Would you recommend Moraira for retirement?

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:51pm

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Joined: 21 Mar 2023

I know this is a bit of a long-shot but does anyone there in Moraira also have any experience of living here in Cyprus,especially Paphos?The reason is that although my wife was born in Famagusta and spent years in London until we cam to live here in 1979, our son has a Spanish partner and three young children and she is Barcelona-they are well-settled there and it is difficult for them to come and visit us here. We are now both approaching 70 and soon need to decide where we will finally retire?Barcelona is not an ideal place for many reasons and our son says that if we do seriously think we would be happier in Spain where we could at least see them more easily, we should choose somewhere further south where there are more British ex-pats-there are very few in Catalonia?-the weather in Moraira in winter is more mild like it is here in Cyprus,although somewhat colder, the cost of living is lower than in Barcelona and the overall atmosphere is more friendly and welcoming,especially as we don't know Spanish well?(Mind you, he also reminds us that Cyprus has many good points after growing up here himself and he still thinks it's better than Spain in many ways, especially for older ex-pats etc!!)It's a big move and obviously if we did decide to come we would rent somewhere first-as we both have E.U. passports it would make it easier anyway.Any comments, suggestions or other ideas would be most welcome.If it's of interest, property prices in both places seem to be roughly the same and have increased a lot in Cyprus recently because of overseas firms and their staff coming here etc particularly to Limassol.

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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:40pm

Swimmer57

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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:40pm

I lived and worked in Cyprus (on one of the Bases) for a couple of years. And I get how difficult it is being on such a small island for getting to places to see family, and for them to see you....

Sounds like weather is the least of your considerations! Yes, there are plenty of expats down the coast here, but you'll have a whole new system to negotiate, a different language, and different bureaucracy. And healthcare-???

Barcelona is miles and miles away, as you'll know, so it will be a long stressful drive or a lot of public transport to see your family. Not like Cyprus, just nipping from one end of the island to the other in a couple of hours.......I would think long and hard about this, as no doubt you are, and maybe look at places up the coast nearer to Barcelona??? Hope this helps

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:37pm

Prestige167

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Location: Moraira

Joined: 21 Mar 2023

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:37pm

Thanks for that-this is what my wife also worries about!We also have an almost free new state health system here(which is bankrupting the economy,by the way!!)Cyprus is very laid-back, as you probably remember and there is not much traffic at this end of the island,especially compared with Limassol,Nicosia and especially Barcelona,as we have seen for ourselves!It is around 4.5 - 5 hours drive from Moraira and as our son says, a long way and very tiring, plus the highway tolls and petrol etc!(ours has just gone up to around E 1.42 per litre).Parking in Barcelona is a known nightmare as well and most people visiting there end-up using exhorbitant private underground parking, to say nothing of the traffic etc!One other option might be to drive to Valencia and get the high-speed train or drive to Alicante and fly to Barca?

Perhaps a sensible compromise would be to try coming there and renting a for a few months to see if we like it enough to move over there long-term and then decide?(We are renting a furnished place here owned by ex-pats who went back to UK so it would be possible to keep it on).As our son has said several times,Cyprus is half an island while Spain is a big country with millions of people and it is like saying if its best to drink beer or wine?Both are good but they are very different and it is not fair to compare them?In his experience,Cyprus is much easier to live in,cheaper, more friendly and the food is better too!Admittedly he lives in a very good area of Barcelona and is lucky but even after more than ten years there it would not be his first choice and he has seen other parts of Spain on visits which he thinks would be better to live in, even more so for people of our age.?I guess you also probably had a good time here in the SBA'S?We are also still very interested in the fate of Famagusta where my wife has her family home and which has been derelict for nearly 50 years pending a solution of this non-ending political conflict.I managed to see it a few times now they have opened some of the place to visitors.Anyway, thanks again for your time and interest-I owe you a drink if we do make it to Moraira!Cheers and have a good wekend.