andrewg212

Hi folks. My wife and I just relocated to London from almost perfect Hawaii, with S. Spain our end goal.
We're looking for a non-touristy town, and will explore the area around Cadiz from a 3-month base in Vigo (just not enough heat and sun there for long-term) in Jan. '23

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
As this is a section for world-wide introductions, post again in the dedicated Spain forum, giving more personal details.
For example, unless one of you is an EU citizen, you will need to obtain appropriate visas while still in the UK, depending on whether you're retired or will be working (unless you don't intend to spend more than 90 days in Spain). The Spain members will give more detailed info on post-Brexit regulations, and point you in the right direction.

mikelincs

We do ask all new members to have a quick read of the forum rules Site Rules | British Expatriate Community (britishexpats.com) and should you have any site related problems please contact on of the moderators, names in bold at the bottom right of each forum page.
The Spain forum can be found Spain - British Expats where specific questions should be directed. Please check carefully the requirement for visas to live there after the UK left the EU they have changed a lot.

Moses2013

Exploring Cádiz from Vigo might be a challenge and you would have 8-10 hours of driving just to get there? I suppose you are maybe trying to replicate Hawaii, don't let weather stats alone fool you though and there's a lot more to consider. You also have Huelva or Malaga down there and is it beach or inland areas you are looking at?

andrewg212

Yes, understood, and thanks for the info.
How do I navigate to the "dedicated Spain forum"?

andrewg212

Yes, understood, and thanks for the info.
How do I navigate to the "dedicated Spain forum"?

andrewg212

Thanks for your comment.. Of course its a hike from Vigo yet justified by spending several weeks looking around. It's not the beaches as much as a view of the water if possible, but the farther inland the less touristy and more Spanish I presume (which appeals to us). We will visit Huelva and surrounding towns yet prefer to stay on the western side of Gibraltar, which may be less influenced by the seasonal ebb and flow of holiday-makers and condo-lovers. And yes we will give up the incredible year round climate of Hawaii in favor of living amidst, and having proximity to, the varied cultures of Europe.

Moses2013

I haven't been down there for a long time and while there are fewer hotels and long empty beaches, you'll still always have some influence by the seasonal ebb and flow of holiday-makers and condo-lovers.
There are spots with individual villas, but Spain is just designed that way and especially along the coast you'll always get urbanizations that are busier in summer and sometimes dead during the winter. While the wind might be welcome during summer, it might not be that welcome during winter (unless you love windsurfing).
I suppose the assumption is that the further inland you go the more Spanish it gets, that's not always the case. A lot of Spanish live where they can find work and want to live close to cities, so you could end up in a Spanish looking village that is less Spanish (more foreigners than Spanish). Even a castle or some tourist attraction can make the inland village feel less Spanish during the summer. Here is the Spain forum https://britishexpats.com/forum/spain-75/

andrewg212

Thanks for your comment--very insightful! (and I agree with it). All will be revealed (or at least some will) with a visit. Until then it's all about Google, which clearly opens a window that didn't exist years ago, and which is quite helpful. Yet how many times has the actual differed from the anticipated!

mikelincs

Click on the link in my post.

kezza88

Why London?

andrewg212

Our objective is to continue to experience the wonderful cultures of the EU (and the UK mind you!). From a base in Honolulu, and my wife's reluctance to fly more than 6 hours at a time, our periodic trips to Spain, France, Italy, etc. were labored and measured. Just to arrive took close to a week, and then the same on the return. We needed to give up "paradise", which in most respects is an accurate description of Hawaii. We observed the insane climate extremes within the US from an untouched consistent 80 degree fahrenheit perspective, realizing that Honolulu arguable has the best climate in the entire country. So again we decided to give it up in favor of the 4 seasons, and the dread winters. London is a half-step to deciding whether we're up for living full time in Spain, the language barrier being the biggest obstacle. A visit to Spain this winter will hopefully enable us to make that decision. If truth be known London is simply too inclement for us. Thanks for asking!