Richielisa

Richielisa

Thanks. Good advice!

Lynn R

You say you want a bit of "real Spain". Have you researched the population statistics for the villages you are interested in? In Viñuela in 2020 over 43% of the residents were non-Spanish (and over 65% of the foreign residents were British). In Alcaucín it is a very similar picture, just over 40% of residents non-Spanish and over 60% of the foreign residents were British. In Puente de Don Manuel there is a parade of shops which includes a British supermarket, British hair and beauty salon,, Britsh café bar, until recently a fish and chip shop although I think they have now relocated, and there is also an Indian restaurant there.

https://www.foro-ciudad.com/malaga/v...cimientoEspana

Just as a comparison, the non-Spanish population of Benidorm is 34.05% - surprisingly!

Moses2013

You are right and I've always wondered what people mean with real Spain. I can understand that people want somewhere quite too but be it a village or countryside, it can often be the opposite. Barking dogs, loud machinery and a new pig farm being built. The real Spain is basically anywhere and everywhere.

Lynn R

And the villages/campo get their fair share of tourists too, with many villas rented out on sites such as Airbnb or operating as small guesthouses.

Moses2013

I'd say that lake gets plenty of tourists? I suppose it's just something you can't avoid and tourists are everywhere these days. Then again plenty of coastal areas might have tourists during summer but it's more relaxed off season . Although I don't mind living rural in Ireland, it's something I wouldn't necessarily want in some parts of Spain. Wildfires are a big worry and I personally feel that when the sun goes down and it's dark in rural Spain, it feels like a lonely place and just not the same. So in one way I'm glad that we bought in a more "touristic" area (only Spanish neighbours), although we aren't permanent residents anyway.

Barriej

Got to agree 100% there..

Living in a more rural area, to me has more downs than ups.

A couple we are friends with live up the CV70 towards Guadalest (one of this areas busiest tourist places) but when one of them was ill, the ambulance could not get to the door.
They live along an unmade road, it stopped on the side of the CV70 and they had to drive the 500m to the ambulance.
Post is also a nightmare, they have to rent a box in the town (4.5km away) and if they order from Amazon they have the parcels delivered to the bar in town...
The water truck can't get to the house so they have to fill those IBC's (white cubes with the metal frames) with the water and then tow it to the water deposit.
And is living in a house with no mains water or electric 'real' or something out of the 1920's?

Sod that, ok they have wonderful views over the valley and down towards the sea but come on, its when something goes wrong that Im grateful we live in a small village and I can call on the neighbours (and them me) if we needed something.
And we are planning on moving in around 10 years to the town and then Im going to stop driving and just sit around with the old boys drinking in the sunshine (well if I ever learn enough spanish)

On the other hand, where would you describe as the 'real england' if someone were to ask?
I was born in west london and to me thats real, lots of people hate london and its crowded streets, but not to me.

Its like people posting asking for help with location. My idea of a nice place to live is just that mine, nobody else's.
Why I don't bother with commenting on those threads anymore, unless its for specific info about somewhere I know.

I like cities so real Spain to me is Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia etc,

My 2c anyway....

bobd22

Also of course Axarquia as a region of Spain has since just before the pandemic been pushing the region as an area for tourists to visits. They have been having presentations in the UK as far north as Newcastle pushing the area and what it has to offer not just for tourism but to live. In addition A Place in the Sun tv show has been pushing the area in its tv shows. Yes it looks a very rural Spanish area but as has been said visit some of the villages and and they have a very heavy British and Northern European amount of residents. So what is the real Spain in reality? You visit most areas and will find as well as Spaniards, British, German, Dutch and Scandinavian incomers even in quite isolated places.

Mark604

Living rural means for any visitors I have to give them GPS points rather than an address.

Richielisa

Wow. That is suprising. I suppose when we say "real Spain" we mean the area and access to rural villages, type of homes and not overly touristy like the coastal towns. A mixture of nationalities would not be too much of a concern as it seems to be the same the world over these days. And having a bit if a potential support network with some expats around would be nice.

Richielisa

Ha! Love it!

Richielisa

Hmmm, interesting. We will have to do our research. Its just such a beautiful area and ticks lots of boxes. Beats living next to an industrial estate living just outside London!

Richielisa

Do you have any details if them please?

Richielisa

Richielisa

Thanks. I would be looking at dark skies however. I have an observatory here in the UK so I woukd be building one in Spain. Less light pollution the better.