Throughout 2023 and 2024, the question shifted from “where” to “whether” — could the Costa Blanca actually deliver what we needed to make this work long term? We had a long list of boxes to check, but the more research we did, the more confident we became that this could work.
Some of our must-haves:
- Affordable house prices
- A realistic chance of a home with a pool and ocean view
- Warm weather, survivable winters
- Beaches and mountains close by
- An international airport and high-speed rail access within an hours drive
- A place to live outdoors as much or more than inside
- Lower cost of living than the US
- Access to good healthcare
- Plenty to do both locally and around the country
- Easy access by car, plane and train to other EU countries
- Good restaurants, good services, good people
Next came researching Spain itself — visa requirements, tax situations, other expats’ long-term experiences, eventual citizenship possibilities. Then the real question: which cities would actually work for us long term?
We have traveled to many different parts of Spain over the years. Even though we had only been to Alicante once, we liked it so much we wanted to research towns up to an hour north and south.
Digging in further, we found ourselves leaning north. One reason: heading north puts you within two hours of Valencia and four more to Barcelona — two major cities within easy driving distance — plus easy ferry access to Ibiza and Mallorca.
We also got lucky. At a local wine event here in Oregon, we met a couple who’d just bought a home in Valencia. They had nothing but good things to say about Spain and the Costa Blanca. They’ve been a great resource ever since — one of those “maybe this is meant to be” moments.