Plans

The very first question is of course what passport(s) you hold - UK? If UK, you are of course restricted to 90 days in every 180.

Assuming you have Irish or other EU passports and can get away with spending 6 months at a time (I say “get away with” because if you intend to spend more than 90 days, you are supposed to register for residencia … but this is not usually enforced) then an area you may want to look at is Garrucha.  Sitting right on the coast, it is a fishing and cargo port, and very nicely cared for.  There is a regular bus service to Vera from where you can catch buses to all major points; it has plenty of local cafes along the sea front etc but as far as I have found, not one English pub or chip shop.  It doesn’t have a large expat community, being very Spanish in flavor, but sits between Mojácar and Vera Playa, both of which do have a thriving expat community (Mojácar more so, and that’s where you’ll find pubs, English chip shops etc)

(And avoid Benidorm like the plague which is little England, absolutely stuffed to the gills with English pubs, English speciality stores, Tea Gardens etc etc etc.)

Agree with Dario 100%. W rented in Garrucha for 3 months before moving to Arboleas. We loved it there so walkable, bus service, supermarkets, very Spanish with  good expat community. Good luck with your move.

I agree as well. We lived there for a year whilst looking for a villa because we have three dogs. We will be moving back there in five years time when we are that much older and need the easy accessibility of medical centre, shops etc.

San Juan de Los Terreros has a good flat paseo and good flat footpaths with lots of benches and public loos. Plenty of amenities.  There are buses but not very frequent.  Beautiful beaches.

Nice to see that some are planning in advance to spend some months in Spain. The weather is terrific, the pace of life is slower and of course you have a chance to spread your wings, make new friends and explore and live cheaper than say most of europe. I'd suggest Mojacar Playa (I'm biased as we have an apartment there). 

San Juan de Los Terreros:- Nice quiet and relatively isolated (probably not the right word).

Palomares:- We love the place and if we didn't buy in Mojacar Playa we would have bought there..

Vera:- Earmarked for expansion, It's a couple of miles inland. Historic town and we love visiting there. Nice church, plenty to see and mainly Spanish people, nice cafés. Good market on Saturdays.

Vera Playa:- Has its own Waterpark, big supermarket, pretty flat, but 3 months there as a "tourist" wouldn't float my boat. I have been known to visit a few of the hostelries there - moving quickly along . . . 

Garrucha:- Now here is one of the most under-estimated places of the coast. Mainly Spanish population, cheaper accommodation, good beach almost in town centre. Nice atmosphere near the sea and some beautiful seafood restaurants.

Mojacar Playa (Reminder - I'm unashamedly biased):- I think this has all you wish. It's a holiday resort, low-rise, 3 miles in length, many  UK ex-pats, loads of good restaurants, good local bus service (serving all aforementioned towns). Walks by the beaches are on the level. Go 50 metres inland and suddenly you're walking uphill and I mean uphill. Use the Cliff Walk to Macenas beach and experience the local flora and fauna and bring your camera for some beautiful pics. There are several Walking Clubs (no membership fees) so you just turn up at Los Arcos (another haunt of mine, now closed) and walk with the group. If they drive to the walking location (e.g. mines at Bédar) you may be asked for a euro for petrol. 

Mojacar Pueblo:- 1.5 miles from Mojacar Playa. You can walk (uphill - understatement). Use the bus from Mojacar Playa (€1.20) and save yourself a possible heart attack. Pueblo is beautiful and hilly. From the top of the town you have 360 degrees of beautiful scenery taking in the sea, valleys, mountains. You'll get pretty cheap accommodation there, but you need the hills like I need Covid. However, I should add that I love Mojacar Pueblo with its restaurants and arts centres. If you enjoy any form of landscape painting Mojacar Pueblo is your heaven.

Carboneras:- Mainly Spanish. Could be what you want repeat could be what you want. Fewer UK expats and Spanish are in a large majority. Again, I love the place. To this day some of the inhabitants hate Francisco Franco more than the Brits hate Megan Markle. The market on Thursday is mainly a food market. 

Helpful Hint:- If you are renting ensure you get the whole monthly rental charge (inclusive of utilities) and try not to be ripped off with Finders Fee, Administration Charge and Any-kind-of-extra-charge than can be dreamed up.

If you intend buying:- Visit your local psychiatrist and plead guilty to being psychiatrically ill.

I hope I have not offended anybody. (OK! OK! - If I did offend somebody No Sweat!).

Hi Jude

I see you say that in a few years you will be moving, A lot can and will change for sure between now and when you move.  Each of the town mentioned has their own things to offer.  

You have put this message in the San Juan de Los Terreros part of the forum, so give info about that town.

The town is great, flat, and has plenty of services to offer you coffee, lunch and shopping every day of the year. Be aware in the summer months, like all beach villages it does get very busy. You may have to wait a little longer in the queue in the supermarket. 

The transport you ask about is not like the Uk, where there is a bus every 5 minutes, because there isn't the demand to move around the town which is pretty compact. There are buses that come through and go to the other towns, on a timetable.  There is also a small train that runs most of the year that helps connect the newer part of town with the older part.  There are taxis easily available.  There is a train station in the village of Pilar de Jaravia, just above San Juan de Los Terreros, which provides really easy access to lots of areas, and local towns, Pulpi, Aguilas, Lorca, Murcia, and Madrid if you feel like an adventure. The line is closed at the moment due to expansion works of the high-speed link, better services will resume when it's finished.  When working, a train passes through the station 4 times a day. Having said all of this, the village of San Juan de Los Terreros is a neighbourly place so you may find someone happy to help with your shopping etc.

The transport will change over time as demand is growing, its an all year round town on the beach.  and it is well connected with the next very large town of Aguilas. With a huge array of everything.  Think of Garrucha and double it.  Although you won't find the huge commercial tankers sitting in any of the three ports there, its smaller finishing boats bring fish to the market and leisure boats.

Hope this has provided some answers to your questions.

Thankyou !