SandraSP

I am new to B.E. and would greatly appreciate any help given.

Planning on renting an apartment in a Spanish coastal town for a month to check out areas for permanent relocation (I presently live in Manhattan).

Could anyone suggest a town that would be suitable for traveling to other coastal towns? Someone had suggestion Altea, but my thinking is that perhaps a larger town (Alicante) would be better suited for my purpose since I do not have a driving license and will need to rely in public transportation and/or taxis.

Long-term plan is to relocate to a medium sized coastal town.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Boseley

How about Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, no winters, plus you do not need a car, the public transport is more than adequate.

SandraSP

Thanks. Will check this out. What does 'no winters' mean exactly? I would love to active year round playing tennis and golf as well as other non sporting social activities.

Also, since I'm going to rent for one month to check out areas for permanent relocation, would this location be suitable for agents to assist?

Boseley

I live in the Canary Islands, El Hierro, coastal temperatures rarely go below 16ºc, I fly to Las Palmas for Christmas and New Year and for the last five years we have had splendid sunny weather, the locals are on the beach and swimming in the Atlantic. Golf all year round is available on Gran Canaria.

Winters are just not permitted here, we do get rain but not enough, five days good rain if we are very lucky, plus if you go to the south of any of the islands it is even warmer!


Estate agents can assist with rentals, Google Casas para alquilar Las Palmas, you will find many websites

SandraSP

Thanks for the suggestion. What I want is a central coastal location in or around Alicante to see other areas both north and south (on the coast only). If anyone has any ideas whether Alicante or Altea would be better as a jumping off point, that would be great. My thinking is that a decent sized town would have agents that I could see during my month researching.

Bridie55

If you want mainland Spain have a look at Almunecar can't fault it, not as warm as the Canaries but a lovely traditional good sized town. We now go there every autumn and winter.

johnnyone

You appear to be set on the Alicante region that is quite diverse with towns of all types eg Spanish, ex-pat etc. so should be able to find a town that suits you.
If it was me I would base myself in Alicante and work north or south from there. I do not know south of Alicante but there are some attractive towns to the north up to Denia that are accessible by train/tram.

https://www.tramalicante.es/page.php

Good luck with your search

Kentishladd

El Compello. Quiet Spanish town,perfect beach,excellent tram service,no drunks,no parking meters,no cars on the prom.Numerous bars and restaurants. Alicante is 20 minutes away by car or 40 by tram. Superb hospital.
Worth a look.

SandraSP

Many thanks for the recommendation. Will check this out. Is it large enough to provide renting agents that I could work with if I rent there for a month. I'm not really concerned at this point about the ideal place to live, rather an ideal place that provides agents, good transportation, etc. as it will be more of a working vacation than anything.

SandraSP

I'm not wedded to Alicante, but the location seems to be suitable for traveling both north and south. Because it's a largish town, it would also provide a number of agents that I could liaise with during that month. I'm relying on GoogleEarth, so if you have any other suggestions I'm completely open to them as I'm in the gathering information mode!

Kentishladd

Numerous agents. Two I've used, Sundrenched Villas (speak to Lee) and Robertsons (Alex). Lee is English and Alex speaks fluent English. We stayed at the Familia (I think that's right) whilst looking. It's in the middle of the Main Street.
In my opinion the location is excellent. Campello is not a tourist destination for any tour companies from any country. They pass by enroute to Benidorm.

SandraSP

This is good to know. How do agents operate? If you give them a specific location and parameters (hi-rise apartment, overlooking Med. with tennis courts....and budget, of course), do they set up and take you to a selection? If I'm getting off topic, let me know and I can do another threat (I'm very new to this mode of communication!). Thanks.

Kentishladd

When we came out here we thought that what we were looking for(villas) grew on trees. This is not the case. Might I suggest that you phone them. Agents tend to ignore emails on the basis that by the time they would have contacted you someone will have walked in the door and snapped the property up. I do know that apartments are around but as it is not something I want my info. is poor so a phone call could be more productive. Don't be surprised if they want a finders fee, it is the norm then a month down and a month up front. If you require a one month let, then a holiday rental would be the way to go. Failing that, a hotel and there aren't many in Campello.

johnnyone

Your problem is that Spanish railways do not run along the coast south of Valencia. If you are on the Costa Blanca it is not that straightforward to get a train down to the Costa Del Sol etc.
You can get a bus from say Alicante to Malaga but it takes around 7 hours.
If you have not made up your mind up about location you would you may be better renting at various locations along the costas.