Trying to determine where to move to in Costa del Sol!! Advice requested please!!
Hello everyone!
My name is Daisy and I live in Vermont, USA. My husband and I are looking to retire to the Costa del Sol within the next 4-5 years. Actually, he will be retiring but I will probably be working part-time for a few years after that. I am native of Spain (Madrid) and I have double nationality (US/Spain) so clearly this will not be a problem for me. My husband, on the other hand, is American and does not speak much Spanish at all. Therefore, I would like to make sure we move to an area where he will be able to befriend English speakers (specifically looking for British and American expat communities).
I grew up in Madrid but I have spent my entire adult life in the USA. Of course in my youth I did visit parts of Andalucía when I vacationed with my family but at this point in time I do not know WHERE exactly to be looking to move to in the Costa del Sol! In recent years every time I have returned to my homeland I have only stayed in the Madrid area, or traveled to stay with family in Galicia, but due to time/work constraints I have not gone back south to explore the costa!
This summer we will be spending a week traveling around la costa to begin to get a feel for where we will ultimately move to. Clearly this is a massive undertaking and we will need to be selective about where to look and where not to bother looking! Eventually the plan is to rent for a few months until we find just the right house in the right location at the right price.
We would really appreciate any comments/advice regarding your experiences moving to different towns in the Costa del Sol. Our criteria is the following but always willing to consider other options:
We are looking for a vibrant and lively medium-sized town with an ample selection of cultural events, restaurants, shopping, etc.
We are looking for an area with newer developments and new construction phases happening in the next 4-5 years (or relatively new)
We would prefer an independent detached villa (but would consider semi-detached if new construction)
Our preferred upper price range is 400,000 euros (not sure if this is feasible)
Sotogrande? Estepona? Manilva? Torrox? Nerja? What should we discard and what should we seriously consider?
THANK YOU SO MUCH in advance for your advice!