lesley39

Want to retire to the coast in spain, not to sure where apartment prefered but would like to live in a expat community with social clubs,interest groups,where is the best place for this also can you get properties with social clubs, can any one recommend any.

Leper

Lesley, Only you know what is best for you. Before you settle into any particular area I suggest you do much homework and visit different areas. It will not be long before you whittle your choice down to three or four.

Then visit off season and you will have no problems choosing a final destination. Also, because of the economic climate of Spain (not as favourable as the weather climate) I would recommend you rent property rather than purchase. If you have property in the UK I would recommend you not to sell it just in case you have to go back.

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

Cazzy1

I really dont understand why expats want to live in little britain, insted of being part of the real Spain. Each to their own I suppose!

Leper

The Real Spain is everywhere. Alicante, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and any other place you may wish to mention.

Many associate the real Spain with mantilla wearing Spanish maidens controlled and over protected by their parents. Throw in a donkey laden with a dour coloured blanket with its owner wearing a poncho and sombrero. This is not the real Spain. Wake up; look around you . . .

The real Spain is modern. Its youth is vibrant and outgoing. Its old are colourful and relatively friendly. The Spanish population is not exactly pining for the return of the likes of Franco. Neither is anybody else.

fionamw

The points you make in your post may be correct however the real Spain, I would suggest, like the real England, Senegal, Thailand, wherever, should not include places sought out by other nationals looking for 'ghettos' of folk of their own kind disinclined to attempt to communicate in the language of the host nation.
(OP apologies if this is not your intention, nor is it the plan for many. Equally, and sadly, it appears there are many who see life 'abroad' this way.)

JLFS

The reference to "real Spain" always make me laugh.

What real Spain do you mean, the barrios "marginados" of Barcelona, where the redients can watch the prozzies on their shift in view of the whole street. And being a jeweller in Madrid is a dangerous profession.

Or Sevilla where Marta del Castillo was murdered and a class mate was condemed for the crime recently.

The mining villages in the Asturias, where nearly everyone was/is connected to the mine in some way or other.

In the "sea of plastic"towns where there is/was racial tension and riots due to the bad feeling caused by foreign workers shipped in to pick the fruit and veg.

The posher subs of Madrid where the celebs, bankers, footballers and members of the royal family have homes.

The costal town that once had a thriving shipbuilding industy that now are running with skeleton staff.

The backward mountain villages where young single girls have had to hide a pregnancy from everbody through fear.

the small villages on the Galician coast where any stranger is unwelcome because most of the village are tied up with the drugs that land there and have been for nealy the last 30 years, as in the artice below-

http://www.cadenaser.com/espana/arti...rcsrnac_26/Tes

Los narcos históricos se rearman para que Galicia vuelva a ser la puerta de entrada a Europa de la cocaína colombiana
Las abruptas costas de Galicia, con multitud de playas, han sido durante casi tres décadas el punto de desembarco de fardos de cocaína que eran cargados a bordo de un viejo pesquero en aguas de Sudamérica


I am not saying that things like this dont happen in every country,it is just that I have never heard any Brits refer to "real England" as they refer to "real Spain", and it is very strange.

I have never heard a Spanish person say that they live in "real England".(as opposed to unreal England?)

the example I have given are all real Spain, so which real Spain do expats mean?

Dick Dasterdly

Exactly, it can be all things to all people from the bright lights of Benidorm to the remote mountain villages.
Much the same applies in the UK or anywhere else for that matter,.....whatever floats your boat,.. or not as the case may be,.... it's all part of the "real Spain".

tuk-tuk

I would imagine that most ex pats would prefer to live in our uk home towns if we had the southern Spain weather, after all, be honest, why did you come to Spain if it was`nt for the weather. At 76 I do`nt want to be "forced" to learn a new language. I would prefer to be in the uk where I could talk to the authorities in English. I have heard that more Spanish can speak English around Marbella than around Benidorm. I suspect this is what the O.P. is looking for?. Well that will put the cat amongst the pigeons???.
Tuk-tuk.

jonboy

Torrevieja may be just what you desire, many others seem to find it a great place.
Try this link I hope it is not out of date info however.

http://www.torreviejainformation.com...ion-Torrevieja

Best regards

jonboy

chrisjolly

Interesting question and one difficult to answer as there are several diiferent options and it took us years to decide as the first big question is inland or coast. From my experience I would suggest around Calpe as there is a large expat community there and they have organised events mingled with the local Spanish celebrations. You can drive down the coast from the Costa Brava and spend a ltille time in each area till you get to the south of Gibraltar and along the coast to Cadiz. It will be fun and give you an idea of all the places as you go. The weather is slightly better in the south but nowhere is immune from the effects of climate change. Real Spain, as some people call, it is a stereotyped image we all have in our minds and thats the best place for it. Spain is like any other country in the world with its good and bad points, but the one big draw is the people who can be so fun loving and charming. Learn to speak a little Spanish and enjoy..its a far cry from dreary old Blighty!

fionamw

I don't imagine many human beings outside iron states would advocate enforced language fluency though it might be viewed by some as a tad arrogant to move to a country where a language other than your own is spoken and expect to speak your own language when communicating in bars, shops,etc.... not saying you've done this, of course, because for all I know you do have that level of spanish. but plenty of people move to spain for stuff other than the weather, you know!

Please note the word expect. I come across spaniards who speak english, and plenty who speak it better than I speak spanish. But would I EXPECT it? Would I heck.
Each to their own, though, and the OP may very well find what they want in the places you mention..........

Lenox

Best to drive down the coast, from the top of the Costa Blanca perhaps (Oliva, Javea, Denia, Altea, Torrevieja) down through Costa Almeria (Mojácar) and the Costa del Sol (Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella). They are all different from each other, yet all have a large international presence.
Later, when you speak enough Spanish to be comfortable, you can worry about 'the real Spain'.

JLFS

It sounds like you are saying learn the language and then move somewhere else in Spain,nand the people who live in those places, )spanish peeps included) dont live in real Spain.

They will not be pleased with that theory

agoreira

Reading between the lines, that's the last thing the OP wants, they want to mix with Brits, want a bit of Blighty with sun. It's a question that cannot be answered realistically, even if you stick to the costas, to the Brit ghettos, they can be so different. For me Torrevieja is the last place in Spain I would ever consider, others love it, it's all about individual choice. No way would I move to anywhere simply based on a personal recommendation here, we're all different. The OP needs to get out there, spend some time travelling around, checking out the various ghettos, at all times of the year, that way they only have themselves to blame if they make the wrong choice.