Next year I want to live in Spain... Any recommendations?
 

Hey all I want to live in Spain for maybe 1 - 2 years.

1)I am looking for a place that is constantly hot and sunny even during the winter (if that is possible)
2)A large city with a lot going on with a vibrant scene for young people.
3)Next to the sea with beaches.
4) Not too touristy. I know it's Spain, but not a place that is just full of English.

I was thinking Barcelona and Valencia as the main choices that fill the criteria. What do others think?

one of the islands?

Barcelona sounds good

I'm moving to the Barcelona and Valencia region at the end of the year.

Unfortunately neither Barcelona or Valencia will be 'hot' during the depths of winter but they do have the most sunny days out of any cities in Europe. Nowhere in Spain will be hot during december and january, apart from the Canary Islands. I've found that very few of the towns in the costa brava have huge english populations. Most of the ex-pats head further south.

canary islands are warm in the winter - like 20°C

Not Ibiza.


Defo not Ibiza...

if there is warm and life, there are turists :2 cents:

I heard Valencia is very nice.

^^^ what he said ^^^

Whilst the Canary Islands are Spanish, they are 1600km away from mainland Spain.

I lived in Tenerife for 6 years, and plan to move there again one day. The tenerifeforum is a great resource if you are interested in moving there:pimp

Are there large cities in the canary islands? Easy access to get to them? by plane for example?

barcelona isn't hot year round, but fits most of your other criteria although madrid is really the only "large city" in spain. having that criteria cuts out the islands also. my advice is do it up in madrid and then take frequent trips to the south and the islands during the winter which is mild there anyway.

Barcelona for sure!

Palma, Mallorca is quite lively all year round, weather isn't too bad, and depending where you go, tourists are minimal, off season at least :)

they are tourist locations, you have access with all the low cost airlines. but you decide where you move, you can stay away from the tourist spots if you like. there are a few webmasters already there - especially Tenerife and Gran Canaria

The largest city in the Canary Islands is Santa Cruz in the North of Tenerife which has a more 'mainland' feel to it than the South. And, yes, it has an airport.

I've been in Tenerife for 12 years and love it, fully settled into the system and lifestyle. You won't find a better climate anywhere.
The Capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is about 30 minutes away from where we live in the South. We live a few miles outside the main tourist areas which can get busy with mainly Spanish and Brits.
Winter the temp averages about 20°C, it's a nice 28-30°C in Summer, every day.
4 hour flights every day from various airports in the UK and same time zone.
A lot of English live here due to the tourism and a few of us webmasters due to the weather, cheap booze and hot girls on the beaches.
A non-stop party until you settle down and then its just a great place to live (and work!)

Perhaps you want to go to Madrid.

This is good. thanks all for your help :)

whats the cost of living like. Renting a house. Hows the connection?

I would recommend Barcelona ..

I've been to Benidorm so I can tell you it's a gorgeous city by the sea.

Pick three.

Barcelona and nothing else. rest are all tourist locations and you will go crazy in winter, only old people over 75, or you like mature :Oh crap

I live in Valencia, and have done so for the past 3 years. Many moons ago I lived in BCN for over 7 years. If your spoken Spanish is good, well you can live anywhere. But if not, then it's BCN for you. It is very touristy....but there is a big difference between tourists, and all those retired European peeps, who tend to congregate further south and make their little national gettos ie Brits in Benidorm. Another point is that BCN has all those cheap airlines flying to it, whereas VLC is a bit off the beaten track.
Look carefully into the legal side of things. You'll need an official NIE number for EVERYTHING (phone, flat, etc). After 183 days you have to declare yourself resident and start paying taxes on your WORLDWIDE income (Spain is a Socialist country!). Also be aware that Spain is not the cheap country it once was when it has the peseta. Prices (particularly in a big city like BCN) are pretty much on par with any big European city.
If you need any help...drop me a line.

some good advice here . .except the NIE thing .. I lived in barcelona for 4 years ... and never got a NIE number .. too lazy to get it .. and basically you can do anything you want without it .. for a phone just prepaid card .. appartement you can get just with passport .. bank account just passport enough , .. assuming you are a EU citizen ..

cigarettes are still cheap though and so is alcohol compared to the rest of europe . taxis are still cheap .. hmm . what else .. electronics are cheaper then rest of Europe .. for example an Ipad in Holland/ France / Belgium is 499 ;; in Spain 479 .. not a lot .; but still cheaper .. also Dell computers when ordering online can be anything between 50 - 100 euro cheaper for exact same system .wich is quite nice

I found ASIA much better than Spain. So much better than my property is now in Asia rather than Spain.

where in asia?

Asia is different.

I've lived in the North, South and the islands.

Barca's a great city to live in but it's got expensive. Valencia is lovely and a bit cheaper, also slightly better weather.

My favorite Spanish city is San Sebastian up on the Atlantic coast, but the weather is shit, like southern England with a bit more rain and a few degrees higher in the summer.

Palma de Mallorca or Las Plamas, Tenerife, even better... believe me...

Look no further than Gran Canaria. I moved here 5 months ago. Perfec weather all winter, swimming every day, diving, surfing... The island offers you everything, great shopping and great night life!

I've only been to Spain as a tourist, never stayed more than a few weeks. What is the visa situation, if any, for long term stay (6 months+)?

No visa for EU citizens obviously

Scotty, Natalie & I regulary visit our haunt in Torrevieja, South Alicante. This is a popular attraction for the Spanish. Its actually the Spanish holiday resort area. However, still a few English areas around with local amenities such as golf courses,, fun fairs, nightclubs, water parks, a safari park only 30 mile or so away and is a beautiful location that really cannot be beat.
Check out La Manga, just south of there... this is the famous largest Lagoon for watersports. A very nice area that has lots of accomadation available for rental or purchasing.

http://www.alicante-spain.com/images/la_manga_map1.jpg

http://www.carefreespain.com/assets/lamanga4.jpg http://www.abacasaspain.com/images/4...nga_beach2.jpg

http://www.propertyinlamangabeachclu...s/lamanga7.jpg

We kept our boat in a marina just between Torrevieja & LaManga, for 3 or 4 years we enjoyed a few holidays, winter & summer, staying on our boat... Its so nice, Shall be living there in a few years ourselves :)

Good luck bro & enjoy the summer :thumbsup