'm not sure, but Bilbao has everything - football, concerts, gyms, cinema, art, great food, not too big, good transport, great walking in and around the city, beaches nearby
PS My MIL lives in Bilbao and has central heating and carpet!!
All my husband's family (40+) have central heating and when we have gone to holiday apartments in Asturias they have all had central heating too


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

Tanga said:


> Open to suggestions here. For a number of reasons we want to leave the Costa Brava and are looking north. Colder winters arent an issue as long as there is plenty of sunshine and THE HOUSES ARE WELL BUILT WITH CENTRAL HEATING!  Which I have been told we will find further north.
> 
> So, recommendations please for attractive, upmarket, classy towns with lots of low level housing (not apartment blocks), in areas with plenty of places for gentle walks, within an hours drive of a good airport and 40 minutes of the sea.


Costa Brava is not in the north?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mickbcn said:


> Costa Brava is not in the north?


mick, pay attention. They wish to move North *from* the Costa Blanca


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

The Costa Brava is not the north of Spain.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Horlics said:


> The Costa Brava is not the north of Spain.


 Yes it is. Well let's put it this way, if you went any further north you'd be in France... Anyway the OP said they were in the Costa Blanca and were looking to go north and the Costa Brava is futher north than the Costa Blanca


To the OP, more info about Asturias/ northern Spain

https://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/1118377-asturias.html


https://www.expatforum.com/expats/s...g-spain/94516-northern-spain-north-spain.html


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes it is. Well let's put it this way, if you went any further north you'd be in France... Anyway the OP said they were in the Costa Blanca and were looking to go north and the Costa Brava is futher north than the Costa Blanca
> 
> 
> To the OP, more info about Asturias/ northern Spain
> ...


Looks like Asturias & the far north are off the radar as far as the OP is concerned, as Tanga has since
indicated a preference for Barcelona and the Girona area of Spain, north-east of the Costa Blanca.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes it is.


Ah but you forget Pesky, Catalonia is NOT SPAIN (shouted in the style of a frothing separatist).

Mick can't have it both ways.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Horlics said:


> Ah but you forget Pesky, Catalonia is NOT SPAIN (shouted in the style of a frothing separatist).
> 
> Mick can't have it both ways.


But without doubt Catalonia is south of Andorra whether your a separatist or not.


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## Ilovepatnevin (Feb 26, 2009)

There are no more flights to the UK from Asturias airport after 29 October (easyJet, Vueling and Iberia are all stopping). The local paper reports that this might change but you need to bear in mind that air links to peripheral areas of Spain are not guaranteed.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Ilovepatnevin said:


> There are no more flights to the UK from Asturias airport after 29 October (easyJet, Vueling and Iberia are all stopping). The local paper reports that this might change but you need to bear in mind that air links to peripheral areas of Spain are not guaranteed.



Ahhhhhhh !!! Asturias is Brexited already - is there no end to this stupidity ??? 

:rant: :rant: :rant:


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## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

*I meant Costa Blanca*



mickbcn said:


> Costa Brava is not in the north?



Ooops, sorry, I meant Costa Blanca!


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