# Help me narrow my choices...what do you LOVe about where you live in Spain?



## Melissa58275 (Apr 14, 2014)

At the end of the year, I'll retire from my job in the US and hope to fulfill a life-long dream to live for at least some period, possibly forevermore, in Europe. Spain is a top candidate largely because I want a place with a mild year-round climate and where I can get the required long-term residency visa/permits reasonably easily.

I'm doing a lot of reading and some browsing of real estate sites to try to narrow the choices of promising areas to explore more fully and visit. I'm finding that difficult, partly because so many places sound wonderful and partly because I don't have strong inclination about some key questions: Large vs. small city vs. town, mountains vs. ocean. I could be happy in any of them, depending on what else they offer. So far the only criteria I'm sure about:


 Mild year-round climate
 Affordable property prices or long-term rentals
 Cost of living (including taxes in the total) that is no higher than in the US, and preferably lower
 Relatively good access for travel to the rest of the country and continent
 At least one good option for intensive language training
 Some place I can walk to at least a handful of restaurants/cafes plus green grocer or farmers' market on a daily basis (and preferably butcher and/or fishmonger)
 A vibrant and welcoming expat community nearby

Any suggestions? Tell me what you love about where you live, please. I so wish I could spend a year or two traveling about finding the perfect place, but I think I've got to narrow the choices, at least a little!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I love the fact that although on the CdS thevillage I live in is very quiet, predominantly Spanish and non- touristy although it's within easy reach of two largeish towns and two airports.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Don't even think of where we live, we are two of the four English expats, no North Americans.

Climate is the best in the world, cost of living is cheaper than most places. Access to the continent is 45 mintues, but that is the African Continent. 

Excellent facilities for learning the language, you either learn quickly or starve, English here is not used.

All shops are near, farmers market, no not here.

We do now have flush toilets, and in the late 1970's electricity arrive nightly for just four hours.

El Hierro is the place, photos below, but they won't be to your taste


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## Kerry UK (May 7, 2013)

Hi, I moved to El Campello on Costa Blanca at the beginning of January, this year. I couldn't be happier. I have made lots of new friends, the expat community here is not huge, but there are plenty of English speaking people. When I came here I joined the local "English Speaking Club", which has members from several nationalities, including Spanish, who enjoy talking to each other in English, for whatever reason. I recently joined in the informal Spanish classes they hold at the club, and they are great, but I find the best way to learn is just to try to speak Spanish to the people you meet every day, it is surprising (and so rewarding!) how much you pick up when you are practising every day.

As for transport links, El Campello has a brilliant tram service, it is really easy to travel to Alicante, with a bus link to Alicante Elche airport, or the RENFE rail station. And if you want to go on the tram in the opposite direction, you have Benidorm, and then links to Denia, Calpe etc. I have found the public transport in this area to be superb, and very cheap when I compare what I used to pay in the UK.

I think the best way to approach a move to Spain would be to draw up a shortlist of a few places you think you might like, then go for a short stay in each. When I came here, I was convinced that Guardamar del Segura was the place for me, based on recommendations from two separate groups of friends, whose judgement I trust. After four days I knew I couldn't live there, which just shows that you need to go see for yourself!

Good luck with your search, I love living here, and I hope you find the perfect place for you.

Kerry


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## Melissa58275 (Apr 14, 2014)

Hepa...truly gorgeous, but yes...too remote for me!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

> Mild year-round climate
> Affordable property prices or long-term rentals
> Cost of living (including taxes in the total) that is no higher than in the US, and preferably lower
> Relatively good access for travel to the rest of the country and continent
> ...


Mild year-round climate?
Spain is not necessarily your best option. In some parts, temperatures can vary from highs in excess of 40°C to lows of well below freezing. I have only had frost-bite twice in my life and one of those occasions was here in Southern Spain.

Cost of living - in parts of US it can be dirt cheap looking at raw prices; here it may cost a little more but the quality of foodstuffs will almost certainly be better and the stuff will be local not flown halfway round the world "to arrive on your table in the peak of condition" in other words - it was picked still under-rip[e and the artificially matured usually to _look_ at its best.

Transport - rail: better than much of the US but still rather poor (especially w.r.t. frequency) by comparison with the rest of Europe; air: some good links but some services maybe only one each way per day; roads: not too bad (we have driven between where we live and UK several times using the tunnel. Some roads have suffered from years of neglect and have poor surface but traffic is often much lighter than in other countries. 

Farmers' market are not usually the norm. Most places have a weekly market and sometimes there is a section where local people can bring their surplus produce for sale (this is invariably excellent and may have only been harvested less than an hour earlier)


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## Melissa58275 (Apr 14, 2014)

Baldilocks: Thanks...the hazards of trying to be brief. I should have said mild to warmer climate (don't mind heat, typically, but dislike being cold and confined to the inside in winter). And as for cost of living, yes, some parts of the US can be very cheap. I don't live in one now, however. My comparisons are Washington, DC (quite expensive) and Baltimore, Md. (high taxes and utility bills, reasonable housing costs, same costs for clothing, food, services as most larger US cities.)


