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-   -   A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire (https://britishexpats.com/forum/caribbean-121/warm-all-year-round-place-retire-276777/)

Jacaranda Feb 25th 2005 11:25 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by debsy
Jacaranda
Have you ever thought about Antalya, Turkey. The ancient roman town of Side is particularly nice and a lot of europeans have decided to settle there.

No Debs, I hadn't even thought of it - need to do a bit of research, I guess!
thanks for the suggestion.

V

bruce67 Feb 26th 2005 6:53 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 
Have you concidered the Canaries( I personally love Fuerteventura)
very little rain, Warm all year round but never too hot.

Jacaranda Feb 27th 2005 7:41 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by bruce67
Have you concidered the Canaries( I personally love Fuerteventura)
very little rain, Warm all year round but never too hot.

I sort-of thought about it - am still researching (electronically), I guess, as am still working, and, as yet, no moola to go off on fact-finding trips. What is it like re crowds of "grottles"/holidaymakers, though - as would want to avoid that if possible, at least for some of the year! What I don't necessarily want it to find somewhere really nice, economically, socially, climatically, and it turn into a "little Blackpool" (or a gathering place for lager louts) for the holiday months - that would, with respect to all fellow Brits, who do have the need and right to holiday somewhere, after all, give me the "screaming abdabs", to use my old mum's fave expression!

Any info you can give will be very much appreciated!

sunnydays Feb 27th 2005 11:03 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by Jacaranda
I sort-of thought about it - am still researching (electronically), I guess, as am still working, and, as yet, no moola to go off on fact-finding trips. What is it like re crowds of "grottles"/holidaymakers, though - as would want to avoid that if possible, at least for some of the year! What I don't necessarily want it to find somewhere really nice, economically, socially, climatically, and it turn into a "little Blackpool" (or a gathering place for lager louts) for the holiday months - that would, with respect to all fellow Brits, who do have the need and right to holiday somewhere, after all, give me the "screaming abdabs", to use my old mum's fave expression!

Any info you can give will be very much appreciated!

My mother always went to the Canaries because its warmer during the winter and she could swim in the sea. There is a constant breeze of course and little depth of soil over volacanic ground would mean limited choice of plants excepting succulants and the like. Whilst the properties can look nice and enticing, the surrounding dark gray rockery can be intimidating. We flashed round (no pun) Portugal and loved Lisbon, cheap available moorings too, but needing a fire on in our small hotel room during June was a sign of chilly winters and the constant cold wind in other coastal towns might be refreshing in Summer for the holiday makers but not for retirees. Took a liking to the small town of Travira or is it Tavira, (one's suit material!) which is on the south coast near the border with Spain. Sheltered by sand dunes from the sea and pretty as a picture, but I think boredom would arrive after a couple of years and one look at the local group of "Ex pats" meant that we'd be out of place without an earing and tattoo. Much of the property was in Apartment blocks and the townhouses were on the outskirts of the town where you'd need a car every day.

bruce67 Feb 27th 2005 4:33 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by Jacaranda
I sort-of thought about it - am still researching (electronically), I guess, as am still working, and, as yet, no moola to go off on fact-finding trips. What is it like re crowds of "grottles"/holidaymakers, though - as would want to avoid that if possible, at least for some of the year! What I don't necessarily want it to find somewhere really nice, economically, socially, climatically, and it turn into a "little Blackpool" (or a gathering place for lager louts) for the holiday months - that would, with respect to all fellow Brits, who do have the need and right to holiday somewhere, after all, give me the "screaming abdabs", to use my old mum's fave expression!

Any info you can give will be very much appreciated!


Fuerteventura is the quietest of the canaries as far as holidaymakers are concerned. There are 3 main resorts the biggest in the north but it is very easy to "get away from it all" espesually if yourheart is not set in being where the action is. the biggest resort is Corralejo which by Spanish resort standards is still not too bad.
Enough of my rambling the best way is to visit the site below check out all the pages and then follow the links to the forum. They are a helpful bunch with attemps at good humour and are too happy to extol virtues of the island.

www.fuerteventura.com/

Bruce.

Jacaranda Feb 27th 2005 8:00 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by sunnydays
My mother always went to the Canaries because its warmer during the winter and she could swim in the sea. There is a constant breeze of course and little depth of soil over volacanic ground would mean limited choice of plants excepting succulants and the like. Whilst the properties can look nice and enticing, the surrounding dark gray rockery can be intimidating. We flashed round (no pun) Portugal and loved Lisbon, cheap available moorings too, but needing a fire on in our small hotel room during June was a sign of chilly winters and the constant cold wind in other coastal towns might be refreshing in Summer for the holiday makers but not for retirees. Took a liking to the small town of Travira or is it Tavira, (one's suit material!) which is on the south coast near the border with Spain. Sheltered by sand dunes from the sea and pretty as a picture, but I think boredom would arrive after a couple of years and one look at the local group of "Ex pats" meant that we'd be out of place without an earing and tattoo. Much of the property was in Apartment blocks and the townhouses were on the outskirts of the town where you'd need a car every day.

