# Moving to spain



## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

I AM NEW TO THIS SITE AND READ ONE OF THE THREADS FROM A LADY ASKING ABOUT MOVING TO SPAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE

MY PARTNER AND I ARE AT THIS STAGE AND INTEND MOVING TO SPAIN AROUND SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR

I WILL START GETTING MY STATE PENSION IN MAY 2014 AND DO NOT INTEND TO WORK IN SPAIN BUT MY PARTNER WILL BE 54 SO WAY OFF PENSION AGE AND ALTHO HE WILL NOT NEED TO WORK FULL TIME WILL NEED TO BE OUT FROM UNDER MY FEET 

I REALLY NEED TO KNOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE WE GO AS FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED ALTHO I HAVE VISITED SPAIN AS A TOURIST MANY TIMES

ANY HELP IS MORE THAN APPRECIATED


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Spain is a huge diverse area, whereabouts do you intend to locate.

Just notice, Brighouse, I'm from Holmfirth.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

laurabw said:


> I AM NEW TO THIS SITE AND READ ONE OF THE THREADS FROM A LADY ASKING ABOUT MOVING TO SPAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE
> 
> MY PARTNER AND I ARE AT THIS STAGE AND INTEND MOVING TO SPAIN AROUND SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR
> 
> ...


:welcome:

as said, Spain is huge, so let us know where you've been & what you liked & maybe someone will know the perfect place

you do need to know that you'll need to prove that you have sufficient income & healthcare provision (contact the DWP about healthcare - your husband can be registered as your dependant as a pensioner with S1s) 

you say your husband won't need to work full time - if you can't live comfortably on your pension then it will difficult - unemployment in Spain is rapidly heading towards 30% nationally & is already higher in some areas - if you'll *need *an extra income, this isn't the right time




PS. could your turn your capitals lock off, please. Writing in all capitals is considered to be shouting & bad forum protocol


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

thanks for your response.

Still researching places but I liked the town of Torrevieja and stayed there 5 years back. We want somewhere near the coast but also not too far from supermarkets etc - we are not nightclub goers or regular drinkers but do like the occasional pub quiz. 

Children and grandchildren will be coming to stay so we are also looking with that in mind. Saying that I love the sea and swimming and am probably more energetic than them. 

best of all worlds? we hope so.


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

PS Sorry about the CAPS


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

Torrevieja is a Marmite town - it seems you either love it or hate it. Spain is a big country - you need to sort out what are your priorities. For example, do you have any intention to learn Spanish? If you don't that could rule out a number of options.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

He's right

Torrevieja aint Spain, its an ex pat paradise. If thats what you want (lots of expats) then god luck with it. Personally its one of the very last areas of Spain I would look at, but we all have different views


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

thank you for your message.

We are both learning Spanish at the moment and there are labels all over the house in Spanish, and intent to be as fluent as possible before moving.

We must be near the coast and not too far from shops, banks etc, so dont want to be inland but other than that we really are adaptable and intend renting for quite a while as we do not intend returning to England to live. I have been reading up on taxes (now totally confused) and have to sort out medical provisions (we are both fit now)

Finances are sorted but now need to know what we must and must nor do.


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

thanks for your message.

Yes we do know that its Blackpool with sun and full of expats but thought that may help to ease our way into living in Spain (before we go out into the big wide world of Spain so to speak) 
I have been holidaying in Spain since 1960 - long before there were hotels etc - tho I have been visiting Greece for the last 30 years - but dont want to live there.

Everywhere is different living there to going on holiday so as I said all help is appreciated.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

laurabw said:


> Everywhere is different living there to going on holiday so as I said all help is appreciated.


Im glad you said that. A lot of people dont take that into consideration


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

thanks for messages - time to turn off computer and watch a bit of telly on the 2nd hottest day of the year here - yes it really has been over 30degrees - (we live right in the centre of Brighouse)

So goodnight all and can't wait to be out there


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

Stravinsky said:


> He's right
> 
> Torrevieja aint Spain, its an ex pat paradise. If thats what you want (lots of expats) then god luck with it. Personally its one of the very last areas of Spain I would look at, but we all have different views


You are right. I live in a semi rural part of Andalucia. I have been to the La Zenia Torrevieja area twice. Apart from the Motorway toll booth, everyone else spoke English. One of the things I enjoy about Spain are my Spanish neighbours!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

You should visit your chosen destination in January to experience the winter months.