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## Goldeneye (Nov 12, 2011)

Melissa58275 said:


> At the end of the year, I'll retire from my job in the US and hope to fulfill a life-long dream to live for at least some period, possibly forevermore, in Europe. Spain is a top candidate largely because I want a place with a mild year-round climate and where I can get the required long-term residency visa/permits reasonably easily.
> 
> I'm doing a lot of reading and some browsing of real estate sites to try to narrow the choices of promising areas to explore more fully and visit. I'm finding that difficult, partly because so many places sound wonderful and partly because I don't have strong inclination about some key questions: Large vs. small city vs. town, mountains vs. ocean. I could be happy in any of them, depending on what else they offer. So far the only criteria I'm sure about:
> 
> ...


I notice you have a German Flag and are currently in the USA.. Does this mean you are originally from Germany?

Not sure what you mean by 'mild' (not too hot, not too cold) ? 
If you want a 'all year round' climate without big swings in temperature, I'd look at the larger Canary Islands such as Gran Canarias or Tenerife both have a large German and British expat community. North Tenerife Puerto de la Cruz especially around La Paz area has many German residents.
I love Tenerife as in-laws lived there for about 18 years so I have many happy memories, however, for me, I personally don't want to be 'cut off' from mainland Europe so will be centring my search in the Javea Costa Blanca area..... Good Rail links, airport close by, plenty of fresh fruit, veg and local wine..
Someone mentioned El Campello, great prices to be had in that area, my sister vacations there all the time, not the large ex pat community you seem to be looking for though.
I suggest to visit and travel around. We have done 2 x 5 week driving tours in order to narrow our search area down..
Good Luck..


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

Ecija - We love it, not many ex-pats though!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Melissa58275 said:


> Baldilocks: Thanks...the hazards of trying to be brief. I should have said mild to warmer climate (don't mind heat, typically, but dislike being cold and confined to the inside in winter). And as for cost of living, yes, some parts of the US can be very cheap. I don't live in one now, however. My comparisons are Washington, DC (quite expensive) and Baltimore, Md. (high taxes and utility bills, reasonable housing costs, same costs for clothing, food, services as most larger US cities.)


Sorry didn't reply to your original Q about "what do you love about where you live?"


Warm friendly people who care about each other. 
The fact that there are only a few expats here. 
Neither too hot nor too cold (temperature varies with altitude as well as with latitude and we are at 723m)
Most of what we need is either in the village or in the nearby town. 
Healthy lifestyle and area (average age of death is 90+ despite their having had a very hard childhood - rickets was quite common). 
Our house (on five levels/floors) has five bedrooms and two bathrooms, (option to convert attic to two more bedrooms and another bathroom) and cost us €85k seven years ago. 
Our IBI is €139 for the year, our water/sewerage/basura cost about €140 p.a. 
Our cost of living averages about €650 per month (3 adults and two small dogs).
As a bonus we have nice scenery.

Cost of living is lower than the cost of dying so we opt for the former rather than the latter.


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## Melissa58275 (Apr 14, 2014)

Goldeneye: The German flag is deceptive, but I had to pick one (I think). It's there because when I first arrive in Europe, I'll be headed to Germany, where I have friends and where I plan to enroll in a one-month intensive course on teaching english as a foreign language. (No, I'm not counting on getting a job...I just like the idea of something I might be able to earn a bit extra doing off and on and want something to do.) But I'm pretty certain that I don't want to land in Germany for a longer period...too cold. By mild, I guess I really mostly mean mild winters. I'd prefer temperate year-round, but I prefer heat to cold. I like being outside, but not when it's freezing!


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I live in a town just outside of Seville, and it's basically an outlying neighborhood of the city. So I will comment about what I love about Seville.

Seville is beautiful, vibrant, provincial and yet modern. The people are friendly, the food is outstanding, and the social opportunities are never-ending. For weekend getaways there are magnificent beaches as well as mountains only a little over an hour away. 

