Retire in Spain: An American’s Story
Retire in Spain? You may be wondering, “Could it be possible for me? The place for me?”. Assumptions exist that discourage people, like the perception that living anywhere in Europe is too expensive. But over the past couple of years, more and more Americans are making their retirement dreams come true by making the move to Spain.
Today, you get to meet one such American, Tara. She decided to retire in Spain and we met her and became friends when she moved to Denia in the summer of 2018 with her boyfriend at the time. She shares what’s really at the heart of such a life-change – their personal story of what brought about the desire. Let it encourage you that you’re not ‘insane’ for wanting to retire in Spain. It is possible! – Amalia & Eric
This post was originally published in February of 2019 and has since been updated.
Let’s Get Introduced
My partner at the time Adam and I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, California for over 30 years. We met and fell in love in 2015 after two previous marriages each. Hence, we decided to not jinx things with a third marriage! Good thing, because we have since separated.
Adam has two daughters, ages twenty-three and twenty and I have two sons, twenty and eighteen. His oldest is a college graduate and working in New York City. His youngest, a student at San Francisco State, is studying abroad for her 3rd year, 2018-19, in the United Kingdom.
My oldest is finishing his basic studies at a local Junior College preparing to transfer to a four-year university, fall 2019. Well, he was… but that is another story… My youngest is a freshman at Cal Poly Pomona studying kinesiology.
Life Before Spain
Above Image – Jumping forward a little, here I am with my youngest son in Denia’s Marina, with the mountain Montgo in the backdrop.
Adam and I are (were) computer science and electrical engineers, respectively. Over the past 30 years, we have held many high pressure, yet high profile jobs in high technology. During our last four years in the US, I had been selling real estate rather than semiconductors. I’m not sure which career was more rewarding, tiresome or horrific at the same time.
Our story is fairly typical for people living and working in Silicon Valley. All work, good incomes but hardly anything left to show for it. Tired all the time. Long hours. High Pressure. Poor diets (doordash). No exercise (no time).
We lived in a very expensive neighborhood so that my boys could still finish school at their high school after my divorce and sale of my home. Now with my youngest graduating and going off to college it became apparent that we no longer needed to live in the high rent district of Cupertino, California, home of Apple Computer.
Reaching Our Limits (or at Least Really Close)
Above Image – Visiting the rocky shores of the Las Rotas beach in Denia.
I was working 7 days a week at all hours of the day and night, the life of a realtor, and Adam was feeling a bit burned out with his current technology job. Sometimes I would have to push him out the door in the morning, him kicking and screaming like a 2-year-old. OK, that was a slight exaggeration.
We were tired, and the kids were pretty much on their own. Now what? Is this what life was really all about? Go to college, work your asses off for 30+ years, raise children, send them off to college and then collapse from sheer exhaustion?
Is this what life was really all about? Go to college, work your asses off for 30+ years, raise children, send them off to college and then collapse from sheer exhaustion?
Since it was obvious we were no longer going to stay in our high rent house, we started thinking about moving to a cheaper neighborhood, but still in Silicon Valley so we could keep our jobs. But did we really want to keep our jobs? Did we really want to continue this crazy, unsatisfying, unhealthy lifestyle?
Our Turning Point
Then in 2017, Adam’s mom passed away, as did my dad at 75 years, too young of an age. Losing parents makes one think about their future. What did Adam and I each want from our futures?
BINGO! Adam had an absolutely, beautifully insane idea. What if we retired early and moved out of California? Could we? Could we move away from our kids? Our friends? My mother? What about my cats? Yes, I am a crazy cat lady.
Can We Retire?
Above Image – Enjoying Cava at the Marina Portet, with a great view of the sailboats and the Denia Castle.
Well after pouring through our finances, it was clear that if we wanted to retire in the USA, each at age 52, near the beach, which was a must for me, we could not do it. Our savings and investments would not even allow us to retire in Florida, which was not even an option, in my opinion. I hate Florida.
Adam, born and raised in the United Kingdom, suggested that we look at Europe. During the four years that we were together, we were very lucky to travel around Europe quite a bit. Plus, Adam has family living near London. Why not give it a go? Europe… beach… no work… This is beginning to sound exciting and scary at the same time!
This is beginning to sound exciting and scary at the same time!
Target – Europe: Let the Search Begin!
Above Image – Exploring the nature of Denia’s Mediterranean coastline.
So, Europe, but where? My main requirement was a warm beach and Adam’s was a town where we could walk to almost everything. We did not want to rely on a car. Plus, we needed to investigate “affordable” places that were really working towns year-round. Who likes mass tourists in the summer and a ghost town in the winter?
Italy was out, sadly. We could not afford the Italian towns that met our requirements. Feeling dejected and yearning for the Italian pizza I thought I’d never have, we started looking at the Algarve area of Portugal.
