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Retiring abroad: Three Spanish destinations in Forbes' top 10
04/01/2020
AFTER a lifetime of the daily grind, retirement and earning a pension used to be what happened when we were literally too old to work, let alone do anything fun – but it's generally understood these days that retirement is a time when we've worked quite enough, thank you very much, and we're now going to relax, enjoy ourselves and take up all those hobbies we never had a free moment for earlier in life.
If you're thinking of moving abroad for this 'golden age' in your life, you may well find yourself bombarded with choices – especially if you don't have a 'special place' where you've spent plenty of time and feel an affinity with, and don't have family or close friends overseas you'd like to live nearer to.
It's stating the obvious to say Spain is one of the top choices for northern Europeans seeking warmer climates for their retirement – excellent healthcare, free at the point of access to all residents, fabulous food, a lower cost of living than most countries above the Pyrénées and several below them, mild winters, balmy springs and autumns and sun-drenched summers, idyllic beaches, beautiful scenery, and – depending upon what you're seeking – there's plenty of choice between cosmopolitan communities where you'll meet people of your own nationality and others, or where you're completely immersed in Spanish society, or where you're on the cusp of both and can choose between them as the mood takes you.
But don't listen to us, because we're biased – of course we're going to tell you Spain is the best place in the world to retire to.
Just to prove we're right, though, we had a look at the Forbes magazine top 10 retirement destinations, and – guess what? Not only is Spain in it, but three places in the list are on Spanish soil, and it's the only country with more than one destination mentioned.
What might surprise you, though, is that two of these are off the traditional tourist trail, and may not even have occurred to you – so we've just inflated your list and made your choice harder.
Sorry about that.
What to consider
Sunshine is not enough. You need to be sure you're living somewhere safe, somewhere affordable, with good-quality housing, decent driving conditions in the first decade or two of your retirement, the economy in general – avoiding countries with turbulent financial conditions means taxation law changes and rising living costs are less likely to bite you in the proverbial – places with plenty to do if you're active and keen to explore, places where you're guaranteed a good social life if you want to meet new friends (or where you can get plenty of privacy if you're not much of a 'mixer'), the healthcare system being fast, efficient and accessible, somewhere that has a language that's easy to learn if the national tongue isn't English, and of course, somewhere that's welcoming to foreigners, both at an institutional and social level; you don't want to find yourself with fewer rights and privileges just because of where you were born, or to be treated as an 'outsider'.
Why Spain is a great choice compared with the others
English-speaking countries figure heavily on the list, and you might decide you're more comfortable with not having to learn another language; but doing so is proven to increase brain health and to ward off neurological decline, including conditions such as dementia. Plus, you're retired now, so you have more time to dedicate to it; you have much more experience of life and will find the 'logic' of language easier to grasp than much younger adults; and you'll meet other foreign residents in your classes, where you can trade information, help each other, compare notes, and make friends.
Plus, Spanish is one of the easier foreign languages for a native English-speaker to learn (pity the Spaniards who have to do it the opposite way around), and 'language exchanges' with Spanish people learning English can also be a fantastic way of finding out the secrets of local culture and widening your social horizon.
The island of Aruba, in the Caribbean, is high up the list, because of the 'relaxed culture', 'impressive sun-drenched beaches' and 'wide choice of outdoor activities', and English is widely spoken – but its cost of living is about the same as in the USA, even though a fiscal agreement between the States and The Netherlands prevents dual taxation.
Ditto 'the Sunshine Coast', specifically Brisbane and Adelaide, in Australia – life is chilled out with warm weather and great beaches, but although the native language is English, healthcare requires private insurance unless you're a working Australian or you're on an Aussie State pension. Also, although the cost of living is described as 'moderate', it's a lot higher than in much of Europe; an Aussie earning €2,000 a month would be considered 'low-income'.
Belize, the only Central American country where English is the official language, appears in the top 10 for its beautiful, warm and stunning Ambergris and Corozal zone, where outdoor activities including fishing and diving in coral reefs, combined with a cost of living described as 'reasonable' make it attractive; but healthcare provisions are far from perfect and, again, you'll need private insurance.
Guelph, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in Canada, has breathtaking scenery, is English-speaking, and is in a country which wants and needs immigration, especially pensioners; but living costs are higher even than in the USA, its top-class health system requires private insurance to access – and it's cold.
