Info on villages

Louise, All I can do is give to you the advice I give to others. Come to Spain in the off season and rent a property in the area you like for no less than five weeks where you will discover if Spain is for you. I don't know what age you or your child is and it's none of my business. You need to consider a school for your child and the necessity for the child to learn Spanish. 

You probably have heard of Lipizanner ponies. They are Andalucian and the horse industry is important in the south of Spain. I don't know if you want to keep a horse at your house to be, but you already know keeping horses is not easy and requires work. 

You need a NIE number before you start anything and the Spanish embassy in Dublin is probably your first port of call. It'll cost around €8.42 so ring the embassy and make an appointment and just ask for the details they want. If you wait to arrive in Spain to apply it will cost much more.

Scour the internet for property in where you wish to buy. Stick to your budget and if you do nothing else employ a solicitor to act solely for you and don't skimp by sharing the solicitor of the vendor or estate agent. If you are buying for even part-investment be aware that the running costs for utilities, local taxes etc probably will be about €2,500 annually. Obviously the utilities cost will be higher if somebody is staying in the property. Renting out the place may be an option for you too.

Try and learn as much Spanish as you can and you'll find help on that elsewhere on this forum. 

If you are looking for work in Spain - Sin Scéal Eile (being Irish you probably can translate). You'll need to consider tax liabilities, health insurance, residencia etc.

So, you've been to the Spanish embassy in Dublin. Buy a notebook and write out a SWOT anyalysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Read your notebook every day and add or subtract SWOT. Take notes of everything you think you'll encounter.

I wish you the best of luck in your adventure, but when you think you thought of everything, you didn't. . 

Thanks Matthew, I appreciate your reply I did all the ground work for my parents when they bought and again when dad sold up and I got my nie number then, the information about the horse's was amazing I'll look them up, the place we had was to far inland, for me lovely village but 2 hours from the coast, hense why I'm just asking about the villages, I'm a special needs teacher/assistant but have worked in schools for years so maybe I could get something a few days a week in that line of work! Grma 

Hi Louise,  

You want information about these three villages mentioned in your post. I don't know Illar but I know the other two fairly well. 

Adra is very Spanish and is a fishing port but I don't know of any brit or paddy who actually lives there as its a very un-pretty sort of place and the beaches are not the best.  It was a phoenician port, but today its not the most attractive of coastal towns and little of it's past splendour is evident.  Restaurants and bars are mostly Spanish and not much into presentation or elaborated cuisine.  Cheap and basic generally.  Many will not reopen I imagine when the Covid plague has ruined the fragile economy. I can't imagine Adra being a place to have horses.  There's a lot plastic greenhouses not too farm inland and of course Almeria is very dry and you'd have to be buying in feed for the horses, which I suppose you know.  The 'green Andalucia' to the west, particularly Cádiz and Sevilla where there tends to be more rainfall, is country for horses and cattle.  Donkeys and goats are easier and undemanding livestock for conditions in most of Almeria. 

Tijola is an attractive, quite large village situated on the slopes of the Sierra Filabres.  Not far away, but heading uphill, there are chestnut trees and lots more greenery.  You get snow in Tijola most winters and the town has bars and restaurants, mostly spanish.  Some brits and other nationals live around here.  This would be a better area for horses than Adra in my opinion.  It is about 45 minutes from the coast by car.

You won't find it easy to get work unless you speak good Spanish.    As you are Irish you could find legal work of some sort in a non Spanish environment, but the Covid problem once again means that there will be a lot of unemployment in the future in all of Spain and therefore a lot of competition.

Thank you so much, juanida, that's such a pity, adra seemed like a nice place close to the sea, but I'm now thinking that's all it has to offer! I don't particularly want to be up to my eyes with English/Irish but it would be nice to have a few nationalities, I'm quite tied with places as I have a friend who is also interested in buying a place but he want to be able to go fishing for the day, in the Mediterranean sun! Could you suggest any other areas as you seem very knowledgeable! Im also a special needs teacher in a school here so perhaps I could do some teaching! 

There is attractive and varied countryside in the villages around Huercal Overa and several riding establishments.  It is about 40 minutes from the sea (depending which place you wish to visit!).  Definitely a Spanish town, it has an excellent hospital, market, theatre, cinema and varied shops- there are English people and other nationalities in pockets and individually, but it is not a tourist town.

Awww Bess, thank you I will have a look at that area! 😉😉

Sorry Louise, but I can't give out much hope as regards finding work in a centre for people with special needs.  The reason for this is that in Spain there is no state financial help for majority of disabled people as far as I know, so that being the case, the centres are normally privately funded and there are few outside the big towns and cities.  In rural areas of Almeria, people with Down's Síndrome,for example, are usually living at home without any kind of specialist help.  We don't get wheelchairs or invalid mobility vehicles here unless we buy them with our own money!  Needless to say, families from Ireland or Britain with handicapped children don't choose to become residents here because you're not going to get here for your child what you'd get back home. No free disposable pants, colostomy bags, hearing aids, spectacles, etc. either! Therefore, you most probably would only find work here with an older disabled resident as a care assistant and possibly social security contributions would be up to you to pay.  As a freelance, you would earn very little money in comparison to what you can earn back home.  In a private centre, you would need to speak Spanish well. 

Now, back to your property search.  If you want to be quite near the sea for your friend who likes to fish so how about looking at the Pulpi/Cuevas de Almanzora area where there is a lot of fertile agricultural land not far from some nice beaches or even Los Gallardos, Vera or Antas which is only 25 minutes from the coast ?  I'm in the countryside in the Sorbas area and a neighbour here does have a horse but always buys in food.  It's not grazing land for horses but is only 20 minutes from the sea at Agua Amarga. Hope this helps. 

You are all so helpful.. Thank you I will look into all those places! 

Hi Louise, have you considered Northern Cordoba? I lived there for a few years. Plenty of rain so it is very green with plenty of grazing. PM me if you want more info.