escana

hello there ,
We are a couple who want to retire to the costa blanca. We are intending renting for a year to see how we like it. We were looking at Torrevieja, Playa Flamenca or Orihuela. Can anyone help with info re which area would be a good base for a year please? We are a mature couple and we are looking for somewhere with a thriving ex pat community , with access to shops , pubs, restaurants etc. We are not wanting to drive so somewhere relatively flat for walking , cycling etc.
I would appreciate any information that anyone can give me
many thanks

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

missile

Torrevieja and Playa Flamenca have large Brit communities. Both offer thriving community spirit and would provide easy access to shops, pubs and restaurants. All of the area is flat, but you would not want to cycle / walk far during summer. There is an excellent bus service.

Orihuela is a large Spanish town some distance from the coast It has a much smaller Brit contingent. Perhaps you mean Orihuela Costa Urbanisation?

You really need to visit to see for yourselves. Any good estate agent will be happy to show you around those area and view properties for rent / sale at no charge.

escana

thank
you for your info is very helpful and I am much obliged

tebo53

My sister and family live in that area. I found it to be very tight packed with twin apartment villas which reminded me of looking very much like the big housing estates in UK. We are moving to Costa Blanca area next year to live and favour the Albir / Altea areas.

Best of luck and hope you settle soon.

escana

thank you for the info. We don't know any areas apart from playa flamenca or torrevieja so we are going there for a start anyway , probably renting initially for 3 months then taking it from there

missile

What suits me may not be to your liking. Lots of Brits live in and love Torrevieja and Playa Flamenca.

There are numerous urbanisations and several small Spanish towns (e.g. Guardamar and Rojales) in the area around Torrevieja for you to choose from. There is a wide variety of property and prices range from under 60,000€ to well over 1,000,000€

I would suggest you are wise to rent for a month or three. Take some time to explore before committing to a longer term rental.

You may be interested to know there is a cycle shop in Quesada. The Brit owner arranges cycle tours. I would suggest you may find this a great way for you to meet friends and get to know the area.

escana

thank you that is very useful information , we are definately renting for a year so we can have a good look and see if we want to buy . We are going to rent a property from here for 3 months initially so we have somewhere to move in to then take it from there. I just wanted to find an area for a start really and thought Torrevieja or Playa Flamenca would be a good starting point

missile

Hi,

That would be a good base, less than an hour from Alicante and Murcia airports. I am guessing you have been there before?

mikelincs

Add La Zenia to that mix as well, Orihuela is, as has been said, an inland town, the coastal are is Orihuela Costa, and includes several costal towns, all with good coastal walks and paths. Torrevieja itself would be nice for a visit, but not really to live.

escana

thankyou for that info, Why not Torrevieja ? We don't know the area at all apart from Torreveija where we have been only once. We know someone who lives in Torrevieja and they seem to like it , however we quite fancy Playa Blanca after seeing it on a tv programme. It seems to be an all year round resort with a good ex pat community which appeals to us. Is La Zenia the same ?

missile

You tend to get a very blinkered view on TV programs. Each location has pros and cons. I would suggest it is best to come, view and make up your own mind.

Location is more down to your personal choice and what kind of things you want to do. Some want to be close to golf course - others by the beach. Some like to be in the heart of the action - others want a quiet life. Some want a compact apartment in town others a large villa with pool. Whatever you want(?) you are sure to find it on the Costa Blanca.

mikelincs

La Zenia is next to Playa Flamenca, and you can walk from one to the other along a coastal path, easy walking as well. There is a huge shopping mall at La Zenia.
Torrevieja does have something of a reputation, and has been featured in a number of the Spanish police action films, mainly due to drug dealing. Certain areas of the town are certainly no somewhere I would like to go after dark, but the beach are is very nice, and there are a number of good shopping areas there.
Playa Flamenca does get a little quiet in the winter time, but there are still a number of people there, and plenty of cafes, nightlife etc.

privatepilot

We stayed in La Marina urbanisation and visited Torrevieja. Can't say we would look to move to the area around the centre.

We have made our way down the coast to the area around Mar Menor and it's very nice

Dick Dasterdly

So did you fly your own plane down to Spain ?

Just wondered like.

Be nice to get one over on that O'Leary guy, eh what ?