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

Hepa said:


> You should visit your chosen destination in January to experience the winter months.


I have stayed in Spain several times during the winter and to be honest prefer the winter to the summer there.

We don't intend to burn our boats but go from September to May the first time then wind up in UK:ranger:

Can't really think of much I would miss here tho (except family and think we would see them more)


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

laurabw said:


> I have stayed in Spain several times during the winter and to be honest prefer the winter to the summer there.
> 
> We don't intend to burn our boats but go from September to May the first time then wind up in UK:ranger:
> 
> Can't really think of much I would miss here tho (except family and think we would see them more)


I miss pork pies


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

Hepa said:


> I miss pork pies


ok you got me there


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

laurabw said:


> ok you got me there


Here we are two of the four English residents on the entire island, so English produce is completely unknown. I remember Jones pork pies, but I think he has ceased trading.

Photos of where we live on link below.


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## stevec2x (Mar 24, 2012)

Stravinsky said:


> He's right
> 
> Torrevieja aint Spain, its an ex pat paradise. If thats what you want (lots of expats) then god luck with it. Personally its one of the very last areas of Spain I would look at, but we all have different views


Quite right - I live in Torrevieja - it's full of expats, from Norway, Russia, Holland, ,Hungary, Germany and, err oh yeah! England,Scotland,Ireland! And during the summer, expats from Madrid. There's even some Welsh here! lol

Perhaps it's London with sun and without pollution...(an ugly version of Barcelona anybody?)

One of my mates is half Spanish and loves it here, though he does slag off the Spanish a lot!

As Stravinsky said, we all have different views - if you want to start out the hard way, in a purely Spanish or Valenciana speaking village (there's more than one native language in Spain!) - that's up to you.

Hope I've balanced out some of the responses to your query!


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

Thanks for your message.

I happen to agree with you in that it would be far easier to ease our way into Spanish life with English speakers and to a certain degree being able to obtain English foods.

I have always plunged into other countries wholeheartedly and learned a bit of the language but that was great for holidays and also I was younger.

Now having just retired I feel like I should do things the easy way for a while and who knows may just stay in the Torrevieja area - I really did like the town.

My partner would probably say the same as he is all for an easy life, but the prospect of far less illness due to the cold damp weather is what most appeals to us, so we may well do the winters in Spain and summers in England. (for now)

Nothing is written in concrete and I have to say adaptability is foremost with us and a challenge is just something we haven't done yet.:fingerscrossed:

We wish a good day to all and maybe see you soon.


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## DianaMA (Jul 11, 2013)

If I were you, I'd definitely choose a coastal medium town or a little cozy village in the North of Spain. It's not as sunny as in the South or the Mediterranean, but there's many reasons to live there: you'll have the chance to live as a Spaniard not just in a expat community (as it's Torrevieja) -which will be the same as living in your country of origin; food is much better in the North; you won't be treat as a tourist (people from the North are not very used to tourists, so they don't deceived tourists -for example, restaurants don't have special menus for tourists, which are always worse and more expensive); you'll get amazing mountains close to stunning beaches and most of them isolated, off-beaten spots you'll adore!; and as you already know a bit the South, this is the opportunity to discover another world. Trust me, the North of Spain is magical and has a lot to offer. Nobody wants to move from here!


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## ptrclvd (May 26, 2012)

DianaMA said:


> If I were you, I'd definitely choose a coastal medium town or a little cozy village in the North of Spain. It's not as sunny as in the South or the Mediterranean, but there's many reasons to live there: you'll have the chance to live as a Spaniard not just in a expat community (as it's Torrevieja) -which will be the same as living in your country of origin; food is much better in the North; you won't be treat as a tourist (people from the North are not very used to tourists, so they don't deceived tourists -for example, restaurants don't have special menus for tourists, which are always worse and more expensive); you'll get amazing mountains close to stunning beaches and most of them isolated, off-beaten spots you'll adore!; and as you already know a bit the South, this is the opportunity to discover another world. Trust me, the North of Spain is magical and has a lot to offer. Nobody wants to move from here!


