Where to live as a retiree in Spain?
Updated in August 2024 after our most recent move.
There’s a reason why “where to live in Spain” is the biggest dilemma for foreigners coming here. I’m hoping that this time, now on our 3rd base in Spain (in less than 4 years), we have it right.
More on all that below, taking you from our initial scouting trip in 2020 to our new home in 2024.
In early 2020 we travelled around Spain looking at different places that could be our potential future home. We had done a lot of reading, been through many posts with titles such as “Top places to live in Spain” but we were still uncertain and confused.
As we learned, it’s good to do research – but you really have to get on the ground and see different places for yourself.
Another thing that’s important is knowing what you want and what you don’t want ie. your criteria. There are many potential places to live in Spain and you really have to know what you’re looking for.
Our criteria when we started our search for a future home in Spain
We started our future home search in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit Spain. Here was our criteria at the time:
What we wanted
- We wanted to be in a mid-sized city. We’ve always been city people and city conveniences were important to us.
- Being close to nature is important.
- We wanted to be within a few hours of a major airport. We enjoy travelling and want to use Spain as a base to explore the rest of Europe.
- Cost of living is important to us – we’re no longer working. Note I specified “retiree” in the title up top. That eliminated cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and San Sebastian which are known to be expensive.
What we didn’t want
- We didn’t want an overly-touristy or high expat destination. We both speak Spanish and wanted to integrate into a Spanish way of life.
- We wanted Spanish to be the main language, we didn’t want to be dealing with Catalan or Basque.
- We didn’t want to be in a place that is dependent on tourism and that dies in the winter. We didn’t want to be in a seasonal beach town, we want to be in a ‘real city”.
Note: keep in mind that your criteria might change. Ours did. I’ll get into that further in this post.
Potential “Future homes in Spain” – Theory vs Reality
Malaga
Our first stop in Spain, Malaga is the gateway to Southern Spain and the popular Costa del Sol. Lots of beaches, lots of tourists in the summer, and lots of Expats.
In Theory (ie. thoughts/impressions based on reading):
Pros: Malaga has flights from all over Europe (as well as a few from North America and the Middle East) so it’s a great base if you like to travel. Temperatures are hot but moderated by breezes from the sea. The sun is always out. Malaga is a busy, exciting city and is relatively inexpensive compared to some of Spain’s other cities (like Madrid, Barcelona and San Sebastian). It has beaches and history. As I say up top, it’s a popular place among expats and tourists and a gateway to Andalusia. All good things.
Cons: If you look at photos of Malaga, you see row upon row of unattractive apartment blocks (the same can be said for much of the Costa del Sol). Many say that Malaga is full of expats, mostly British expats, and that there isn’t a lot of local flavor. On top of all that, many apartments cater to tourism and it can be difficult finding long term apartments.
Expectations: We didn’t expect Malaga to be our future home but were open to having a look around the city.
Reality (ie. thoughts/impressions when we got there and looked around):
We spent 6 days in Malaga and I have to admit our reality matched our expectations: we didn’t expect to love the city and we didn’t.
What we liked: Malaga has a small but attractive old town with some interesting historical sights (Malaga Cathedral, the Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro). We arrived on February 1st to temperatures of 22C, with sunny skies. So the weather came as advertised. We didn’t find that the city was “full” of expats and found lots of friendly locals and good food.
What we didn’t like: Overall we found the city unattractive with its many apartment buildings both in the center and lining the coast. The historical center, while charming, is dwarfed by ugly port facilities that dominate the skyline. Beaches are unattractive (sorry, but compared to other beaches we’ve seen Malaga’s beaches are kind of depressing).
Update: We’ve been back to Malaga many times since 2020. It’s only reinforced our first impressions.
In short, Malaga wasn’t our vision of Spain. A couple of years ago we visited Seville and loved it. Malaga might have the coastline…but the city just doesn’t compare.
More: Living in Malaga (why it’s not the place for us)
Conclusion: Malaga was a definite “No” for us. A 2 out of 5 if I have to give it a rating.
Granada
In Theory:
Pros: beautiful Granada, famous for the Alhambra. It’s a smaller sized city in the foothills of the mountains of the Sierra Nevada: close to nature, laid back, and affordable for expats. 90 minutes from Malaga’s airport. Granada is touristy but tourists come here for culture, not for beaches and drinking.
Cons: Granada is inland (with no sea breezes) and gets very hot in the summer. In the winter it gets cold. It has a small airport but it is by no means a truly international airport.
Expectations: We had high expectations that Granada could be our future home.
Reality:
We spent a week in Granada and really liked the city…but left uncertain as to whether it could be our future home.
What we liked: There’s no doubt Granada is beautiful. The old town and the Arab quarter (the Albaicin) has lots of highlights. The Alhambra is spectacular as is its position looking over the city. The city is relaxed and a joy is walking around and stopping at a plaza for drinks and tapas. The architecture is beautiful (unlike Malaga, no ugly highrises here) and the people friendly. The city is close to nature and you see the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada in the background.