Algarve, Portugal has stunning beaches, cute towns, and is affordable. But, the more we looked into it (Google maps, Google earth etc.), the towns with lovely beaches seemed to be mainly tourist towns, meaning that they would be desolate during the winter months. We really wanted a thriving town year-round.
From Drinking Tequila to, “Hmm… Spain?“
Above Image – Sunset drinks on the Rasset Beach in Denia, just a couple blocks from our new home.
Then one evening we were chatting with our good friend, while drinking mass quantities of tequila, about our idea to retire in Europe. She suggested that we look at Spain as her daughter had lived in and loved Madrid for over 10 years.
Hmm, Spain? Her daughter had vacationed in Javea, which is a beautiful town in the Costa Blanca area of Spain. About 1.5 hours south of Valencia and 1 hour north of Alicante (and both cities have international airports). On paper, Javea seemed amazing. Both of us being engineers, we studied every aspect of this town and, although it was lovely, it did not tick all of our boxes.
It was not as “Spanish” as we wanted and seemed to be excessively touristy in the summer months. Plus, Javea was not very walkable, since the beaches, old town and port were too far apart. Damn! We were disappointed.
However, Adam would not give up. He was determined. He figured that there must be a town around Javea that met our criteria. He was right. Denia, Spain. About 30 minutes up the coastline.
Read More: 3 Things to See and Do in Alicante for History, Shopping, and Food
What is it About Denia, Spain…
Above Image – The charming medieval fair that comes to Denia every winter.
Denia sits right on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of a mountain (El Montgo), and has a 14th century castle in the center of town. Behind the castle lies the charming old town, chock full of fabulous restaurants and bars. After a 2 minute walk from the Loreto Street in old town, you arrive at the main city street, Marques de Campo, where you can meet with friends and have a café con leche (coffee with milk), caña (beer on tap), or a copa de vino (glass of house wine). It’s a great place to watch families stroll up and down the tree lined street.
At the end of Marques de Campo is the Port, which has 2 extensive marinas on either side, the Marina el Portet and Marina de Denia, each boasting more fabulous shops and eateries. Trust me, you cannot go hungry or thirsty in Denia.
And what about my main requirement, a beach? Denia has several beaches, enjoying almost twenty kilometers of coastline. To the north of town, you find the beach of Las Marinas with fine sand and calm shallow waters (and lots of summer tourists). Then to the south lies a series of small coves along the rocky coast, known as Las Rotas (but really expensive).
This pueblo, Denia, appeared on paper to be perfect for us. Beach, port, walkable, thriving working town year-round, Spanish, castle, close to Alicante and Valencia, and affordable. Perfecto! Then, we took the next step in November 2017 – VISIT!
The Biggest Resource – the People
Above Image – My oldest son visiting us in Denia.
We quickly booked our investigative trip to Denia. We knew that the weather would not be that warm, but we wanted to see what Denia was like outside of tourist season. Months prior to our visit, we joined a Facebook group called Denia Connect. This site is full of expats, local Spanish natives and local business owners. The group was, and still is, a valuable resource to get information about Denia and surrounding areas. Things ranging from, “Where can I find peanut butter?”, “Recommend an English-speaking dentist?”, to “Where is the festival tonight?” or “I hear fireworks, why?”.
We joined a Facebook group called Denia Connect. This site is full of expats, local Spanish natives and local business owners. The group was, and still is, a valuable resource to get information about Denia and surrounding areas.
Through this Facebook group, we made contact with a couple from Canada, who were currently living in and testing out Denia over the winter months, and an American couple who were living in our home town in the USA and planning to retire in Denia in 2018. How awesome was this???
We quickly met with our new American friends in San Jose, CA to learn their story. She is both American and Spanish, as she was born in Spain and raised in California. Lucky dog, she is also fluent in Spanish! Her parents, once they retired from the USA, moved back to Denia. Hence, this couple had been visiting Denia for many years and knew it well.
They were a HUGE resource with a plethora of information about Denia, Spain in general, lawyers, doctors, etc. Today, we live about a ½ mile from them and see them several times a week as they are some of our best friends here in Denia.
As for the Canadian couple, we enjoyed meeting them on our November 2017 visit and they helped convince us that Denia was the town for us. Sadly, they have moved back to Canada. We hope they come back! I digress….
Essentially, our November trip convinced us that we were ready to cut the USA cord and move to Denia in 2018, after my youngest graduated from High School. And lucky for me, I found the best Italian pizza and pasta right in Denia’s town-center at Pizzeria Senze Nome. Take that Italy!!!
Read More: Denizens of Denia
Just Pick a Move Date, Right… ?
