hip999

I want to move from the UK to Spain to live but have a sort of phobia about high places and so I am looking to find areas which are relatively flat or where I can avoid doing mountain passes to get anywhere. I want to be on, or very near, the coast and near a city with hospitals (as I am 65 now) and with an airport very nearby; I believe that Alicante and Valencia City may be suitable on the mainland but am also considering Mallorca and Minorca (not researched those islands much yet). Any suggestions please as to places which might suit me?

bxpuser24710519

AYAMONTE ! flat near fabulous beaches and two airports not too far away :-) Faro in Portugal more amazing beaches and food and lovely wee villages with NO hills if you prefer :-) also Sevilla airport can do all on main flat roads

hip999

Thanks for that .... not somewhere I had already considered. I have thought about Faro in Portugal but the beaches require a boat trip to reach and beaches would be important to me. My quick check on AYAMONTE (InfoAyamonte) only throws up the lack of English-speaking medical staff as a concern.

But thanks again and maybe one day Ayamonte may be the place I will reside in.

Lou P.

The Costa de la Luz is flat for about 50km back from coast, but although it's now called the Coast of Light, it used to be called the Coast of Wind - the Levante can drive people mad or suicidal. You can drive to Sevilla without any major high places or viaducts - but once in Sevilla, take care to avoid that dreadful bridge (easy as long as you know.)

tony

Alicante Has plenty of mountains just inland , but to be honest most towns and villages around the area dont involve passing dodgy mountain roads and generally in the flat areas between them

But I must say the mountains make a fantastic back drop

Cheers Tony Agost Alicante

hip999

Thanks for that information.... I need to research the Levante... I have heard of it but from what you say, I don't think I would want to endure it.

hip999

If the mountains are behind Alicante (thanks for the photo) then it would not be a real problem as I would be going in the opposite direction mostly (i.e. towards the beach!); just wondering about ever having to go to Madrid!

tony

I Have driven to Madrid it was motorway all the way ! no problemo

bxpuser24710519

Isla Canella beach easy access just outside Ayamonte. Centro Medico Atlantico have many doctors who speak good English.

hip999

Thanks.... but what about the issue of the Levant which drives people crazy?

johnnyone

I would have thought Valencia is ideal. Great city and south down to Cullera is very flat with some great beaches.
There is also a good metro and local rail services.

Moses2013

If you don't like heights, does that mean you won't fly either? If you are driving to Spain, you can't really avoid mountains.

cricketman

I am assuming this is a joke thread

Moses2013

Would say so too, otherwise I would suggest Florida or Netherlands

Lou P.

Honestly! Some people must spend their whole time looking for holes to pick and things to sneer at.
Hip999, I have horrendous vertigo + panic at heights. It's not a phobia - it's a physical symptom which is so terrifying and truly dangerous (i could easily fall off a rampart or drive over a cliff.) It started as part of M.E. years ago (M.E. being mainly neurological, it's not a surprising symptom) and gradually worsened. I think it's stable now, but I can't stand on the table to change a light-bulb - wheeow, crash - and driving across a viaduct or high bridge or on a mountain road got harder and harder. I know exacvtly what you mean about heights, especially when driving - Aaaargh! I don't drive now.
However, I managed, before I let my licence expire, to travel around most of France and most of Spain. You just have to plan ahead as far as possible and when you get to the impossible, find a way. Once I ound myself entering on a very higherduct in France, towing an 8m caravan, panicked, slammed brakes on in middle of road, burst into tears, shaking all over.. ..A nice man fetched the motards and I had a gendarme to drive the van and a6-bike police escort across the frightaduct. They weren't at all cross. One time in Spain, I found a taxi in the nearest village, about 20km from the fearfuil bridges, and paid her to drive very, very slowly in the middle of the road, with her winkers going, while I crawled on her tail, just watching her back bumper and not looking up or to the side. We made it and i hugged her! One time I spent a whole day stuck up a mountain until dusk (too dangerous after dark, but by day I could see more than I wanted to.) But mostly, as long as you don't try to come through the middle of the Pyrenees (which I'm glad I did while I still could) you'll survive. You may have to do nearly twice the length of journey, but you have adventures and see more places and people.

But no-one should think the O.P. is joking. Whetehr physically or emotionally caused (and it's usually physical) such vertigo can be really debilitating, as well as limiting.

The levante is another matter. Some people cope with it easily, but for many it's crippling. Of course one forgets it as soon as it stops, but it does blow a lot, often, sometimes for ten days at a time. I hated it. Here, we have the Solano, which is horrible, but not nearly as bad. You get a lot of sand-storms in the west - apparently from the Sahara1 It sticks to fresh paint, dammit, and scratches babies' eyes and makes your head ache and your temper bad. But the beaches are long and golden-silver and the Atlantic is much less polluted than the Med.

I've also crawled down from high pueblos at 5km/hour with both winkers flashing and a queue behind. better safe than sorry.