If you're in the UK, one of the top 10 retirement hotspots is just across the water – the Dingle, Waterford and Tralee area of the Republic of Ireland. Healthcare is efficient, modern and fast, it's an EU country, medical insurance is not massively expensive (but of course, more expensive than 'free'), although the cost of living is high except deep in the countryside. Again, you won't get the warm weather, although you will find an open, welcoming community with a strong family culture which could make you feel at home.
The Bourgogne area of France is in the top 10, a modern, forward-looking country with better weather than in northern Europe, fabulous food, great healthcare, the protections afforded by the EU, idyllic landscape, and is much nearer to return to your home country for visits than Australia, Aruba, Belize or Canada. But the winters can be much colder than in Spain, and the cost of living, although significantly lower than the UK, still outstrips that of Spain.
Croatia, a comparatively new tourism destination – having recovered in full from the Balkan War in the 1990s and now a very safe EU country geared up for foreign visitors – is in the top 10, particularly the Dubrovnik area, with its attractive scenery, Mediterranean climate, good food and wine, low living costs and low crime rate. Although as an EU country, access to healthcare should be much easier than in third countries, its medical attention is only described as 'adequate' and the language is far more difficult to learn for an English speaker.
Spain offers a combination of all the best bits
Which leaves Spain, where the 'possibility of outdoor activities' and 'sunny beaches' described in many of the others, stunning scenery, legal security of being an EU country, relaxed culture – especially the close-knit but welcoming communities and family networks such as those seen in Ireland – healthcare system and low crime rate mean you get the best of all worlds.
EU citizens and State pensioners currently do not need private health insurance, and Spain's government has pledged that medical attention will always be free and universal to all legal residents (and for 'illegal immigrants' on compassionate grounds), irrespective of their working or financial status, in accordance with Article 43 of the Constitution, signed on December 6, 1978.
President Pedro Sánchez has reiterated this in the context of Brexit, since he is keen to ensure British residents lose as few rights as possible and that UK tourists continue to visit Spain.
And Spain has long hovered around the number two spot in Europe and within the top 10 in the world for quality of healthcare, compared with the UK which typically sits at around number 35.
Also, statistically, Spain is one of the safest countries in the world and it is considered perfectly normal for even lone women to walk home at the dead of night, children and teenagers to go out unaccompanied or not closely supervised, and except in the heart of big cities, incidents of pickpocketing and petty theft are rare.
Additionally, according to Forbes, living costs in Spain are 'cheaper than in the majority of Europe' – particularly in terms of going for a drink or a coffee and eating out, where prices have barely risen in nearly 20 years, you can eat reasonably for as little as €5 in most bars or cafés, and for under €10 in many restaurants. In fact, eating out in Spain is so affordable that the likes of McDonald's and Burger King appear expensive options in comparison, despite their prices being much the same worldwide.
Where, though?
Hugely-popular retirement destinations in Spain have long included the Canary and Balearic Islands, the Costa Blanca, and more recently, the coast of the Murcia Region, known as the Costa Cálida. Although none of these appear in the top 10, most foreigners who have retired to any of them would probably demand to know why not, if they saw the list – but the Forbes ranking presents three vastly different areas for future homes, offering completely diverse panoramas and lifestyles, appealing to a wide range of personal values, comfort zones and desires.
For a large British community (and optional celebrity lifestyle)
The Costa del Sol, with over 1.3 million inhabitants, is probably mainland Spain's most popular tourist destination for foreigners seeking beaches and warm weather, and very high number of its residents in the main holiday hotspots are British and Irish nationals.
The demographic tends to be slightly younger, meaning more Brits and Irish of working age, which translates into a greater number of services and facilities run by English-speakers to help you find your feet while you're learning Spanish. Also, making friends of your own nationality or shared native language is very easy, with an entire community of them and a vast array of clubs and societies you can join according to your hobbies and interests, or those you've always wanted to take up. With a large English-speaking network, it should be easier to find people to interpret for you when dealing with institutions and medical staff before your own Spanish is up to it – in fact, many British nationals in the area do this for a living.
It's a year-round holiday atmosphere, even when summer's over and coats come out of the mothballs, and is perfect for retirees who want a lively, active and people-filled lifestyle – especially golfers, given the province's fame as home to some of the top courses in Europe.
Forbes specifically recommends the Costa del Sol hubs of Puerto Banús, Nerja, Marbella, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Estepona, Nueva Andalucía, Manilva, and Mijas.