Above Image – Admiring the famous Spanish culture of jamón (ham) that is daily on display at the local supermarkets.
Now that we had made the executive, insane decision to move to Spain, what next? How and when? These 2 questions became our topics of daily debate. Neither of us makes decisions lightly or quickly.
I am more of a care-free spirit than Adam and on a mere whim I said, “let’s just pick a date and move back from there. Adam responded with “OK”, and a sheepish smile on his face.
So, I picked a totally random date, June 23rd, 2018. Little did I know then that that date was not ideal for tax purposes, but I will get to that later in future posts. Wait for it…
“V” is for Visa
Above Image – Savoring the deliciously fresh seafood in Denia, while my youngest son visited us.
Now that we had the date set, we needed to figure out how to get our visas. Any American who plans to stay in Spain for more than 90 days needs a visa. Since I did not plan to work in Spain, the name of my visa is the Non-Lucrative Visa. How unappealing of a name is that? Name aside, it is a visa for an American who cannot work in Spain for a Spanish company.
Essentially, they do not want Americans to take the few jobs available for the Spanish. With this visa, I could still work for an American company while in Spain, if I wanted too (NOT!).
In addition, we were a little unsure if Adam needed the same visa. Being true honest boy-scouts, we figured he did as he had been living in the USA for over 27 years and held an American passport.
Hence, off we went to investigate how to get a Non-Lucrative Spanish Visa.
Even though Adam and I have since gone our separate ways, I’m still so glad that I moved to Denia, Spain. I continue to live here in a Spanish style house I bought and continue to fall in love with this amazing place.
Read More: Living in Spain Series
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Written by Tara Anderson
Guest Contributor
Tara Anderson is a retired American living in Denia, Spain spending her days playing tennis, cycling, beach walking, snorkeling, exploring Spain, hanging out with her new friends, mastering the Spanish language and eating Paella.
Prior to retirement, Tara, educated in Electrical Engineering, slaved in high technology and real estate for over 30 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has two somewhat grown, neurotic children living in the United States. You can learn more about her by visiting her Facebook, LinkedIn and Zillow profiles.
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Hello, We are retired, living in the U.S. Thinking of living in Spain. Where do Americans go to live in Spain? In general, what is the monthly cost of living? I realize, different cities the COL differs. Watching the world news this past year, we saw Spain getting wiped out from the pandemic. How is the health system? The food in the food markets? Basically, we need information on every day life. Not interested in information on partying, sightseeing, social media…
We would need to get around by mass transit for food shopping, etc. Unless we could walk a short distance.. Thank you.
Hi John. Thank you for being on our blog and sorry that we have not been able to respond sooner. We wrote about the cost of living in the area that we live in, Denia. Keep in mind that the post is a couple of years old now so prices have slightly increased, while a good deal for a rental can still be found due to the affect of the pandemic on the economy. You can read that article here: https://www.movetotraveling.com/living-costs-in-spain-on-the-costa-blanca/
Americans go to live in all kinds of parts of Spain. Many are more familiar with the major cities, like Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville. But Valencia has been less sought out by Americans until the past couple of years – we hear that a lot more Americans have been moving there.
Our town of Denia is not known by many Americans, although it becoming more discovered as well.
To answer some of your other questions, in our opinion and observation Spain is not ‘wiped out’ by the pandemic. Yes, many businesses and people have unfortunately been very affected, however the economy looks to be bouncing back with the restrictions lifting more and more now.
And the quality of life has certainly not changed – the food in the markets is wonderful. Easy access to local, fresh produce and foods at local markets and in the commercial supermarkets, at prices that are affordable and downright cheap (but great quality). We still spend only 15€ maybe at the Friday market every week and it provides great vegg and fruit for a full week or longer for us. Eating out is still quite affordable too. And getting around by walking is great in Denia – everything is quite close to each other. In the larger cities the public transportation is great and affordable as well.
We hope that helps and let us know of any other questions. Overall, we can definitely attest to the fact that practically anywhere in Spain, the quality of life is still exceptionally good here. We wish you all the best in your search and move.
Hello,
My name is McKayla and I am a Casting Producer working in NYC for LeopardUSA, a production company that produces HGTV shows. We are recently casting for a Mediterranean house hunting show and looking for a couple who has bought or rented a home!
If you would like to hear more information please email me at McKayla.Martinez@Leopardusa.com.
Hi McKayla,
Thanks for being in touch and sharing here with us about this incredible opportunity. We’ll keep it in mind to share with anyone who may be interested. And for any readers who come across this post and comment, if you think you’d be a fit, give it a try!
My husband and I are planning our retirement in Denia in about two years and would love to connect to get information on the best way to do this. It seems a little daunting at times.
