• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

The Top Expat-Friendly Places To Live In Spain

Sinking Into The Good Life On This Beautiful Mediterranean Coast

John Clites by John Clites
Oct 02, 2020
in Lifestyle, Retirement, Spain
0 0
0
Calpe, Alicante, Arenal Bol beach with Penon de Ifach mountain, Portugal

iStock/maylat

237
SHARES
3.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Spain has long been a popular destination for casual visitors and retirees alike. A convivial culture, generally agreeable climate, reasonable cost of living, and superb food are just a few of the reasons for Spain’s perpetual popularity.

And, while Spain isn’t as cheap as Southeast Asia or parts of Latin America, the cost of living is quite reasonable. In addition, Spain today is a modern, developed country—nothing Third World about it.

But Spain is quite diverse—really more a loosely-knit group of largely autonomous and disparatecomunidadesmore than a single country. Faced with such diversity, where should you begin your explorations?

I say start with

the country’s Mediterranean coast, specifically lovely little Alicante, home to a small but solid expat community.

Madrid, with 3.2 million inhabitants, is Spain’s largest city. Barcelona is about half the size of Madrid. Valencia is about half of Barcelona, and Alicante about half of Valencia, with fewer than 350,000 in the city proper. But with each step down in size, nothing is lost. Rather, the essence of Spain becomes more distilled.

Alicante—known as Alacantin Valencian—sits on the Costa Blanca of Spain. Although its roots are ancient, Alicante is a modern city, with a bustlingcentrofilled with chic designer shops and department stores, chic people, a harbor crowded with envy-arousing yachts, and a sleek tram/light-rail system.

And yet Alicante retains the feel of Old Spain. Most businesses continue to observe the afternoon siesta. Friends who meet by chance on the sidewalk stop to chat, and the conversation often is continued over a leisurely cup of coffee.

And then there is the castle…

Castillo de Santa Barbara sits atop Mount Benacantil, watching over Alicante and its harbor, as it has for centuries. The castle’s exact age is unknown, but some sources trace its origins back to the ninth century. It’s a great place to take in the layout of the city. While you can walk to the top, you might instead want to splurge and pay the 3 euros to ride the elevator. (Tip: If you are 65 or older, the ride is free.)

The downtown and harbor of Alicante seen from Santa Barbara Castle
The downtown and harbor of Alicante seen from Santa Barbara Castle

Lovely from any angle, Alicante is perhaps loveliest from above. Parks are sprinkled liberally about, and the broad Explanada de España runs along the exquisite harbor. Alicante is a city designed to be enjoyed.

Whereas Valencia can feel smaller than it is, Alicante feels larger, perhaps in part because of the staggering number of restaurants here. One expat told me with assurance that there were 631 restaurants within the city. While I can’t confirm this number, neither can I refute it, and I can promise you won’t ever have to go far in search of a good dining experience. The food is good wherever you go. A poor-quality restaurant doesn’t stay in business long.

The city center is strikingly clean and vibrant and safe for walking, even in themadrugada—the wee hours. In the shops here you can find virtually everything you might need. Indeed, you might not need to look any further than the multistory Corte Inglés department stores—there are two in the downtown area.

It’s little wonder many expats choose to live in el centro.

But, really, you can live anywhere in the city and get where you want to go easily, as the public transit is excellent. Buses (1.50 euros) are modern and air-conditioned and integrate with the tram system, which comprises 5 lines, 71 stations, and 78 miles of rail. The tram system (3.75 euros one way, 6 euros round-trip) covers not only the city proper but also extends to outlying areas such as Benidorm and so is a great way to explore. Living here you definitely would not need to own a car.

The Alicante lifestyle is easy to fall in love with, but you likely will have to reset your internal clock to get in sync with the local rhythm. Alicantines have learned that it’s best not to battle the afternoon sun and still observe the daily siesta. Most shops open at 9 a.m., close at 2 p.m., reopen at 5 p.m., and then remain open until about 8 p.m. Dinner is taken late by North American standards. Before or after dinner, people enjoy walking along the Explanada de España, stopping off perhaps at one of its many bars and cafés.

Though the schedule may initially seem odd, if you relax and give in to it, you’ll soon find that these folks really are on to something.

If you have a boat fetish, Alicante is made for you, as yachts, sailboats, and sea craft of all sorts moor in its harbor. If you aren’t ready to shell out for your own boat, you can charter one or take a day tour to nearby islands.

The climate is ideal for boating—or any type of outdoor activity. Even in winter, daytime highs are usually in the low 60s (Fahrenheit). In the summers, highs often climb to 90 degrees, but these days air conditioning is common.

There’s a lot to like here, but the food tops my list. I never tire of paella, which comes in so many varieties. And there’s shrimp, squid, and octopus. If you aren’t a fan of seafood, try theolla churra, which is a hearty meat-and-veggie stew. A custom I love is that most bars and restaurants give you atapa—a little snack—free when you order a drink.¡Una cerveza más, por favor!

For breakfast, I suggest you order amedia tostada con tomate. It’s basically bruschetta, but oh so fresh and zesty. Give me one, a fresh cup of strong coffee cut with milk, and a view of the Mediterranean, and I’m in heaven.

John Clites
Full-Time Expat

Tags: 'retirement'alicanteLive in SpainMove to SpainRetire in SpainSpain'
Share95Tweet59
John Clites

John Clites

John Clites is a U.S. citizen currently living in Brazil under permanent residence. He divides his time between teaching English, writing about Brazil, and maintaining an on-again, off-again blog.

Related Posts

iStock/espiegle
Lifestyle

Live On An Island Like Royalty For A Bargain

by Bart Walters
March 21, 2023
0

About 20 years ago, I made a trip to Vancouver, Canada, in February. It was cold, rainy, dark, and miserable....

Read more
View of the seaside town of Dunmore East, County Waterford, Ireland.

How We Made Friends While Living Abroad

March 12, 2023
Day aerial cityscape of Santander coast with sand beach, Cantabria, Spain

Santander, Spain

February 22, 2023
Tavira in Portugal

The 5 Best Places To Live Overseas In 2023

February 2, 2023
Cyprus: Better Than Your Neighbor’s Retirement To Florida

Life On Cyprus: The Secret Brits Don’t Want Americans To Know

January 26, 2023
A beach in Los Islotes, Panama

Los Islotes In Panama’s Pacific Coast—A Unique Community In One Of The Safest Havens

January 23, 2023
Ferragudo, Portugal

How One Couple Discovered A Great New Life In Algarve

January 20, 2023

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas ...

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Download your FREE report on

The Best Places To Retire In 2023

New Year, New You, New Life Overseas

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY