SteveDW

I lived there full time until 2012 and still have an apartment there. It is totally Spanish, not dirty, and no beggars. It does get crowded in summer, as its a holiday town for the Spanish, plus a few cruise liners stop there, but for the rest of the year its only the locals. If I hadn't emigrated to Australia to be near family I'd still be there. A great town, fantastic beaches and wonderful people. In my 10 years there I must have met half a dozen foreigners who lived in Cadiz.

bob_bob

What happened to cricketman? I liked some of he diatribes lol

Bridie55

Almunecar not too many Brits, plenty Spanish great restaurants...love it.

catsndogs

We live in a lovely village called Pizarra near Alhora. About 25 mins from Malaga and not far from the coast. Very Spanish and very friendly. We have lived here for 11 years and joined in a lot of the Spanish events. Good for small shops, health, schools, markets etc.Loads of friendly cafes and eating places without being expensive. Excellent train service and trains always on time.

Tadd1966

Wherever you go you will end up increasing the number of expats

What is native Spanish culture or any culture for that matter?

Good and bad in all areas and people

Culture is about you and yours, what you like to do and who with.
You will meet people you do not like and like, or that do not like and like you no mater where you decide to live

When you find this perfect Spanish culture with no expats will you adopt all their traditions, clothing, food, drink, music, language, politics etc. If not you might just upset this prefect utopia of Spanish culture by simply being an expat

surreygirl

Be careful what you wish for. I thought it would be lovely to live around Spanish people and no way did I want to live around a load of Ex.Pats, however that has all turned to dust. I purchased a lovely flat in Torrox Costa, but the minute I moved in, it was quite obvious that my presence was not welcome. I said Buanas Dias etc whenever I saw someone from my block. -
Only a small block of eight flats - I got no response. A few weeks later as I was leaving for work and just about to get into my car a hand grabbed my shoulder and I turned and it was a male I had never seen before so when he told me he would block my car in if he heard my music again I was totally confused. I told him that he had made a mistake and that it wasnt me who played loud music. I was so upset I went into the Estate Agents who sold me the flat - very nice people - and he came and spoke to the chap, it was my alarm he could hear not music, the music was from a young boy who put the music on top volume whenever his parents went out. However moving on from that we were having lockup´s built and we had to draw a straw with a number on which would be the one we would be allocated as some were slightly smaller or larger than others etc. The family with the son who played blaring music wanted the lock up I had, but I did not want to swop. Mine was a lovely large one and since then, and yes since 2004 my car has been keyed on a regular basis. I have put cameras etc in the car and for a while it stopped but it has now started up again not to mention my post box being stuffed up with rubbish and some of my mail torn up. I regret the day I ever thought that living around Spanish would be lovely. I know they are not all like that and it is just unlucky to get a family who behaves in such a way. All the sons as well as the husband have keyed my car and it continues. I can honestly say I cannot wait to leave and I never ever want to live around Spanish again a much more international community would be better. It is true that they do not like Germans here and they kept mistaking me for a German but whatever never again. I am sure it is different in some towns and villages, probably more inland, but I do not wish to go inland because of the heat. What I want to do now bearing in mind my awful experiences is to go home to the UK and I cannot wait.

SteveDW

I've had the totally opposite experience. I live in a small building of 4 apartments and for 15 years I could have not wished for better neighbours (all Spanish). I travel a lot, and they keep an eye on my apartment and keep me informed about any problems or community issues. The best neighbours I've ever had.

surreygirl

Well I think if you are lucky enough to have nice neighbours that is good. I am not saying it doesnt exist. You can get bad neighbours in the UK. But even my lovely Norwegian neighbours who are the nicest people you could ever possibly meet find them totally unfriendly here in this bloque. However they are only here for six months of the year. The only other ex-pat has had his car practically pulled to bits with and god knows what else. It is the luck of the draw I think. You are lucky if you have nice neighbours. I can only go on my awful vile experience and I regret ever purchasing a flat here as I want to sell up but cannot. God help anyone of you should be unlucky enough to have a neighbour like the ones I have.

surreygirl

Almunecar is lovely I agree.

Fred James

I'd second that, or La Herradura next door which is where I live.

surreygirl

La Herradura is lovely. I would love to live there

cermignano

A lot can depend on what type of look/architecture pleases you. I like traditional town houses and flats with ornate balconies and traditional town squares with fountains etc. i don't like towns with so many high rise goolag style blocks. it is a matter of personal preference

TheLostPhotographer

Torrox Costa - non-expat! Are you being serious?

For every Spanish person there must be 20+ British, German, Danish, Dutch, Austrian, Norwegian (etc etc etc) living there. It is a very young place. Specifically built to accommodate ex-pats from all over.

My friends in Torrox just speak with the local MCC's when they have problems

mah88

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I don't mean to be rude, but was it a lower class area you lived in? In a way, it does worry me that I would always been seen as an outsider, though my Spanish is pretty good if I may say so. I want to fit into to their culture and not make them adapt to mine. But then as someone else mentioned, does that make them more likely to reject me, simply because I would be a foreigner regardless of my Spanish or how I act, etc.?
However, I have been to several places in Spain over the years and have found Spanish people to warm and friendly. I have only had one minor racist incident just outside Valencia where I was mistaken for a German (I was speaking in English to my dad) and mocked. Then again, I suppose it's about looking at the bigger picture.
I also worry about if I had kids in Spain, they might grow up culturally-confused, neither one nor the other. I have foreign grandparents and I'm going through that now - I don't really know where I fit in.
Maybe I just worry too much. Anyway, just my thoughts!

surreygirl

Yes it is. A lower working class area and they should be avoided at all costs. I am not saying that they are all like that. Friends of mine who live inland but in a f¡nca love the Spanish there and they love her but they do not live on top of her as they do here and contrary to what people say where I live it is nearly all Spanish and they do not like foreigners. As soon as I moved here people mistook me for a German and what is clear is that they do not like Germans. As I have said I have some lovely Norwegian neighbours who are the friendliest people you could ever wish to meet and even they find it unfriendly, so it is not just me. On the coast the lower working class do not like foreigners, that much is apparent. It is not like that in Nerja. The village I believe is quite different also. I had an inkling when I first came to see the flat as a chap drove up in a car as I was going in with the Estate Agent and he just put his hand on the horn and blasted it until the person he was picking up came down and that put me off slightly but the Estate Agent reassured me that it was an isolated incident, but the flat itself is lovely and in a year of looking I had not seen one so nice and large and bright and airy so I went ahead and bought it but it is not a nice place to live and it got worse in the recession. If they do not work in the tourist industry it is obvious that they are resentful of foreigners.