# Destination advice please.



## Buggles (Jun 20, 2016)

My husband has been offered jobs in Madrid, Costa Del Sol (Marbella) and Costa Blanca (nr Benidorm).

We are not sun seekers but obviously like nice weather especially in the winter months. I know the weather in all places will be massively better than the UK. We love mountains and coasts but equally like the buzz of a big city.

Wherever we end up we'd look to rent for the first 12 months and then but depending on exchange rates.

Are their any firm favourites or things to know in terms of these areas?

Many thanks.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Buggles said:


> My husband has been offered jobs in Madrid, Costa Del Sol (Marbella) and Costa Blanca (nr Benidorm).
> 
> We are not sun seekers but obviously like nice weather especially in the winter months. I know the weather in all places will be massively better than the UK. We love mountains and coasts but equally like the buzz of a big city.
> 
> ...


I live in the Comunidad de Madrid, not the city and it's a good place to live, especially with the capital only 40 mins away. There is no beach obviously, but there are beautiful mountains for walking and climbing and of course lots of places of interest like El Escorial, Aranjuez, La Granja de San Ildefonso, Navacerrada...
You might get snow and frost here though depending on where you live.


PS What work does your husband do?


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## webmarcos (Dec 25, 2012)

The weather in Madrid will not "be massively better than the UK" in winter. In fact it can be colder than much of southern England, and although you don't see much snow in the city itself, there will be some on higher ground. Yes, there is usually a lot more sunny, hot weather in summer, but some may find the temperatures too high. 
I think Madrid is a great place to live and work, but you may find the Costas are better for you, particularly if you are not fluent in Spanish. In any location remember that you can get rainy weeks outside of summer, and when that happens it doesn't feel so warm.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I'd go for the CDS. Nicer climate, less pollution, easy access to sea, natural parks and mountains, and if you want an urban buzz just head for Málaga or Seville for the weekend.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> I'd go for the CDS. Nicer climate, less pollution, easy access to sea, natural parks and mountains, and if you want an urban buzz just head for Málaga or Seville for the weekend.


One man's meat is another man's poison, or however that quote is... I think the winter climate on the CDS is good, but hate the summer. Too hot and humid. Madrid's climate is dry and it's easier to handle the heat


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Benidorm has lots of lovely English football supporters


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Pesky Wesky said:


> One man's meat is another man's poison, or however that quote is... I think the winter climate on the CDS is good, but hate the summer. Too hot and humid. Madrid's climate is dry and it's easier to handle the heat


this is so true that dry heat more comfortable...have been OK in the dry heat of Tunisia at 38C and suffered (sweated buckets) in massively humid Cyprus at only 28C.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

andyviola said:


> Benidorm has lots of lovely English football supporters


Ditto Madrid three weeks ago....


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

mrypg9 said:


> Ditto Madrid three weeks ago....


delightful gentlemen aren't they...


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

andyviola said:


> delightful gentlemen aren't they...



And women ......


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## ThinBreeze (Jun 28, 2019)

There's a big difference in the rhythm of life in Madrid and the Costa del sol, also there's another difference between the natives of each, it's not just a question of the weather 🙂


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

If you like the Costa Blanca there are some nice quieter towns like Javea, Albir, Altea, Alfaz Del Pi, Finistrat and La Cala.

All these towns have a large amount of expats and if you want the buzz of Benidorm it's only a short bus ride.

Steve


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## Simply Simon (Jan 18, 2019)

Advice on location is tricky. We have friends who live in Almeira and they love it. We visited there while we were looking for our new home and thought 'no trees, no ta!'. We looked in the hills near Valencia and thought 'too many trees, no ta!'. Other friends live in a big urbanisation near Torrevieja, loads of things to do, bars, restaurants, bowls, golf, ex-pat clubs and groups - not our cup of tea, but they love it. 

We looked at stunning town houses and realised that we are not town people, we go to bed when the locals are just going out and with absolutely no disrespect to the wonderful Spanish people they can be a bit 'shouty'.

After many visits we settled on Els Poblets, about 10k from Denia. Great access to the AP7 so we can pick up friends and relatives from Alicante or Valencia, a very un-touristy beach is 10 minutes walk away and we swim there every morning with just one or two dog walkers for company. Mountains and great places like Jalon and Lliber are just a short drive, everywhere locally is easily cycled to, flat roads with cycle paths. 

The village is alive, not just for holidays, the health centre is good, there is a very good dentist, Lidls is just up the road (I love their bread!), we have a couple of great restaurants and La Calma restaurant on the Almadrava beach is fantastic. We are just a short drive from the Portal De La Marina shopping centre in Ondara if we want ‘posh’ shops. The new Denia hospital is supposed to very good, hopefully we won’t have to put that to the test.

We’ve only been here 6 months but so far we are very happy. Of course there are niggles, mossies (not too many just a couple every night), barking dogs – is there anywhere in Spain where barking dogs don’t bark? The flippin’ paperwork is a pain, but all in all it is totally worth it. Spain is our home now and we ain’t not never ever leaving!

Sorry I waffled on there for hours, I do like a good waffle. I suppose my advice on location is to decide what you want, where you want it and how you would like it which will be different from everybody else in the world Have a look round, visit many places, stay a few days in each place, wander around, talk to the locals, eat in the restaurants, smile and be prepared to pay more for the location you want – you might not find the really cheap casa you have seen on the telly!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Simply Simon said:


> Advice on location is tricky. We have friends who live in Almeira and they love it. We visited there while we were looking for our new home and thought 'no trees, no ta!'. We looked in the hills near Valencia and thought 'too many trees, no ta!'. Other friends live in a big urbanisation near Torrevieja, loads of things to do, bars, restaurants, bowls, golf, ex-pat clubs and groups - not our cup of tea, but they love it.
> 
> We looked at stunning town houses and realised that we are not town people, we go to bed when the locals are just going out and with absolutely no disrespect to the wonderful Spanish people they can be a bit 'shouty'.
> 
> ...


Don't waste your time watching TV programmes like "A Place in the Sun" (even though SWMBO has been on a couple of them, as interpreter) go for reality, it is far better than false illusions, in the end.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

ThinBreeze said:


> There's a big difference in the rhythm of life in Madrid and the Costa del sol, also there's another difference between the natives of each, it's not just a question of the weather 🙂


 Madrid, like the Costa del Sol is not one city, it's a big area made up of many towns and villages. There are many, much smaller places with a different rhythm than Madrid capital, which is not that big anyway. 

https://www.sensacionrural.es/blog/pueblos-encanto-madrid/


Also Madrid, like any capital city has its busy areas and its quieter corners.
https://www.google.com/search?hs=zU...jAhWHMBQKHfIpAa8QsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1199&bih=926
Personally I find Madrid "difficult" in extreme heat like the last few days and if I have to go to Madrid for work - then I'm in the hustle and bustle of the city, but if I'm going to the cinema or an exhibition then I'm going at my off work rhythm, not the workers tempo.


Madrid is probably not the prettiest area in Spain, nor the quietest nor the best in many aspects, but to think of it as a big, loud, inhospitable city and nothing else is not telling the whole story either


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

andyviola said:


> delightful gentlemen aren't they...


Yes, most of them.


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