vh3

We are currently researching the Mijas area prior to visiting next spring. Our plan is to relocate to that area (or surrounding areas) but I am interesting in knowing what is it really like for expats... we intend to have a good understanding of Spanish prior to our move. Other areas we are considering are to the south as far as Marbella.

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

Loafing Along

Mijas as a village is lovely but very very touristy - busloads of Chinese,Japanese and other nationals complete with guide with little flag to shepherd them around. Tourist shops and donkeys pulling traps . Depending on what you are looking for worth exploring either a bit closer to the coast - Benalmadena old town is lovely , Torrequebrada also nice or , if you want to be inland , one of the villages such Coin and Alhaurin. Both have good local infrastructure and several foreign residents without being overrun.

Expect your year to drop into two clear periods - tourist season , everywhere over-crowded for about two months then pleasant months with fewer people , good weather and many things to do. Beware of communities where there are many rental properties - they can be desperately empty for months and ghastly in the summer. If you can rent for about a year and explore from that base, you will have a much better idea where you really feel comfortable.

vh3

Thank you for your reply. We know what we are not looking for and you mention one of them, high rental areas as we don't want to be full time tourists. We are also looking for a high percentage of Spaniards as we will be learning the language. We are also looking at areas as far south as Estepona as we currently live in an area with water and lots of boats
We do see ourselves in a smaller village that has a mixture of all nationalities and certainly not the tourist traps. We had also looked at La Cala de Mijas.