Hi Sunnydays

Thanks for all that - when last were you in Tavira? I only passed through it once, summer of 1974, with my late parents, who were living in Portugal at the time - they'd got sick of going down to the "camera" to register every month, and having to go through some other palaver that they had, so we (on advice from seasoned expats resident there) went over to Spain for the day, got the requisite stamps in the passports, and came back!

It actually ended up being "Spain for lunch", which was lovely, and in lovely surroundings - I think, looking at the map, it was in Ayamonte.

There was concern, travelling to and fro, as Tavira had, in those days, some open sewers, and there was a cholera outbreak - so we definitely didn't stop anywhere there!!

I loved Portugal, by the way, but I'd never be able to get my tongue around the language!

Jacaranda Feb 28th 2005 12:09 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by bruce67
Fuerteventura is the quietest of the canaries as far as holidaymakers are concerned. There are 3 main resorts the biggest in the north but it is very easy to "get away from it all" espesually if yourheart is not set in being where the action is. the biggest resort is Corralejo which by Spanish resort standards is still not too bad.
Enough of my rambling the best way is to visit the site below check out all the pages and then follow the links to the forum. They are a helpful bunch with attemps at good humour and are too happy to extol virtues of the island.

www.fuerteventura.com/

Bruce.

Thanks for all info Bruce - I'll have a look - everyone has been so kind here, giving me so much information, I really appreciate it.

I also thought (in fact I know!) I replied to this yesterday - don't know what happened to the post! :)

sunnydays Feb 28th 2005 12:53 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by Jacaranda
Hi Sunnydays

Thanks for all that - when last were you in Tavira? I only passed through it once, summer of 1974, with my late parents, who were living in Portugal at the time - they'd got sick of going down to the "camera" to register every month, and having to go through some other palaver that they had, so we (on advice from seasoned expats resident there) went over to Spain for the day, got the requisite stamps in the passports, and came back!

It actually ended up being "Spain for lunch", which was lovely, and in lovely surroundings - I think, looking at the map, it was in Ayamonte.

There was concern, travelling to and fro, as Tavira had, in those days, some open sewers, and there was a cholera outbreak - so we definitely didn't stop anywhere there!!

I loved Portugal, by the way, but I'd never be able to get my tongue around the language!

Hi Jacaranda,

Last year we were there in Tavira....no open drains thank goodness.

Yes the Portuguese language is difficult isn't it, its got some guteral bits that send you reaching for an umbrella....

Jacaranda Feb 28th 2005 3:23 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by sunnydays
Hi Jacaranda,

Last year we were there in Tavira....no open drains thank goodness.

Yes the Portuguese language is difficult isn't it, its got some guteral bits that send you reaching for an umbrella....

Haha, I never had to reach for an umbrella, thankfully! - but I did have the unfortunate experience (Mum and Dad were there during and after the Revolution in 1974 - in Luz, in the Algarve) of having to go down to the bakery to get rolls (there was a shortage of bread, for some reason)! Mum had written down what I had to say, Dad took me, then, bless his little cotton socks, leaned back on the car and let me join the bread queue (he spoke French, you understand - but somehow couldn't get his tongue around the Portuguese!!), so I tried my best, but the dear lady just glared at me through the hole in the wall, and thrust a big plastic bag into my hand with an assortment of rolls and loaves - a quick glance around everyone else showed me that everyone was getting the same - it must have been her way of rationing everyone! So my lovely Mum "got telt" (colloquial Scots) that next time, since she was the one taking the Portuguese lessons, she could go - but happily things sorted out, and the shortage ended! That was some holiday, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Even the cracked cisterna that had to be drained because the roots of our fig tree had broached its walls seeking water, and contaminated our water - that's another story . . .

lotofrot Apr 1st 2005 8:34 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by Jacaranda
Does anyone have any bright ideas on the above? I'm near retirement age - and have painful arthritis while in the UK (during the UK winter), so am researching somewhere to perhaps retire to. I'm a British passport holder, but grew up in Kenya (where I was schooled), Tanzania (where I first started to work), moved to South Africa and returned to UK some time ago. I've also had nearly two years in the Middle East, in Doha.

Any ideas would be welcome!

