Anywhere in particular? Northern Spain is a huge and diverse area. I love the Basque coastline, west of San Sebastian, but it’s really expensive. Galicia is the only other region I know, again very diverse and beautiful but too much rainfall for me. As for lifestyle, it’s a matter of taste - what are you into?

 

I live in Asturias and like it alot; however, my wife is Asturian. I love it for the following reasons:
1-The whole north coast of Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country are very beautiful and especially Asturias.
2-Weather is very mild unless you are in the mountains. In the winter, it might get to 0. During the summer, there are only perhaps two days per year that I wish we had air conditioning. It really does not get too hot.
3-If you look at health care, northern provinces rate much higher than the rest of Spain.
4-Oviedo for the last six years has rated as the cleanest city in Europe. It is very clean. The plaza outside my front door is scrubbed five times per week by the municipality.
5-The people are very nice and humble.
6-Asturias is not cheap nor is it the most expensive. I would say mid-range.

The down-sides:
1-It is pretty remote for being in mainland Spain. As an example, there are only two flights per day to Madrid on Iberia. There are only two trains per day to Madrid.
2-English is not common. I speak Spanish so there is no problem. In my two years living in Asturias, I have only overheard English a couple of times. French, Portuguese and Bable are definitely spoken more commonly than English.
3-Because of the above, the expat English-speaking community is small. In fact, the only expats I know are relatives of mine from the United States that have decided to leave the US and head to Oviedo. Besides my wife and I, there are five other Americans that are relatives of mine that have decided to live here.

 

Bable???

 

Bable (aka Asturiano) is the local language which is a mix between Spanish and French. For example, the Bable name for Oviedo is Uvieu.

 

Bilbao, I think is a good city to live in, small city but with a great culture and history and very pleasant to walk around. Of course the region is famous for its gastronomy in general and its pintxos, see here
pintxos Bilbao
I think its a bit expensive although of course cheaper outside the city. A lot of people do speak English although they won't necessarily start speaking to you in English. There are some Basque language (Euskera) speakers too, but you certaily do not need to speak it. Around about the surroundings are beautiful with the coast, countryside and mountains nearby. Of course it's not so warm as the south, but the weather is better than the UK.
However, for me Asturias is paradise, just beautiful, I think there are a fair number of British people living in Asturias, but not in any one place like you might find in some places in the south. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a some kind of forum...

 

I would echo all those sentiments. We have just returned to Andalucia having had two weeks in Potes and two in Llanes. We love the area. Very green…….My only concern is the more frequent grey skies. I do like the light of Southern Spain.
the Bable reference made me smile as we encountered it on a number of occasions. There are maybe 100 k that speak it as a first language and maybe 400 k more as a second. What we did find was it was easier to understand Northern Spanish than Andalucian Spanish.

 

I have a mate from high school living in A Coruña. He loves it but his only complaint is the pretty much constant rain / cloudy skies from Nov - April. He has actually gone to snowy Vienna to get away from the depressive weather.

 

Don't forget Cantabria! Some marvellous villages and towns there, and lots of gorgeous scenery, plus they have their own part of the Picos de Europe. As mentioned above, you can generally avoid really cold days if you are on the coast, but obviously a lot colder in more mountainous parts. I'd agree that Asturias has perhaps the more majestic scenery, but you can find beautiful places all along the North (and one or two grim industrial places too). The Basque country has exceptional food and great nightlife in its major cities. I've not passed through Galicia, but I know people from different backgrounds choosing to settle there - maybe the new high speed rail link is convincing people to move there, or Covid is encouraging people to seek a more rural lifestyle. As mentioned several times, you will see a lot more rain in northern Spain, even in summer.

 

Cantabria is never far from my mind. In fact, during the pandemic, the only place I went to was Fuente De in Cantabria. One of my best memories in Spain was in Cantabria. About thirty years ago (when it was still allowed), I was able to enter the Altamira Caves. It was fantastic! The sardines of Cantabria are the best.

 

Have u identified a location ?

 

You ought to clarify a little as to what sort of place & lifestyle would suit you.

I live in a small village (7000 inhabitants) in Bizkaia because my wife is Basque. We retired here 15 years ago. Everyone speaks Spanish of course but Basque is still widely spoken and used. Very few/no expats, but people do speak English. Lots going on, such as a library that also hosts activities like Spanish, French, Basque & English reading clubs. There's a cinema too.
A typical price for a 2 bedroomed flat would be about €160,000 or more, give or take. Houses/flats in Euskadi are more expensive than further west such as Cantabria or Asturias.
I have an allotment which I thoroughly enjoy & would be lost without.
You will also need to think carefully that as you get older, you appreciate being close to shops like supermarkets, bakers, butchers, newspapers, banks etc. Living out in the sticks can be a disadvantage in one respect.
We get on average about 1200litres rainfall annually & these last 2 weeks we've had blue sky and temperatures around 28ºC. Very little snow in winter, except on the mountains around us.
Asturias & Galicia will be wetter.
Bilbao has very good transport connections, coach, bus, air especially. France is about an hour's drive from us.
All in all, we have everything we need!

