even found some small apts in Nerja for 500 Euro in November, just need to research abit more on transport and telephones
coming to live in andalucia
MIJAS LADY
sorry, but you lost me with your thread, can you please explain what you mean about "friends from fuengirola"?
why is there always someone on this site who is always willing to rip into people??
i dont live in fuengirola nor have friends there but know its is a buzzing place all year round, half spanish half british, and for a single person there will be loads of people to meet.
please explain your sarcasm
sorry, but you lost me with your thread, can you please explain what you mean about "friends from fuengirola"?
why is there always someone on this site who is always willing to rip into people??
i dont live in fuengirola nor have friends there but know its is a buzzing place all year round, half spanish half british, and for a single person there will be loads of people to meet.
please explain your sarcasm
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mijas-lady
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I read your message to mean that at the ladies price range only grotty places so try Fuengirola as thats is what it is like! Just me being stupid hope im forgiven 
You are right, some parts of Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Torremolinos are like "Blackpool in the sun" however you can choose not to go to the English bars where everyone appears to be eating egg and chips and as said earlier if you walk around you can find "real" Spanish bars (cheaper too). Funnily enough, a lot of Spanish people have second homes in all 3 areas. They seem to love it there. 
Perhaps they want to practice their English 
Perhaps they want to practice their English I used to be indecisive but now I´m not so sure.
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Moving Soon
- Andalucia.com Amigo
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- Location: Manchester/Velez Malaga
I can confirm that there are authentically Spanish places to eat in Fuengirola - I've only been there once with a friend of mine who was picking up his mother-in-law who was staying with friends who have lived there for over 20 years (and coincidentally still don't speak more than a few words of Spanish!!!). We stopped at a bar for a drink and I ordered a tapa of what I thought was cubes of liver in a tomato based sauce. After I'd eaten it my friend told me it was actually sangre -yes, cubes of congealed blood. Actually it didn't taste bad.
I would agree with those contributors who recommended East of Malaga as being suitable for the original enquirer's needs - yes Nerja is nice even in the winter but the expat population is very high (and in Frigiliana I read somewhere last week it is now over 30%) and prices tend to be noticeably higher than in other places nearby - even for everyday foodstuffs let alone eating out. Take a look at Torre del Mar or, just 10 mins inland by car (and with the new tram service due to start running this month) Velez-Malaga, the capital of the Axarquia region.
I would agree with those contributors who recommended East of Malaga as being suitable for the original enquirer's needs - yes Nerja is nice even in the winter but the expat population is very high (and in Frigiliana I read somewhere last week it is now over 30%) and prices tend to be noticeably higher than in other places nearby - even for everyday foodstuffs let alone eating out. Take a look at Torre del Mar or, just 10 mins inland by car (and with the new tram service due to start running this month) Velez-Malaga, the capital of the Axarquia region.
I would stay stick to the coast - there are some lovely inland places but if you are worried about being isolated and not meeting anyone your age you would be better off nearer the seaside resorts. There are some communities inland (British) but I am sorry to say that it gets quite bitchy, and it seems some of them have drinking habits that make me feel embarrassed to be English. Spanish people are very friendly and it is quite rare to see a Spanish woman smoking and drinking "like a trouper" though I am not saying none of them smoke.
Probably going to be shot down in flames now 
but how about Arroyo. Good public transport service (train, buses), close to the coast, mix of Spanish and English. Benalmadena Pueblo and Mijas(yes I know it's touristy but still lovely) close by, and a big fix of English expats when needed. I agree with babby you do not always have to go to English bars , our favourite was a Spanish cafe bar in plaza'espana in Arroyo. We are moving over to Spain next year and will use Arroyo as a base to have a look around and see where we would like to live.
but how about Arroyo. Good public transport service (train, buses), close to the coast, mix of Spanish and English. Benalmadena Pueblo and Mijas(yes I know it's touristy but still lovely) close by, and a big fix of English expats when needed. I agree with babby you do not always have to go to English bars , our favourite was a Spanish cafe bar in plaza'espana in Arroyo. We are moving over to Spain next year and will use Arroyo as a base to have a look around and see where we would like to live.I have been given a wealth of info in this thread, thanks very much. I am looking at Torrox as being the first place to look at, I've found several apts within my price range.
I just wonder if a few people could expand on their own experiences,
Why is life better in Andalucia, what do you get from living there that you didn't get in the UK.
What percentage of ex-pats work? What sort of jobs do they do?
as a single person how would I start to meet people?
