Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

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Bristol4boris
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Bristol4boris » Sun Mar 06, 2016 4:55 pm

One other question.Does anyone have recommendations please for English speaking conveyancing lawyers either based in Velez-Malaga or Torre del Mar?

Free at Last
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Free at Last » Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:53 pm

It is a long time since I bought my house and I used a lawyer in Nerja, but some people we know recently used Judith at Helping Axarquia in Vélez-Málaga:-

http://www.helpingaxarquia.com/

She and her sister (who is a tax accountant) are Spanish but speak fluent English. Our acquaintances had been assured by the estate agent that the property they had agreed to buy was free of debts and completely legal. We impressed upon them the importance of using a lawyer and not taking the agent's word for it, and within two days Judith advised them that there was in fact a mortgage outstanding on the property, and it was registered as a single storey dwelling although it had been extensively reformed and now has 3 storeys! She sorted everything out before allowing them to proceed.

jogger
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby jogger » Wed Mar 09, 2016 10:57 pm

This has been a really useful thread. We also stayed at Casas de las Titas which is around the corner from El Convento which we loved both the food and the ambience. We wanted to experience a bit of staying in the town and we learnt a lot by doing that. FAL is a mine of information I have always found when talking about Velez especially.

We love Velez, the restaurants and the lovely all night bakery. The people generally seem very friendly and Torre is great.

Pirateprincess
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Pirateprincess » Thu Mar 10, 2016 2:10 pm

Sorry for jumping on this post,but I'm very curious about velez Malaga, I however would not be retiring I would be moving with at least one school going child and another possibly going to college or work!( The second of them speaks spanish)....so what are your feelings towards bringing children to the area,and are there schooling facilities local! Also some of these villages have municiple pools,....??
LOUISE M

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Free at Last » Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:29 am

Vélez-Málaga is a very big town so of course there are schools in the town itself, many primary schools and one large secondary school, plus another in Torre del Mar. I don't know any British people who have children in local schools at the moment, but do know families who previously lived here and sent their children to local primary schools before returning to the UK, and when they entered British schools the children were not behind in their education compared to classmates who had always been in the UK system.

There is a special bus service from the town to Málaga university for local students. I have to say, though, that work opportunities for young people are no better than they are anywhere else in Spain, which is to say, dire.

Vélez-Málaga has both an indoor swimming pool complex with two pools, and an outdoor one which is only open in July and August. A lot of the outlying villages do have their own outdoor pools which are usually open from June to September.

Bristol4boris
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Bristol4boris » Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:36 am

Hi Truebrit we have tried to send you a PM but the system will not submit properly. Could you confirm you received them? One from Monday , then on Wednesday. Thanks

Pirateprincess
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Pirateprincess » Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:32 pm

Freeatlast that's very informative,my eldest would probably try to work on the coast,or in a hotel or bar,.... it's nice to know about the schools to, my boy is 4 going on 5,but he would be obviously older, how far from the coast are you,and are there any other nationalities?
Last edited by Pirateprincess on Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
LOUISE M

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Pirateprincess » Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:33 pm

Thanks free at last,that's very informative,my eldest would probably try to work on the coast,or in a hotel or bar,.... it's nice to know about the schools to, my boy is 4 going on 5,but he would be obviously older, how far from the coast are you,and are there any other nationalities?
LOUISE M

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Free at Last » Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:12 pm

Vélez is 4.5 km inland from the coast at Torre del Mar (which as well as being a working town is a holiday resort mainly used by Spanish visitors, many of whom have second homes there). It is only ever really busy in July and August which is when the Spanish take their summer holidays, but the beach is so big that even then it is not crowded. The sand is not pale golden, though, quite dark although not as dark as the Canary Islands beaches. It has a very nice, family orientated feel about it, and in the summer months there are attractions for children set up along the Paseo Maritimo like bouncy castles, mini bungee jumping, large inflatable water slides and a mini funfair for the smallest ones. There is an area of market stalls selling clothing, jewellery, etc. as well. The Paseo Maritimo is lovely, with gardens, sports pitches and a bandstand between the paseo and the road, and you can walk or cycle all the way along, on the flat (except for crossing a couple of footbridges over dry river beds) to Mezquitilla, about 7km in all. There is a bus service between Vélez and Torre every 15 minutes during the day and every half hour in the evenings (the journey takes 20 minutes by bus or 10 by car, although parking spaces are difficult to find in the summer months), and a night bus to Málaga at weekends which is popular with older teenagers going for a night out there, they don't even leave home until well after 11pm!

