Graham gage

Hi all, we are planning to move to Costa Blanca by November this year. I work offshore so it's important to be close to Alicante airport as I'll be using it regularly. We (my wife and my daughter (who will be 2 by the time we are there) would like to live in a small town, where there are other young families living so we could make some friends. Being close to an international school is also important We are visiting Santa Pola soon to have a look around but we would appreciate any advice as we've never been in Costa Blanca!!! Thanks

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

lynnxa

you could do a lot worse than Jávea

we have lots of families of offshore workers here, so your wife would be in good company - it's a very International town, which is sort of divided into 3 parts: the 'old town' - hilly & predominantly Spanish; the port - still mainly Spanish; & the Arenal - much more international & touristy

also it's surrounded by hills & at the foot of a mountain - there are lots of villas in the hills too

we're about an hour from both Alicante & Valencia airports, & there's a choice of International schools, too

Graham gage

Thanks very much Lynnxa , We will stop by in Jávea next week and check it out because it sounds ideal. We would be renting first, for about a year, do you have any advice you could give us about renting there? Thanks in advance.

Graham

lynnxa

I know a lot of the agents in the town, & most of the urbs too, so if you like, before making any decisions let me know & I'll give you the low down

if you're looking for a villa you want south facing, or on a south facing slope, or you'll be damp & cold in the winter

Graham gage

Thanks very much, I will definitely take you up on that offer!

Rosemary

Do you all speak Spanish? If not can I recommend that you talk to Lynnxa about lessons.

Rosemary

missile

I guess you are flying to Abz (or Norwich)? Flights from Alicante / Murcia are more convenient and cheaper than Valencia.

As you have suggested, Santa Pola is very convenient for Alicante.

Your daughter will be aged 2. Why do you want to be close to an international school?

There are many nice locations. You really need to visit and check out the locations to find what suits you and yours.

lynnxa

thanks Rosemary - I'm happy to say that I'm really busy - 11 group classes a week now & private classes as well

I try to get a new beginner group going every term more or less, but it's getting to the stage now that I need an extra day in the week


yes do, & about lessons if you need them

agoreira

True, we went there many times in the past, IMHO the northern end of the CB is by far the nicer part, I can't think of anywhere south of Alicante that would drag me back.

Richie1892

We started house hunting as far down as Murcia last January but quickly started concentrating our efforts in Costa Blanca North as we preferred it up here, eventually settling on Jávea after 7 months of stressful searching, it then took another 5 months of more hassle and stress to get all the paperwork for this house sorted and legal. Early days I know but I really can't envisage living anywhere else at the moment
Everyone has different tastes and requirements though and there are many great areas(and not so great) to choose from, so good luck with your search, it can be a long hard road but worth it in the end

HBG

You can notice the difference when you drive the length of the Costa Blanca on the coastal motorway and even more so on the N332. The mountains and comparative greenness disappear somewhere south of Alicante airport to be replaced by flat and brown land.

But maybe all those blue flag beaches appeal to some people more than mountain scenery? And then you need to consider safety and convenience to reach the airport, you can walk to it from the nearer parts.

And finally there is the price. An ordinary villa in Javea will set you back 250K, around El Altet you can get a mansion for that, and in Torrevieja you get two villas for the same price.

johnnyone

It always amazes me how green the North Costa Blanca is. It has paddy fields!

me me

I know him very well, he runs an Irish bar near us.

Richie1892

Yep, that was the clincher for us...the greenness not the paddy fields and a sea and mountain view to boot