Hampshirefrank

So myself and my husband are in our late 40s and we're hoping to buy somewhere in Spain to holiday and then retire to for part of the year when the time comes. The question is where in Spain? We'd like year round sunshine (doesn't everyone)! Somewhere pretty. It doesn't have to be by the coast but it would be nice! We prefer traditional properties with a little outside space. Not in the middle of nowhere, we like to go out to eat and drink. Oh and somewhere still reasonably cheap 😉 Any recommendations?

Mr Pastry1

Try an estate agent, advice is part of their services.

Boseley

The Canary Islands have the best climate.

missile

Spain is a big country.
How would you answer "Where should I retire in England?"

bob_bob

If you want year round weather the Gran Canaria is the place to look. That said never buy for at least a year, rent and make sure your happy.

citizen_of_Barcelona

If I were you I'd look at the Alicante city and nearby towns. It's a nice midsize town, with plenty of great and communicable beaches (5-10 min) with the tram.
The city is 2 hours by train from Madrid so you don't have to worry about airports. Prices are not too bad in that area and plenty of sun all year round.
I personally prefer Barcelona because it is a great city and on the long term it's a great investment but not everyone would be comfortable living with the uncertainties of the situation there.

Moses2013

Even Britain gets year round weather. What you probably mean is that apparently Gran Canaria has the best climate but many places in Spain claim they have the best climate. People often forget that Gran Canaria has various micro climates and there are huge differences between North & South of island. People who suffer from asthma should also avoid the islands and it's no myth that they have the highest asthma rates in Spain. One problem is the Calima and I know 2 people who had to leave the island, because their asthma got worse, so best climate depends on person. In reality even Valencia gets on average nearly 2700 hours of sunshine, so not much less than Las Palmas with just over 2800 and Almeria would have more. It's also a worry if places are getting drier and we might see more problems in the near future, so again hard to define best climate. We bought not too far from where citizen of Barcelona is (Wild Coast) but 2500 hours would not be enough for most sun seeking Brits. Big advantage is that we can easily get there by car and are flexible. As said, Alicante would be one of those locations and you'd have more sun than Canary Islands.

bobd22

Take holidays see where suits you. You have plenty of time. What is ideal for one person isn't for another. Also take into account you may find somewhere coastal that is still fairly quiet, but the way building has re started since the crash in 15 or 20 years when you are about to retire that may not be suitable as they have developed the are to resort. You need time in a place to investigate and decide if it's for you.

Boseley

Here this morning in late February, 29ºc in the shade on the north facing coast. Few people from Europe or the British Isles ever visit here. let alone settle.

Leper

No point in asking where would you buy? Ask where did you buy property? We bought in Mojacar Playa in Costa Almeria which is the warmest and driest area not only of mainland Spain, but the whole Mediterranean basin.

Population during winter 50/50 ex pats and Spaniards. Good local bus service. Excellent supermarkets. Choice of Almeria, Murcia and Alicante airports. Cheaper than other Costas in almost everything.

Rosemary

Expats cover a broad spectrum of likes and dislikes so asking where to buy is not going to help you find the perfect place for you. Leper has mentioned a place that is 50/50 English and Spanish which may well suit your needs. Whereas I live in a small working town inhabited by Valencians (3000) with very few families who are from other countries. I am the only English person in the town. So this shows the extremes that can occur. It very much depends on what you are looking for, there are so many things to consider when researching and in the end it comes down to personal choice as shown in our two examples.

You cannot beat experiencing various locations personally. Asking others is fraught with problems. We are all different so this will colour our views of any place.

My advice is to travel around Spain as much as possible and then make an informed choice based on your own needs and wishes.

Rosemary

Moses2013

Well said. I would also recommend to go on the property websites, select whole of Spain, filter by your budget and then see what is available. That way you are only looking at areas you can actually afford. There's no point going to Sierra Blanca, Marbella if your budget is 100K and apartments start at around 300K. For example this is list of all houses with garden below 150K for whole of Spain:
https://www.fotocasa.es/es/comprar/v...0,0&gridType=3

Of course there are also other websites.

bfg69bug

If I had a choice I would move to the eastern side of Malaga. Benerjerafe costa, chilches costa etc. The wife and I work at Malaga Airport, her parents live down there and we are in Alhaurin el Grande. We have a great house right now, but if we could move down there we would do it in a heartbeat. Have a look at google maps and you´ll see what i mean - then look at fotocasa, kyero, idealista, etc etc to see whats avaliable in your budget. We were looking at a 3 bed with a pool, on a "housing estate" that had sea views, and you could walk to the beach in less than 5 minutes...it was only 125,000. We didnt even have a chance to get to the bank and ask about a mortgage, it sold in 1 day. !!!

Its very much "still spain" where as fuengerola / benlmadena, while they are still spanish.. have a somewhat "blackpool" feel about them.