queen_sheba_1

So my husband and I are thinking of moving to Spain in a year or so. We are both Scottish and already live in the French Alps so no stranger to culture shock and integrating

We liked the look of the Andalucia, the lovely beaches around Carbeneras and San Jose and would love to be close to Serre Nevada to keep in with our skiing.

I'm looking for recs for a town/small city that has great markets, a variety of shops and bars and close to some great beaches as if we are going to move from the Mountains the beach is our priority, especially clear water beaches like Playa de los Muertos....Somewhere that maybe has a cosmopolitain vibes with people from different parts of the world....

We are looking to long term rent a farmhouse/villa/somewhere with outdoor space for growing plants/veg, space for a home office etc.

Also we would like to be within an hour of places that do live music as my husband is a professional musician and would be keen to gig all year round. Not sure what the scene is like in Spanish towns...he's pretty well received in France and Sardinia so hopefully it's good there too!

Moses2013

Seems like moving closer to the French border would make more sense. Ok, Pyrenees might be a bit further away than Sierra Nevada but not a huge difference.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

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Rosemary

cricketman

Playa de los muertos is in Cabo de Gata national park. It is basically a dessert filled with big plastic tents growing vegetables. It is hideous. The beaches there are amazing because they are virgin beaches with great landscapes, but I would hate to live there

If you like beaches then Cadiz provinces has amazing ones and great villages

If you want to be close to Granada and the Sierra Nevada then maybe Almunecar or even Nerja would be better choice

Moses2013

To be honest I've seen great beaches all over the country but if I was the OP I'd probably even stay in France. Apart from the adventure, most of the points she mentioned would be far easier to get in France. Perpignan has some great beaches and you are just next to Spain.

Loafing Along

Read "South of Granada" by Gerald Brenan , or watch the film and then visit the Alpujarras, you will fall in love with the region, long drive to the sea though

queen_sheba_1

Thanks for the advices - Nerja did indeed come up in searches but I believe property is a little cheaper in the Almeria town area....?

We want to move to Spain for legal reasons, France is no good we can't do what we need to here. If we could move anywhere it would be Sardinia as the beaches are off the scale, the people so friendly, availability and prices of fresh fruits/veggies for longer, the seafood, the coffee! But again same legality in Italy. Spain (and the Netherlands) are the only place we can do what we need to medicinally and has the weather.

So it is Spain we are after, you won't convince me to stay in France as that isn't suitable for us long term. Almunecar actually looking really good, quite well placed too.

We have a couple of years to sort ourselves out and find the right place....so the research continues and will visit next spring time :-)

Thanks!

Moses2013

If France is a problem why not Costa Brava if you like Sardinia? I don't mind Almeria but to me the whole area looked a bit depressing and it's far too dry. For a holiday OK but I would really miss the smell of pine trees, fresh cut grass etc.

queen_sheba_1

Right yes, I see your point with the trees and grass etc after a quite scout on google images. would something like Palamos be a good town to be in the vicinity of?

:-)

Fred James

Rubbish! You have clearly never been there. There are no plastic greenhouses in the park, they are miles away on the other side of Almeria. Have a look at the satellite pictures.

Moses2013

I actually haven't been to Palamos directly but I'll be in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Platja d'Aro next 2 weeks, so might be worth a look too. While a lot of people might rule out Lloret and Blanes directly, you can find some great areas a few minutes inland that are also affordable including Vidreres. Of course there are some lovely seaside villages but because of stricter planning (fewer highrises) it can be pricey directly on the coast.

queen_sheba_1

yes those two towns you mention, SFdG and Platja d'Aro do look lovely, we would need to be inland a bit to get some garden space!

We would only be renting anyway - :-) Let me know how the vibe is, especially when you are going out of season :-)

Moses2013

I posted this in another thread but a lovely short video showing some of the scenery:-)
https://www.spain-holiday.com/Sant-Feliu-De-Guixols

queen_sheba_1

Very good actually, just what we are looking for :-) We were in Marbella in June and thought it might get quite unpleasant in August but we've always got the option to come back to the French Alps for Jul/Aug, leave the tourists to the baking heat!

but this looks a little more tolerable. Maybe not much winter open water swimming but i'm sure there are proper swimming pools open all year (not like here!)

Loafing Along

You are so right, steer clear of the Costa del Sol from mid-July until schools go back early September