We have been holidaying in Spain now for a few years and really do like it. So far its been in the Costa Del Sol , our next trip will be to Costa Brava . It looks really beautiful, warm but a bit greener that the Costa Del Sol . We think we will end up moving here and are looking for suitable areas that would suit both our interests, which are walking/hiking, golf and dogs. We have 5 boxers, which my wife shows . Does anyone know awhere we can find out about boxer dogs and showing in the Costa Brava/Costa Del Sol regions.

Plus has anyone chosen to live in the Costa Brava and if so why

Sorry I know its a big vague but it would be interesting to find out various reasons❓

Just remember that the country you holiday in, isn`t always as perfect to live in.

I`ve just spent 30 mins listening to the dutch owner of our local kebab takeaway here in hot sunny Malaga moaning about how ignorantly stupid Malaganians are and how he`s starting to make arrangement’s to move back to Holland.

I hear foreigners moaning a lot about jobs, business etc etc down here.

Culturally it can be a frustrating place to function in.

But everybodies different, our level of expectation and stress control is relatively low, we`ve learnt to just chill and not to expect too much.

I know holidays are different than normal working life. I hope not to have to work when I get there but if I have to then I will see, there will be no hurry .  I work in computing so could always commute or live near a largish city . I will endevor to learn the language, some before I get there . One would hope once there it would get better. Currently life is all built round work and that is really not good enough . Time for ourselves is important .  😊

boxer - 22 July 2008 11:17 PM

I know holidays are different than normal working life. I hope not to have to work when I get there but if I have to then I will see, there will be no hurry .  I work in computing so could always commute or live near a largish city . I will endevor to learn the language, some before I get there . One would hope once there it would get better. Currently life is all built round work and that is really not good enough . Time for ourselves is important .  😊

The best way to practice the language and make friends is to work with Spaniards, so I would advise you to do a bit even if you don’t financially have to. OK so you won’t get a job that’s dependent on having fluent language skills, but even a bit of part-time occupation or voluntary work that requires a bit of interaction will help you settle in.  Also consider if you really want to live in a holiday area.  Some of the smaller towns on the Costas (and most coastal or golf urbanizaciones) are grim when they’re half-empty out of season. If you choose a working village you will need to get your Spanish up to speed sharpish but there will be plenty of opportunity to practice and you’ll feel part of a real, 12 months-a-year community.

boxer - 22 July 2008 11:17 PM

  I work in computing so could always commute or live near a largish city .

Its possible to get work in IT from the UK based On Line gambling outfits in Gibraltar without needing to speak Spanish.

Without a Spanish name, seriously in demand CV you`ll find a good job hard to come by as there is high unemployment in Spain.

The only way to learn a language is to stop using your own, until your brain is tuned in, you`ll always struggle.

I always find it funny that on Expat site`s people state they can`t learn Spanish etc, yet spend all day on the net reading English or have UK tv or that because there in a brit family everybody is speaking english and watch english tv.

You need to stop, only speak Spanish 24/7, read Spanish, watch Spanish tv and hang around Spaniards.

There great people.Easy to get along with and will usually be willing to help and show you there culture.

Buying in the Costa`s in an Urb will simply depress you, unless your one of the thousands of brits who don`t like/understand Spaniards and only live in Spain for the weather.

Currently life is all built round work and that is really not good enough . Time for ourselves is important .  😊

My working day is typically Spanish.

I leave for work at 7.50 ish, usually meet some collegues for a coffee ,sometimes churro`s, at around 8.15am, in work by 8.30.

Breakfast usually 10.15ish for around 20 minutes.

Lunch at 1pm until 5pm.

Finish work 8pm, usually home around 9pm depending on traffic.

I work around 2-3 hrs more in Spain than in the UK.Expats working in Spain tend to struggle with the timetable, it can be a difficult adjustment working at 7pm when in the UK I was home usually around 5.30pm.

Weekends though are generally not worked, they tried suggesting the odd Saturday, but the unions soon pointed out the error in that.

They can suggest changing the convenio, but like the bible it cannot be easily re written, the mere suggestion by managment is enough to turn the office into a communist revolt.

Thats in the south, the further north you go to say Madrid or Barcelona more companies operate 9-5 with 30 min lunch breaks.

Spaniards tend to work similar hours to the UK, there seems to be a myth of the family unit, not always true, I work with men who always go straight to the bar after work and get home around 11pm, don`t get involved with there kids much.

Malaga is a very male dominated area, the wife is very much the person home lookin after the kids, cooking and cleaning.The husband rules the nest.

Living inthe costas does not mean livinh on a depressing urb I live in in La Cala Malagsa its far from depressing.
All year round you can find both Spanish and Brits all living together .
I also live in an urb were all kinds of people live,these are brill if you have kids always someone to play with.
From experience living in a little village in the middle of nowhere is far more depressing.
Malaga is not male dominated many woman here work and are not at home bare foot and pregnant,

pepsi - 23 July 2008 10:24 PM

Living inthe costas does not mean livinh on a depressing urb I live in in La Cala Malagsa its far from depressing.