The same applies to a lot of Spain not just the north. My village is in the lower(ish) reaches of the Sierra de los Filabres in Almeria. The village is very Spanish ...not much English spoken at all. Everyone is really friendly,the restaurants are cheap and certainly not tourist orientated ,the mountains superb and 25 k away are the fabulous beaches of the Costa Almeria and the Cabo de Gato. It is true we do not get much rain and it can get a bit hot in the high summer but the winters are great and the spring and autumn superb. We have eagles overhead and ibex up the slopes. Indeed it is a bird watchers, walkers and astronomers paradise. It is perfect for us but people all over Spain will say the same. You just need to know what it is you want out of life.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

DianaMA said:


> If I were you, I'd definitely choose a coastal medium town or a little cozy village in the North of Spain. It's not as sunny as in the South or the Mediterranean, but there's many reasons to live there: you'll have the chance to live as a Spaniard not just in a expat community (as it's Torrevieja) -which will be the same as living in your country of origin; food is much better in the North; you won't be treat as a tourist (people from the North are not very used to tourists, so they don't deceived tourists -for example, restaurants don't have special menus for tourists, which are always worse and more expensive); you'll get amazing mountains close to stunning beaches and most of them isolated, off-beaten spots you'll adore!; and as you already know a bit the South, this is the opportunity to discover another world. Trust me, the North of Spain is magical and has a lot to offer. Nobody wants to move from here!


 Torrevieja is not everyone's cup of tea, and certainly isn't mine as my posts on previous threads show, BUT as I said on those threads there are many very happy British people living there. For many people the British food, British press, and British sport etc is essential to their well being. I don't agree that special menus directed at tourists are all bad quality and pricey. If that were true of Torrevieja you wouldn't get decent food in 90% of restaurants! There has got to be good food somewhere!
However, I do agree that the north of Spain (where my husband is from) is beautiful, usually has better weather than the UK (not true this year however!) and is largely ignored by Brits, but everyone to their own, surely!


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## ptrclvd (May 26, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Torrevieja is not everyone's cup of tea, and certainly isn't mine as my posts on previous threads show, BUT as I said on those threads there are many very happy British people living there. For many people the British food, British press, and British sport etc is essential to their well being. I don't agree that special menus directed at tourists are all bad quality and pricey. If that were true of Torrevieja you wouldn't get decent food in 90% of restaurants! There has got to be good food somewhere!
> However, I do agree that the north of Spain (where my husband is from) is beautiful, usually has better weather than the UK (not true this year however!) and is largely ignored by Brits, but everyone to their own, surely!


Totally agree . It is a really good job we all do not like the same type of thing otherwise the place offering it would get awfully crowded....which funnily enough just what I do not like. Over 30 years of working in London has meant that all I want now is space around me!


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Retirement from work can be a shock to the system, make sure you have at least one hobby that will take up some of your time. A lot of brits you find propping up the local bar seven days a week often just have too much time on their hands.


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

DianaMA said:


> If I were you, I'd definitely choose a coastal medium town or a little cozy village in the North of Spain. It's not as sunny as in the South or the Mediterranean, but there's many reasons to live there: you'll have the chance to live as a Spaniard not just in a expat community (as it's Torrevieja) -which will be the same as living in your country of origin; food is much better in the North; you won't be treat as a tourist (people from the North are not very used to tourists, so they don't deceived tourists -for example, restaurants don't have special menus for tourists, which are always worse and more expensive); you'll get amazing mountains close to stunning beaches and most of them isolated, off-beaten spots you'll adore!; and as you already know a bit the South, this is the opportunity to discover another world. Trust me, the North of Spain is magical and has a lot to offer. Nobody wants to move from here!


Thanks for your message

We used to visit the north of Spain when I was a child and the biggest thing I remember is that the Bay of Biscay was very rough and since I want to be able to swim daily that has put me off. 