 

You ought to clarify a little as to what sort of place & lifestyle would suit you.

I live in a small village (7000 inhabitants) in Bizkaia because my wife is Basque. We retired here 15 years ago. Everyone speaks Spanish of course but Basque is still widely spoken and used. Very few/no expats, but people do speak English. Lots going on, such as a library that also hosts activities like Spanish, French, Basque & English reading clubs. There's a cinema too.
A typical price for a 2 bedroomed flat would be about €160,000 or more, give or take. Houses/flats in Euskadi are more expensive than further west such as Cantabria or Asturias.
I have an allotment which I thoroughly enjoy & would be lost without.
You will also need to think carefully that as you get older, you appreciate being close to shops like supermarkets, bakers, butchers, newspapers, banks etc. Living out in the sticks can be a disadvantage in one respect.
We get on average about 1200litres rainfall annually & these last 2 weeks we've had blue sky and temperatures around 28ºC. Very little snow in winter, except on the mountains around us.
Asturias & Galicia will be wetter.
Bilbao has very good transport connections, coach, bus, air especially. France is about an hour's drive from us.
All in all, we have everything we need!

The thread is coming up to 2 and half years old. The OP, who you have quoted, never posted again.

 

Hi All, We are also thinking to move to the north of Spain, we live in Cheshire, UK currently, we are nearly 50 years old with 2 teens, 13 and 15, my husband and I speak Spanish, and the kids do understand it and can speak a little. We are looking to move to a village/city where people are friendly. I hear the north of Spain is not as friendly like the south? This might just be something that people just say. We are an active couple and like doing sports, we like to be busy and getting involved helping in the community. What is key for us is the community feel, and feeling welcome wherever we live. The weather is its better than in the UK that is a big plus. Any help/suggestions would be great, we are on the beginning of our planning to move to Spain.

 

I hear the north of Spain is not as friendly like the south?

You get a return in life of what you give out.
if you want a community feel then maybe head towards the Las Alpujarras. last time I was there it had that sort of vibe.

 

Are you sure you have researched the weather enough?

I travel to the Basque country for work regularly and I can assure that it rains there a lot more than in does in England, at least the south of England where I am originally from.

In fact, having taken the time to look up some stats, Donosti has an average annual rainfall of 1474mm, whereas London has 594mm... That's a lot more rain.

 

I live in the Basque country, Bizkaia actually. Have done for the past 15 years, retired, as my wife is Basque.
I have a rain gauge for my personal interest, and since we've been here, the average annual rainfall has been around 1200litres.

 

Thank you for the valuable insight on the weather! It's always helpful to have a heads-up, especially when considering a move. Living near Manchester, we've grown accustomed to rain, but exploring areas with less rainfall sounds appealing. We've started looking into the North of Spain for its milder summers and more affordable properties.
Our main priority is finding a community where we can feel welcomed and connected, where making friends and establishing a sense of belonging is possible. While we're currently considering the North of Spain, we're open to suggestions based on your experiences with relocating as a family. Any advice or insights, particularly regarding high schools, good connected locations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts—it means a lot to us!

 

In general, property prices are more expensive in the Basque country than elsewhere. Asturias & Galicia will be cheaper, but be careful where you locate bearing in mind the winters, especially in the mountains.
Navarra is cheaper & you're closer to France. But places like Bera de Bidasoa in the north can be quite wet.
Yes, winters tend to be milder here. I reckon we're about 3 weeks ahead of Britain regarding planting/sowing seasons. And unless you're in the mountain areas, there's little snow or even frost.
However, if you need a drier winter climate, then certainly southern Navarra is better.
Summers in Andalucia are often unbearable and many people who live there head north!
Location is everything.

 

I am assuming you speak Spanish as you have lived 15 years in Spain and the same with the children? I think that it would be difficult to be fully welcomed and part of a Basque community without that at least. No idea if they use Euskara day to day but imagine that the children would need to know it for school.

 

1Kaipa in post #20 aleprompt wrote "my husband and I speak Spanish, and the kids do understand it and can speak a little. " So the Spanish should be ok for everyday things.
I just wonder what they mean by "finding a community where we can feel welcomed and connected". I have found the Spanish are overall friendly and not suspicious of foreigners. I do have trouble with that phrase. It is not from a UK that I have left behind, but have seen mentioned too many times on the TV series Escape to the Country.