What's it like to live in the Murcia Region?

it is an old topic but for google searches i would like to point out that Murcia is great if you like sand. the coast has some beautiful places but the rest has a lot of broken down houses .. a lot of garbage everywhere and they refuse to speak english. those who can speak english (very little) just do not want to. i am living next to Lorca. I don't like it at all. we are planning on moving to Portugal. its a bit greener and more friendly people. in Murcia they have a farmers mentality that most people don't like outsiders. I am Dutch , Lived in Germany (Pfaltz) and in the UK (Ramsgate)  .... We Do not like it at all. The idea that most people have when thinking about Spain is not the reality of Murcia. It is one big sand box.

I have lived and worked in Spain for more than 14 years so hopefully, I can help you or any others reading this thread with some tips about what it's like to live in the many varied areas of Spain.
We first lived in Mojacar for 3 years (part of the Almeria Province and immediately South of Murcia), then Conil de la Frontera for another 3 years (part of the Cadiz Province, and still part of Andalucia), then Sitges, also for 3 years, which is just South of Barcelona, and finally Javea, on the Northern Costa Blanca, in the Alicante Province, and part of the Valencia Region.

These are my impressions and by no means do I pretend to know everything about everywhere, and I apologise in advance if I unintentionally offend anyone - you must know that I love Spain and its people and I would not choose to live anywhere else.
(At the end of this, I will give my overall impressions about driving standards in the various regions, level of education, the languages and culture, the cost of living, etc.)

When we lived in Mojacar we found quite a diverse range of Nationalities living there and we found it quite easy to make friends as everyone seemed to be in a similar situation - looking for a better lifestyle and a bit of adventure. We even became very good friends with a Spanish couple who had moved there from Cordoba. Making friends with the locals was quite difficult, and I think this had more to do with the fact that the local education was quite poor, and the economy too, which meant that the youth were mostly only employable in the agriculture or building sector. There is no real stimulation for the local population who rely heavily on the creativity and entrepreneurship of the foreigners.

Heading inland or further North into the Province of Murcia, where there were fewer foreigners, and therefore even less stimulus (seeing all the ways people do different things) we found the local culture quite restrictive for our requirements. The areas of Murcia and Almeria are very dry and we found the population, especially inland, to match that dryness. The people can seem more abrupt and aloof than in other areas of Spain, however, they have big hearts and can be very generous.

As you head further North into the Alicante Province, one of our favourite areas is the Orihuela Costa which stretches along the coast of Spain between the border of Murcia and the town of Torrevieja. More about that later...

We spent many vacations throughout Andalucia. Inland we spent plenty of time in Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla, and Jerez de la Frontera, and on the Costa del Sol in Nerja, Marbella, Mijas, Estepona, Benalmadena and we even stayed in Tarifa (Costa de la Luz) for a month.

We enjoyed our 3 years in Conil de la Frontera (Costa de la Luz, Cadiz Province).
The part of the coast between Tarifa and all the way up to Conil is beautiful, unspoiled and uncommercialized. The Atlantic coast also provides gentler summers and milder winters, so you have fewer temperature extremes like on the other Costas.
The economy is tough though, with agriculture again providing most of the employment options. This part of Spain is still relatively 'undiscovered' by many European Nations which in some ways can be a blessing or a disadvantage depending on which way you choose to see it. We did feel a little more isolated than in other parts of the country.

Our 3 years in Sitges was probably our least favourite.
The pros: The proximity to the amazing city of Barcelona, a good economy, some fantastic road cycling and mountain biking, the closeness to the rest of Europe, the business etiquette, seeing greenery again.
The cons: The expensive rental and property prices (in comparison with other ares of Spain). After never having an issue making friends in Spain, we really struggled here. The foreigners that live here tend to be more affluent and not as approachable as those further south. They are basically in a different life situation.
The major motivation for the population seems to be financial rather than social. The Catalan language can also be quite divisive. Many times the locals refused to speak Castellano and would only reply in Catalan or broken English.
The winters are quite chilly compared with other areas further South.
It felt as if we were not living in Spain. We missed the Spanish culture, the music, the Flamenco, the food, the climate, the people.