Saying that, we have no rush to be anywhere so have looked into the possibility of staying in the Vera Player area for a month or so to have a good look around - great since it is not too far from the Santander ferry (my partner has never driven abroad and doesn't fancy the long drive south - I don't drive ) 

What we really need to know is about taxes and driving regulations etc - also to sort out healthcare. We need to know about paying UK taxes or Spanish and what we can and cannot do.

My partner is a masseur so hopefully will get some part-time work but we can manage without this. I will not be working again as of course most people consider me to be a dinosaur. (unless I can get some voluntary etc)

I think everyone loves the area they live in - so it will be down to us to see what suits and hopefully see some of the country on the way.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

If you mean Vera Playa, that's in Almería, about as far from Santander as you can get in Spain - around 1000km...


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

Madliz said:


> If you mean Vera Playa, that's in Almería, about as far from Santander as you can get in Spain - around 1000km...



Thanks for that I will look it up. I was offered a property in Vera Player and was informed it was on north coast. Ooops!


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

DianaMA said:


> If I were you, I'd definitely choose a coastal medium town or a little cozy village in the North of Spain. It's not as sunny as in the South or the Mediterranean, but there's many reasons to live there: you'll have the chance to live as a Spaniard not just in a expat community (as it's Torrevieja) -which will be the same as living in your country of origin; food is much better in the North; you won't be treat as a tourist (people from the North are not very used to tourists, so they don't deceived tourists -for example, restaurants don't have special menus for tourists, which are always worse and more expensive); you'll get amazing mountains close to stunning beaches and most of them isolated, off-beaten spots you'll adore!; and as you already know a bit the South, this is the opportunity to discover another world. Trust me, the North of Spain is magical and has a lot to offer. Nobody wants to move from here!


We went on holiday to the Santander area in April, we live in the Med and they say a change is as good as a rest. It was absolutely fabulous! Stunning beaches - tides. yay!- incredible mountains Picos de Europa, lovely countryside, and Santander is an amazing city, we were there at 7pm in early April and the temperature was 30 degrees - though guess that's not normal. Downside is cold sea and some very ugly resort towns. Got to agree with above, it is certainly worth considering and belive it or not you can get fed up with wall to wall scorching sunshine, says she hiding indoors with the aircon on!


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

Hepa said:


> I miss pork pies


My OH would second that! Get her indoors to make some- or do it yourself. It's really easy, ther's no mystery, and just as delicious a result as the genuine article, I make some for a treat every Christmas, trouble is all your friends want you to make one for them as well! Think I got the recipe from the BBC good food website. Day 1 you make the pastry,and shape it round some jars, day 2 make the filling and bake, day 3 put the jelly in. Day 5 you start again because they've eaten them all!,


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

JaneyO said:


> My OH would second that! Get her indoors to make some- or do it yourself. It's really easy, ther's no mystery, and just as delicious a result as the genuine article, I make some for a treat every Christmas, trouble is all your friends want you to make one for them as well! Think I got the recipe from the BBC good food website. Day 1 you make the pastry,and shape it round some jars, day 2 make the filling and bake, day 3 put the jelly in. Day 5 you start again because they've eaten them all!,


Crucial is the pastry. For any form of raised pie you MUST use hot-water crust so that it will keep its shape. What you put in is entirely up to you. You can put in jelly if that is your choice but it is poured in through the steam vent on the top after the pie is cooked.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

laurabw said:


> Thanks for your message
> 
> We used to visit the north of Spain when I was a child and the biggest thing I remember is that the Bay of Biscay was very rough and since I want to be able to swim daily that has put me off.
> 
> ...


Don't forget to include the northwest - Galicia on the west facing coast (facing the Atlantic) are _rías_ small inlets reminiscent of fjords with lovely clean beaches. It is fresh and green and a breath of fresh air for us, since where we live inland in Andalucía, by this time of the year most of the vegetation is normally burnt to a crisp but we do have other consolations.