What we didn’t like: Parts of Granada are very hilly and if you’re clumsy on your feet you have to be careful. We stayed in the Albaicin and Lissette had a hard time with all the steps. Granada is not that big and we found ourselves retracing our steps after a couple of days. Would we eventually get bored in Granada? Finally, while there’s nature all around Granada, it’s not right there. You still have to get there by transport.
Conclusion: A beautiful environment, a clean and attractive city, friendly people, and a relaxed lifestyle. These are the things that stood out for us with Granada. We fell in love with it as a place to visit but were unsure if it was a place we could live. We needed more time there to get to know the city. Still, unlike Malaga, Granada was a definite possibility. 3 ½ out of 5.
Jaen
Most people have probably never heard of Jaen. But we have an Australian friend living close by and decided we’d stop over for a couple of nights. Jaen is a small, hilly city dominated by a huge Cathedral. The region is known for its olive oil and Jaen is known as the “World Capital of Olive Oil”.
In Theory:
Pros: A pretty, laid back city. Cost of living is low and the city is well connected: it is the ending point of 2 highspeed rail lines: one that goes north to Madrid (4 hours), one that goes southwest to Cadiz with stops in Cordoba (1 ½ hrs) and Seville (3 hours). It is also 1 hour from Granada by bus.
Cons: Maybe too remote for a first base in Spain?
Expectations: None to be honest. We were passing through this direction to visit our friend Norah. That’s the reason we were visiting Jaen.
Reality:
What we liked: A much more attractive city than we expected. Lots of parks, a few busy main streets, some pretty squares. Hills and mountains in the surrounding landscape. The Cathedral is massive and marks the center of town. We had our best meal in Spain here (at Panaceite, near the Cathedral). The commercial center is flat but wander a bit further and you’ll have steep streets and stairs. The city has a provincial air, the kind of place where you see older men sitting in cafes reading the newspaper in the morning. Nice city.
What we didn’t like: Jaen could use more upkeep: you’ll see a lot of graffiti and dog poop on the streets. The city doesn’t get the kind of upkeep that more popular cities get. It’s a sleepy kind of place, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are.
Conclusion: Jaen is a bit remote and I think we’d need a car to get around. There’s lots to see in the region (Jaen is close to being in the center of Andalusia). I could see it as a possibility in the future when we have a car. But for a 1st base in Spain I didn’t think Jaen is it. 2 out of 5 (for now).
Related: The Best of Jaén
Alicante
In Theory:
Pros: A mid-sized city on the coast, it is lively and international, affordable, and has a busy airport that has destinations all over Europe. 2 hours by train to Madrid. Very popular for both expats and tourists, mostly because of its attractive beaches.
Cons: We read that there are a lot of expats living in the Alicante region. I have nothing against expats but I think we want to integrate into Spanish life and having too many expats around makes it too easy not to integrate. Otherwise, we didn’t see much wrong with Alicante on paper.
Expectations: We had high hopes for Alicante, it just seemed to have the mix of everything that was important to us.
Reality:
What we liked: Not much (except for some nice beaches). I know that sounds harsh.
What we didn’t like: Alicante is not an attractive city. Outside of a few large boulevards in the center lined with palm trees, most of the city’s neighbourhoods feature tight streets lined by ugly apartment blocks. The port area is unattractive, the “Old Town” the least impressive of the Spanish towns and cities we’ve visited to date. There seem to be lots of immigrants in the city and in places it looks like a ghetto. We sometimes wondered “where do the Spanish live?”. PS. I think all those expats you hear about live outside the city itself, in the coastal communities to the north and south.
Conclusion: Is it mean to say we really didn’t like Alicante? It held zero appeal for us. Alicante is the best example of why you have to visit a place no matter how good it sounds on paper…1 of 5.
Valencia
We weren’t going to go to Valencia because it broke one of my criteria rules: they speak Valencian (a dialect of Catalan) in Valencia. But Glenn, a reader who I met in Mexico last year, convinced us to visit.
In Theory:
Pros: A beautiful city with a mix of old and modern, vibrant, great beaches, nature all around. Good food, great café culture. A huge city park (the Turia). Like Alicante, summers are hot (but not as hot as Granada or Seville). It has an airport with flights all over Europe. A bit more expensive for rent than Alicante but still much cheaper than Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastian. There’s a metro which is great for getting around.
Cons: Valencian. Having lived in Quebec for many years we didn’t want to live somewhere where the language we spoke (in this case Spanish) would be the 2nd language. Part of living in Spain is to integrate and to improve our Spanish, not to learn yet another language.
Reality:
What we liked: Wow. We liked Valencia right away. BEAUTIFUL city, cultured, lively, lots of green spaces, bicycle friendly. Spanish was everywhere so it wasn’t the issue we made it out to be.
