I am considering a move to Benissa from the U.S.

My wife and I have just moved over from Australia. Although we have a house in Senija, just 5 minutes from Benissa, a couple from Belgium are renting it so we are exploring the area ourselves for a rental. There will always be some closed doors based on culture or language barriers, but we have found in the La Marina Alta area generally that there are many english speaking people here, even if it isn’t their first language. At the end of the day you make it work if you want it to work

Thank you.  I am willing to make the effort.  I just doubt my capacity to engage in nuanced conversations in Spanish for years  It would be nice to talk to someone in the interim!

We live about ten minutes drive from Benissa, between Lliber and Gata de Gorgos. There is some socialising between Spanish and ‘extrangeros’, but not that much amongst older people as the customs are very different. Also the local Language here is not Spanish, but Valenciano, but of course everyone speaks Spanish - but the accent when they speak rapidly can be very difficult!!! It can be quite difficult to make Spanish friends without a language base - although many of them speak English now. The social customs are very very different, it is not that usual for Spanish to invite people into their homes in the way that we do. I first came here when I was 13 - a very long time ago - when the world was very different, and became involved with the local children of my own age; however, since returning as a retired person, the situation is very different. Many of the clubs/groups etc are run by ex-pats of varying flavours and there is a huge expat ‘civilisation’ which to me appears to ‘float’ separately from the local population, although of course there is a degree of interaction. i think you are more likely to make friends with expats to begin with; although in this area now one can exist without ever needing to speak Spanish, which is of course a dreadful shame, but there are all kinds of services provided by (perfectly legal) expat companies. 

Hi there.

Are you still thinking about moving to Benissa?

We have just moved here in May this year and it is beautiful. Benissa as a village, the town has money to keep everything running smoothly it seems. Grass is cut, streets are clean, big supermarkets, vets and some big other shops. it does have it all.

and it is only about 10 minutes to Moraira and her beaches. Going to Denia or Calpe or further is easy because the motorway is close.

We find that Spanish people in general are quite open and social. Yes, learning to speak Spanish is a good thing, but you wont feel at a loss when speaking English. A lot of shops/places/restaurants speak some English and are very kind when you try and speak some Spanish.

I thought I give you a short version here, but if you ever want to ask me more, ask away!

Lots of success in making your choices,

Marjolein Charlesworth

Thank you so much for your response.  I'm making arrangements to fly into Alicante at the end of October and am still belaboring where exactly to start out.  I was going to buy something right away but have decided to rent for a while.  I fell in love with Benissa but would consider a rental anywhere between there and Alicante.  I also want to explore Malaga.  I will learn Spanish although I'm sure to be a laughing stock for many years!  I'm excited and nervous.  

Are there any particularly reliable rental organizations that you recommend?

Thanks again.

Bonnie

It’s an extremely good idea to rent for a while - this will give you time to explore the areas properly and things always appear to be different when you’ve been there for a little while.

No one will laugh at you learning Spanish, the Spanish people will be pleased that an extrangero is bothering to try; a good tip is to always carry a small pocket dictionary with you - I used to do that when I came here first with my parents - with a few words you can ususally make yourself understood.

Many of the estate agents have rental departments and many of them speak several languages, so you should find someone helpful.

Good luck.

Hi Bonnie!

How exciting! Yes, renting is a smart thing to do. You can get to know the places you love most and choice the best place to be.

I don't really know a lot of renting places, but Hamiltons in Moraira (ask for Becky, she is my sister in law) helped us with buying a house and they do rentals too.

Whenever you want ask something, I'm here.

Best wishes,

Marjolein

Hi Bonnie,

For quick Spanish translation from English to Spanish and vice versa, I use T Conversation from Google, it is a free app, you choose which language you need to translate from to, from a drop down of many, and then you will see the two counties flags on the screen, you then just touch on the microphone area by the flag, and speak into your phone the sentence you want to translate into Spanish, it instantly shows in both languages, then if you need a response, it will translate Spanish back to English for you, great for if you are wanting to sort out issues in a face to face situation, and also the translation can be voice transmitted, so you can check your pronunciation for learning process.

Enjoy your relocation!

Maxine

Thanks for the information.  I'm going to email Becky and she if she can help me.  I want to rent for as short a period as possible but have no idea how long it can take to actually purchase a home in Spain.

I made my plane reservations.  Transporting three cats and a dog is crazy complicated.

Thanks again for your help.

Bonnie