Those who can afford it will easily find a celebrity lifestyle and property to match in this area (yacht ownership is big off this coast), but in the very next town or a few streets away you'll find something right at the other end of the budget. That's the beauty of choosing a heavily-populated coastal sunshine province to live in – the choice of property to rent or buy is huge.
Beaches, sunshine, but a 'bit more Spanish', please
Want to retire to the coast, but without the British bars and hordes of UK nationals, and yet with a decent standard of infrastructure geared up to European settlers? Forbes includes the lesser-known Costa de Azahar in its top 10, the coast of the eastern province of Castellón, sandwiched between the region of Catalunya and the province of Valencia.
Just over an hour's drive or train ride from Valencia city – the third-largest in Spain, with 786,000 inhabitants, a spectacularly-colourful fiesta week in March known as the Fallas, beautiful classical architecture, and very safe – a stone's throw from endless countryside and remote forgotten-in-time villages, less than two hours from the ski slopes in the province of Teruel, very Mediterranean in landscape and feel, but at present largely undiscovered by British tourists, the Costa de Azahar's 120 kilometres of shoreline gets some of the best weather in mainland Spain and is quieter and 'more Spanish' than the Costa del Sol. Peñíscola (fourth picture) is popular with residents hundreds of kilometres away for a weekend break, especially with its stunning castle (featured in Game of Thrones); Benicàssim is home to the world-famous FIB International music festival – Spain's answer to Glastonbury, so an ideal carrot if you're trying to convince your grandchildren to come and visit – and Forbes also recommends its neighbours, Torreblanca, Benicarló, La Llosa, and Oropesa del Mar.
City life, cooler summers and central European scenery
The third Spanish destination may surprise you: Forbes lists Bilbao, in the Basque Country, as one of the top places to retire. Why? Well, if city life is for you, but without going to the extremes of living in a crowded capital, Bilbao is a great place for arts and modern and classical architecture (check out the Guggenheim Museum, fifth picture – it'll wow you off your feet before you've even stepped inside), its public transport network is one of the greenest and most efficient in Spain, so you won't suffer the same levels of air pollution as in a much larger metropolis (it's officially the second-cleanest city nationwide), and it has even passed a bye-law requiring taxi drivers to ensure women are safely inside their houses when they drop them off before leaving the scene.
Basque countryside is often compared with Switzerland, so it's very different to Spain as you think you know it – and it's a short trip to San Sebastián with its famous, idyllic La Concha beach.
Summers are much milder in the Basque Country – you still get the sun and it's still plenty hot enough, but without the intensity of the south and Mediterranean coasts, nor the suffocating humidity.
Bilbao is also one of three provincial capitals in the region with the second-best healthcare system in Spain – beaten only by its land-locked neighbour, Navarra – two regions where their governments spend over €1,600 per head per year on medical treatment, the highest figures in the country.
Overall, Navarra, the Basque Country, Aragón and Asturias are the regions with the best medical care in the country, based upon the World Health Organisation's research into diagnostic testing, number of doctors and nurses per inhabitant, spending on pharmaceutical drugs, waiting lists, and bed availability.
It's also one of the cheaper cities to live in, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) – Bilbao is not one of the top 10 most expensive metropolitan areas in Spain, despite the fact that the region's other two provincial capitals, San Sebastián and Vitoria, cost nearly 30% and 7% more than the national average to live in respectively.
Out of all of Spain's provincial capitals, Bilbao ranks eighth for quality of life, according to the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (IVIE), but would rank higher still if quality of life and living costs were combined, and it comes 12th in Spain for the best socio-economic conditions.
Despite being in the north and cooler than the Costas, the Basque Country is nowhere near as wet as the other regions across the northern strip – according to the State meteorological agency, AEMET, in the Cantabrian Sea regions, it rains 45% of the time, and the skies are cloudy 41% of the time, whilst clear skies, less rain and more sunshine are found in the Bilbao area.
Summer temperatures sit at around 25ºC to 28ºC, and winter temperatures at around 6ºC and 7ºC, but as is the case with many of Spain's colder northern areas, good-quality central heating systems are far more common than on the Mediterranean and in the south, where these are more scarce since they are only normally needed for two or three months of the year.
Bilbao's cuisine is exceptional – it is largely based upon fish, particularly cod, due to the long-standing fishing tradition in the Bay of Biscay.