I just wonder if a few people could expand on their own experiences,
Why is life better in Andalucia, what do you get from living there that you didn't get in the UK.
What percentage of ex-pats work? What sort of jobs do they do?
as a single person how would I start to meet people?
If you have to work and bring up kids and have no savings to fall back on Andalucia can be a tough place, more so if you dont speak the language.
Jobs are scarce, and competition is fierce.
What line of work are you looking for Katie? You might say, i'll do anything to start with but there are plenty of Morroccans, Africans and South Americans who will work for €2/3 hour. The next rung on the ladder is seasonal bar work - spend the summer in a red hot kitchen making fry ups for €5/ hour.
SpanishLad will tell you what the employment situation is like.
Many of our forum members will say I am being negative, but they are mostly retired with mortage paid and a regular UK pension, so their situation is a lot different to yours.
In your position, I would be working all I could in the UK now (it is a lot easier to work in the UK than Spain) and saving up enough cash to give you a few months cushion. Dont burn your bridges either, just in case you want to or have to go back.
Jobs are scarce, and competition is fierce.
What line of work are you looking for Katie? You might say, i'll do anything to start with but there are plenty of Morroccans, Africans and South Americans who will work for €2/3 hour. The next rung on the ladder is seasonal bar work - spend the summer in a red hot kitchen making fry ups for €5/ hour.
SpanishLad will tell you what the employment situation is like.
Many of our forum members will say I am being negative, but they are mostly retired with mortage paid and a regular UK pension, so their situation is a lot different to yours.
In your position, I would be working all I could in the UK now (it is a lot easier to work in the UK than Spain) and saving up enough cash to give you a few months cushion. Dont burn your bridges either, just in case you want to or have to go back.
Kevin is right..........
You will almost certainly have to work within the Brit community, for the Brit community. Jobs in the Spanish sector are not easy to come-by and you will be way down the pecking-order, after family, friends, Spanish etc. And if you can't speak the lingo !!!
The retired, pensioned, rose colored glasses types will tell you otherwise. But just ask around in the "Real-Andalusian-World".
But don't get me wrong......I love it. Re-started sold-off UK business, but in a much smaller way. 17 year old daughter doing great [fluent Spanish] with well known company.......wife doing.........er, not sure, I will ask!
You will almost certainly have to work within the Brit community, for the Brit community. Jobs in the Spanish sector are not easy to come-by and you will be way down the pecking-order, after family, friends, Spanish etc. And if you can't speak the lingo !!!
The retired, pensioned, rose colored glasses types will tell you otherwise. But just ask around in the "Real-Andalusian-World".
But don't get me wrong......I love it. Re-started sold-off UK business, but in a much smaller way. 17 year old daughter doing great [fluent Spanish] with well known company.......wife doing.........er, not sure, I will ask!
Ok from what i can gather if you come to Andalucia under retirement age, it will be very difficult to find work, and if you do it will be low paid...
so just how many Brits are there under retirement age? maybe this can be expressed as a percentage?
as far as work is concerned I would continue to run my own UK business, but I am trying to determine the type of lifestyle I could build for myself.
I have read other threads, its seems there is always the language issue underlying everything, thus simple tasks can become mountains to overcome, like getting a tap repaired, or a car serviced.
It is very interesting to be able to discuss these issues before taking the step to relocate.
I'd still like to hear of a few sucess stories through, the pros of life in Andlucia, I'm getting a good idea of the cons
so just how many Brits are there under retirement age? maybe this can be expressed as a percentage?
as far as work is concerned I would continue to run my own UK business, but I am trying to determine the type of lifestyle I could build for myself.
I have read other threads, its seems there is always the language issue underlying everything, thus simple tasks can become mountains to overcome, like getting a tap repaired, or a car serviced.
It is very interesting to be able to discuss these issues before taking the step to relocate.
I'd still like to hear of a few sucess stories through, the pros of life in Andlucia, I'm getting a good idea of the cons
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samizdat
- Andalucia.com Amigo
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:19 pm
- Location: not granada anymore;-( near San Pedro
could that be because you are in SPAIN, and therefore need to have adequate Spanish??? If you come here without spanish you are condemned to exist in the English speaking townships on the coast. Be they Fuengenrola or Marbella depending on your budgetI have read other threads, its seems there is always the language issue underlying everything, thus simple tasks can become mountains to overcome, like getting a tap repaired, or a car serviced.
if you are self-employed getting realistic income from the UK it's fine - your'e quids in - As Kevin and others points out here on this board it's hard to find ANYONE who earned a decent income and comparable status - to theirs in the UK. .
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