Hi María, Thanks for your comment. We would love to connect as well and are happy to share any information that will help with your plans. That’s great that you want to retire here in Denia. It truly is a fantastic place to live. We’ll also let Tara know that you want to connect. She’s the one who wrote this post on our blog and she certainly has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share. Don’t hesitate to be in touch. We hope to see you here on our site often. Thank you!
Hello, my husband and I have been THINKING about moving to Spain, been there many times, in fact even have family. missed being a Spanish National & /Communitarian by one generation😥 Our question is: what about taxes? We read that as of 2020 our income will put us in the 45% bracket, in the US we pay around 20%
Would very much appreciate your sharing info on the subject. Thanks!
Hi Diana,
Thank you for being on our blog and for your question. On average, taxes are higher in Spain than in the US. I am not sure what tax bracket exactly you would be in, but I highly recommend getting professional advice from a Spanish accountant. I can highly recommend the one who we use here in Spain and here is her information:
Laura Miralles Server
Abogado y Asesor fiscal / Lawyer and Tax Advisor
p: +34 965 85 44 23 m: +34 605 667 619
a: Avenida de Palmela 18, local 6, 03730, Xàbia/Jávea (Alicante)
w: http://www.impley.com e: lmiralles@impley.com
Even though taxes are higher here, many people still find it worth the move and paying higher taxes because the quality of life here is so good. A big part of that is that the cost of living is so affordable yet what you get is better quality than it would be in the US (or many other countries). In regards to how taxes are paid, we can tell you that you still have to file a tax return in the US even once you’re living in Spain.
You mentioned that you missed getting your Spanish Nationality… Did I understand you correctly? I got my Spanish Nationality over ten years ago through the Ley de la Memoria Historica (my grandfather was from Asturias and exiled during the Spanish Civil War). And just this past year a new yet even more inclusive law was passed called the Ley de la Memoria Democratica (the Democratic Memory Law). It makes it even easier and possible for those with Spanish heritage to get their Spanish Nationality. If you want to learn more about it, I can highly recommend JLCA Lawyers and they have an office/representative in Miami as well. You can visit their site here to read more about that new law: https://new.jlcalawyers.com/en/spanish-nationality/
JLCA are also our preferred service to refer to people for Spanish residency and legal services in Spain. They’re wonderful to work with.
Please let us know if there are any other questions you have and what else you would like to see us write about.
We wish you and your family all the best and a wonderful 2023!
Hola Rebecca,
Congrats on your decision to move to Denia. We have now been here a year and are very happy with our choice. Come join our group of friends from all over the world including the bay area. Amalia gave me your email and I will reach out to you directly. The move is not as difficult as it may seem but it does appear that the Spanish consulates in the US, including SF are making requirements a bot more difficult but you should be able to navigate your way through it with all of our help. Talk soon! You will not miss the rat race of the bay area ONE BIT!
Cheers,
Tara
Hola Tara!
What a great post. Congratulations on realizing your dream to move to Denia. I accidentally stumbled on Amalia & Eric’s lovely and informative website two weeks ago although some say there are no coincidences. Then I found your blog and also John & Allison’s blog, both fun and good read. I have been researching a move to Denia since January of this year and was totally surprised to find that someone else from the Bay Area had done this recently. I am still here, in the Bay Area, working away and looking forward to retirement early next year. I will be moving by myself and was wondering whether I could e-mail you separately and ask for some guidance regarding temporary housing (rental). Cheers and happy retirement to both Adam & you!
Hi Rebecca! Thank you so much for enjoying our blog. We’re thrilled that you find that our guest expat posts are inspiring and helpful. Tara will respond back to you soon as well. But for now, we wanted to let you know that we’re also here for any questions you have. That’s great that you’re considering Denia to move to and amazing that you’re also from the Bay Area like Adam and Tara. Keep us posted and hope to see you on our site often. ¡Abrazos (hugs) from Denia!
Amalia, muchas gracias por escribir. Thank you too for offering your help; I will certainly take you up on it. Tara shared some good info in her e-mail and I replied with a little intro on me. I asked that she forward the e-mail to you as well 🙂 I am looking forward to arriving in Denia early next year. It will be a good thing not to miss the Bay Area one bit as Tara wrote.
Hi there, I am 52 and also live in the Bay Area! I’m not sure if it’s too soon for me to think about retirement, but I’m kind of looking into Spain as a possibility. Life there would certainly be less expensive and less stressful! I am a dog walker, but it doesn’t look like that type of career exists in Spain. Not sure what I would do for a living! I would also be moving by myself, but the challenge for me is that you can only bring 5 pets with you, and I’m over that limit (I have cats and dogs). Yikes.
By the way, I am fluent in Spanish and I am a Citizen of Spain, although I’ve never lived there. I grew up in Germany and then moved to the US :-).