Driving in Spain is much easier than in UK. For a start, there is much less traffic on the main roads and you can drive quite easily from Santander to the CdS or Almería without going through built-up areas. We have driven six times between UK/Spain via France and the tunnel and I can assure you that after the roads in UK and in France, driving in Spain is a motorists dream - even going round the outside of Madrid only takes about 20-30 minutes at the worst time of the day (at the best it can take 15-20 minutes, max.) far better than 2 hours going round the M25!!


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> Crucial is the pastry. For any form of raised pie you MUST use hot-water crust so that it will keep its shape. What you put in is entirely up to you. You can put in jelly if that is your choice but it is poured in through the steam vent on the top after the pie is cooked.


Exactly. I was surprised how easy the hot water pastry is to make. One word of warning I tried to cut corners once and omitted to chill it overnight on the moulds, it went a very interesting shape in the cooking. Well worth a go though, especially as Spanish pork is so delicious and cheap.


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## laurabw (Jul 8, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> Don't forget to include the northwest - Galicia on the west facing coast (facing the Atlantic) are _rías_ small inlets reminiscent of fjords with lovely clean beaches. It is fresh and green and a breath of fresh air for us, since where we live inland in Andalucía, by this time of the year most of the vegetation is normally burnt to a crisp but we do have other consolations.
> 
> Driving in Spain is much easier than in UK. For a start, there is much less traffic on the main roads and you can drive quite easily from Santander to the CdS or Almería without going through built-up areas. We have driven six times between UK/Spain via France and the tunnel and I can assure you that after the roads in UK and in France, driving in Spain is a motorists dream - even going round the outside of Madrid only takes about 20-30 minutes at the worst time of the day (at the best it can take 15-20 minutes, max.) far better than 2 hours going round the M25!!


Thanks. It's great to know about the driving, my partner is a confident driver but would not fancy driving 1,000k in one go. By using the ferry we miss out France altogether so will have the benefit of Spanish roads only. We propose to cross the country in stages and also having the benefit of seeing Spain - many years since I have been there and my partner never has except for one or two weeks in resorts. 
Since we are going to be in Spain all winter we really need as much warmth as possible and while the north coast may be great in summer perhaps not so good in winter. We want the happy medium so perhaps 6 months south and 6 months north??
It is great to hear from people in different parts of the country and what they like or dislike about their particular area. Also about problems and how they have been overcome.
Our heatwave continues as is over 30c most days but being England will be surprised if it lasts through the school holidays. Authorities are not coping (like wrong leaves on the track?) am sure we will soon have floods again.
thanks again to all and hopefully see you next year.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Hi Laura, I'm right in the middle of the country near Madrid. I'd say that winter months in the south and summer months in the north would be perfect, if you can bear the unheaval. My house is on the market and I love my property porn  - drooling over Malaga in the winter but Cantabria in the summer!

I've found this site great for comparing various areas for their climate:

Montly Climate Maps for Spain and Canary Islands

Of course it only mentions averages, but it's interesting to have a comparison to London. 

The current heatwave in Britain should be a warning to many would-be expats - it is unbearable sometimes when the heat goes on and on, especially the hot nights, unless you're prepared for large electricity bills for cooling appliances. Electricity is expensive here. People also don't realise that the winters can be very cold too - I've registered -13ºC here - so check climates carefully in your intended area and look for air conditioning/central heating if comfort's important to you.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

laurabw said:


> Thanks. It's great to know about the driving, my partner is a confident driver but would not fancy driving 1,000k in one go. By using the ferry we miss out France altogether so will have the benefit of Spanish roads only. We propose to cross the country in stages and also having the benefit of seeing Spain - many years since I have been there and my partner never has except for one or two weeks in resorts.
> Since we are going to be in Spain all winter we really need as much warmth as possible and while the north coast may be great in summer perhaps not so good in winter. We want the happy medium so perhaps 6 months south and 6 months north??
> It is great to hear from people in different parts of the country and what they like or dislike about their particular area. Also about problems and how they have been overcome.
> Our heatwave continues as is over 30c most days but being England will be surprised if it lasts through the school holidays. Authorities are not coping (like wrong leaves on the track?) am sure we will soon have floods again.
> thanks again to all and hopefully see you next year.