Our time in Javea has been our most enjoyable and this is where we have decided to settle.
We thought that Sitges would provide a good compromise. We thought that the better economy and richness in choices would balance out the colder and longer winters, and tougher social integration.
What we have discovered is that Javea has everything we were looking for. There is a good economy, the climate is just right, with enough greenery, the people are really friendly and while many of the local population do speak Valenciano they absolutely go out of their way to not exclude you and will change to Castellano or English to make you more comfortable. Just learning Castellano here is fine. The locals appreciate you making an effort to learn and speak Castellano. The education and schooling in the area is good, and there are many social and sporting activities. We are also close to both Alicante and Valencia airports.

Our favourite areas to live: No surprise, they are all on the Costa Blanca.
1. Javea
2. Albir - belongs to the municipality of Alfaz del Pi (3 km North of Benidorm)
3. The residential areas inland from Benidorm: Finestrat, Golf Badia etc.
(Because we know the area so well this is purely a decision based on proximity to our business clients, hobbies, conveniences, nightlife etc.)
4. Orihuela Costa, Southern Costa Blanca (Villamartin, La Zenia). And certain villages just inland from Torrevieja (Los Montesinos, La Finca Golf resort area etc.)
This area offers excellent value for money and a wealth of social and sporting activities. (Think dozens of amazing golf courses all within a quick drive.)

Okay, so now if you will please allow me some massive generalisations about driving standards, level of education, the languages and culture, the cost of living, etc.
And I apologise in advance.
As you drive from Barcelona to Alicante driving standards tend to be quite high and quite respectful towards other drivers. There is also a good degree of respect for padestrians and cyclists. As you go South of Alicante driving standards decrease quite a bit, and around the city of Murcia it's quite challenging. Standards throughout Almeria and Murcia are quite a bit lower than further North.
Along the Costa del Sol things don't improve, it's only once we reach Tarifa and head towards Cadiz that driving standards improve again.
In any of the major inland cities driving can be tough, although, driving in any of Europe's cities is not easy. Driving through the inland Spanish countryside is quite easy in comparison with other European countries, you will often be alone for many miles of road.
In Catalunia the most spoken language is Catalan. You can survive easy enough with just Castellano however learning Catalan as well will help you to integrate better with the locals (if that's something you want to do). In summary, you need to learn both Castellano and Catalan.
If you ever find yourself moving, say to Pais Vasco, Valencia or Galicia, keep in mind that the regional language is different from Catalan.
Valenciano is spoken as far south as Calpe but from there on it's all Castellano.
The schooling is generally excellent in Catalunia and Valencia (you should note that it's compulsory for school children to learn both Catalan and Castellano - I think learning another foreign language like French or German would be more useful). Schooling is generally good in Alicante, but standards can be erratic further South.

Cost of living is higher in Catalunia, rentals and property prices can be twice as much per square metre in comparison with many areas on the Costa Blanca.
The cost of living on the Costa Blanca compares more or less with that of the Costa del Sol and the Cadiz Province.
Some areas on the North Costa Blanca (Javea and Moraira) can be a bit more expensive (about 30%) than areas on the Southern Costa Blanca.
To give you a better idea a good idea would be to compare property prices for the various areas I have mentioned. This will also give you some insight into what to expect from restaurant prices, nightlife prices, shopping etc.
More or less, the decrease or increase in property prices relates to what you can expect to pay less or more for your general living costs.
Property prices Orihuela Costa
Property prices Torrevieja
Property prices Benidorm
Property prices Albir, Alfaz del Pi
Property prices Javea

I hope that gives yourself and others some insight and hopefully I can make your life a little easier by helping you to find your perfect area a little quicker than it would ordinarily take. All the best from amazing Spain.

D4.  Thanks for an Excellent post. 

My working life was spent in London, driving each day into the centre,  so lot of experience of heavy city traffic.   

Having lived on costa Del sol for 30 years, riding a road bike (racing type ) on roads outside towns, a mountain bike in towns, a 600 cc motorcycle and a car,  I would only differ with on the general standard of driving

The only accidents I have had have been when  on my road bike, having been knocked of it twice in 20 years by car drivers. A couple of minor fractures.

Thus my impression of driving is that, although when I came here in 1987, it was rather poor, it is now pretty average compared with U.K., Ireland, France, Thailand, the Philippines etc

Hi Johncar, thank you.
Yes, I agree. I do feel that, overall, driving standards have definitely improved.
I feel the safest cycling in the Northern Costa Blanca and in Cataluña. There are also some amazing mountain bike trails.
You have a great day!