ILA Magazine: Discover the Best Retirement Haven + 14 More
Retiring in Spain is popular among expats looking for a retirement that combines First-World European luxuries with Spain’s famously sunny climate and abundant seaside living. An added bonus is Spain’s cost of living, which is among the lowest in Europe.
For Europeans, the Costa del Sol is the most popular part of the Spanish coastline to buy, rent and invest in property. Part of the Community of Andalusia, its infrastructure is excellent—there are international schools and first-class medical facilities—and there’s certainly no problem finding real estate agents, doctors and lawyers who speak English. It’s the lingua franca for the area’s many expats, who come from around the world.
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in Spanish culture check out seaside Málaga, with its museums, shops and ancient history. Or if you want a little more glamour, check out exclusive areas like the smart marina resort of Puerto Banús or one of the charming villages along the coast.
And though you’re on Spain’s southern coast, you have easy access to the rest of Spain and the world—bus services criss-cross the region, connecting Malaga with towns and villages all over southern Andalusia. Plus, air and rail connections from Malaga itself get you to the rest of Spain and beyond.
The stretch of coast between Alicante and Valencia, on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean border, is also tremendously popular for full- and part-time living. Anchored by two substantial cities, the coast in between them is dotted with smaller beach communities and villages.
Alicante, with a population of about 335,000, is famous for its near-perfect climate and friendly atmosphere. Average temperatures range from 6 C in the depths of winter up to 30 C at the height of summer. Its urban beaches and paseo maritime (boardwalk) attract tourists from around the world. But go just a few blocks inland and you find a bustling Spanish city.
Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, lies at the north end of the Costa Blanca. It offers all the amenities of a major metropolis—hospitals, concert halls, museums and more—but in a smaller, more intimate package than Madrid or Barcelona. Valencia has one of the largest historic centres in Europe, a vibrant area of churches, monuments and cobbled streets, as well as shops, restaurants and bars. And, like Alicante, Valencia has urban beaches, accessible via bus and tram.
Both Alicante and Valencia have an international airport and offer excellent bus and rail connections.
Travel an hour north of Valencia and you’re in the heart of the Costa de Azahar–the Orange Blossom Coast. Still largely unknown to tourists and property investors, it boasts acres of orange and almond groves, as well as sandy beaches like those of the Costa Blanca, farther south.
Here you’ll also find traditional Spanish villages and authentic Spanish beach resorts—like Benicassim, with a population of just 12,000. Five wonderful, sandy beaches stretch for almost 8 kilometres. And although there are some large tower blocks, the backdrop of green mountains is unscarred by ribbon developments of bungalows. Criss-crossed with ancient pilgrim paths, these sierras are especially lovely at sunset, when they take on a rosy pink glow.
South of Barcelona lies the Costa Dorada, the “Golden Coast.” Dotted with towns like Castelldefels, Sitges, and Vilanova I la Geltrú, this stretch of coast offers sophisticated living as well as beautiful beaches…and is an easy suburban-train ride to Barcelona and its big-city amenities.
Spain has an ancient and varied culture—very distinct from the cultures of Latin America…though it does share a language and some general customs with its former colonies. Getting to know Spain’s own varied culture will deepen your understanding and enrich your time there.
Have you ever spent two weeks in a place and thought ‘Hmm, I could easily spend two years here’? Well Jerez is that kind of city. I was on a six-week jaunt through Spain, exploring the Andalusia region, and after a 10-day stay in Seville, I headed the hour south to Jerez. And I was far from the only one. Tourists, expats and locals alike have been experiencing the beauty of Jerez for decades, enjoying a high quality of life at some of the cheapest prices in Europe.
"I want to show you Barcelona…”It was one of the first things my Hungarian boyfriend said to me. Budapest I might have expected, but Barcelona? As a musician, he had worked all over Europe but fell hard for Barcelona’s many charms. And on our first weekend together there, I was to do the same.
Situated on the Paseo del Espolon, with its interlocking arch of Plane trees, Restaurante Polison was a picture-perfect lunch spot on a mild Iberian afternoon earlier this year. Seated on the sunny patio, Keith and I tasted authentic tapas including Jamon Iberico, Spanish ham drizzled with olive oil and topped with coarsely cracked pepper and served with a basket of fresh bread—and drank the crisp white Albarino wine. The view was priceless and the lunch a steal at under $20 for two. The funny part is, we hadn’t even planned to be there.
It’s more than 25 years since I lost my heart to Spain. On my first visit, its romantic, rich history, its people and the rhythm of the days won me over. These days I spend several months a year there, getting my fill of sun, siestas and serrano ham. (Part-time living in Europe is easy: You can spend 90-day stints on a simple tourist visa.) This year a five-kilo ham, cured to perfection, is already waiting for me. Hey—I’ll have months to eat it.
The smell of baking bread greets me as I walk along the narrow medieval streets in the early morning. The church bell is chiming. It’s September and there are no clouds to obscure the vivid cobalt-blue sky. It’s just another day in Costa Brava, the Spanish town we call home...
Do you long to laze on a sunny Mediterranean beach? Explore historic buildings and ground-breaking architecture? Or just indulge in a simple cup of coffee, paired with a tasty churro? Then maybe Spain is the perfect place for you.
Putting a pin in a map is perhaps not the best way of finding the place to spend the rest of your days, but this is what my husband Norman and I did when we decided to move overseas. We simply pulled up Google maps, closed our eyes…and left the rest to chance.