What we didn’t like: the only thing that struck me was that although there is a lot of nature in the city, the mountains and sea are far from the city. But that was minor at the time: Valencia is a truly beautiful and cosmopolitan city.
Conclusion: When we left Valencia for our next destination (León) we were pretty sure we had found our base. Valencia had checked most of our boxes. More importantly, we just felt in our gut that it was the place. 4/5.
Related: What makes Valencia a great place to live in Spain?
León
León was an unlikely candidate but one that had been recommended by a blogger friend. Little did we know that it would change everything…
In Theory:
Pros: A beautiful and historic city in the northwest of Spain, an easy 2 hour trip to Madrid on the high-speed train. It’s a cultural destination (part of the Camino de Santiago) as well as a foodie destination. So it attracts tourists. It’s a lively city with many bars and restaurants. Its climate is cooler than other parts of Spain and is quite cold in winter (which would make Lissette happy). Leon is also one of Spain’s cheapest cities.
Cons. No beaches or mountains anywhere close.
Reality:
It was March of 2020. Coming from Valencia, we had intended to be in León a week. The day we arrived we heard murmurs of a possible lockdown. The next day the Spanish government announced a State of Alarm because of the Coronavirus.
We ended up being in León for 4 months. Luckily the owner of the Airbnb we had booked was accommodating and told us we could stay as long as we wanted (and at a very fair price).
For the first 2 months we were under strict lockdown which meant no going out except for groceries. Not even for 1 hour of exercise as was the norm in other European countries.
By the time May came around, we were allowed an hour to be out. We finally got to see León.
What we liked: León is an attractive, very walkable, laid back city. People were friendly (we had been told that people in the north weren’t as friendly but we didn’t see that).
What we didn’t like: We just didn’t see ourselves living in León: too small, too far from any big city, nowhere close to a beach or mountains (mountains are actually not far away but they’re not visible from the city itself).
Conclusion: A nice place to visit but we both agreed that we would get bored living here long-term. 2/5.
Related: Highlights of a self-guided walking tour of León
After being stuck in León for 4 months we left Spain to go back to Canada to apply for our non-lucrative residence visa. At that point, we were still not 100% sure what our Spanish base would be but Valencia was at the top of the list followed by Granada.
There is one other city that was also worth considering:
Seville
A few years ago we had spent 2 months in Seville. We had loved the city. But could it be our long term home in Spain?
What we liked: a gorgeous, historic city. One of the most beautiful that we’ve ever visited. Lots of festivities, a very happening city. Great food, friendly people, lots of parks.
What we didn’t like: Seville gets very hot in the summer, the city is actually one of the hottest in Spain. Lissette has a hard time with excessive heat. It doesn’t have a major airport*. Not close to mountains and sea either.
*note: when I say major airport I mean an international airport with destinations not just to Western Europe but to North America, Asia and the Middle East. Because while many of the cities listed here have airports, you’ll have to transfer through Madrid, Barcelona or Malaga to get to most international destinations.
Conclusion: In many ways I compare Seville to Valencia. Both beautiful cities. The advantage of Valencia is better transport links. I think Seville is a great city to visit but I think (for us) it has a few too many negatives for long-term living. 3 ½ out of 5.
I mentioned at the top that our criteria changed. It happened during our time in Montreal and it was all because of Covid. Suddenly our first choice, Valencia, didn’t seem so appealing. Maybe because we had been cooped up in small apartments for so long. All of the benefits and conveniences of city life no longer seemed important. We decided that when we got back to Spain we’d check out a coastal town recommended by an expat friend. That town is Nerja.
Nerja
In Theory:
Pros: A town 45 minutes up the coast from Malaga. Lots of nature with sea and mountains. A few people I spoke with mentioned that despite a large expat population (25% I was told) that the town has local flavour.
Cons: The town has a lot of expats and gets a lot of tourists in normal times. It’s a seasonal seaside town which was something we really didn’t want originally…
Reality:
We arrived in Spain (flying into Malaga) on the first of October 2020 and went straight to Nerja. Provincial borders were closed at the time because of Covid. It wasn’t the time to do more scouting. We felt that we had to come to a quick decision on a base.
What we liked: Nerja is a very pretty town and we loved the nature. It is peaceful, quiet, the people are nice. Lots of beautiful beaches, lots of hikes in the hills behind town. At the same time, it has some of the conveniences of an expat town: things like specialty stores and specialty restaurants. More importantly, although small, Nerja is a functioning town and has everything we need. Yes, it’s a seaside town but it’s also more than that.
What we didn’t like: Nerja isn’t a cultural destination. There are no great churches or historical landmarks here. It’s all about beaches (which is not our thing) and nature. But it was a pretty place and we decided that it would be our first base in Spain.