Photograph 1: www.eyeonspain.com
Photograph 3: Blog.fuertehoteles.com
Photograph 4: Peñíscola tourist board
Photograph 5: Flickr
Related Topics
AFTER a lifetime of the daily grind, retirement and earning a pension used to be what happened when we were literally too old to work, let alone do anything fun – but it's generally understood these days that retirement is a time when we've worked quite enough, thank you very much, and we're now going to relax, enjoy ourselves and take up all those hobbies we never had a free moment for earlier in life.
If you're thinking of moving abroad for this 'golden age' in your life, you may well find yourself bombarded with choices – especially if you don't have a 'special place' where you've spent plenty of time and feel an affinity with, and don't have family or close friends overseas you'd like to live nearer to.
It's stating the obvious to say Spain is one of the top choices for northern Europeans seeking warmer climates for their retirement – excellent healthcare, free at the point of access to all residents, fabulous food, a lower cost of living than most countries above the Pyrénées and several below them, mild winters, balmy springs and autumns and sun-drenched summers, idyllic beaches, beautiful scenery, and – depending upon what you're seeking – there's plenty of choice between cosmopolitan communities where you'll meet people of your own nationality and others, or where you're completely immersed in Spanish society, or where you're on the cusp of both and can choose between them as the mood takes you.
But don't listen to us, because we're biased – of course we're going to tell you Spain is the best place in the world to retire to.
Just to prove we're right, though, we had a look at the Forbes magazine top 10 retirement destinations, and – guess what? Not only is Spain in it, but three places in the list are on Spanish soil, and it's the only country with more than one destination mentioned.
What might surprise you, though, is that two of these are off the traditional tourist trail, and may not even have occurred to you – so we've just inflated your list and made your choice harder.
Sorry about that.
What to consider
Sunshine is not enough. You need to be sure you're living somewhere safe, somewhere affordable, with good-quality housing, decent driving conditions in the first decade or two of your retirement, the economy in general – avoiding countries with turbulent financial conditions means taxation law changes and rising living costs are less likely to bite you in the proverbial – places with plenty to do if you're active and keen to explore, places where you're guaranteed a good social life if you want to meet new friends (or where you can get plenty of privacy if you're not much of a 'mixer'), the healthcare system being fast, efficient and accessible, somewhere that has a language that's easy to learn if the national tongue isn't English, and of course, somewhere that's welcoming to foreigners, both at an institutional and social level; you don't want to find yourself with fewer rights and privileges just because of where you were born, or to be treated as an 'outsider'.
Why Spain is a great choice compared with the others
English-speaking countries figure heavily on the list, and you might decide you're more comfortable with not having to learn another language; but doing so is proven to increase brain health and to ward off neurological decline, including conditions such as dementia. Plus, you're retired now, so you have more time to dedicate to it; you have much more experience of life and will find the 'logic' of language easier to grasp than much younger adults; and you'll meet other foreign residents in your classes, where you can trade information, help each other, compare notes, and make friends.
Plus, Spanish is one of the easier foreign languages for a native English-speaker to learn (pity the Spaniards who have to do it the opposite way around), and 'language exchanges' with Spanish people learning English can also be a fantastic way of finding out the secrets of local culture and widening your social horizon.
The island of Aruba, in the Caribbean, is high up the list, because of the 'relaxed culture', 'impressive sun-drenched beaches' and 'wide choice of outdoor activities', and English is widely spoken – but its cost of living is about the same as in the USA, even though a fiscal agreement between the States and The Netherlands prevents dual taxation.
Ditto 'the Sunshine Coast', specifically Brisbane and Adelaide, in Australia – life is chilled out with warm weather and great beaches, but although the native language is English, healthcare requires private insurance unless you're a working Australian or you're on an Aussie State pension. Also, although the cost of living is described as 'moderate', it's a lot higher than in much of Europe; an Aussie earning €2,000 a month would be considered 'low-income'.
Belize, the only Central American country where English is the official language, appears in the top 10 for its beautiful, warm and stunning Ambergris and Corozal zone, where outdoor activities including fishing and diving in coral reefs, combined with a cost of living described as 'reasonable' make it attractive; but healthcare provisions are far from perfect and, again, you'll need private insurance.
Guelph, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in Canada, has breathtaking scenery, is English-speaking, and is in a country which wants and needs immigration, especially pensioners; but living costs are higher even than in the USA, its top-class health system requires private insurance to access – and it's cold.
