Another gringo headed to Spain

[egan]

Hello all. I've been reading the forum and have found some good info. My situation is thus: girlfriend of seven years, who is EU, has a job offer in Spain. We both lived in Central America for two years, so no major language difficulties, though we'll take lessons to acclimate ourselves to the new accent, slang, etc. Anyway, the job might be in the south, which is fine because I've been there and know something about it. But it could also be up north, in the San Sebastian/Donastia area. I haven't been there. Does anyone have general info about that part of the world, the prevalence of the Basque language in everyday encounters, obstacles to integrating in a two-language environment, insights about the town, and so forth? Thanks in advance.

[chris(madrid)]

If you're set to go North - keep your accent foreign. Then you'll be able to use Spanish and not worry too much about Euskadi. Just don't get involved in the pro/con independence bit and you'll be fine.

IMO - the scenery's better. Certainly greener. Good food too (the Basques are famous for their hearty meals)

[egan]

I hear that San Sebastian is expensive, Would you say it's more expensive than Madrid, or about the same? I'm trying to budget for several things, including apartments, but there are very few listings for San Sebastian. However if the prices are about the same as Madrid, I'll just look at some Madrid listings to get an idea what to expect.

[egan]

Well the company threw us a curve. I was certain it would be San Sebastian and had really gotten to like the idea, but they're sending us to Mijas instead, near Fuengirola. I've been around there -- Benalmadena, Malaga, Marbella -- but never quite made it to Mijas. Anyone know anything about long term rentals there?

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by egan

Well the company threw us a curve. I was certain it would be San Sebastian and had really gotten to like the idea, but they're sending us to Mijas instead, near Fuengirola. I've been around there -- Benalmadena, Malaga, Marbella -- but never quite made it to Mijas. Anyone know anything about long term rentals there?

Thats a bit of a difference!

Try Spanish property, Spanish property for sale, property sales Spain

[crookesey]

Originally Posted by egan

Well the company threw us a curve. I was certain it would be San Sebastian and had really gotten to like the idea, but they're sending us to Mijas instead, near Fuengirola. I've been around there -- Benalmadena, Malaga, Marbella -- but never quite made it to Mijas. Anyone know anything about long term rentals there?

IMHO Mijas is vastly overated, however just below it is Benalmadana Pueblo which is lovely. I don't know anything about renting but I do know where I would prefer to rent.

[egan]

Thanks Stravinsky. That's a useful link.

Crookesey, I remember liking Benalmadena too. Since my girlfriend will have to be in Mijas Campo every day, we have to consider transportation options before renting too far away. There would have to be public transport to get her to Mijas. We definitely won't have a car, as that's one thing we are looking forward to giving up for at least a few years. Anyway, we've agreed that while living a short walk from work would be great, we'll forgo that if Mijas Campo isn't a good place to also relax and socialize. So Benalmadena and other nearby towns are possibilities. We'll just have to research them a bit.

[rjnpenang]

In our local newspaper (I live in Mijas costa) there are now more pages on rentals than for sale, I suspect because people buying off plan & hoping to make a quick profit but now stuck with them. have a look at ¨Sur in English¨classifieds, I am sure you will have no trouble finding a long term rental, BTW, there is Mijas which is the village and Mijas Costa which streches for some miles along the coast. Find out where exactly you are going.

[egan]

rjnpenang

My girlfriend will be working in a part of Mijas that is below the main pueblo, but above Fuengirola. On Google it's labeled Mijas Campo/Las Acacias. If I'm reading scale correctly, it's several miles down the hill from Mijas Pueblo, and a lot farther from Mijas Costa. Out of curiosity, do you prefer Mijas Costa over nearby areas? If I told you that my girlfriend and I must be able to walk to a good market, are very social and like friendly bars, tend to shy away from fancy places, and are not yet middle-aged, where would you suggest living?

[chris(madrid)]

I stayed at a friends place at Mijas Costa two years ago. Once there we walked everywhere. NOT imo fancy. My wife (who's Spanish) quite liked it - but was a bit TOO populated for me.