Would love to make a connection with you guys!
Hi Maribel! Thanks for being here on our site and reaching out to us. We’ll make sure to that Tara who wrote this post also gets back to your comment as well.
We think it’s great that you’re already thinking about where you want to retire. And in the meantime, you could always start making visits to Spain and other places you’re considering to get more of an idea of where you want to be. That’s really neat that you’re also a citizen of Spain and knowing the language would make living here quite easy.
We love animals as well but didn’t have any pets when we moved to Spain so that did make it easier. Dog-walking could be work that you might be to find in the bigger cities, mainly Madrid and Barcelona. A lot of people here definitely have dogs but they seem to love to walk them themselves. Spaniards love to get out for their daily walk.
Please stay in touch and let us know of any questions you have. We hope to see you here on our site often! Muchisimas gracias!
Hola Maribel! I certainly understand your desire to leave the rat race known as the bay area. We do not miss it all all. Neither of us work nor do we plan to work. We sat down with our financial guy and mapped out a way to live on our savings/investments, then 401Ks and the social security. I do volunteer here at the local dog shelter and we would love to have you help us as well. Being a citizen is a huge bonus as work will be open to you. Being fluent in both English and Spanish and possibly German is great if you want to work in the restaurant industry which is huge here. Might not be a full-time job but certainly you would be in demand for the summer tourist months. Let us know if you plan a visit out here. We love everything about Spain and especially Denia! Hasta luego! –Tara
Hello Tara,
Your information was really helpful. We are planning to relocate to Spain in 2022. We are considering Denia or Alicante. We plan on visiting both and wonder if you have insight as to comparison of both.
Hi Feli,
Congratulations on your decision to move to Spain. Glad you plan to visit your desired locations before you settle. Denia and Alicante are very different but only an hour apart by car. Alicante is a bigger city, with it’s own airport. If you want more of a “big city” feel, then Valencia or Alicante are for you. There is more shopping, cultural sites etc in those cities. Denia is a “town” of 40K residents that explodes to over 100K in the summer….well before the pandemic. Denia is a working town with lots of Spanish families. It is completely walkable. I still do not have a car nor do I need one. I really suggest you put together list of your “must haves” and then visit Alicante, Valencia and Denia. Let me know if I can be of more help and would love to meet you when you visit. Cheers! – Tara
Comment Eagerly awaiting part 2! My husband and I plan to move to Spain from Sacto CA in 2022, that sounds like a long time away! In December 2017 we visited Barcelona, Tarragona, Castellon de la Plana, Valencia, Peñiscola, Alicante, Altea, Denia and Cartagena. There are a whole lot of other places we would like to explore! Love to read about other people’s experiences.
Hi Jan! What great places you’ve already experienced here in España. So glad that you enjoyed Tara’s story and yes, part 2 is on its way. That is when she has a moment to not be so busy having so much fun here! We all really do love living here. That’s neat that you’re also from California like she is. She’ll be responding to your comment soon as well. Thanks for enjoying our site and we hope to see you here again soon. Please let us know when you’re next in Denia and in the meantime, feel free to run any questions by us.
Hola Jan, So happy you enjoyed part 1. Still working on part 2 – the Visa process, renting in Spain and the physical move. I have to honest, I get carried away with a wonderful life, riding bikes, swimming, playing tennis, enjoying my myriad of new friends here getting myself to sit down and write is difficult. AH – the joys of Spain! Sounds like you have already visited some nice places. Your decision should be based on if you like a bigger or smaller city. Some of the smaller cities along the coast are ghost towns in the winter. Denia is not. Valencia is too big for my liking. Peniscola too touristy and dead in winter. Altea absolutely beautiful but too hilly. Anyway, feel free to reach out to us at anytime if you have questions. I promise I will get to PART 2!!! Working on my dinner cooking night with Amalia and Eric for tomorrow! Hasta luego!
Dear Tara, Just bumped into your story. It was so, so good to read it, since we have not heard a lot about Americans moving to Costa Blanca. Within past year we came a long way from renting a little villa in Denia for the summer holiday to buying a property in Cumbre. The house will be rebuilt while we dwell part of the year in Pedreguer to oversee the reconstruction. Just like you two, we are from the Bay Area — San Carlos is where we still have a house. We both worked, and my husband still does, for the Silicon Valley companies. My baby is a bit younger than your children, but he is already out in the world, doing his A-levels in one of the King’s colleges. Our story might be a bit too long to spill in a response to your article. Perhaps, we can get together one day and share tales of living in the Bay Area, raising kids, traveling, ending up with life in Marina Alta… Saludos
Hola Akota! So nice to hear from you. I am pleased you enjoyed our story and I would love to hear yours. Are you in Pedreguer now? Lets get together for lunch in Denia. I do not have a car. Do you? My email is taralanderson65@gmail.com . Hope to hear from you soon!
