Which area of Spain offers the best place to retire?

[SusanaSuspenda]

the best place to retire is Costa Brava is known as Spain's sunny 'wild coast'. It is lined with rugged cliffs, sandy inlets and bustling holiday resorts. Here you will find long crescents of sand and shingle and the long beaches of the main resorts where all manners of water sports can be found. Estartit is great for scuba diving. There is a crammed marina here, filled with luxury yachts and one of the best sandy beaches on this part of the coast. Every resort along this stretch of coast has its own character and Tossa de Mar is no exception. Here are British-style pubs, late night clubs and lively bars. The town of Tossa de Mar also has narrow, twisting streets dating back to the 12th century.

Too cold in the winter for me and there is only one place for me and that Andalucia which is gods earth and has everything you could want from Costa life to stunning mountains and lakes but most importanly the Andalucian people are wonderful.

 

[DC]

Thank you all for your comments. x

 

[NathanY]

From what I hear Almansa is the place to watch at the minute.
reasons:
Its at the heart of the new high speed rail line.
Its close to both Valencia and Alicante.
There are a few big developments being worked on in that area

 

[SusanaSuspenda]

You pays your money and makes your choice, now I found Valencianos very unfriendly in comparsion to Andalucians but other people I know found the complete opposite,

Also other factor like driving from England may make somewhere like Denia or Javea more attractive

 

[mmespain]

Murcia is the best

For me Murcia is the best region, you have the wonderful Mar Menor, 27 miles lagoon, and also access to 3 airports within 35 minutes. It is also the site of the new Paramount Studios Theme Park, so another added reason to live or buy there.

I have lived there for over 7 years, I am originally from the UK, and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

 

[findingout]

Murcia is a pretty good choice, I agree. The further south you go, I generally find that:

1. It's a little cheaper (except obvious catches like Sevilla)
2. It's warmer.
3. It's less crowded.

 

[patrick1972]

Which area of Spain is best for retirement and Why?

Hi there, I lived in a little village north of Alicante and found that the lifestyle there was fantastic. The proximity to Alicante airport really gave me a sense of security knowing that I had easy access to and from Spain. I would suggest smaller towns and villages as the people are generally born and bred there and are very welcoming. The cities tend to be multicultural to the extreme with many north african countries represented along with many european ones which if you dont mind the diverse cultures is great but can sometimes be a bit oppressive.

 

[findingout]

You pays your money and makes your choice, now I found Valencianos very unfriendly in comparsion to Andalucians but other people I know found the complete opposite,

Also other factor like driving from England may make somewhere like Denia or Javea more attractive

I wouldn't suggest Northern Spain, especially not in the Basque region... it rains a lot more than you'd expect and is also much colder than you'd think. A bit like being back in old blighty herself!

I had a very welcoming experience in Valencia and its area, but also in Andalucia. Depends on your attitude, but also a lot on luck..

 

[TOP-CASA]

Which area of Spain is best for retirement and Why?

I think Costa del Sol is teh best area to relax. It's the pearl of Spain - the brightest and most interesting province.

 

[SpainInvest]

Costa Del Sol / Marbella

I think Costa del Sol is teh best area to relax. It's the pearl of Spain - the brightest and most interesting province.

Totally Agree - and so do the visitors by the looks of things:

Tourism is starting to show a marked increase in 2011 with Malaga airport arrivals up by 7.5% and 30% for European and International visitors respectively**, and tourist apartment occupancy levels have shown a 16% increase in the first quarter of 2011!

 

[viviren]

Property prices there would be as high as in any of the major capital cities of the Spain, this is depending on the best places to retire in Spain.

 

[clacher]

Retirement to Europe in the sun !!!!!

Some would say that no where is the best place to retire to as so many countries are falling flat on their faces at this moment---the next one to go is Italy ---having worked there for over two years I have seen first hand what the economic global downfall has done to the property market, and to a lot of the investors ---today give serious thought to where you want to be ---if cash is to hand then the world is your oyster ---just beware the salesman who is after it , go for word of mouth references and keep away from the biggies ,stick with people that live and know the area rather than a little suited and booted young wouldbe trying to earn his first commission from an office in the Midlands and has never heard of, Costa Blanca, Calabria, Fethiye, Polis and other destinations.

Having worked in all these locations I have met some really lovely people also many sharks ---please feel free to contact me if you need any questions answered regarding any of these areas and I will do my best to help ---this is free advice ---

Regards

Clacher:

 

[andyintheworld]

South of Tenerife - all year round it is sunny and warm. You get maybe 15 days a year where it rains. You can live in the middle of an expat community, tourist resort, a Spanish town. You dont need to speak Spanish (though obviously life is easier if you do) and there are bargains around if you know where to look. I sell repossessions, distressed developer sales and bargains and some prices are very good although agents are still listing dross. I´d say 90% of what they put up is overpriced. I did the opposite and only listed really well priced property. It has paid off too, I sold more in the first 4 months of this year than the whole of 2010!

Tenerife is a great option and very popular. The population goes up between November and April every year as thousands of "swallows" come over to escape the harsh Winter of Northern Europe. Wonderful place. I have been here 5 years.

 

[clacher]

Where to retire too

In Reply Andy in the world,

You have just said exactly the same as me -----Cash is King ---its just finding out where to spend it and not being greedy, everybody has their little oddities about prefered areas-----some would say that it is a long flight to Tenerife , Cyprus etc. and that it is an island and you can go round it only so often (again like Cyprus) whilst Spain is just a hop-over, as is France .

Glad to hear that you are being sensable and that you are SELLING as Italy ,Cyprus and Spain just dead at the moment ---please send your web link so as I can have a look at your properties ---you never know !!!!



Clacher

 

[DC]

Thank you for all your comments. Some are very valid and make you think, logically, some are an insight to different regions emotions.

 

[Gene Genie]

Isn't the area spoilled by the coastal highway and the new road to Granada?

 

[DC]

Thank you all guys who have contributed.

 

[Occo]

It depends what you like but i'd say, near the costa brava, (not barcelona),Malaga, Canary Islands or las islas baleras (funny enough I dont know how to say it in english).

 

[clacher]

Me thinks this thread will go on indefinatly---thanks Occo for your input ,I have been to all the mentioned areas you have written about and I would offer Costa Brava as the better option---but this is only my personal opinion.

At this moment in time everybody is keeping all their pennies closely guarded as they do not know what will happen to the econimic climate in the near future (my feelings are they have not yet hit rock bottom) so not many areas doing so well in the property sales market ----lots of people say to "Try before you buy" which I think would be the best way to go as long as the landlords do not get to greedy by hiking up the rents ---Spain seems to be very expensive for rentals (I have been watching rentals throughout Europe and Spain is very expensive along the Costas ).So come on landlords don't be so greedy , better something per month better than nothing .

Lets hope for a better New Year if I can offer any advice to anyone please contact me ----its all free.

Clacher

 

[alex2012]

I think Costa Blanca is the best - hope one day to be able to buy some property there