Thinking of moving to Alicante/Valencia region

@gjpn

you can not go far wrong with Valenci, it has it all.

And sadly some of the highest wealth taxes too.

@gjpn

check the costa brava,  just north of Barcelona, many small fishing villages and just one hour by train to the center of Barcelona..

i live in Arenys de Mar,  15000 residents, great place!

We bought a flat in Los Alcazares last summer. A small community (17.000 people). Close to beaches everywhere you go. Sure its's a bit touristy but not terrible yet. Hiking you'll find close in Carrasco Y Valle Park close to Murcia. So a quiet town, but if you want the hustle and bustle of a big city Murcia, Torrevieja or Cartagena is just 20 - 30 minutes away by freeway ;-)

And taxation is as of yet very low...

Thanks for all the quick replies!  There are so many nice towns and cities that it makes the choice very difficult.  The wealth tax outside the Andalucía is definitely a drawback. 

We are in el campello about 10km outside Alicante. Seaside town surrounded by mountains. Lots of trails for walks. Tram straight into the city. Seaside town so a little touristy but mainly spanish tourists from Madrid.

@gjpn

Valencia and Alicante are both great. UNESCO-listed Elche (where we live) also very nice, and close to Alicante-Elche Airport and several nice beaches. But Costa Blanca is about 200 km long, and most of it is lovely. There are plenty of options if you'd enjoy a smaller town.

    @gjpn
Valencia and Alicante are both great. UNESCO-listed Elche (where we live) also very nice, and close to Alicante-Elche Airport and several nice beaches. But Costa Blanca is about 200 km long, and most of it is lovely. There are plenty of options if you'd enjoy a smaller town.
   

    -@gwynj

Doing a hands-on tour in May so I'll be exploring many of those towns.  I prefer towns in the 100K-1M population range with a good mix of expats/locals.  A beach that I don't have to search forever for a spot would also be a plus!

I do a volunteer in Spain and the truth is that it was a wonderful experience that I would repeat a thousand times more. Good weather and wonderful people. What more can you ask for in life?

@gjpn

100k narrows the options a LOT on the Costa Blanca. I think that would be just Valencia, Alicante and Elche, the ones I mentioned in my last post. They are great options, but I think it's too short a list for such a beautiful Costa!

Valencia and Alicante are both very popular locations, and they have city beaches, which is always nice. Elche is not on most people's radar (it wasn't on ours), but it's a lovely city, more traditional and less touristic than its larger neighbours. It has a lovely historic centre and is UNESCO-listed for its palm groves and municipal gardens. The RIo Vinalopo (and a great riverside trail) passes through the city,  and at nearly 250k it has all the city amenities. We've been very happy here. The property pricing is substantially less than Valencia and Alicante, so we got a fab apartment for about 10% of what it would cost us on Playa San Juan in Alicante. Elche has several tip-top beaches about 15km away, so we find this a very acceptable compromise.

Murcia is not far away, and it's another great city over 100k (although far from beaches). On the coast, there are several towns that are smaller than 100k, but might still be worth considering because of the beach life. Maybe Gandia, Denia, Calp, Benidorm (or nearby), Santa Pola, Torrevieja. There are beachy outer districts of Alicante and Valencia too.

Wow, !! Those locations are too far away from La Moraleja!! Walking distance in Centre be an idea please.

Thank you.

@gwynj

Thanks again for all the great info.   Elche looks like a nice town and will definitely check it out.

@gjpn

Hola,

The Region of Murcia is still an insider tip, with the Costa Calida on 2 seas and the climate and a lot of history, nature, etc.

With kind regards from the Costa Calida Marion

@gjpn

My wife and I are looking at a small beach town, Daimus, about an hour south of Valencia. it is also near a larger town, Gandia, which  has many restaurants, super markets, shops, etc. We’re going there on May 21 to look at a house.

@gjpn

hi there

look at Calpe, Moraira, Javea, Denia these are all between Alicante and Valencia on the coast.  All with full amenites and lots of restaurants

😎

@gjpn

I live bang in between Alicante and Valencia – in Javea. Been here 5 years and love it.

Unfortunately...you do hear a lot of locals complaining about tourists and foreign residents. Javea is now the most expensive town to buy property in the Valencian region...and one of the most expensive in Spain. The biggest problem point is that during summer it's impossible to park and the beaches are full...and tourists tend to be disrespectful. But...honestly...most locals are more annoyed with people from Madrid than they are foreigners per se!

The best way to overcome this I have found is to learn the language...it's a lot of work, but people respect that. They talk to you more candidly. When they start complaining with you about 'foreigners' without realising you're one yourself...you've made it!

@joshua51

This is exactly why I'm trying to avoid the smaller resort towns.  The bigger towns would hopefully not be as impacted by overtourism.  When I lived in Costa Rica, we had the same problem.   Big parties of 20-somethings from the San Jose, the capital, who just came to party and disturb the locals. Definitely not what I'm looking for.