Galicia, I think you would find quite pleasurable as far as temperature is concerned, but it does rain quite a bit. As far as the 1,000 km are concerned - between the North of Spain and the southern part where we live, we would normally break our journey just north of Madrid where there is a Campanile (beside the A6):

Campanile Madrid Las Rozas
Address: Ctra. La Coruña (N-Vi / A6) Km. 22,5 
Las Rozas, 28230 
Spain 
Phone: +34912113300

This also accepts pets and is reasonable priced. It is a good idea to book through Booking.com: 327,279 hotels worldwide. 22+ million hotel reviews. from whom you will get better prices.

From there you are quite easily onto the M50 to go westabout round Madrid to the exit for R4 and hence to the autovía south. It is very simple going round Madrid just follow the signs for the road you wish to leave on (in this case, the R4) 

Of course, you could always break your journey at another point such as Segovia or Ávila but that would leave you just a bit more to do further south.


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## Grievesy73 (Jul 10, 2013)

ptrclvd said:


> The same applies to a lot of Spain not just the north. My village is in the lower(ish) reaches of the Sierra de los Filabres in Almeria. The village is very Spanish ...not much English spoken at all. Everyone is really friendly,the restaurants are cheap and certainly not tourist orientated ,the mountains superb and 25 k away are the fabulous beaches of the Costa Almeria and the Cabo de Gato. It is true we do not get much rain and it can get a bit hot in the high summer but the winters are great and the spring and autumn superb. We have eagles overhead and ibex up the slopes. Indeed it is a bird watchers, walkers and astronomers paradise. It is perfect for us but people all over Spain will say the same. You just need to know what it is you want out of life.


Eagles overhead and Ibex on the slopes.....I'm sooooo jealous!


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

Grievesy73 said:


> Eagles overhead and Ibex on the slopes.....I'm sooooo jealous!


We live just over the hills from Lubrin, (nr. Los Cojos) and first let me say, we love it (apart from a few too many Brits ..... & everyone of 'em is an expert..... but more of that in another thread perhaps), but the local Spanish, who are the main reason we are here.....lovely people....... are farmer/hunters and if it moves, and you can eat it, it gets shot..... maybe that's why I haven't seen any Ibex


What people who want to move to Spain must understand is that "Spain" is just a collective noun for loads of little, totally different countries and what happens here (out in the campo in darkest Almeria) is totally different to anywhere else .... even in other places in Andalucia so saying "I want to move to Spain" is a totally meaningless statement.

And Torrevieja?.... best of luck with that one.....bloody awful place ..... er...... just my opinion you understand


Doggy (Sorry if that's a bit blunt but I'm a geordie. We don't do tact & just tell it how we see it (best way IMO) ...... & the poster who said that's no excuse can kiss my Ibex)


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

owdoggy said:


> We live just over the hills from Lubrin, (nr. Los Cojos) and first let me say, we love it (apart from a few too many Brits ..... & everyone of 'em is an expert..... but more of that in another thread perhaps), but the local Spanish, who are the main reason we are here.....lovely people....... are farmer/hunters and if it moves, and you can eat it, it gets shot..... maybe that's why I haven't seen any Ibex
> 
> 
> What people who want to move to Spain must understand is that "Spain" is just a collective noun for loads of little, totally different countries and what happens here (out in the campo in darkest Almeria) is totally different to anywhere else .... even in other places in Andalucia so saying "I want to move to Spain" is a totally meaningless statement.
> ...


