Reasons I Love Living in Spain

Having just joined your newsletter I was surprised to see some of the negative articles on the website such as the I hate Spain article and I felt compelled to take up your offer of writing my own article all about my experiences in Spain.

I guess everybody is different but in my opinion I absolutely love Spain!

Just to tell you a little bit about myself, my name is Jasmine and I’m 40 years old and I moved to the Costa del Sol (Marbella) three years ago, so I feel I’ve been here long enough to truly experience the downsides as well as the upsides.

My concern is that people will read some of these articles and lose their enthusiasm about moving to Spain. Sure life is pretty hard at times and very different to living in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, but there are some fantastic advantages to living in this wonderful European country so here are just a few listed below, just my opinion you understand.

Before I go on I will point out to anybody who is not of retirement age that yes it is difficult to find work and jobs in Spain and it really does help if you’ve got an income stream, perhaps from the United Kingdom, i.e. a business or property that you rent out.

Advantages of Moving to Spain

Weather and Climate

I’m absolutely positive the biggest reason that people look to move to Spain is the fantastic weather and climate. If this is your biggest concern then I thoroughly recommend the Costa del Sol which is much warmer in winter than other Costa’s.

If you really need a warm climate then I guess there is also the Spanish Canary islands such as Tenerife and Lanzarote which are actually closer to Africa than Spain itself. I however wouldn’t want to live on an island because I think I would get a bit claustrophobic after a while.

Most mornings I wake up to sunny blue skies and instantly I feel cheerful and wanted to get on with my day, that was absolutely not always the case in Leeds!
Do be aware that winter is still winter and you definitely won’t be walking around in T-shirts and shorts but it’s a world away from the bitter winters of Northern Europe.

I Feel Healthy

I don’t just feel healthier, I’m absolutely positive that I am. Without a doubt I’m eating less fatty fried foods and am enjoying the Mediterranean diet with the olives and salads. I’m also able to play tennis on a regular basis and have recently taken up golf. Just the ability to go for a walk each evening up and down the promenade is good enough for me. When I was back in the United Kingdom I used to go straight home from work in the dark winter months, shut the front door and turn the heating and veg out.

I Feel Safe

Maybe I should change that to I feel safer here but nevertheless it’s an absolute fact that I’m much more likely to go out of an evening and have a drink with friends. Previously venturing into the town centre late night would be off-limits. I like the fact Spanish culture of slow drinking and sociability as opposed to getting drunk as a skunk! There is a definite lack of aggression unless you keep exclusively to the Brits bars.

I Live Near Beaches

I think if you are going to move to Spain then with miles and miles of beaches up and down all the respective coasts then you would be foolish not to take advantage. If you want green countryside why move to Spain, you may as well stay in the United Kingdom!

I know a lot of people on the forums seem to want to buy a property in the middle of nowhere and locked themselves away but I don’t see the point of that. If you going to move to the inland of Spain you will quickly find that the population drops off dramatically away from the coast and I suspect after some time you’re just going to get bored. I also think that you will have great difficulty in selling your property to some other mug.

Spanish Culture

I know some people have said the Spanish are rude but in my experience that is far from the case. They are a very friendly race as long as you approach them with politeness and respect - after all you are in their country. Make an effort to at least pick up a few everyday phrases and words, not just Cerveza lads!

Flights

Okay I admit it I do probably every six months go back to a spot of shopping in the United Kingdom. It isn’t really because there is a lack of shops here, let’s face it I live in Marbella and there are loads of shops. But it is good to just jump on a plane and in a couple of hours I can be seeing my friends and relatives and I think it’s just great to keep in contact. Sure many of them do come out to meet me in Spain but I also think it’s significant to take the time to return the favour.

Live Life

When I was living in Leeds in the United Kingdom pretty much my existence revolved around my career and working day. I still have to work here in Spain because I am only 40 but I’ve got a basic secretarial job in an estate agency and the general attitude here is of working to live. We are very fortunate in Spain that there are a huge amount of holidays and celebrations commonly known as fiestas where everybody gets dressed up to party.

I just hope this article has given a few people a little bit of inspiration and hope just to counterbalance the negativity that many people have. I know personally many people who have gone back to the United Kingdom but I’m sure most of them are better for the experience and at least have given it a go. For each person who has come back there is equally someone who’s loving living in Spain and I’m one of them!

Jasmine
Marbella

---

Read more Spanish expat stories as well as relocation advice and tips for people considering moving to Spain