Our Journey
Moving To Spain
We’re moving to Jávea, Spain from Portland, Oregon
It started as a running joke. Every time we came back from Europe one of us would say “why don’t we just move here.” At some point it stopped being a joke. We thought about Italy and Portugal, too. But every time we came back to Spain something clicked in a way the others didn’t. Eventually we made the decision. Spain it is.
We’re at a point where working can be a choice rather than a requirement. We’ve been very lucky, worked hard and been smart about our money. So we decided it was time to do something about it. Life’s too short.
The Northern Costa Blanca became a focus point after a trip to Alicante in the fall of 2022. Over the years we’ve traveled all over Spain. But this area stood out. We wanted a smaller town feel but somewhere with everything we needed. So in August 2025 we took our first trip to scout the Jávea and Dénia area. This was it. With the decision made, in February 2026 we went back and started viewing properties seriously. We’ll go back throughout this year and sometime in early 2027 we’re leaving Portland and living in Spain permanently.
Spain made sense practically — lower cost of living, easy flights everywhere, good train connections, Spanish being useful in a lot of the other places still on our list. But that’s not really why we’re doing it. We’re doing it because we love the pace, the weather, the food and being outside and we genuinely love the way people live their lives here.
Our journey moving to Spain is why we started building this site. When we started researching what a move like this actually involves, the information we were looking for was all over the place — scattered, outdated and a lot of it clearly written by people trying to sell something. We figured if we were going to do all this research, we might as well share it with other people who are thinking about moving to Spain, too. So that’s what this is. And by documenting our journey, it will remind us what a journey it was.
Where We’re Moving
The Northern Costa Blanca is a part of Spain most Americans haven’t spent much time thinking about. We had to find it ourselves. These pages cover the area, the two towns we’re focused on and what makes this corner of Spain worth a serious look.
Northern Costa Blanca
The broader region we’re moving into — the landscape, the climate, the food, the culture and the smaller towns worth knowing.
Jávea & Denia
The two towns at the top of our list — 10 km apart, same coastline, very different personalities. Here’s what we know about both.
Where We Are In The Process
The move is real and it’s in motion. These pages track where things actually stand — the house hunt, the timeline and everything we’re working through to get from Portland to Jávea.
Our Home Search
What we’re looking for, where we’re looking and what we’ve found so far. The search that’s driving everything else.
Our Timeline & Progress
Where things stand right now across the house hunt, visa process, finances and everything else moving in parallel.
Jávea & Denia
The northern Costa Blanca — mild climate, plenty of sunshine, close to the coast, connected to larger cities and easy access to the rest of Spain. After enough trips through the region, two towns rose to the top: Jávea and Dénia. Even though they’re only a couple of miles apart, each has its own personality. Honestly, we could see ourselves happy in either one.
Jávea feels more segmented — three distinct areas, the Arenal, the Port and the Old Town, each with its own vibe.
Dénia feels more centralized — a more robust business district and a stronger everyday Spanish feel.
Choosing a town is only the beginning. Both offer enough variety in terrain, views, access and daily living that what it really comes down to is the right house in the right neighborhood. We built neighborhood maps for both to help organize what we were learning and make our visits more focused. If you want to dig into either town — the culture, the lifestyle, what year-round living actually looks like — that’s the place to start.
Here’s more about Jávea & Denia and the neighborhoods in each town.
What We’re Looking For
Finding the right property will be one of the most rewarding — and probably most challenging — parts of this move. The part we keep coming back to is the convenience-vs-view tradeoff: closer to town with easier walkability versus a bit further out with more privacy, larger lots and ocean or mountain views. That question will probably answer itself when we find the right place.
On our first visit in August 2025 we looked at both a traditional Mediterranean villa and a newly finished modern home. Those two styles represent most of what’s available in the area and seeing both in person gave us a good sense of the tradeoffs.
We came back in February 2026 and saw a much wider variety of homes across both towns — we came away with a clearer picture of what we’re actually looking for in both the home itself and the neighborhood. We also rented a house in Jávea that trip rather than staying in one place, which was exactly as useful as we expected. Getting a feel for a neighborhood from the inside — driving times, walkability, what’s nearby — is hard to replicate any other way.
In September we’re heading back, this time renting in Dénia to get a different perspective. We think we’ll be in a real position to buy if the right place comes up.
This is where you can find more detailed information about each house hunting trip we take to Spain until we find our home.
What we know we want is a detached villa with room to live outside for most of the year — a generous lot, a pool, outdoor kitchen, good southern or western exposure and views, whether that’s the Mediterranean or Montgó in the distance. Walkability to town and proximity to the beach matter and we want enough distance from neighbors to actually feel like we have our own space. We’ve put together a more detailed breakdown of our full criteria here in the property section.
One thing we did nail down early: who we want working with us. After 12-18 months of research — agency websites, YouTube channels, multiple visits — we landed on VillaLux. Family owned, over 25 years in the business and consistently strong reviews. We spent time with Romy and Max on our last trip and they were exactly what you’d want in an agent — knowledgeable, well prepared and easy to work with. They put together a great video guide on searching for property in the Jávea area that’s worth watching if you’re starting your own search.
We’ve started a running list of properties we’ve viewed with notes on each. Take a look.
Where We Are Right Now
Right now the house hunt is driving everything. Finding the right property determines our address, our address triggers the visa process and the visa timeline shapes everything that follows. Here’s where things stand across the major areas:
House Hunt — actively viewing properties across Jávea and Dénia. September trip will be a significant step. Full update.
Mortgage — pending. Financing as a non-resident in Spain has its own process and timeline. We’ll have more in September.
Financial Planning — in progress. Getting finances structured correctly before the move matters more than most people realize. We’ll have more in September.
Health Insurance — pending. Required for the NLV application so this comes into focus once the visa timeline is set. We’ll have more soon.
Visa (NLV) — on hold. Working with our Spanish lawyer Pellicer & Heredia. The application can’t start until we have an address, which is another reason the house hunt comes first. We’ll have more later this year.
Timeline — Here’s our timeline which shows where and when we started, current progress and when we expect to be in Spain full-time.
There’s still a lot of road between Portland and Jávea. We’ll keep updating this as we go
Our Next Trip to Spain is In
Days
Hours
Minutes
Before Moving
Everything you need to sort before you leave — visas, NIEs, finances and the hundred other things on your pre-move list.
After The Move
What you need to get sorted once you arrive — utilities, healthcare, paperwork and all the practicalities of your new life in Spain.
Property Guide
Here’s what to know about buying property in Spain as an American — from your first search to signing at the notary.
Resources
Checklists, glossaries and vetted websites to help you plan, prepare and hit the ground running in Spain.
Our Journey
Follow along as we document our move from Portland, Oregon to Jávea, Spain — the highs, the headaches and everything in between.
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