Emigration Options - SPAIN

[HJK 414]

Following the posts on the Emigration thread I realize that it becomes quite a task to search - and keep track of the various options / countries stats and information - hence the attempt to bundle info on a specific location.

We live on the Costa Blanca in Spain - (just inland from Altea on map) for about 6 months per annum (winter months up North), and spend the summers in Germany.
I will summarize some of the info I have distributed over the last year or two - and perhaps it will give the Avcommers a fixed place to collect or find info on a specific location.


I often compare the lifestyle we have with the lifestyle I left behind in South Africa at the end of the 70's / 80's - It is quite a carefree environment - (of course the opportunity crime is here - as everywhere else), but I do not have to lock my car on my driveway - or take the keys out at a servo. I can park it in the main street with an open window / it is not a "risk" area as such - and the Guardia Civil and local Police are certainly very visible. (you do not wish to mess with these guy's - they take their duties serious)
Crime rate is one of the lower numbers in Europe.

Costa Blanca: (northern part)

Map ESP CB.gif

It is - apart from the Canary Isles the warmest spot in Europe in the winter months (November / December / January and February) This due to the prevailing winds being from the South West and these winds coming over the tip of Africa - then a short hop across the Med - and it creates a Micro Climate for a region from approx. Cartagena to Moraira. (about 175 km total with Alicante about in the middle) This region is surrounded by a mountain range (4500 ft +) that runs parallel to the same coastline.

Winter temp ( November / December) - Day approx. 18-20 C - Night around 10 C.
The month January is the coldest - Day approx. 16-18 C - Night around 6-8 C
February back to 18-20C
March April - 22-25 C
(our pool is now at 17C - (17 mtrs x 6 Mtrs) and we can swim from End of March to end of October - no heating). (water temp then 20 C +)

Summer Temp - 25-30C average (the month of July and August are the warmest (30-35 C) (we are never there in the Summer - but a lot of Tourism flocks to the coastline in Spain in the summer - so being inland a bit helps.

Main Airport - Alicante International

GA Airport - Muxtamel Airport and more to the South
http://www.aerodromodemutxamel.es/web/en/

Train - high speed from Madrid to Alicante - 2.5 hours.
Highways and freeways - probably in the top 5 of Europe

Health care - available to one and all.
It is rated in the top 10 of the world - and it is affordable - I add a link - you can check your own situation.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F% ... nl5gfTLNKA

In the region you can fill in - Alicante
You can then see you own cost profile.

Retirement Visa
Much has been said / posted and PM'd about it
Here is the summary.

http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados ... ntVisa.pdf

Language
Most of the Costa Blanca is dual language
English and Spanish
(there are very few locations / municipal offices / service providers where you could not be addressed or served in English). There is always a lot of appreciation if you make an effort in Spanish - I often start by asking something in Spanish and due the accent am answered in English.

Cost of Living.


This is our home in Spain

La Nucia home.jpg

We paid 270.000 Euro / 1000m2 land / 200m2 home.
2 bathrooms - fully modernized home.
Pool - 17x 6 mtrs
We are about a 5 minute drive from the beach.

Council rates / taxes - total per annum - 1500 Euro's

You can buy a very nice townhouse (120 - 150 m2) for about 150.000 Euro's and if you go 10 minutes further inland - you can buy a freestanding house with a large plot for the same amount up to 200.000 Euro

Eating out (my favourite pastime)

Decent restaurant - table linnen
3 Course meal
Starter / main course / Desert or Coffee - with a large beer or a glass of wine included - 16.00 Euro

Bistro - No table linnen - but neat and cosy
Same menu - with drink included - 12.00 Euro

Indian restaurant / or Chinese.
3 course Menu with drink included - 8 .00 Euro

In Spain a lot of people still have a "siesta" which means resting in the afternoon - and they have their main meal at around 13.30 in the afternoon (only tapa's and a glass of wine in the evening).
You can go to almost every restaurant here on the coast for a Menu de Dia (days' menu).

We often go to "Oasis" in La Nucia on a Friday:
They provide :

Bread with Aeoli (garlic spread)
Salad with Tuna
Paella (starter)
Leg of Lamb from the oven
Desert con Casa (cheesecake with Ice cream)
1/2 Ltr of wine or 1/2 liter of beer included (or 750 ml of Casera (Sprite or Fanta ) for those that do not drink alcohol) ..)
For the price of 10.00 Euro's per person.