There are people of many nationalities living in Vélez-Malaga (German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Dutch, Belgian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Morroccan etc) but the total non Spanish population is only around 10% of the total. The majority of the Northern Europeans tend to be in their 50s or older, so I would guess you would not find very many foreign children in any of the schools. One thing your younger one might like is that there is an active Scout Troop in Vélez for both boys and girls, the children of a couple we knew before they returned to the UK belonged to it and really enjoyed it, they have overnight camping trips from time to time.

Forgot to say Torre del Mar also hosts a big music festival in July, the Weekend Beach festival which your older one would probably enjoy. A total of 60,000 people attended last year.

http://weekendbeach.es/2016/line-up/

Vélez also puts on concerts with rock bands a few times a year, in August we have the Noche en Vela which always has at least 4 concerts (all free) around town, culminating in one up at the Fortaleza which doesn't start until midnight. They are having a spring one as well this year on 23 April, although that one has a €10 entrance fee. This year there is also to be an air show in Torre del Mar in late July which will feature the Spanish Air Force display team (similar to the Red Arrows) and Eurofighter aircraft amongst other things, think I will invest in some heavy duty earplugs for that one! Both towns have their annual fiestas (Santa Ana in August for Torre del Mar, and San Miguel in late September for Vélez when there are always concerts and other displays going on, most of them free).

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby maureenscot » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:17 pm

WOW!! FAL, are you the Mayor. If not, you should be. Really great, comprehensive info. Thank you

Free at Last
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Free at Last » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:42 pm

De nada! I am certainly not the Mayor and wouldn't thank you for the job :lol: but I've lived here for almost 10 years now and am very fond of the place. I think it has a lot to offer although many people looking for property in Spain seem not to consider it as it's a large, urban area and they want the finca in the countryside or the quaint small villages - but after a time, as I think Truebrit said earlier, they often start to find the inconveniences and lack of facilities in such places outweigh the charms. Wouldn't do if we were all the same, though.

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Pirateprincess » Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:33 pm

Fal,brill you certainly helped me,I will have to come to check it out.... Would I stay in the area or malaga would I need a car....
LOUISE M

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Free at Last » Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:45 pm

You would get a much better feel for what the town is like to live in if you actually stay here rather than in Málaga, otherwise you'll spend a lot of time travelling back and forth and may not get to see the place at all the different times of day. As this isn't a tourist resort there isn't a huge amount of accommodation to choose from, but the apartments mentioned earlier where Bristolforboris was going to be staying are a very good option, I think being self-catering allows you to find out what it is like to shop for food and what prices are like.

[url]https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Rev ... a.html[url]

If you stayed in Vélez you would not need a car. It is easy to get here by bus from Málaga (there are over 30 buses a day from Monday to Friday, a few less at weekends) and in the town I'd say a car is more of a hindrance than anything as parking is difficult.

truebrit
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby truebrit » Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:54 pm

Although FAL has put some very useful information on this post, there are also negatives. I know people who came over(quite well known) who had two sons. They couldn't settle in local schools because of bullying and their parents had to send them privately. On the point of working, the Spanish themselves can't find work so a young man might find it quite hard.

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Pirateprincess » Fri Mar 18, 2016 5:08 pm

It would be a girl looking for work so shop,hotel bar work even school helper,etc
LOUISE M

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Free at Last » Fri Mar 18, 2016 5:23 pm

truebrit wrote:Although FAL has put some very useful information on this post, there are also negatives. I know people who came over(quite well known) who had two sons. They couldn't settle in local schools because of bullying and their parents had to send them privately. On the point of working, the Spanish themselves can't find work so a young man might find it quite hard.
I know who you mean. On the other hand, I also know other families whose children went through Spanish primary school with no problems at all, in this town.

The problems of finding work, however, just can't be over-stated. It is not easy at all to pick up work in shops, bars, restaurants etc. and there are thousands of young people in this town who would love just such a job. The daughter of a friend who was brought up here for most of her life, completely bilingual, eventually had to move back to the UK last year and live with other family members, as she could not find any work here, in spite of having done training courses which her mother had to pay for. She found a job within weeks in the UK.

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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby truebrit » Fri Mar 18, 2016 6:47 pm

Hi Bristol4boris. No didn't receive PM.

Bristol4boris
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Re: Thumbs up for Velez-Malaga?

Postby Bristol4boris » Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:24 pm

Have PM'd you!


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