Area best for Brits
Jan 30th 2012 | 8:26 pm
#16
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Re: Area best for Brits
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.
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.I dont think it is as bad as people make out, a bit delapidated, and lowish but,it does tick many boxes for lots of people. The little old marina, is slowlydying a death, but is quite quaint.
Jan 30th 2012 | 8:27 pm
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,749
Re: Area best for Brits
Same with a friend of mine who went to Los Boliches every year. He laughed when I said it was very British.
OK things have probably changed in the last 15 years, but even the places some call Brit ghettos probably are 80% Spanish. There are certain urbanizaciones that are not e.g. I think of Calahonda and La Cala de Mijas as not Spanish at all, but it an overgeneralisation to just stick your nose up and say that these places arent the "real Spain"
Here in Benalmadena Pueblo the people I deal with every day are almost all Spanish. Yet this is the epitome of a place where British people live in Spain. Again, it depends on what choices you make. I have British neighbours who dont speak a word of Spanish and spend all their time in the British pubs, go to Iceland etc. Up to them. I couldnt care less
Jan 30th 2012 | 8:31 pm
#18
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 83
From: Moraira
Re: Area best for Brits
I guess most people who ask about location on the forum will expect to do some travelling around before they make their final, personal choice, but are seeking input from the forum to narrow their search parameters.
Jan 30th 2012 | 8:45 pm
#19
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 17,507
From: On Top of the World
Re: Area best for Brits
A lot of Scandies moved in down that way as well, so I imagine by now it's positively upmarket by comparison.
Jan 30th 2012 | 8:55 pm
#20
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Re: Area best for Brits
I often go to Torre, there are a lot of Spanish expats from Galicia, and Asturias and colder parts of Spain, that bought places there, they wanted sun after being in blighty and colder european counties.
I dont think it is as bad as people make out, a bit delapidated, and lowish but,it does tick many boxes for lots of people. The little old marina, is slowlydying a death, but is quite quaint.
I dont think it is as bad as people make out, a bit delapidated, and lowish but,it does tick many boxes for lots of people. The little old marina, is slowlydying a death, but is quite quaint.
Jan 31st 2012 | 12:55 am
#21
Retired and in Spain
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 200
From: Costa Blanca south
Re: Area best for Brits
El Campello hasn't been mentioned yet as a possibility for the OP. My SIL has been living there for the last 16 months or so. We've only visited for a day or two at a time so haven't seen a great deal but there seems to be a fair few Brits there.
I don't know what the proportion of nationalities is. Hoping JLFS or HBG might have an idea of this. (Where is HBG by the way?)
I don't know what the proportion of nationalities is. Hoping JLFS or HBG might have an idea of this. (Where is HBG by the way?)
Jan 31st 2012 | 2:57 am
#22
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Re: Area best for Brits
El Campello hasn't been mentioned yet as a possibility for the OP. My SIL has been living there for the last 16 months or so. We've only visited for a day or two at a time so haven't seen a great deal but there seems to be a fair few Brits there.
I don't know what the proportion of nationalities is. Hoping JLFS or HBG might have an idea of this. (Where is HBG by the way?)
I don't know what the proportion of nationalities is. Hoping JLFS or HBG might have an idea of this. (Where is HBG by the way?)
I would imagine that most Britsh would be happy to live there.
And I belive the price of spuds is reasonable............he he
Jan 31st 2012 | 4:28 am
#23
Retired and in Spain
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From: Costa Blanca south
Jan 31st 2012 | 5:21 am
#25
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From: near Colmenar, Prov de Malaga
Re: Area best for Brits
What have I missed?
Jan 31st 2012 | 5:26 am
#26
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From: Torrevieja Costa Blanca South
Jan 31st 2012 | 7:12 am
#27
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Re: Area best for Brits
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.
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.
I am Spanish, but there is still people in UK who think to this way about Spain? No has disappeared the foolishness of the bullfighting, flamenco, mantilla etc, of the minds of some British? I can suppose this in Yankee Land, but I surprised with the British, when we are European neighbors and with all the history that we carry Spanish and British
Jan 31st 2012 | 7:17 am
#29
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Re: Area best for Brits
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 cocaÃna colombiana
Las abruptas costas de Galicia, con multitud de playas, han sido durante casi tres décadas el punto de desembarco de fardos de cocaÃna 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?
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 cocaÃna colombiana
Las abruptas costas de Galicia, con multitud de playas, han sido durante casi tres décadas el punto de desembarco de fardos de cocaÃna 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?
Crime exists even in the most best and perfect democracy, if is than there the perfect democracy. I don't know what it is
Jan 31st 2012 | 5:16 pm
#30
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From: between cocentaina and gorga
Re: Area best for Brits
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.
Tuk-tuk.
Last edited by dunmovin; Jan 31st 2012 at 5:19 pm.