Cheers,
Tara
Really enjoying your site. Spouse and I are about to leave for our second 3-month reconnaissance, and after just 3 days exploring homes and neighborhoods in Denia this past January, it’s definitely on our list. I do have one question: I saw in another expat site, I think, that you intend to live without a car. That’s our intent, too, and we wondered whether it’s still working out well for you there. We’re also still considering larger cities like Alicante and Valencis, because we wonder if we’d feel limited without a car in Denia (along with the other two smaller towns we loved — Cullera and Altea), even though we realize the Denia to Alicante trams and Gandia to Valencia trains are fantastic. Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Hi Al. Thank you so much for enjoying our site and commenting here. It’s great to hear about the time you’ve already spent researching this area of Spain and getting ready to move here. And yes, we still do not have a car and continue to be very happy with that. Walking and riding bikes is our main way of getting around town. And when we want to travel further, we’ve been happy with the bus system and it’s worked out just fine.
Something to keep in mind is that currently, the portion of the tram from Denia to Calpe is not running. But there is a great bus system in its place which we’ve used several times to go to Altea and Alicante. It runs every hour and is the same cheap price the train was. It’s also a very beautiful and scenic ride. They say that the tram will hopefully be back up sometime next year, but that’s not confirmed yet. For the past couple of years they have had that portion of the track closed for needed repairs and updates. The good news is that Denia’s mayor, who was just re-elected for another term, has this as a priority on the town’s agenda and is working with the Community of Valencia to see this moved forward, since it is a regional matter.
There’s also the option of renting cars for whenever you want to go further with a vehicle of your own. Another couple who moved here last fall from the US have been doing this about once every month or two. So that’s always a great option as well.
That is great that you are also considering Altea and Cullera. We know Cullera some from having lived in Xeraco (a very small town) very close by. And it is nice that that area is on the tram line from Valencia. My only thought would be to keep in mind how empty or quiet Cullera may get outside of the busier summer season. I’m not sure how much social life it has year-round and we know that in Xeraco there was nothing going on except in the summer.
Please let us know of any other questions you have and if you like, we’d love to meet up when you’re next in Denia or the area. Just let us know. We also just published a post about the cost of living here and reasons to live in Denia, which you may like, so check it out when you can. We hope to see you here on our blog again soon. Thank you!
Hi again. Thanks for the quick reply! We are aware that Cullera is a summer destination. We spent just a short time in Cullera in early February, and it just happened to be absolutely perfect weather, so even at perhaps the slowest time of year, the paseo along the beach and even some restaurants in the Faro area were busy. That said, we are definitely going to spend more time there (and elsewhere, too) before making a commitment to any one area. (We had only 4 days in Denia just a few days later and, perhaps because the weather was a bit cooler and breezier, it was actually quieter there– though it seems obviously a more year-round town.
Great to see that you’re happy biking and walking (and using mass transit) to get around there. That is a HUGE plus for us. And thanks so much for the offer to meet up. We will definitely ping you, depending on how the trip goes, to see if you’re available.
It’s great to hear of how much you enjoyed Cullera. Your plans sound great. And you’re very welcome for the reply. Be in touch anytime and we hope to hear from you when you’re in the area or once you’ve moved here. Take care!
Hola Mark, Mucho Gracias! It was fun reliving the experience getting here. Now I am working on part 2. Need to find the time – so busy with retired life here! We hope to meet you both when you visit this summer. I hope it will not be too hot. As you probably know, July and August are very busy and extremely humid. I would also suggest visiting Denia during non-tourist and winter season to get a look at the city both ways. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Cheers!
Tara
Hey Tara. Great article!! Looking for Part II. Hurry, lol. My wife and I will be traveling to Spain for a month this summer, spending a week in Denia. I studied there in college many years ago and have always wanted to return. I am hoping that my wife falls in love with Denia like I did, so we can consider a move in the not too distant future. Thanks again for the wonderful article.
Hi Mark! Thanks so much for finding and enjoying our site and Tara’s post. We’re letting her know of your comment so she’ll be responding back soon. We can’t wait for the rest of her series too! Let us know of any questions you have about life in Denia or Spain in general. And maybe we can all meet up when you’re here visiting. How long has it been since you were last in Denia? It’s interesting to hear from others here about the changes over the past ten years. It would be neat to hear about what you think of it today versus what you loved about it before. Stay in touch and happy reading and travels!
Hola Lionel,
Would be honored to meet you and Pat. Message me on FB when you know your dates. Weather will still be lovely at that time.
Cheers!