Here's my take on the different things you asked about:


_Mild year-round climate_ Nope, not in Seville. It's VERY hot here in the summer (temps well into the 100's) and yet we also get frost in the winter. But winter is short and we get no snow. 
 _Affordable property prices or long-term rentals_ Yes. It's a buyer's/renter's market right now, as it is all over Spain.
 _Cost of living (including taxes in the total) that is no higher than in the US, and preferably lower _ Hmmm, hard to say because everyone lives differently. But to sum up quickly, electricity and gasoline are MUCH more expensive here, as are clothes and electronics. Phone, internet, natural gas, and water are probably more expensive here. Some food and grocery items cost more and some cost less so I think it comes out to be about the same. Property taxes are MUCH lower here (it depends but probably in the low 100's€/year). 
 _ Relatively good access for travel to the rest of the country and continent _Yes. Airport and fast speed train
 _ At least one good option for intensive language training_ Yes. There are lots of language schools in Seville.
 _Some place I can walk to at least a handful of restaurants/cafes plus green grocer or farmers' market on a daily basis (and preferably butcher and/or fishmonger)_ Yes. The city is packed with restaurants and cafes. There's a market in every neighborhood (open Mon-Sat) with stands selling fresh veggies, fish, meat, etc. No farmer's markets, though. That's not a Spanish thing. What's sold in the markets, though, comes pretty much straight from the farms. 
 _A vibrant and welcoming expat community nearby_ Not so much. There's an American Women's Club that meets monthly and has weekly activities, but that's all that I'm aware of. 



Have fun finding the right place for you!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> Sorry didn't reply to your original Q about "what do you love about where you live?"
> 
> 
> Warm friendly people who care about each other.
> ...


To see more go to:
Bulletin from Castillo de LocubÃ­n | Smile! Youâ€™re at the best WordPress.com site ever
visit the previous posts as well


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Have a look at Areas, towns and villages in the Axarquia on the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain

I think Nerja might be a good option for you as it has just about everything you ask for including a lot of folk from the USA. We live in the campo about 25 minutes north of Nerja and about 400m above sea level. Been here nearly 4 years and the coldest recorded temperature here was 8C two winters ago.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Kerry UK said:


> Hi, I moved to El Campello on Costa Blanca at the beginning of January, this year. I couldn't be happier. I have made lots of new friends, the expat community here is not huge, but there are plenty of English speaking people. When I came here I joined the local "English Speaking Club", which has members from several nationalities, including Spanish, who enjoy talking to each other in English, for whatever reason. I recently joined in the informal Spanish classes they hold at the club, and they are great, but I find the best way to learn is just to try to speak Spanish to the people you meet every day, it is surprising (and so rewarding!) how much you pick up when you are practising every day.
> 
> As for transport links, El Campello has a brilliant tram service, it is really easy to travel to Alicante, with a bus link to Alicante Elche airport, or the RENFE rail station. And if you want to go on the tram in the opposite direction, you have Benidorm, and then links to Denia, Calpe etc. I have found the public transport in this area to be superb, and very cheap when I compare what I used to pay in the UK.
> 
> ...


Hi Kerry

Good to see you on here. How are you settling in now? Have you heard from Grace recently? 

I second what you say about El Campello, especially about the excellent public transport.

As far as climate is concerned, it never gets really cold here in the winter. We have just one small heater on at night which warms the whole house. Even going out, I have not owned a coat since we lived here (10 years now) - only a lightweight jacket.

To give you an idea, we met up with Kerry and Grace in mid February and sat outside a cafe in the sun.


Most English speaking expats live just outside the town and use the tram or bus to go into the town itself.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

thrax said:


> Have a look at Areas, towns and villages in the Axarquia on the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain
> 
> I think Nerja might be a good option for you as it has just about everything you ask for including a lot of folk from the USA. We live in the campo about 25 minutes north of Nerja and about 400m above sea level. Been here nearly 4 years and the coldest recorded temperature here was 8C two winters ago.


Yes, good suggestion. Nerja has it's own branch of the American International Club (I believe other nationalities are welcome to join in!). 

I live in the Axarquia region too, in the capital of it in fact, called Velez-Malaga. What I love most about it is the historical nature of the old town and the fact that it's a working Spanish town which has been very little changed by mass tourism. We have all the facilities a person could want too, good shopping, two health centres, the regional hospital 5 minutes down the road, good sports and leisure facilities and good, cheap public transport. We're 5km inland from the coast so not far to go to the beach and about the same distance from the mountains further inland, for great walking country. Property prices here are much lower than in the coastal resorts. Malaga airport is 35 minutes away by car and it's also quite easy to get there by public transport, or take the half hourly bus service to Malaga to connect with the excellent rail service to other parts of Spain.

Prices for food, drinks, etc. are very cheap as this is not a tourist town. One thing that is available much cheaper here than in surrounding areas is a fast, cheap broadband connection. We have two cable TV companies in town who also offer broadband, ours is a 20mbps service for €18 per month inclusive of tax. 

The climate in the whole area avoids the worst excesses of summer heat and winter cold experienced in some areas of Southern Spain further inland. We get only a handful of days each summer when the temperature exceeds 35C and only right up in the mountains do we ever see snow (although it can certainly feel chilly on winter nights once the sun goes down and you would need heating in the home). 

What my particular town doesn't have is the kind of organised expat community activities you find in places like Nerja. There are, however, some expat groups which meet regularly in nearby towns and villages like Torre del Mar and Trapiche.


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