La Cala de Mijas is not my kinda Spain, sorry, if I listed the 20 worst places to live La Cala would probably be within the top 20, around 15 ish, just above Calahonda,Riviera, Nueva Andalucia.

I`m slightly biased though as I`m not a fan of the Costa urb sprawl.

Mijas Pueblo is ok if you want a Disney type view of Spanish culture, although the view 20 yrs ago was a lot better.

I also live in an urb were all kinds of people live,these are brill if you have kids always someone to play with.

If your happy that’s fine, not all urbs are the same.A lot of clients I visit though do tend to complain about the rentals and the noise that comes with them.

Senoria Del Aloha in N/Andalucia is one that I`ve heard about.

From experience living in a little village in the middle of nowhere is far more depressing.

True but you don`t need to go El Campo for unspoilt Spanish towns, simply travel a bit further East or West, but many UK residents don`t want to live outside there comfort zone, its not for everyone.

Malaga is not male dominated many woman here work and are not at home bare foot and pregnant,

I disagree, but then again I work in a Spanish company, so maybe there just macho in front of me.

Most of my colleague’s wives arn`t working, most of our friends wives don`t work.Although that only equates to around 30 Spaniards around 30-50 yrs of age, in a city of 500,000 people I could be wrong. 😊

Hey Santi,

I’ve lived in a real “pueblo” pueblo where they don’t open their mouths wide enough for the words to get out, I’ve lived in M?laga with the shouting fishwives, in Benalmadena with the trailer trash Brits on vacation, in El Faro near La Cala with the polite Germans and now in Nueva Andalucia with the Arabs and the posh Brits.  I’ve loved every place and I think that if you put your mind to it you can always find plenty of positive things in a new town.

And I think that while there are a lot of working women in M?laga, a lot are still very housebound and traditional as well.  But, you know, if that’s their choice…  Oh and on the men, I would never marry a Spaniard, no matter how much I love their culture.  It’s not so much that they’re macho, it’s more that they aren’t loving or kind, at least outwardly.

Emily

I wouldn’t want to live in an urbanizacion, but then neither would I live on a new suburban Wimpey estate in the UK, and thankfully I don’t have to do either.  If you really are just coming to Spain for the weather and the relatively low living costs, then I guess they fit the bill.  They have been so over-built, though, and the demand has fallen so massively, that anyone buying there now will need a lot of faith in the market bouncing back. But they should secure a fantastic bargain. As for women’s position, I think in general Spain has developed amazingly in this respect over the last decades, albeit from a low starting point.  In our back-of-beyond village the mayor is a woman and most of the work seems to be done by women. (The older men just stand around moaning!)  Also when I’ve been in Madrid and Barcelona on business there’ve been plenty of professional women in senior roles.

where ever you move, within the UK or abroad you compremise. Thinks have to change, its what makes moving a fun time . Learning about your new home, new friends. Moving to a new country will just make that little bit more exciting. Learning to adapt will not be a problem. One has to be positive about these things . Our biggest issue’s is what part of Spain. We really do like it around Nerja but not sure about the heat and our dogs so will look at Costa Brava next year. We have a couple of years to go before we need to decide .  Mond you if the housing keeps going down might be worth getting somewhere and rent it while waiting .

I would definitely rent before buying.  As you say, the prices are still coming down and I think we can expect that to continue for a couple of years - longer in the over-hyped places, maybe not as long in better preserved resorts like Nerja.  You may also benefit significantly by waiting for a better rate of exchange (of course, that’s not guaranteed!).  However, if you want to buy an old place and do it up, or buy land and build, now could be a good time.  There are lots of tradesmen looking for work, and lots of people trying to unload property.  More importantly, though, until you spend a good length of time in Spain it’s hard to get your head around just how big a country it is and how varied different areas are.  I would advise you to rent for at least six months and do some good long road trips around the country while you do so.  You might end up buying somewhere completely different, saving money and ending up much happier than if you just jump in right away.

rubi995 - 24 July 2008 01:52 PM

in Benalmadena with the trailer trash Brits on vacation, in El Faro near La Cala with the polite Germans and now in Nueva Andalucia with the Arabs and the posh Brits.

That must be an eye opener for an American.

Mind you Nueva Andalucia, not a great choice, wouldn`t class them as posh brits, more new money, no class types.

Michael Winner has a villa there,  :lol:

I’ve loved every place and I think that if you put your mind to it you can always find plenty of positive things in a new town.

Sure, but that tends to stop once the novalty goes away.

And I think that while there are a lot of working women in M?laga, a lot are still very housebound and traditional as well.

Now that depends on where in Spain there from, friends of ours from outside of Andalucia are very different to those from Malaga.

  But, you know, if that’s their choice…  Oh and on the men, I would never marry a Spaniard, no matter how much I love their culture.  It’s not so much that they’re macho, it’s more that they aren’t loving or kind, at least outwardly.

Emily

I prefer Spanish people.