That is all very true. Andalucia isn't homogenous by any means. Neither is the CdS a ribbon of high-rise development - although much of it is. We can drive to the sea, to an unspoilt beach, in under ten minutes and to the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja in under fifteen. From the front upstairs balcony we can see the sea, from the rear upstairs balcony the mountains. On New Year's Eve we can stand outside and watch the firework displays from the cruise ships anchored near Gibraltar.
I do agree about Torrevieja. When I was there in the late 1960s it was a tiny fishing village with huge salt flats around it. I was a student, carefree and eager to see the world so we drove down the east coast of Spain then back across to Madrid and down south again to the Portuguese border and back home up the Atlantic coast. That was a very different Spain. Then in the early 1980s we used to spend six weeks every summer in a pretty but basic finca in rural Ibiza. That was before the 18 to 30 Club crowd took the island over. There were a lot of rather eccentric but interesting people living on the island then...Terry Thomas, Dermot Elliot, a lot of semi-closeted gays.
I loathe noisy, crowded resorts, wherever they are. Torrevieja would be my idea of hell on earth. But it's a question of taste and it's obviously very popular with hundreds of thousands of tourists and foreign residents, just like Alicante and Benidorm. In the 1960s Alicante was quite genteel, rather like 1960s Bournemouth on heat. Now I gather it's like 1990s Great Yarmouth on heat.
I hate changes of any kind and have been known on revisiting a place after forty years or so to bemoan bitterly the fact that it has changed.
Ah well...'twouldn't do for us to be all alike, as my old Gran used to say.
Or, as Terry Wogan once memorably said: Sic transit Gloria Swanson.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

owdoggy said:


> What people who want to move to Spain must understand is that "Spain" is just a collective noun for loads of little, totally different countries and what happens here (out in the campo in darkest Almeria) is totally different to anywhere else .... even in other places in Andalucia so saying "I want to move to Spain" is a totally meaningless statement.
> 
> And Torrevieja?.... best of luck with that one.....bloody awful place ..... er...... just my opinion you understand
> 
> ...


I like the idea that "Spain is just a collective noun" for loads of very different places, and I think it takes people a long time to understand that talking about "Spain" is not a very useful exercise.
Torrevieja. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, which I imagine you agree with as you don't seem to batter people with your opinion.
And the poster who said that saying "I don't do tact" is no excuse, would be ME and there's no way I'm kissing your ibex, you can bet your Geordie whatsits on that!
When people say I don't do tact, it's often a let out clause which is used for being rude. There's a difference between talking straight and insulting, in my southern book.


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## tonemar (Nov 9, 2010)

*go for it*

Very interesting, we have gone through the exact same experience of what to do where to go etc, we have now actually bought, and will be moving in a few months. It is the Torrevieja area but not Torrevieja. There are many delightful towns and areas around which give the quite and peaceful life, but, in easy reach literally minutes away, so, as far as we can see the best of both worlds. Have had some very good experiences with Solicitors and Estate Agents, contrary to what you sometimes hear.
Not appropriate to name names here but happy to share our experience by e-mail
Regards


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## Soosie (Jul 17, 2013)

We were in our Villa in inland Malaga area & woke up to snow on the sunbeds a few years ago!!!
Also it can be a bit of a passion killer when you go to bed (electric blanket) with socks, track suit bottoms, t shirt & bobble hat!!!!! remember the walls of an older property (like ours!!) are usually single thickness brick, so there's no cavity wall insulation, & as has been said, the electric meter can generate it's own electricity when it's whizzing round if you put the air con to heat.
Also, a lot of our windows aren't double glazed, so any heat just goes out through the glass (which doesn't fit very well!!!) we're planning to get double glazing & a log burning stove for next winter!!! but can't do anything about the lack of cavity walls!!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Soosie said:


> We were in our Villa in inland Malaga area & woke up to snow on the sunbeds a few years ago!!!
> Also it can be a bit of a passion killer when you go to bed (electric blanket) with socks, track suit bottoms, t shirt & bobble hat!!!!! remember the walls of an older property (like ours!!) are usually single thickness brick, so there's no cavity wall insulation, & as has been said, the electric meter can generate it's own electricity when it's whizzing round if you put the air con to heat.
> Also, a lot of our windows aren't double glazed, so any heat just goes out through the glass (which doesn't fit very well!!!) we're planning to get double glazing & a log burning stove for next winter!!! but can't do anything about the lack of cavity walls!!


What you can do is have a plasterboard layer on studding inside the walls with some form of insulation (fiibreglass/rockwool/expanded polystyrene, etc )in between but it does reduce the room size by a minimum of about 15cm in each direction.


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