Val/Jacaranda :)

Hi there saw your message, please forgive me as this is my first time on expats and am not to sure of the proceedure. Have you thought of Northern Cyprus? We have a large three bedroom villa, with tiled garage that could be forth bedroom. No stairs except to roof terrace which has a barbecue. There is a small pool, and large garden mainly laid with paving and shrubs. There is also a separate car port for two large cars with tiled roof. By coincidence we have called Jacaranda as we planted one. The place was purpose built 18 months ago, as a holiday home, but to be honest the trip from London is just a bit to long. Door to door can be 8 hours. As you have to fly via Turkey. We had thought they would be be part of the EU by now which would have brought flight time down to 4 hours. We are in our late 6o's and would love to live there full time but tried it for two months and missed family to much. There is a large British community there. Oh, I forgot the property is air con and fully furnished to a very high standard, all goods about 18 months old. Tvs videos dvd's, the lot. If interest please contact us. Or a cheap holiday to try the place out. Hope you find what you are looking for. Regards lotofrot(not you).

aussie73 Apr 13th 2005 6:26 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by lotofrot
Hi there saw your message, please forgive me as this is my first time on expats and am not to sure of the proceedure. Have you thought of Northern Cyprus? We have a large three bedroom villa, with tiled garage that could be forth bedroom. No stairs except to roof terrace which has a barbecue. There is a small pool, and large garden mainly laid with paving and shrubs. There is also a separate car port for two large cars with tiled roof. By coincidence we have called Jacaranda as we planted one. The place was purpose built 18 months ago, as a holiday home, but to be honest the trip from London is just a bit to long. Door to door can be 8 hours. As you have to fly via Turkey. We had thought they would be be part of the EU by now which would have brought flight time down to 4 hours. We are in our late 6o's and would love to live there full time but tried it for two months and missed family to much. There is a large British community there. Oh, I forgot the property is air con and fully furnished to a very high standard, all goods about 18 months old. Tvs videos dvd's, the lot. If interest please contact us. Or a cheap holiday to try the place out. Hope you find what you are looking for. Regards lotofrot(not you).


What about Queensland, Australia, warm all year round, English speaking country, great beaches, and scenery.

sunnydays Apr 13th 2005 9:00 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by aussie73
What about Queensland, Australia, warm all year round, English speaking country, great beaches, and scenery.

The only fly in the ointment with Oz is that the UK gov freeze the state pension at the level you leave the country. Some old UK pensioners are still drawing £20 a week. Its also becoming more difficult to live in Oz as a retiree because of the immigration requirements, understandably they only want qualified working people who can offer something to the country.
Shame really because we looked at Cairns as being an ideal place for us.

Jacaranda Apr 13th 2005 9:14 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by sunnydays
The only fly in the ointment with Oz is that the UK gov freeze the state pension at the level you leave the country. Some old UK pensioners are still drawing £20 a week. Its also becoming more difficult to live in Oz as a retiree because of the immigration requirements, understandably they only want qualified working people who can offer something to the country.
Shame really because we looked at Cairns as being an ideal place for us.

Also, although on the plus side Queensland ticks all the boxes, after living in Africa and the Middle East, the downside is that it's tooooo far away from family, and you just have too many poisonous spiders, snakes and things - I thought Africa was bad enough, with tarantulas, green and black mambas, and spitting cobras . . . I wouldn't want to have to suddenly have to be that vigilant about life again! I can still remember freezing (at the age of 19) with my foot in mid-step, one sunny Sunday morning in KwaZulu Natal, I nearly stepped on a green mamba sunning itself on our back veranda - rather scary!!

sunnydays Apr 14th 2005 8:47 am

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by Jacaranda
Also, although on the plus side Queensland ticks all the boxes, after living in Africa and the Middle East, the downside is that it's tooooo far away from family, and you just have too many poisonous spiders, snakes and things - I thought Africa was bad enough, with tarantulas, green and black mambas, and spitting cobras . . . I wouldn't want to have to suddenly have to be that vigilant about life again! I can still remember freezing (at the age of 19) with my foot in mid-step, one sunny Sunday morning in KwaZulu Natal, I nearly stepped on a green mamba sunning itself on our back veranda - rather scary!!

......and learning from my open mouthed colleague across the other side of the barbecue on "Landrover beach" in Lagos that a Mamba had fallen from the palm tree next to me and some children before scurrying into the Bush.....

Jacaranda Apr 14th 2005 8:20 pm

Re: A Warm All-Year-Round Place to Retire
 

Originally Posted by sunnydays
......and learning from my open mouthed colleague across the other side of the barbecue on "Landrover beach" in Lagos that a Mamba had fallen from the palm tree next to me and some children before scurrying into the Bush.....

Yes . . . I don't know that I would quite like to live with scary things like that again, even though wild things are, in the main, more scared of us humans than we of them!

Saw a TV prog once of this place in USA, in a very hot place (perhaps Arizona) where you're never many inches at all away from scorpions! They used some kind of infra-red or ultra-V photography to show them up - aieee!! I wouldn't want to share my shower, shoes, or anything with them - and these ones proved quite lethal, sometimes, for kiddies . . .they were everywhere!


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