Tara
Hello Tara! I enjoyed reading about your story! You have no idea how similar is your story to many others out there and Pat and I are no exception. Thank you for sharing! Pat and I will be in the area this upcoming May for a new home search and hoping we find house there after an exhausting three year. Perhaps we all can meet while in the area. Pat and Lionel
Hola Debra,
Yes, all places change. The bay area is nothing like it was when we moved there 30 years ago. As places changes, so do people. We were never meant to live in the same place all of our lives. Denia and the rest of us here welcome you. If you would like some friendly advice and help. Amalia and I are here to help. We love it here as do all of our new friends from all over the world. Denia is a special place. But I have to be honest. I am tired from, tennis, beach, golf, fine dining at a low cost, eating fantastic fresh food, wonderful sea air, running into friends around town, sombremesa ( you will learn that term if you move to Spain). A different tired. A Happy tired. So much to do. It is like a drug here after being suffocated in the bay area for so many years. Welcome!
I too, am from the bay area and am tired of being tired. what happened to the lovely place of my youth. heading to denia on 3/19…..
thanks so much, debra
Hi Debra. Thanks so much for sharing about your own experience. That’s great you’re going to be in Denia this month as well. Let us know if you’d like to meet up with us and Tara and we can arrange something.
Dear Amalia and Eric (and Tara), do you know if Debra Williges ever made it to Denia as planned?
Hi Diane, Thanks for being here on our blog. We actually don’t know her or if she made it Denia as planned.
Take care!
Tara – thank you for such a terrific article. Very, very helpful to me as your criteria for identifying a most desirable location is exactly the same as mine! I’m still in California but this information brought me much closer to my move! Gracias!
Hola Susan!
I am very pleased that you found the information helpful. Part 2 is about the Visa process. It seems daunting but it is not that bad. Let me know if I can help further with your decision process. This is such a great place to live! Adios!
Tara
Hi Tara,
Great article. We still live in Saratoga, but love, love, love Spain. Evye and I plan on visiting again. It would be great to touch base when we are next in your neck of the woods. michael
Thanks for reading and commenting Michael. We’ll make sure that Tara gets your message and she’ll respond here soon. Hope you enjoy Spain again soon!
Hola Oliver Familia!
YES YES YES! I would love for you to come see us in Spain. Saratoga is a lovely place, loved it for years. But, as you read my story…it was time to leave and begin a new adventure. If you come, Evye needs to bring her tennis racquet. We joined the local club and are loving playing on RED CLAY! Glad to see that you are back on FB posting political posts on Saturday’s and puppy posts the rest of the week. You absolutely crack me up. Love reading your posts. Lot’s of love to you all, especially your darling and talented daughter!
Cheers- Tara
Hi Tara and Adam!
I just went through a similar experience, and moved from Colorado to Fuengirola. I quit my cubicle job, rented out my house, almost lost my mind with the non-lucaritive visa process, and packed up my kitty and 3 suitcases and moved here by myself. I LOVE it here!
Please let me know if you know of a good immigration attorney that I can use to renew my visa. Hope to meet you sometime!
Un abrazo,
Cynthia
Hey Cynthia! Great to see you here again. Thanks for reading and commenting. We’re so glad that you like Tara and Adam’s story and we know that they’ll appreciate learning your’s. We’ll make sure they get your comment, and they’ll respond here soon. Continue enjoying Spain!
Hola Cynthia, GOOD FOR YOU! I hope that you are loving the Spanish life. I know we are. Even our 2 cats and much happier here. Probably because we have so much less stress. Yes, the process for getting the visa is quite daunting. Have you seen this video? https://youtu.be/2wtbQUaC9mE . It will make you laugh. Part 2 of my piece will be about the Visa process. I am sure you will enjoy that one! As for renewing your visa, as I need to do as well, I am in contact with Maria, maria@anienumber.com, at An NIE Number. She said that she can process mine. She is based in Javea/Denia and not sure if she works in your area but I am sure that she can suggest someone who can. She is very helpful. Tell her that Tara Anderson and Adam Silver sent you to her. Mine is up June 23rd and she said to get back in touch with her 2 months prior. I hope this has been helpful Hope to meet you as well. Cheers – Tara
Tara, I am thrilled for you and Adam! And hello, just another one of your amazing talents – writing! I completely enjoyed reading this and look forward to more posts! I am still mad at myself for choosing a work function over a bon voyage at Diane’s … stupid SV mentality! My husband JJ and I are retiring to Aptos this summer (after our baby graduates – sound familiar), All MY LOVE to you shining star! pat
Thanks for reading and commenting Pat. We’re loving Tara’s great writing as well and are looking forward to part II coming up soon. Hope you make it back over to enjoy more of her story here. And best of everything to you in your own upcoming adventure of retirement.