To do:
Walk in the mountains (many groups go out twice a week)
Motorbike runs through the mountain ranges (clubs)
Coastline is great
Fishing.
Many social clubs for the "winter birds".

Some photo's :

Benidorm - Durban on Steroids

Benidorm.jpg

Coastline towards Calpe (from Altea side)

Summ ESP 1.png

Hope this helps
JK

[Fransw]

Thank you JK! Beautiful weather!

How long is the high-speed train trip from Madrid airport to Alacante? And is it better to take the train or flight?

chartoftheday_10792_the_world_s_fastest_high_speed_trains_n.jpg

unnamed-4.jpg

[vanjast]

Very Nice.

[snoopy]

I've traveled in that region and family of ours has property there. A British chap I met bought a 7 bedroom home there for R2 million... yup Euro converted to ZAR. Needless to say, he never went back to the UK.

They're not at the sea, but can see over the ocean from where they are up against the mountain. They have fresh crystal clear mountain spring water for free... and a fig orchard that came with the sale...oh and an old SEAT car that was left in the shed by the previous owner.

A lovely area with a moderate climate and an ageing population.

The town of Benidorm is basically "UK on the Med'"

[Whirly]

HJK,

We are still coming! Saving like crazy so when we come for a visit and we like a house/townhouse/country house etc. that we see and like, we can buy it!

Benidorm is way too big a place for us. I have seen some nice properties in Torrevieja but have no idea what the area looks like, so will come and investigate.

Keep the beer cold!

Whirly.

[heisan]

Keep the beer cold!

Cerveza - time to start learning the important words...

[Whirly]

Keep the beer cold!

Cerveza - time to start learning the important words...

I know the word from my days jolling in Mexico!

Whirly.

[Fransw]

JK, how's the weather like for flying compare to Johannesburg?

[snoopy]

there's an online tool for just about anything these days...weather.

https://www.holiday-weather.com/country/spain/

[Iceberg]

I have to smile JK. Feeling a bit lonely - no problemo - lure some flying buddies over to chat aviation with over some cervezas..

Jokes aside, looks very idyllic - you should open an immigration consultancy aimed as South Africans.

[Jack Welles]

Only visited Spain on a relatively short drive-around trip/holiday once and then zipping through (slowly) on a few business trips to Gibraltar (in the days of sanctions against SA), but terrific place (but keep away from Pom infested coastal areas), nice people (helps that wifey speaks Spanish as she went to Finishing School there), super weather and quite like the nosh.

Only disappointment, having grown up on Hemingway, was to find that I really didn't like the bullfights.

The one test of local honesty was in a small village where we had lunch and the poor waiter was sent to chase us down because we'd accidently left behind a wallet with all our loot in it!

[HJK 414]

HJK,

We are still coming! Saving like crazy so when we come for a visit and we like a house/townhouse/country house etc. that we see and like, we can buy it!

Benidorm is way too big a place for us. I have seen some nice properties in Torrevieja but have no idea what the area looks like, so will come and investigate.

Keep the beer cold!

Whirly.

Whirly,

Torrevieja is nice - but very tourist driven (very good for rental market if you wish to rent it out)
Yet a few minutes inland - or just North of Alicante you can find similar town which are less Tourist driven if you wish a home for yourself. (but we have been through this)

Beer is cold - and it is indeed best to come and investigate.

JK

[HJK 414]

Jokes aside, looks very idyllic - you should open an immigration consultancy aimed as South Africans.

Karl,

There are basically only 2 ways to get into Spain from SA. (apart from work sponsored schemes)
Retirement Visa - which is in the OP
Or a Golden Visa - but that is available for multiple EU countries.

If someone wishes to investigate - I am always prepared to be tour guide / but at the end of the day - people have to find a place to "fits" their lifestyle and financial means. It is different for everyone.
For us the appeal was simply the weather and the lifestyle.

Cheers

JK

[HJK 414]

JK, how's the weather like for flying compare to Johannesburg?

Frans - We are at Sea level and have one of the mildest climates in Europe.
Low rainfall and we are "shielded" by the mountain range - yet Mallorca / Ibiza etc are just over the horizon .
There are quite a few GA airports here - Murcia Regional / Murcia San Javier / Muxtamel and various other small strips.
There is quite a bit of GA here - and also some Helicopter flying.

JK

[cage]

That's a lot of burglar guards and security gates, more than the typical security estate in SA.
Is that normal for Spain or is that what freedom requires?