My German born husband and I are from Northern California & we're planning on spending 3 months in Europe (April -July) with a home base in Spain. We have visited Spain many times (Sevilla, Cordoba, Malaga, Granada, Rhonda, Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Majorca...) but this time we are looking for cities/regions that we may be interested in living in for the long-term. We are both physically active: we like to hike, bike, run...so we would like an area not far from hiking trails & perhaps the beach, near a city center where we can use public transportation and not far from an international airport. Barcelona is on our radar, but we would like to hear from others/expats on their experiences. What other cities should we explore? We are not too interested in settling in Southern Spain because of the intense heat in the Summer. We haven't made a decision yet on whether to leave the US, we are just exploring the option (just in case it gets too crazy here in the next 4+ years)! I speak low intermediate Spanish & my husband is a beginner. We plan on taking Spanish courses while there. We are both in our 60s.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7229 posts
Possibly select one or two smaller cities to use as bases. For example, Logroño, León, Cáceres, or Burgos. They are centrally located with plenty of possibilities for day trips.
Posted by
North Italy
399 posts
I have no direct experience because we haven't visited yet, but my husband's cousin has moved to Gijon. From her reports it might fit your requirements
Posted by
Washington DC
28299 posts
Spain is a large country, so I urge you to explore rail schedules and fares before making a final decision. It's good to know how far you can range from your base on day trips and on weekends (long or regular). Spain has some fast trains that will get you to some fairly distant destinations rather quickly, but they will probably be costly if you buy tickets on the spur of the moment. And those express trains do not go everywhere.