My wife and I are seniors who have been living in the Phoenix AZ area for 5 years after having lived for 10 years in Mexico. Our Spanish is OK, but the US we returned to is not the one we left. We are looking for a place where we can read a paper or see the news without going nuts about what is going on, or not be in fear of the local law enforcement. Being seniors we can’t afford mega rents, but can afford something reasonable. Our interest is in the Barcelona area but will consider others with your advice. We’re looking for any information about the ex-pat community, rentals, lifestyles, the good life, etc. Thanks for your help.

First I wish you every success.  Clearly to ‘taste and try’ is the only way but in my recent search for my final abode I have gathered a few thoughts:

The north (as in Gilicia, Asturias, Cantabrica) is beautiful but a humid climate with rainfall I think is the negative as you get older.
There are options in land if the coast is not your dream.  Clearly prices are lower.  If you chose Andalucia then beware in summer the tempretures can be extreme but possibly with 10 years in Mexico that is not such a problem.
The coast of Catalunya has some marvellous locations but they are beyond my budget.

As for the news and the outside world you can certainly live in some laid back ‘manana’ villages but equally the bars are full of lively discussion including soccer, the economy, politics and the world (I believe in that order).  That said as a retired foreigner you can take it and leave it as you choose.  If escape but with civilisation is your aim have you thought about the Islands?  Mallorca has lovely mountain areas and Menorca quiet as a mouse places - they are not all hotels and beaches.

The expat community is of course largely coast or Madrid based.  That said with your Spanish you would have little problem integrating into a Spanish community and in my experience in Asturias in the north and Andalucia in the south the locals couldn’t be more friendly.  (I certainly find them a lot more friendly than the Brit and German communities on the costa del sol but perhaps that is just me).

In Spain, as in Mexico, fiestas and ferias are important in most parts.  I find them not only interesting and entertaining but a great way to get involved.  For that I would always look for a working community.  The chalet community around a golf course might have its attractions but those places in IMHO lead to isolation.

As one gets older transport can be a concern but in many parts of spain the bus and train network is excellent and cheap.  That said I almost bought a house in a mountain village with two buses a day - I got carried away with the scenery.

As expats you might be interested in the internet to stay in touch.  It is a little bit more expensive in Spain than in many other countries but is generally available and reliable.

Well now i’m wittering.  I thought I would make a reply as no one else had but as you are probable aware there is a wealth of information here in the numerous threads and the members are incredibly helpful.  Enjoy.

Hi, just a note of caution when you’re thinking of the Barcelona area.  If you’re fluent in Spanish and come from the US, you may not be aware of just how much Catalan has been revived to become the dominant language in Catalunya in the past twenty years or so.  Sure you can get by perfectly well with just Spanish in Barcelona, and lots of people do, but to fully integrate and to fully appreciate the place, you’d need to learn the native language. Catalan is relatively easy if you know Spanish already, and it’s very charming and interesting, but you need to consider whether you want to face the extra effort of a new language while relocating. (To a lesser extent, you’d have the same two-language problem in the Balearics, Galicia, the Basque Country and parts of Valencia.) If you know all this already, then I apologise for being patronising, but in my experience a lot of foreigners underestimate this issue.