tobyjug74

Hi, I´m currently doing some research into where us Brits go to in Spain. According to the data I have, the six most popular destinations are in descending order: the Balerics, Catalonia, Andalusia, Canary Islands, Valencia and Madrid.

I´d like to hear from people who either live or have visited these regions to see what they like about them.

On the other side of the coin, a few other regions have very few British tourists, namely Aragon, asturias, extramadura, Navarra, La Rioja and Ceuta. I´d also like to hear from British people who´ve visited these regions and their thoughts whether good or bad on these regions.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

jdr

Can you explain what this research is for ?
thanks jdr

Rixxy

Most of us go to the bar!!!! Or the beach when its warm. hehe

mikelincs

totally agree.

Big_john

[B]TOBY[B]

I have lived in Spain since 1989, first of all I lived on the Costa del Crime (Sol)
and lived and worked all over Spain including the Balearics until I retired in 2002.
At that point I was very happy with the majority of Spain but when I retired I was getting fed up with the problems bsing caused by the British drunk/yob culture on the Costas, and so decided as I had worked in the North of Spain to move up there.

I now live in Galicia, which is much wetter than the south of spain but we get a real spring, green lands & forests, rivers that are flowing and we also get proper summers with temperatures that are normaly 31c .....and we do not get any yob culture.

You can go yo any beach and leave your car unlocked, and when you return the content's will still be intact.
The cost of living is far less than any other part of Spain, for instance my rates are 4Euros 50 cents per year and my house is 1000mtrs sq and my parcel of land including the river is 7.5 acres, very cheap

The summers here on the North coast from San Sebastian until you get around to Portugal are hot just the same as down south, but we do get rain in the winter, although last winter we did not have any, but this year we have

The whole of Spain is different, but unless you or anyone has lived there they cannot comment, the Balearics is the same wet in winter hot in summer, the Costa del Crime hot and no water.

In the future the Costa del Crime will in my opinion have many problems, too many new Extracanaries and insufficient infrastructure, look at Murcia ....any new urbanisations now have to have a water installation, there is a new development at Mazarron on the coast near Murcia that has to have it's own Desalization plant before it can be built, think about other urbanisations near there how many have water facilities, none ......and what will happen in the future.

They say in 30 years that part of the med will be dead because it will be too hot and a lack of water because nobody is doing anything about the current water problem

It's very nice to lay around in your swimsuit because there will alway's be sun but what about the water.

Rixxy

Well here in Marbella they just ket out loads of water after the last couple of days rain as the resevoir too full!!

Anyway in 50 years the costa will be under flood due to global warming and the desert will be up your way!

Enjoy your weekend

Big_john

RIXXY

Seen it and worn the "T" shirt, as I lived and worked down there from 1989, I remember when they have turned the water off 13 yrs ago in the summer, then you can laugh on the other side of your face, no water for washing etc etc.


And I doubt whether this part of the world will ever have a water problem like the Costa del Sol, as it was designated a "DESERT" years ago and nothing has been done about it

Rixxy

Hiya - I came here 95 at the end of the drought. I remember well in the villa Campo Mijas behind fuengirola (and b4 the N340 was built!!) the water allowed on for 1 hour every 2nd day.

It would come on at all hours, so 3am up, bath the kids and selves, wash dishes and clothes (no dishwashers) and save all the waste water in barrels 4 the garden and toilet.

Then boxing day it rained - and didnt stop til July!!!

Since then been ok but I always have wondered with all this massive building work how we still have any water left. In Gib they use sea water in the toilets!

Desalination plants are fine - just recycling. Suppose its a bit like the recycling of drinking water in London!!!!!

jonsol

Or to the dogs...ha ha, .

Big_john

Hi Rixxy,

You talk about Gib, I worked there for the first three years of my life here on the Costa, and work and money was good

The toilets and also they have two sinks in some of the houses which are salt water fed, which is ideal for washing veg, some of the dishwashing etc.

But if you are a plumber it is a godsend for work .....because a lot of the pipework is galvanised so ....it requires to be replaced pretty frequently and that was how we started a business, and it was a lot of work.
But these day's I don't know.

The first year that I was here it rained through the winter from Nov just like you say, in Gib some of the small boats were sinking because of the force of the water, and since then it has never rained that bad again.
I also remember in that same year the road in the middle of Estepona coming up and women having to be rescued out of the underground river where their cars had just sunk.
And in Fuengirola seeing houses just washing down the river which goes under the road & restaurants that were on the beach being washed out to sea just unbelievable

jdr

Been here over 5 years and only had one cut for a couple of hours when a digger cut the pipe ;-)

Big_john

I understand that but in the long term side of things 5 yrs is nothing, if you look back at the history of the Costa you will see that there has been numerous problems with the water cut offs in previous years as has been previously stated.
I have ridden around the pantanos at the back of Malaga & the back of Marbella when you can see the bottom of them, it is a big problem for the future.
And the only general comment is well we have a desalinisation plant at Marbella, but the money that needs spending on it is astronomical

It is fine when you have the Pantanos full of water but each year you have more and more extracanarias moving to the Costa for more sun, which includes more water naturally, if you care to go and look at the pantanos in early spring you will see that each year they get less and less fact.

This last 3 years in Extramadura the panatnos have been virtually empty until these last 2 months, which is an extreme state.
And then where does the water come from.
If you look at the water supply from the Guadalquivir & Rio Duoro through Zamora in that time then you will understand where I am coming from.
Remember the rio is not ours we have to allow the supply to get into Portugal

Snow melt is getting less each year

I and many others can see that in the near future it will be a real problem and in many parts it already is, fact

But as regards the infrastructure on the Costa there is very little for the future,water is exactly the same, you only have to look at the road system for the Costa you have the Autovia & the N340 but if you are not a local it is very difficult to get around the back,water there is nothing exept promises

tobyjug74

I´m a freelance writer and I´m trying to gather material for an article about where British people go in spain and where they avoid.

Big_john

PM, sent

brisca

[This last 3 years in Extramadura the panatnos have been virtually empty until these last 2 months, which is an extreme state.]

Hi Big_john,

I realise you've lived in Spain a lot longer than we have (we've only been here a year) but I'm interested as to where you got your info about the pantanos (or embalses) being at such a low level here in Extremadura??

We visited 4 times in 2005 (January, May, June and November) and the only time the water level was visibly lower, was at the end of June.
I must admit we didn't actually venture out to any embalses last year (too busy settling in!) but I can't say I've been aware of any being virtually empty!?

We've got some lovely photos of the embalses at Monragüe and Orellana (looking pretty healthy!) in 2005

However, obviously we take your point that water conservation is a very serious matter.

There's some thought provoking information in the following links, and admittedly it doesn't look great for this region.
http://sehumed.uv.es/eswetlands/7ES023.htm
http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/10460
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200508/146130518.pdf

It took some getting used to last summer, when the water was on and off at various times........especially when it was a 3 day stretch with NO water at all!!
Each time it came back on, we guessed "what shade of brown" it was going to be, and for how long!!
Makes you really appreciate how much you can take essentials for granted; and just how awful life must be for people living in parts of the world that are constantly facing drought conditions