Nerja was a convenient first base, especially considering Covid. And with the lockdowns in place and few people coming, we found a nice apartment within 10 days. The title of this post basically says it all… Why we chose Nerja as our new home in Spain (and why it’s perfect for the times)
On deciding to leave Nerja:
After 2 ½ years in Nerja, we moved in May of 2023. Why? We got bored living in a seaside resort town. And when things finally got back to normal in the summer of 2022, Nerja became packed with foreign tourists and expats. There was also the matter of lifestyle, we realised we had compromised our original criteria and that living in a place like Nerja just wasn’t “us”. I detail that here: Goodbye Nerja! We’ve moved…
Still, as I say in the post, we were thankful to Nerja. It was a sanctuary during Covid and was the perfect place for a first base in Spain. But it was time to move on…
More: What’s it like living in Nerja? The Pros and the Cons
Antequera
We had been pretty desperate to leave Nerja and we chose a place that was almost the opposite: the beautiful inland city of Antequera.
Looking back at our original criteria, Antequera checked off all our boxes: it’s a mid-sized city, it’s close to nature, it’s 25 minutes from Malaga by high-speed train (for us that’s important) and it’s significantly less expensive than the coast. It’s not overwhelmed by tourists, doesn’t have a lot of expats, they speak Spanish (not Basque or Catalan). It’s the “real Spain”, a very interesting and attractive city with lots of history.
We lasted a year in Antequera. We actually really liked mostly everything having to do with the city and did a lot of exploring and travelling, both around Andalusia and abroad. It made for a great base.
But we felt too isolated in Antequera as foreigners. The city has a very small-town mentality, something we hadn’t experienced anywhere else in Spain. We were never going to make friends in Antequera, there wasn’t much going on…a beautiful city but we didn’t see a future for ourselves there. We weren’t getting any younger, what would be the point of staying another year?
You might find this post interesting: Living in Antequera (compared to Nerja)
Antequera confirmed the kind of city we wanted to live in. We wanted a city like Antequera, but a city that was a little bit more dynamic, friendlier and more cosmopolitan. Antequera might not have been perfect for us but we knew we were on the right path.
That’s led us to where we are now…
Granada
Yes, we are back in Granada, the city we had visited for a week back in 2020.
After living in Antequera, Granada was just up the road and the logical place for us. Like Antequera it is a beautiful city full of history surrounded by nature. And like Antequera it is the “real Spain”. But Granada also has the other things we wanted: it is dynamic, friendlier and more cosmopolitan. There is an expat community here. While we wanted to live in the “real Spain”, we came to the conclusion that we wanted some kind of expat community where we were living. We like a cultural mix, we like meeting different people, we like different cuisine – Lissette is from New York, I’m from Montreal. Being somewhere cosmopolitan is important to us.
We rented a temporary apartment. We thought we’d explore Granada, see how we liked it this 2nd time around.
It took us about 2 weeks to decide that Granada was it. Locals have been very friendly and there’s a vibrant air to the city. It’s cosmopolitan. After not having Indian food for a year in Antequera we ordered Indian food 3 times the first week here. And there’s lots of nature, we spent much of our first month walking along the Genil river or around the forest of the Alhambra.
Another thing: Granada is now more accessible than it was in 2020. Today it is on the high-speed train line to Malaga (Antequera is on the same line) and it takes 1 hr, 20 minutes to Malaga.
It’s only been 3 months but Granada has been the place that’s suited us better than any of the other cities we’ve visited or lived in. It’s a place where we can see ourselves living for a while.
I write more about all that in this post: Can we live in Granada? Yes but…
Things Learned
If there’s a piece of advice I’d give people it’s this: be very precise in identifying your criteria. At the very top of this post (which was written in 2020) I was wrote exactly what we were looking for. Despite that – and because of Covid – we strayed from our list. 3 ½ years later, we’re in Granada which matches everything we had on our original list of “Wants” and “Don’t Wants”.
I also always say that you have to see places in person and actually spend a bit of time in the city that you’re interested in. As you can see above, some places are great in theory but the reality doesn’t measure up. So make sure you do that scouting trip.
Finally, everybody is different and what I like might not be what you like. People have different tastes, different lifestyles and belong to different demographics. Don’t listen too much to other people’s recommendations, it’ll just drive you crazy and make you more confused than when you started out. Listen to your gut. And don’t worry, if you get it wrong the 1st time there’s always the 2nd or 3rd time…
Here’s a bit of additional reading if you’re doing your own research.
The 15 Most Liveable Cities in Spain
The Best Places to live in Spain for Expats
Also: make sure to check out our “Ask an Expat” series where Expats tell us about the places they live. It might help you out in finding the spot for you.
Related: Nerja Or Estepona (as places to base yourself in Spain)
Related: Where to live on the Costa Del Sol
Thank you for this article, which I find extremely helpful. You are absolutely right about the criteria. I have slightly different criteria, one of the most important is the weather and air quality (sea air is good for me). That’s why Granada would not be on my list, because it’s too cold in winter. So I consider only towns in the south at the sea. The rest is almost identical.
