Buying a house in Andalucia - location suggestions?

[Ukmat]

I'm going to be selling my house in the next few weeks & I'm looking to buy a small property in Andalusia for myself, my Mum & my brother to use throughout the year. I need it to have good transport links for my Mum & be relatively close to the sea, though further inland is also a possibility.

I'm really looking for places that are more Spanish & not full of English tourists & fish & chips (not that I have a problem with that, I was born in Great Yarmouth)

I enjoy learning Spanish, in fact this is partly the reason that I want to spend more time in Andalusia. The weather is a factor too of course..

Does anybody have any suggestions on good locations? I've been looking at Álora as it appears to tick all the boxes, but was considering going as far up as Valencia. I hear its a little less touristy up there.

Mat

[peteroldracer]

If you or your Mum want the option of British main-channel tv, look above Murcia....

[pete_l]

OK, you've specified Andalucia, and that you need good transport links.
That narrows it down considerably.
Let's take the transport situation. The only airport in Andalucia that has reliable, year-round flights to multiple UK airports is Malaga. Other airports have some, but to a restricted (or zero) choice of destinations and sometimes for only parts of the year.
At the spanish end, how far away from the airport is acceptable? 50km, 100km? Will you need a bus or train service, or do all your people drive?

Plus, being near the sea AND easily accessible from the UK will bump the price up considerably.

[peteroldracer]

I don't know what your budget is, but there are many apartments in Torre del Mar (Spanish, yet coastal with some Brit presence, and bus links to Málaga) with 3 bedrooms, shared pool etc - 550€ per month, negotiable? That is 7000€ a year more or less, with no maintenance costs (some community charge though), leaving all your capital, as one standard pension (mother?) will cover it......and you can leave when you want!

[Julie]

Great advice peter

[John & Kath]

OK, you've specified Andalucia, and that you need good transport links.
That narrows it down considerably.
Let's take the transport situation. The only airport in Andalucia that has reliable, year-round flights to multiple UK airports is Malaga. Other airports have some, but to a restricted (or zero) choice of destinations and sometimes for only parts of the year.
At the spanish end, how far away from the airport is acceptable? 50km, 100km? Will you need a bus or train service, or do all your people drive?

Plus, being near the sea AND easily accessible from the UK will bump the price up considerably.

You have forgotten Faro airport just 35 mins from the border and year round flights to all parts of UK.

[John & Kath]

I'm going to be selling my house in the next few weeks & I'm looking to buy a small property in Andalusia for myself, my Mum & my brother to use throughout the year. I need it to have good transport links for my Mum & be relatively close to the sea, though further inland is also a possibility.

I'm really looking for places that are more Spanish & not full of English tourists & fish & chips (not that I have a problem with that, I was born in Great Yarmouth)

I enjoy learning Spanish, in fact this is partly the reason that I want to spend more time in Andalusia. The weather is a factor too of course..

Does anybody have any suggestions on good locations? I've been looking at Álora as it appears to tick all the boxes, but was considering going as far up as Valencia. I hear its a little less touristy up there.

Mat

Have a look in the other direction at Ayamonte seems to me to tick all your boxes.

[katy]

Hmm. no bias there then...really helpful

You said you are looking at Álora. Nice place, although according to official stats it has a high percentage of ex-pats who are from the UK. Even higher than Marbella. It may be suitable if they are the right kind of Brits and don't eat fish n' chips

[oliveview01]

Ayamonte is a lovely town, with an excellent fresh food market!!

[El Cid]

Ayamonte is a lovely town, with an excellent fresh food market!!

And a very large percentage of the houses in that part of Andalucia are illegal!

Sid

[costakid]

Ayamonte area is like a morgue at midnight in the winter. I would suggest Malaga region within 45 mins of the airport. Malaga east is much cheaper than Marbella area.

[barry]

Just to play devils advocate, we rented for 6 months in an area 45 mins from Malaga airport and now live two and a half hours away from Malaga and have done so for 6 years very happily.

[IreneD]

Canillas de Aceituno ticks all your boxes unless you need a regular bus service to the nearest big town, which is about 15 km away - we only have 2 or 3 services a day, the busses do go on to Malaga, though. I can also recommend a nice small property here, very good value only 2 bedrooms, maybe not enough?

[Ukmat]

Thanks for some great advice!