Highly recommended areas to live in

Hi

Could I please ask for your advise on recommended areas live in.

I realise in asking this question, you may ask me where I am thinking of buying a property ... and to this I must be honest and say I really don't know....except within Andalucia.

We like to live in very remote locations ....ideally with no neighbours in sight.

We prefer in land to coastal locations.

We would like to mix with the Spannish and not just remain within a British sector.

We love to live in a place that is naturally beautiful with little impact from man.

I gather the surrounding area of Ronda is very beautiful, but do not know personally.

So I wonder if you could please advise me of the best areas of Andalucia to look in, for buying a property and why.

Many Thanks

Look at a map.  I would suggest Google Earth.  Zoom in.  Find an area where there is nothing shown.  Find the nearest town.  Google for an Estate Agent and ask what they have.    From what you say you require,  that would appear to be the best place for you.

After all, if there is no one living there it's a bit difficult to find someone who would say it's a highly recommended area to live.

"We would like to mix with the Spanish and not just remain within a British sector"

Good luck with your communications with a person from  The Andalucía Campo.   Even Spaniards cannot understand them unless they are from the same hillside.

Hi Johnzx

Thank you for your quick response, I do not know if you are always that abrupt or just rude.

"After all, if there is no one living there it's a bit difficult to find someone who would say it's a highly recommended area to live."

We like to live in remote locations and prefer for no neighbous to be in sight.  That does not mean that there will not be others living in the area.  Exmoor in the UK is a beautiful place to live and you can live without a neighbour in sight.  That said there are enough people who can highly recommend it.

I am aware of google earth thank you very much, but I can not enter into any genuine conversations with google earth or gain a personal opinion with previous experience.

I would appreciate positive helpful posts from others, it is easy to type unhelpful critial posts.....but what is the point.

Thank you

Good luck with your communications with a person from  The Andalucía Campo.   Even Spaniards cannot understand them unless they are from the same hillside. 

Sorry if I appeared rude, but I would suggest that until you have visited some areas to really know what they are like, it seems impossible for anyone to be able to make sensible suggestions,   with such wide parameters.

Know a few people who live in remote areas with no neighbours in view and without exception the route to their properties are via almost inaccessible miles of rough tracks sometimes across ramblas. Often  high in the mountains and more fitting for donkey power than horse power.  Unfortunately areas like Exmoor don't exist in the Spain I know.

Places that the Spaniards abandoned years ago because the lack of amenities made it a difficult place to live.

As Johnzx writes you really should investigate Spain yourself to understand the reality of what you desire.

Yes, if you're in a really remote area, you may not have mains electricity, drinking water (or any water), mains sewerage etc. and are likely to have to go over rough tracks to get to your place. With a bit of rain these tracks can get quite tricky to drive on. I think for there to be no neighbours in sight the property would have to be on a large piece of land with the building in the middle, or there is always the possibility that neighbours could build near you.

When we bought our first property in Spain - a cortijo with a bit of land - there was only one Spanish neighbour and they were never there. Within a few years we had a couple of houses directly below,  houses to both sides and two houses above. It became like a little urbanisation! God knows why but they all seemed to build really nearby, leaving the surrounding area free of buildings. Maybe the Spanish like to 'cwtch up' as we say in Wales.

In addition, properties in remote locations are likely to be relatively cheap and you could get a lot of land, which is seductive when you first get to Spain, but after a while you just realise that it's more likely to be a burden and expense to look after it all, unless you want to become a farmer maybe. That's my experience, but I can't speak for the whole of Spain. Also, strangely, the buildings on such fincas often tend to be on one edge and the permission for a house is therefore likely to be for that spot, even if it is a ruin that you want to rebuild.

It's actually really tricky/impossible to find the perfect place at the perfect price. There will always be pluses and drawbacks. It's a dilemma - but one of those good ones (it's not like worrying where the next meal is coming from).

And the other thing is that you can spend a lot of time trying to get it right, but in the end life's a gamble. We've had numerous threads on here in the past regarding when to buy in Spain and when to call the bottom of the market. A few of us found those ones a bit silly; because you've got one life and so if you really found something that was nearly perfect, there wouldn't be much point in waiting. But those threads did get really heated. I suppose they showed up a chasm and two groups seemed to emerge - those who got on with it and bought, like Tamara (hi Tamara, if you're reading any threads these days!) and others who have disappeared from the site.