Unfortunately most seaside towns are very touristy. I have nothing against tourists, but do not want to have a hard time finding a “real” spanish bar or bodega or restaurant and seeing lot of “english breakfast” signs instead. Cost of living is also a thing, where I have to disagree with you assessment, that Málaga is “relatively inexpensive”. In the last years the prices have gone through the roof, that’s why there is so much anti tourist protests nowadays in Màlaga.
I’m considering everything east of Màlaga. I find Nerja very beautiful, but now it is packed with tourists, even in winter. Maybe Velez-Màlaga would be something worth considering, it’s a little bit inland, but the sea is only a one hour walk or a 15 minute bike ride away. And then there is of course the entire province of Almeria. Very sunny, at the sea, the climate is drier than in Màlaga, prices are still reasonable and it has not as much tourists as the Costa del Sol. Downside of the province is the “mare plastico”, a huge area of plastic-covered greenhouses, which can even been seen from space, and which is simply ugly. And Almeria itself is not the most beautiful town either.
Thank you Harry. Yes, you are right about Malaga. I have to update that, just in the last 2 years prices have skyrocketed. That’s true for most places on the coast, particularly Costa del Sol. We saw it for ourselves in Nerja.
Velez-Malaga is a strange place that gives an abandoned vibe. Like you say, close to the coast but personally I wouldn’t want to live there.
Thank you for your comments and sorry for the delay, you were sitting in my spam box.
We took a much less organised approach, basing ourselves in Spain as much as work allowed, 12 years ago. We have subsequently moved once, about twenty kilometres! I’m delighted to read that you’ve chosen Granada, we live in a village called Conchar, about twenty minutes drive away. I feel more at home in Granada than anywhere else I’ve lived since I was a teenager (a lot of places) – it’s everything you talk about and more!
Fabulous blog, thank you for sharing. Absolutely agree that you have to be in a place for a bit of time to really know a place. You can read any number of reviews and blogs (many less refreshingly honest about the pros and cons than yours is) but ultimately you have to spend time there. Also in Spain, in Andalucia especially, you have to try places at different times of year. Summer and Winter can be so polarised in not just weather, but also culture, people, facilities and “feel”. We felt we were drowning in desktop analysis, tried a few short visits, decided that to try everywhere on our list at different times of year would take too long, and just went for it and bought a small place as a base for exploring and learning what our true requirements were. We ended up in Velez de Benaudalla (about 20 minutes from you in Granada towards the coast!) and are loving it. We may move on in the future, we may not, but for now this is home and Spain is home. I’m now off to read all your other blog posts!
I’m sorry it took so long to see this post, it was sitting in my spam box.
But you`re absolutely right about ¨drowning in desktop analysis¨. After a while all sounds the same and you’re no better off than when you started.
Congratulations on Velez de Benaudalla – I`ve never heard of it. Sounds like you´re close to everything: city, sea and mountains.
Have you ever considered Salamanca? And if not, why? I am considering retiring in a few years and Spain is on my list, although I would prefer living within international/ academic community, this question about Salamanca. Appreciate your insight.
Personally, it just wasn’t my favorite of the towns/cities in this area. I preferred Segovia. BUT did this interview with an American couple that love it there: interview here. So really just comes down to personal preferences…
Whilst you’re in Granada, I would recommend coming down to the coast to visit Almuñecar. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Thank you Barbara, we´ve been. I wrote about Almunecar here.
My husband and I came back to Almuñecar, Costa Tropical from Salamanca at the beginning of August after spending 3 nights there on returning from the north coast for some cooler weather and a holiday. Whilst Salamanca is a beautiful compact city it was unbearably hot (40+c) during the day and quite unpleasant sitting out in the evening. I imagine it would be a good place to explore in Spring/Autumn along with its surroundings but for me, far too hot to live in the summer months.
Like other Posts we would recommend looking in Murcia. Don’t go looking on the coast but inland offers some very cost effective solutions, typically Spanish. Murcia the City is a very lovely Spanish City, people are very friendly. We live in Cehegin, about 40 mins from Murcia city, an hour to the coast. 306 days of sunshine year. As someone else said can be very hot in August but we’ll worth looking at. Good luck with your search
Thank you very much. We’re actually happy in Granada so we won’t be looking to move anytime soon. But we’re planning a trip to that area early next year and Murcia is on the itinerary, I’m sure others would be curious about Murcia. Question for you since you live there: what’s your opinion on Elche, both as a place to live and as a place to visit?
Thanks for your very practical and “normal” articulation of pros and cons of the various places – felt like a very balanced and sensible analysis. One place I am curious about which didn’t make your blog post was Cartagena – did you happen to consider it and what did you think? ATM we are looking seriously @ Valencia. Our criteria is very similar to your pre covid list, but we value beach a bit more than I think you guys do hence coastal being a bit more premium for us. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Thank you Stuart. I never considered Cartagena and it’s not a place I hear about coming from the lips of foreigners. I’d like to visit sometime soon for its history…but as a place to live I really don’t know anything about it.