If you're in the UK, one of the top 10 retirement hotspots is just across the water – the Dingle, Waterford and Tralee area of the Republic of Ireland. Healthcare is efficient, modern and fast, it's an EU country, medical insurance is not massively expensive (but of course, more expensive than 'free'), although the cost of living is high except deep in the countryside. Again, you won't get the warm weather, although you will find an open, welcoming community with a strong family culture which could make you feel at home.
The Bourgogne area of France is in the top 10, a modern, forward-looking country with better weather than in northern Europe, fabulous food, great healthcare, the protections afforded by the EU, idyllic landscape, and is much nearer to return to your home country for visits than Australia, Aruba, Belize or Canada. But the winters can be much colder than in Spain, and the cost of living, although significantly lower than the UK, still outstrips that of Spain.
Croatia, a comparatively new tourism destination – having recovered in full from the Balkan War in the 1990s and now a very safe EU country geared up for foreign visitors – is in the top 10, particularly the Dubrovnik area, with its attractive scenery, Mediterranean climate, good food and wine, low living costs and low crime rate. Although as an EU country, access to healthcare should be much easier than in third countries, its medical attention is only described as 'adequate' and the language is far more difficult to learn for an English speaker.
Spain offers a combination of all the best bits
Which leaves Spain, where the 'possibility of outdoor activities' and 'sunny beaches' described in many of the others, stunning scenery, legal security of being an EU country, relaxed culture – especially the close-knit but welcoming communities and family networks such as those seen in Ireland – healthcare system and low crime rate mean you get the best of all worlds.
EU citizens and State pensioners currently do not need private health insurance, and Spain's government has pledged that medical attention will always be free and universal to all legal residents (and for 'illegal immigrants' on compassionate grounds), irrespective of their working or financial status, in accordance with Article 43 of the Constitution, signed on December 6, 1978.
President Pedro Sánchez has reiterated this in the context of Brexit, since he is keen to ensure British residents lose as few rights as possible and that UK tourists continue to visit Spain.
And Spain has long hovered around the number two spot in Europe and within the top 10 in the world for quality of healthcare, compared with the UK which typically sits at around number 35.
Also, statistically, Spain is one of the safest countries in the world and it is considered perfectly normal for even lone women to walk home at the dead of night, children and teenagers to go out unaccompanied or not closely supervised, and except in the heart of big cities, incidents of pickpocketing and petty theft are rare.
Additionally, according to Forbes, living costs in Spain are 'cheaper than in the majority of Europe' – particularly in terms of going for a drink or a coffee and eating out, where prices have barely risen in nearly 20 years, you can eat reasonably for as little as €5 in most bars or cafés, and for under €10 in many restaurants. In fact, eating out in Spain is so affordable that the likes of McDonald's and Burger King appear expensive options in comparison, despite their prices being much the same worldwide.
Where, though?
Hugely-popular retirement destinations in Spain have long included the Canary and Balearic Islands, the Costa Blanca, and more recently, the coast of the Murcia Region, known as the Costa Cálida. Although none of these appear in the top 10, most foreigners who have retired to any of them would probably demand to know why not, if they saw the list – but the Forbes ranking presents three vastly different areas for future homes, offering completely diverse panoramas and lifestyles, appealing to a wide range of personal values, comfort zones and desires.
For a large British community (and optional celebrity lifestyle)
The Costa del Sol, with over 1.3 million inhabitants, is probably mainland Spain's most popular tourist destination for foreigners seeking beaches and warm weather, and very high number of its residents in the main holiday hotspots are British and Irish nationals.
The demographic tends to be slightly younger, meaning more Brits and Irish of working age, which translates into a greater number of services and facilities run by English-speakers to help you find your feet while you're learning Spanish. Also, making friends of your own nationality or shared native language is very easy, with an entire community of them and a vast array of clubs and societies you can join according to your hobbies and interests, or those you've always wanted to take up. With a large English-speaking network, it should be easier to find people to interpret for you when dealing with institutions and medical staff before your own Spanish is up to it – in fact, many British nationals in the area do this for a living.
It's a year-round holiday atmosphere, even when summer's over and coats come out of the mothballs, and is perfect for retirees who want a lively, active and people-filled lifestyle – especially golfers, given the province's fame as home to some of the top courses in Europe.
Forbes specifically recommends the Costa del Sol hubs of Puerto Banús, Nerja, Marbella, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Estepona, Nueva Andalucía, Manilva, and Mijas.
