Cuthbert Rizla

It's always about this time of year that I ponder on the worth of keeping on my place in Spain.
Yes, we managed a few weeks in the summer and the usual relatives spent some time having a cheapo holiday.
But La Manga Club is going to be pretty grim from now until Easter and the few hardy souls I know who grit it out through the winter are going to enjoy some days of weak sunshine but cold evenings in villas really not suited for all-year-round living.
Many of the restaurants and bars are closing up and Mar Menor is beginning to resemble Blackpool when all the tourists have gone home.
I've never actually wintered in Spain but am I painting an unnecessarily gloomy picture ?
I'm not far off retirement age and it's one of the options me and the missus are considering but frankly while she's reasonably keen on the idea it fills me with dread.
We're buying a place in Florida too but again, winter out there just seems to attract a lot of old gits shuffling around waiting to die.
I know everyone denigrates cold,wet and miserable Blighty but a log fire in a cosy boozer with some decent ale on tap on a cold winter's night does take some beating.
Genuinely, I'd like to hear some opinions as I'm confused as buggery about what decision to make.

stuboy

Why not rent out your place in Spain. Your impression of Florida is accurate we spent Nov-Jan there 5 years ago. Bored shitless, slow people,slow roads slow everything full of snowbirds in hotel bars. You have to choose carefully where you are going to be, Fort Lauderdale seemed about the best choice.

As to Mar Menor, where do the locals go in the winter presumably they still eat out and drink.

Lionda

If you have the money buy a place on the south coast in England ... milder weather and you speak the language, ok the government is the pits but then what's new but you can travel across the water to the rest of Europe if you like and there is an airport not too far away ... dont waste your money doing something you aren't sure of. Play safe

Dick Dasterdly

Southern Tenerife knocks mainland Spain into a cocked hat for decent weather.

Its virtually Summer all year round and as lively as you want it in the main resorts or there are some quieter spots away from the main hussle and bustle.

I tend to agree with you about Florida, not very lively in Winter,the folk are not my cup of tea and long haul travel as well.

HBG

It looks like you've bought a place 'full of old gits shuffling around waiting to die' and are about to buy another one. Is it something that attracts you to such places?

You could move La Manga to Florida and wouldn't notice the difference.

jackytoo

I would had some fairly lively nights on South beach Miami in the winter, or try 3rd and 5th avenues naples on the gulf.

Cuthbert Rizla

Like everyone I just like to feel a little heat in my bones during the winter.

But after a while I begin to doubt if I could really hack the expat lifestyle full-time.
I mean, I like a drink or three like anyone else but whenever I go anywhere in the winter with a significant expat population they all seem to be raging pissheads.
And I wonder if it's just because they're staving off the boredom. There doesn't appear to be a lot to do in most places in the winter.
But I also don't want to spend from now until Easter every year in a cold and wet place wishing I was somewhere warm.
I've got about three years to make my mind up and I've spent about the same amount of time so far dillydalling about what I want to do.

montgomail

What would you like to do with your free time in winter?

From what I've seen, Denia has the same opportunities year round. If I was to live there permanently, I would have no trouble at all finding things to do. I'd join a walking group and maybe the writers circle and I would love to spend more time enjoying the local music scene which I rarely do as a visitor, as nothing starts til midnight.

bil

I would say that you need to make up your mind what it is you actually want.

There's places within the Spanish remit that have very mild winters. I agree that if you have nothing to occupy yourself with, then booze seems to be the hobby of choice for many.

jackytoo

I was never bored in Spain. If you choose your location carefully you don't have to mix solely with ex-pats in any country. Don't forget though that people who are working aren't going to be around to socialise much.

stuboy

Well forget Florida then, it shuts at 9pm unless you want to join aerobic classes or water aerobic classes or go in for a slow boat ride looking for manatees. Like Jackie I have been to South Beach Miami a couple of times the first night is OK then it's posing,drinking and boring. It's like puerto banus and it is 50/50 English and Spanish

Sherlock Holmes

To the OP: You sound like someone who likes it warm. I know I do. I live somewhere which is thought to be warm and yes the winters are midler than the UK. The snag is that now I have acclimatised to the summers here, winter feels just as cold as it ever did. It's a bit of a swine really.

It can be a problem, especially as you get older and the blood thins.

Cuthbert Rizla

You've hit the nail on the head.

I suspect like so many on here I dread November to March,

But not enough to want to move somewhere permanently that I'd miss April to October.

I like Spain and I like Florida but not enough that I'd want to spend winter in Spain and summer in Florida.

I even got bored with Barbados after a week.

I'll just keep on looking though !

Mitzyboy

Sorry. Im in Florida at the moment and it's quite lively thanks. Lots to do and plenty to see. I've been visiting various areas here since 1990 ish and although it's not everyones cup of tea, it's not really a place that I would say closes early :-)

HBG

Where I live. to the south of Alicante, the permanent residents applaud the start of winter when the holidaymakers return home. Our many social clubs re-open and the awful places catering purely for holidaymakers close down. The drunken football-shirt brigade have gone for another year.

Rightly or wrongly, we don't like people with holiday homes in our area. They're even worse than holidaymakers, leaving empty homes for criminals to rummage through and squatters are becoming more common during the financial crisis.

Worst of all, they either let their places to tourists or family members, and they often show no respect for their 'permanent' neighbours, knowing they are only here for a short time. And when those holiday homes lie empty, the rats move in, literally.

La Manga and the Mar Menor area is a summer place for holidaymakers, mostly Spanish, and is dead in the winter. I can't imagine anyone wanting to live there all year round, especially some old git shuffling along waiting to die.

He would be better off in Benidorm where he could still shuffle around the Square along with a few of his mates, and there will also be old ladies still shuffling around too. I don't know the female of git, is it gitess? I guess not, the spell check has red-lined it.