Valencia very nice and has gotten quite popular these days as a place to settle in. A nice mix of beach (although not really close to city center) and culture.
I am extremely grateful that I came across both of you, as my husband and I are currently trying to decide where to settle in Spain. Your search criteria are very similar to ours, so exploring the different towns and reading your insightful commentary and thoughts was fantastic. Thank you very much, and we eagerly await your next update. Muchas gracias y espero conocerlos pronto.
Very nice article. We lived many years in Pamplona and loved it, a few years in Sevilla, and recent years, since 2021, in Jerez de la Frontera. We very much enjoy it here. It’s always interesting how we find the right place for the period of life we’re in. Sounds like you work the same way.
Thank you Ronnie. You’ve experienced different parts of Spain! I’m curious what it was like living in Pamplona?
We had an expat interview on Vejer de la Frontera and the region looks beautiful. It’s on our list for a visit sometime this year.
Thanks for the comment!
I’m glad to read your article because a lot of your needs coincide with mine – a city with no second language, not many tourists, and a lower cost of living. I asked a similar question in Facebook groups and they gave me a lot of advice. Taking into account weather factors, natural scenery, etc., I think Asturias seems to be a good choice (I have not been to Spain myself), but there are almost no northern cities in your list. I don’t know what you think about it?
Hi Joey. We haven’t explored further north than Leon. Originally we thought “who wants to be up there, it’s always raining”. But after 3 summers in Andalusia we have it in mind to visit the north coast from Galicia all the way to the Basque country. Besides which it’s a beautiful region. So I’ll be writing about these regions in the near future 🙂
But on paper you’re right, it might be a great choice.
Hi, Frank.
I can understand the heat issue in Seville during the summer. (I too suffer from it.) But that the airport is not a major one, like Malaga’s, I don’t get. You might have to connect through another hub but that shouldn’t be that big of an issue. I fly out of an airport the size of Seville’s when I fly and it’s not an issue, so I am surprised the airport was one of the reasons Seville was a deal breaker, especially since the airport is just 6 km from the city center.
Anyway, it was a good article. Unfortunately, I can’t move to Spain or anywhere else permanently without it affecting a part of my pension but 5-6 months a year during the winter is doable. That’s why I read your blog. Have a good week.
Edith
Hi Edith,
Maybe we got it wrong – but we had a fellow blogger who lived in Seville 3 years and she said flying in/out of Seville was a constant issue. Bad connections, expensive legs through Madrid? (I don’t recall I wrote this post a couple of years ago). It’s one of the reasons she moved to Valencia and I guess that stuck with me.
Whereabouts are you these days Edith?
I’m surprised nobody mentioned Ronda!!! It’s the most charming and beautiful Andalucian town! Surrounded by 3 national parks, have at least 4 international airports within 2 hours drive, only 50kms from Marbella. Quality of life is amazing, relatively cheap, has a good hospital and many private health care. Lots of sport activities like cycling, riding, walking, birdwatching, fresh water swimming, tennis and padel etc. The expats here are more discerning and cultured but it’s still predominantly Spanish! We fell in love with Ronda over 20 years ago and still can’t think of a better place to live….Perhaps sometimes in Estepona during the winter which is only 1 hour 15 minutes from Ronda.💕😍
Thank you Julia. A bit remote for my taste (if you don’t have a car) but a fine city. Another is Cordoba which has the added plus of being on the high speed train line.
Surprised you didn’t mention Marbella…
Got history, is cosmopolitan yet Spanish enough, great climate, very clean. 45 minutes to an international airport.p, and close to Malaga.
It is more expensive though.
If you are looking for the more authentic Spain, we just visited Córdoba and we were
pleasantly surprised at the great balance of history, culture, great climate and affordable prices.
Both Marbella and Cordoba are surrounded by great natural habitats.
Worth a mention is Almeria. The town itself is very authentically Spanish and affordable.
Thanks Helena,
We were covering mostly mid-sized cities in this post. We cover Marbella in this post, honestly it’s not a place we would personally consider as we didn’t want to be in a coastal resort town.
Cordoba definitely is a beautiful place, we’ve been a few times. And despite being touristy it is as you say very authentic. Could we live there? I don’t know. And it, along with Seville, are the hottest places in Andalusia.
We couldn’t cover every place in this post. But we’re looking at moving soon so maybe it’s time to do a 2nd version of this post covering other destinations 🙂
I wouldn’t call Nerja a city, as it only has a tad over 21,000 population.
Marbella however is a midsized city with a population of 150,000 inhabitants.
Both are coastal resorts..
As I said in the post, our priorities changed after our search because of Covid. Most of the cities we had targeted were mid-sized cities.