Those who can afford it will easily find a celebrity lifestyle and property to match in this area (yacht ownership is big off this coast), but in the very next town or a few streets away you'll find something right at the other end of the budget. That's the beauty of choosing a heavily-populated coastal sunshine province to live in – the choice of property to rent or buy is huge.
Beaches, sunshine, but a 'bit more Spanish', please
Want to retire to the coast, but without the British bars and hordes of UK nationals, and yet with a decent standard of infrastructure geared up to European settlers? Forbes includes the lesser-known Costa de Azahar in its top 10, the coast of the eastern province of Castellón, sandwiched between the region of Catalunya and the province of Valencia.
Just over an hour's drive or train ride from Valencia city – the third-largest in Spain, with 786,000 inhabitants, a spectacularly-colourful fiesta week in March known as the Fallas, beautiful classical architecture, and very safe – a stone's throw from endless countryside and remote forgotten-in-time villages, less than two hours from the ski slopes in the province of Teruel, very Mediterranean in landscape and feel, but at present largely undiscovered by British tourists, the Costa de Azahar's 120 kilometres of shoreline gets some of the best weather in mainland Spain and is quieter and 'more Spanish' than the Costa del Sol. Peñíscola (fourth picture) is popular with residents hundreds of kilometres away for a weekend break, especially with its stunning castle (featured in Game of Thrones); Benicàssim is home to the world-famous FIB International music festival – Spain's answer to Glastonbury, so an ideal carrot if you're trying to convince your grandchildren to come and visit – and Forbes also recommends its neighbours, Torreblanca, Benicarló, La Llosa, and Oropesa del Mar.
City life, cooler summers and central European scenery
The third Spanish destination may surprise you: Forbes lists Bilbao, in the Basque Country, as one of the top places to retire. Why? Well, if city life is for you, but without going to the extremes of living in a crowded capital, Bilbao is a great place for arts and modern and classical architecture (check out the Guggenheim Museum, fifth picture – it'll wow you off your feet before you've even stepped inside), its public transport network is one of the greenest and most efficient in Spain, so you won't suffer the same levels of air pollution as in a much larger metropolis (it's officially the second-cleanest city nationwide), and it has even passed a bye-law requiring taxi drivers to ensure women are safely inside their houses when they drop them off before leaving the scene.
Basque countryside is often compared with Switzerland, so it's very different to Spain as you think you know it – and it's a short trip to San Sebastián with its famous, idyllic La Concha beach.
Summers are much milder in the Basque Country – you still get the sun and it's still plenty hot enough, but without the intensity of the south and Mediterranean coasts, nor the suffocating humidity.
Bilbao is also one of three provincial capitals in the region with the second-best healthcare system in Spain – beaten only by its land-locked neighbour, Navarra – two regions where their governments spend over €1,600 per head per year on medical treatment, the highest figures in the country.
Overall, Navarra, the Basque Country, Aragón and Asturias are the regions with the best medical care in the country, based upon the World Health Organisation's research into diagnostic testing, number of doctors and nurses per inhabitant, spending on pharmaceutical drugs, waiting lists, and bed availability.
It's also one of the cheaper cities to live in, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) – Bilbao is not one of the top 10 most expensive metropolitan areas in Spain, despite the fact that the region's other two provincial capitals, San Sebastián and Vitoria, cost nearly 30% and 7% more than the national average to live in respectively.
Out of all of Spain's provincial capitals, Bilbao ranks eighth for quality of life, according to the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (IVIE), but would rank higher still if quality of life and living costs were combined, and it comes 12th in Spain for the best socio-economic conditions.
Despite being in the north and cooler than the Costas, the Basque Country is nowhere near as wet as the other regions across the northern strip – according to the State meteorological agency, AEMET, in the Cantabrian Sea regions, it rains 45% of the time, and the skies are cloudy 41% of the time, whilst clear skies, less rain and more sunshine are found in the Bilbao area.
Summer temperatures sit at around 25ºC to 28ºC, and winter temperatures at around 6ºC and 7ºC, but as is the case with many of Spain's colder northern areas, good-quality central heating systems are far more common than on the Mediterranean and in the south, where these are more scarce since they are only normally needed for two or three months of the year.
Bilbao's cuisine is exceptional – it is largely based upon fish, particularly cod, due to the long-standing fishing tradition in the Bay of Biscay.
Photograph 1: www.eyeonspain.com
Photograph 3: Blog.fuertehoteles.com
Photograph 4: Peñíscola tourist board
Photograph 5: Flickr
Related Topics
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