Hola Pat, Good for you guys! Retiring. Aptos is a lovely spot. Time to get away from the SV rat race. Now that you will have more time, maybe you can travel? Like visiting us in Spain? We joined the local tennis club and play on Clay courts 2-3 times a week. Loving it! Thanks for your note my dear friend.
It’s great to hear about other people’s experiences, and Tara’s blog really validates everything we love about Denia and our decision to (hopefully) move out there in 2020.
It’s so nice to be able to relate to others, huh. That is great that you’re wanting to move to Denia as well. 2020 will be here soon, and we hope that you move here to Denia as well. Thank you for taking time to visit our blog and read Tara’s post!
Hola Jacquie – This is Tara. I am so happy that you enjoyed and became validated with our story. Should you want to reach out to me, please do via Facebook. Denia is an absolutely wonderful cuidad with great culture and people. We made an excellent choice and I am sure that you will as well. Best to you!
So fun to read this story. Tara and I have been friends since our children were in preschool. So happy she’s happy!!
Wow! That is fantastic. Wait till you read part II coming soon. We’re excited for it as well.
Yes ML. Friends for life. I am so happy for you and Andrew on your new adventure to Park City. This makes visiting the USA more enticing! Love you girlfriend!
I have known Tara since the first days of high school, and she has always been a savvy, hardworking girl. It is just awesome to see the self-determined reward for a lifetime of toil crammed into 30 years, including motherhood! Take care of her, Denia, she will emerge a crown jewel as she always does!
Well said! So wonderful to welcome Tara’s friends here. We are super excited to have her here in Denia, and are sure that Denia, and her new community of friends, will take great care of her and enjoy her friendship as you have. Thanks for reading!
Awe Demetri – You have always been a kind thoughtful soul. I am lucky to call you my friend. I do hope you find a way to come visit us here in Denia and also enjoy a reward that you so deserve. For now, Keep me entertained on FB. I love, love love your pictures and posts! XXOO.
We are a couple moving to Altea Spain in 10 days . Tara and Adam hosted us one delightful afternoon along with their friends Rosa and Kip to introduce us to Denia . It was enchanting, we have become great fb friends and Tara is always ready with answers and offers of help . We look forward to a great friendship spent on the beach’s of neighboring towns and many festivals together! Lovely people! We can hardly wait .
Wow! Thanks for sharing Linda, and welcome to Altea very soon. We love that gorgeous town as well, and just wrote about it recently. We certainly know that experiencing Denia with Tara and Adam would have given you a great introduction to this beautiful part of Spain’s Costa Blanca. We wish you a wonderful and once you’re settled in Altea, feel free to let us know if you’re ever in Denia and would like to meet up. Thanks for reading and commenting, and come back soon!
Great reading! We are the “Canadian couple” Tara writes about. It’s a great story; similar to our own. Spain, and Denia in particular, is a wonderful place where dreams do come true. We’ve got a few things to figure out here in Canada (i.e., aging parents), but returning to Denia is something that’s on our minds just about every day. I hope we can be part of a few future chapters.
Thanks so much for commenting Cliff and Karen. That’s great that you’ve already been a part of the story (it’s great to ‘meet you’ here). We also hope that you make it back here one day. Denia truly is so special! In the meantime, thanks for reading and please keep coming back for the rest of the story, and other travel stories we share about here. Hasta luego! And happy travels.
You guys were critical with our decision to more to Denia. We relish the idea (and hopefully fact) that you will be moving back to join us and all of our new friends here. Missing you both terribly. Fallas will not be the same without you. Remember the Chinese restaurant? LOL!
Nice blog Tara. I’m Michelle Ceccarelli, Kip’s sister. I’m sure I’ll meet you someday as I lived in Denia teaching English when in my 20’s. It was a quiet little beach town back then!
Great part 1 Tara. I like your gypsy spirit and would also think about retiring in Spain!! However I’m sure my brother, Kip, wouldn’t approve!! I’m the black sheep of the family and a bit wild!
Anyways, I will continue reading your blog and hopefully meet you and Adam one day! I for sure plan on coming over with 2 girlfriends in a few years as I will be a retired teacher and need to celebrate!
Adios!
Hi Michelle, Thanks so much for visiting and enjoying Tara’s post. We’re Amalia and Eric, friends of Tara and Adam, and this is our travel blog. Tara’s great post was a guest contribution and we’ll make sure to pass your message on to her. We certainly love her gypsy spirit as well and how you can hear it in her storytelling. Come back soon to read the next part in her story! We hope you get to visit Denia soon and perhaps we’ll meet you here as well.
Happy travels!
Black sheep??? No way! I am soooo looking forward to meeting you . You are always welcome at our casa if not Kip’s casa. XXOO
Great article Tara!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity! And even more thanks for your friendship!