If you’ve been keeping up with this Blog, you will recall that I very much enjoyed my vacation (tour) of Spain this past July, 2024. It was, in so many ways, the trip of a lifetime. I thoroughly enjoyed the bus tour around the country, including Portugal. It was 15 days of beautiful sights, good food and fond memories.

Believe it or not, it was just two weeks or so after arriving home, that I made a life-changing decision. Well, what could be a life-changing decision. I got online and started searching flights for a return to Spain! I was very impressed with the cities we visited. They were cleaner and more modern than what we have in Mexico. The roads were perfectly smooth (not a pothole in sight!), the highways were gorgeous. There is a lot of history in Spain, and of course in Mexico, too. But what impressed me was the infrastructure within the country and cities we visited. Something that is sorely missing in Mexico. I found myself regularly making comparisons between Spain and the USA. This in regards to the roads, the beauty of the city, moving from one area to another, easily and efficiently. But what was very different from Spain and the USA is that the cities and towns that I visited were wonderfully diverse, mixing old architecture (buildings) with new. It is impressive, really!

I did some research on what area(s) of Spain I would consider as a future home. And what I initially thought could be an option, I decided against after looking into it further. Valencia and the town of Peñíscola were my first choice after leaving Spain, but I found out that it can get a little cold in the Winter (though Summers are very warm). So I decided to look further south and ended up selecting Andalucia.

Spain is divided into fifty provinces and seventeen Autonomous Communities. The Autonomous Communities are what we call states in the USA and Mexico. Each has it’s own capital city. The provinces are what might be called districts or counties. As you can see on the map, Andalucia has 8 provinces. Of special interest to me are: Malaga and Almeria. There are likely towns in Granada that may be of interest to me. Sevilla is too far inland as is Cordoba. Though both are very nice cities.

I definitely want to live near or on the coast, in a town or city that is walkable. If I do move to Spain, I do not have a desire to purchase or own a car. I will rely on public transportation such as busses or trains. In addition, I don’t really want to live in a big city. Therefore Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia are not on my list (#1, 2 and 3 largest cities in the country). Murcia and Valencia are on the coast and may have some appeal, but I don’t really want to live in a city that experiences cold winters (and I don’t mean snow, of course).

Northern Spain does have harsher winters for sure, that include cold temperatures and even snow in some areas. The climate in the northern regions of Galicia, Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, and Navarre results in regular winter snowfall. Madrid and Barcelona see snow on occasion in December and January. So, again, not interested in cold winters.

And that led me to Andalucia. It is the Community that is farthest South in the Country. Parts of Andalucia are desert (Almeria) and all areas on the coast have very warm summers (30+ degrees Celsius or 86+ degrees Fahrenheit). That’s fine by me. I’ve been living in areas in Mexico that experience very hot summers. Andalucia has a Mediterranean climate with over 300 days of sunshine per year (yay!). Therefore, it is a Community that has a very busy (and crowded) summer season with tourism at its peak. Winters can be 12-20 degrees Celsius or 54-68 degrees Fahrenheit. I can do that!

My visit in December will give me a good idea of what winter is like in that part of the country, since I already experienced the high temperatures of summer! It’ll definitely be colder than where I am today in Mexico, but I think it’ll be close to what the weather is like in Los Angeles. We shall see. I have read that although winters are mild, sadly winter is definitely not a time for a beach vacation (unlike Mexico).

One of the things that led me to and has kept me in Mexico is the contentious political landscape in the USA (not to mention the cost of living). As I write this, the USA National Election is scheduled in a couple of days! I pray the country can be held together, regardless of the results. Mexico has become quite a political nightmare as well. Although I feel safe where I live, there continues to be issues with the drug cartels and corrupt governments (local, state-wide and federal). I know that there is no “perfect” place. I know that Spain has its issues as well as other countries in Europe, the UK and South America.

The form of government in Spain is a a bit different than what we have in the USA and Mexico. It is a parliamentary monarchy. The monarch is the head of state, while the prime minister—whose official title is “President of the Government”—is the head of government. I’ve never lived in a country where there is a monarch (a King, in the case of Spain), so that will be different. The issues that the USA and Mexico have with illegal immigration are also issues in Spain. As it is in many countries throughout the world.

My upcoming trip to Spain will be just over 30 days. It will be enough time for me to really explore Andalucia as a future home and specifically (and hopefully) decide upon a city/town where I would like to move. My current situation in Mexico is limited only because of my apartment lease, which expires at the end of July 2025. I will have spent 2 years in the Puerto Vallarta area after one year in Veracruz. I’m ready for a new adventure. I think I’m still at a good age where moving such a distance won’t be too physically challenging and traveling by bus and train will still be doable.

l’m encouraged and excited about this opportunity. I’ve spoken to my immediate family and although sad, they are supportive. Unlike Mexico, I don’t see myself being able to visit Los Angeles as frequently. There are always video calls. Right, Mother?

In order to move to Spain, I will need a Visa. There are different types of Visas. The one that applies to me will be the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) which will allow me temporary residency for one year. It is specifically for retired people or those that will not seek work in Spain. Applying for the NLV is not an easy process and requires quite a number of items (ie: medical insurance, financial/income minimums and much more). From the time you begin gathering all the documents to the interview appointment at the Consulate, it could take 2-3 months. Once the Consulate has your paperwork, it can take 3-6 months to approve. Once the Visa is approved, you have 90 days to arrive in Spain. Once you are in Spain, you have 30 days to register with your local (city) government and then be given your TIE (the Foreigner ID Card) which is a document that proves a person’s identity and legal status in Spain. If I do in fact move to Spain, it will be sometime in July or August, 2025.

The NLV will give me temporary residency in Spain. It can be renewed annually up to 5 years. At that time, if you have maintained consistent residency (without too many absences), you can apply for permanent residency. As a Mexican citizen, that is sped up and I can do that after only two years! The one tricky part is that as a “resident” (temporary or permanent) one has to file and pay taxes in Spain (on worldwide income!). Still have to figure that part out!

That just about sums up the last couple of months (of research and making reservations) and the next couple of months as I explore Andalucia, Spain. I’ll definitely be posting in this Blog about all of my adventures. I will be staying in an AirBnB in Almeria and taking the train (or bus) to nearby cities. Stay tuned.

Here are a couple of pictures that have inspired me.