NB. I'm not addressing this at the OP, just making some general observations.

Hi

I would like to thank everyone for the replies.

I take on board all of your points.  Obviously you live in Spain and have the knowledge and experience that I don't.

I have to admitt I did not realise that it would be impossible for me to purchase a property with similar qualities as Exmoor in Spain (remote /privacey).

That said, with your understanding of our preferences for a quiet life ( and lets say with few neighbours and not so remote, but lets say not actually in a town or village ) where in Andalucia would you recommend and why.

Please do not hold me to what I say I require, what I am trying to do is give you a picture of our preferences.  If you feel I am being too nieve then it would be good to hear so and why, but what I am really trying to obtain is the locations you would recommend to live in.

I only give you an insight into what we like so that, people can understand our preferences and I don't recommend very busy locations which would not be for us.

Many Thanks

Greenfingers, understand where you are coming from, because our dream of living in Spain was based on the infrastructure and conditions of living in UK.  Unfortunately the reality is worlds apart.

Exmoor, vast area of undulating greenery. Tarmaced roads and drivable tracks leading to solitary farms, without another propert in sight,  where one can be self sufficient.

Southern Spain. Outside of towns soil is often not  conducive to growing anything other than scrub and weeds. So poly tunnels, olive groves or goat farms reign supreme. Unless high in the hills small pockets of houses grouped together .....and even then it is rare to find a isolated property these days....but not impossible...accessed by almost impassable rough tracks. 

Spain is a country where people needed to live in small communities because life was, still is, tough in the campo.

However this is just my impression of life in Spain in the Almeria/ Murcia area of Spain. The latter being known as the " garden of Spain " because in the valley the soil is better for growing garden produce.

Someone who lives on CDS might  have a different view. However to find ones dream you should come and explore. Possibly Northern Spain will suit your needs better.

hi , i would recommmend you contact a company called  one marbella they are connected to all agents in every part of the costa del sol , areas i would recommend are monda , coin , cartama all of which may be suitable for you for the life you want to live in Spain.

Hi my suggestion would be costa de la luz area.  I have a property in campo in Gibraleon, Huelva, with about 3000 Sq met garden full of fruit trees, also vegetable patch which is very fertile and easy to grow anything. Lovely place, locals very friendly and always willing to help, and a few finca's up for sale at  very reasonable price's which are situated about 2 miles from the small town.  Try Homes and Fincas (estate agents)in Ayamonte and also Andalusianhouse in El portil both very good. Take a look at the area, I think you will be impressed

Hi

Thank you all so, so much, this is exactly the information I was hoping to receive from the forum.

I will have a look at all these areas and the agents recommended.

Once we have a reasonable idea of where in Andalucia looks good for us, we can come over to have more of a personal look.

Thank you again.

Arcos de la Frontera in Costa de Luz, where I live, might be worth looking at. The campo is in beautiful countryside and has some nice properties. I live in a more built up area, but friends who live out in the campo don´t seem to be short of facilities. If you are interested in this part of Spain, google  Anduluz Homes.  I would thoroughly recommend them. (Ask for Glynn Lewis).

Hi Greenfingers

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Graham

** EDITED - Against forum rules **

You can't advertise your property for sale on the forum, you are required to pay 97€. 

See http://www.eyeonspain.com/sell-your-property.aspx

Greenfingers, There is no substitute for personally investigating areas of interest which can initially be found be found via www these days.

Hi Floella

I totally agree, we will be thoroughly investigating areas, via internet and visits. We will not be purchasng for a year or 2 and during this time we hope with all your help to narrow down the areas for our investgations.

It would be just as helpful to be told of areas to avoid (if there are any ) as well as the great ones.

It is really great to hear from people who recommend locations and even better when they let me know of reputable estate agents in that area.

Thank you to everyone so far.

I would avoid Extremadura.

The Costas are the place to be.

Guy, what's wrong with Extremadura? We've been there on holiday a few times and I would have thought it was the kind of area where you could find something remote and without so many expats as the OP wants, whilst being cheap as well. But maybe you know more about the area. I'm just wondering why you don't like it. And the original poster didn't want to be on the coast...

Greenfingers, unfortunately REA's and those interested in selling their own properties, as noted by the deleted posts, are the ones who will post the most praise of their area so you are not getting the unbalanced view you seek.