Hi,
I read your description of places with great interest. We will stay for vacation in Seville Feb-March 2023 and work for 2 weeks in Barcelona and Madrid before that. We would like to visit some other places on the way down and up (we live in Sweden) and I think about Valencia. Just for some days or maybe longer. We share your criteria for interesting environment quite a lot and wonder what you would recommend us to do in Valencia?
Zaragoza is an alternative, also in the middle between Barcelona and Madrid, have you been there?
I also wonder if you think Nerja would be worth visiting when we are in Seville, considering its winter.
We are also very interested in nature experiences, going for long walks with the dogs, and culture, good food, beautiful houses and cities, what can you recommend in South Spain and also in south Portugal?
Thanks!
Hi Jenny,
Valencia is a beautiful city which should be visited. Some photos here. This website has more detail on what to do in Valencia. Zaragoza is also worth a visit and I cover it in detail here.
As for Nerja, it depends what your objectives are. There’s not much culturally and it might be cold for the beaches. But if you like hiking there are some great hikes in the mountains behind Nerja. I’ve covered some on the blog.
As for your last paragraph, there are so many options that I don’t know where to start. Really it depends on your interests. Maybe have a look at my post on planning a trip to Spain, I have a recommended itinerary there.
Good luck!
Thanks!
We really have to go to Valencia! such a beautiful citie! do you have tips for accommodation in the center? (feel free to email me if you don’t want such posts here)
Hi Jenny. I’d stay in the center, close to the cathedral, market etc. Fetén gets great reviews (apartment) or if looking for a budget hotel Plaza View is good.
While in Nerja why not pop down to Estepona for a few days? It’s called The Garden City of Spain for a reason, The Sierra Bermeja is right behind the city and the coastal Sentonil path almost completed. Very much Spanish town – yes with expats too.
Thank you. Yes, we know a few people that live there.
You should really check out Cartagena, beautiful port city, or even Murcia city both in the region of Murcia on the Costa Calida. The cities are truly Spanish with lots of history, but the nearby outlying golf communities 25 minutes away have a fair number of expats. Murcia is fairly affordable and weather is lovely, only August is quite hot but winters are mild. New Murcia international airport (RMU) is only about 1/2 hour drive away. They currently have reduced flights because of after effects of Covid but Alicante airport is only an hour further (and there are cheap (~6€) direct coach buses to it.)
Lots to do and see.
Hello Sheena. Thank you very much for the recommendations. I’m working on my driver’s license here (Canadian, so unfortunately not transferable). Once we have wheels we’ll be exploring this region of Spain. Thanks for the tips!
Have you considered Cadiz? It’s beautiful, very historic town, but reasonably small. Great beaches in town and further along the coast. People are very friendly and not all that many tourists. It is hot in summer but you are by the sea so there is always a breeze. It’s never really too hot. Flight connections from Jerez airport (45 mins by train) or Seville (1.5 hrs by train). You can fly from Jerez to Madrid or Barcelona and connect to anywhere in the world. We have a flat in the old town of Cadiz and absolutely love it!
Thank you very much Martina. We still haven’t been to Cadiz but plan to. We’ve had a few people mention the city and area to us and they seem to love it.
Question: one of the issues we have here in Nerja is the sometimes stifling humidity along the coast here on the Med. What’s that like in Cadiz? We like the idea of a breeze…
In Cadiz we don’t get much humidity. The influence of Atlantic on the climate is there all the time. There is always a bit of a breeze. It’s called the windy coast! But I am finding that pleasant especially in the height of summer.
Thanks Martina! Good to know.
Hi! We are interested in visiting Cadiz when we are in Sevilla in Feb-March 2023. Any tips what is interesting to do there that time of year are very welcome! Where is the best place to stay for a few days?
If you reconsider Valencia, you would be comforted to know that Valencianos aren’t nearly as doctrinaire as Catalans about speaking Catalan. I have been included in small social gatherings in which they’ll switch to Catalan completely excluding me from the conversation. This has happened among young 30-somethings to those of retirement age. If I were starting over I’d reconsider Valencia for sure.
One last note, I developed some health issues requiring back surgery so being in a city with top hospitals is important for this retiree. I have both private and public health care.
Thank you for that feedback Nanine.
Yes, healthcare a priority for many people. Good thing to add to the criteria list.
What about Benidorm? we plan to move there, we think to tenerife to, but to far away from EU
Didn’t look at Benidorm, it’s not a place that really interests us. Nice beaches, lots of foreigners, not much local flavour…that’s what I know about Benidorm. A video from our friends at Spain Revealed. Start at the 9:32 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rQfDbnRb4Q&t=568s
This seems to be an idea to adapt Spanish lifestyle without wanting to adapt it.
Some 6 days in one place is not enough anyhow to say which one is the best.
I just got the feeling that Spain is not the right spot for you with those criteria.
BTW: whats wrong if some place have tourists? Normally it means most diverse selection of services! You would be very bored very soon in Spanish only town.
Everyone is lookin the “original and genuine spain”. Look around. This is it. Spain is moden European country with full of history. When living in here you do not want to turn those historic rocks, you just live here. In example I have been living 23 year in some 300 meters to the beach. Its some 20+ years when I was in the sand there…
Life is so the same in here than in any other place. You wake up, go to work, make food, watch tv, go to sleep…. Nothing too fancy there.
Everyone has different criteria, no matter what country. My idea of retirement is not spending everyday at the beach and hanging out in an expat bar. We like to travel, explore, experience some culture…and be able to get on a plane somewhere every once in a while to see something different.
We obviously don’t have the same expectations of life 🙂
Interesting article, and I happen to share many of your opinions on places rated. It’s unfortunate you’re omitting Catalunya, Pais Vasco and the entire North of Spain. This mistake of overestimating the language factor is all too common. Having lived for 10+ years in a region that speaks Catalán, it is at most a minor inconvenience, and even less if you’re retired. Thanks for the article and don’t forget this other half of Spain!
Thank you Brad. You’re right about the north of Spain. But really we were looking at a 1st home in Spain, getting our foot in the door so to speak. Having been here almost 2 years now I think our next home would be somewhere in the north because my wife really has an issues with 1) the heat, 2) the number of foreigners along the coast. Galicia would interest us. But for a starter home Nerja has been fine.
But yes, I think a 2nd post is in order somewhere down the line 🙂 We’ve been thinking of a trip to scope out the north.
As far as Catalonia, no way for me. I lived 25 years in Quebec and I got sick and tired of dealing with politics and language laws. I didn’t move to Spain for that. Might be fine for others but I personally had too much of that…
Loved reading your thoughtful and articulate piece. I recently moved from the California coast, and currently in Malaga Centro, and I’m not a fan when compared to other Spanish cities. My dog really is not a fan! I’m reading this while on a mini-break from the city, in Nerja! I was last here 22 years ago, and I loved it then, too. I am staying for two months in Estepona, but I’m leaning towards Valencia to spend a year. I love Valencia, and figure it’ll be easier to do things such as getting properly licensed so I can drive. Getting around with my small dog has had some ridiculous challenges. Also made me stow her with the luggage from Malaga to Valencia and she’s tiny! But I stray. I really just wanted to let you know your article was spot on and resonated with me and my experiences with those places. Oh and if you know a way to find places to rent long term in Nerja, other than idealista, please do tell!
Hi Marlene! Thank you for the comment, much appreciate. I’m wondering – would you be willing to be interview (in writing) for our Ask an Expat series? I haven’t been able to interview anyone yet on Malaga and would have some questions for you. Let me know.
I think we have the same taste in places. Valencia is great and was very high on the list. Nerja is nice, Estepona I hear only nice things about.
I’m sorry to hear about your dog, it must be a challenge without a car. The most dog friendly place we’ve encountered in Europe is the Czech Republic, you see them on public transport everywhere. They’ve somehow been incredibly socialized. In Spain that doesn’t seem to be the case unfortunately.
Renting long term in Nerja; we used an agent and her commission is 1 months rent. So not cheap. But we found a place within 10 days so it was worth it to us. If ever you want her info let me know.
Do check out Frigiliana which is a short, 1 euro bus ride away from the coast. It’s beautiful and historic. I found Nerja water ice cold in the middle of the summer. I also loved Seville, and there is a high-speed train connecting it to Malaga (beach). Agreed, the beach isn’t spectacular.
Thanks Dom, we were in Frigiliana just last week (bus now 1.20. Inflation!). It is a very pretty place 🙂
What about Girona and the north east of Spain .
Haven’t been to Girona Richard but I hear good things. We recently spent a week in Barcelona and would never live there. Other than that not a region I’ve explored recently.
Really interesting post with lots of food for thought for us. We are in the UK but hoping to move to Spain. Covid has slowed us down a lot, but we discovered your blog whilst researching in the hope that we can get going as soon as borders start opening. We are currently thinking the area around Estepona but starting to think it might be too expensive. It’s good to see your theory verses reality as we think that may happen to us. Looking forward to delving deeper into your blogs.
Thank you very much for the comment! Yes, I think the area south of Malaga known to be more expensive. But with all that’s happening (Brexit, the Spanish economy) I’d suggest you do as we did – get your feet on the ground and check it out for yourself. There are also some good Spanish expat FB pages (I’m including one here) where people will give you good advice and references.
Good luck!
Thanks Frank. We are continuing to read up on things and hope that Covid will not prevent us for too much longer from exploring. Brexit is clearly a big complication for us but puts us on a par with you Canadian guys. M
I was wondering what Brexit means for most Brits as far Spain goes. So you’ll have to go through the same process as us Canadians/Americans? I was wondering what effect that will have on the 300K + Brits here now and what their future in Spain is.
Keep in touch, curious about where you’ll end up and your experience.