There are many pros and cons to both country and city living in Spain.

If what you want is ‘Britain in the Sun’ then a big town like Torrevieja or Fuengirola would be ideal. English is spoken nearly everywhere, there are excellent facilities, there are attractive marinas and just about every shop and restaurant you could wish for.  However it does come at a price, you have to pay for all of this convenience. Also there is the traffic, noise, overbuilding and unfortunately a fair amount of crime as well. When I visited this area I couldn’t help thinking “Is this ‘Real Spain’” or an enclave created for the Brits abroad.

Conversely your dream may be to own a Spanish Finca deep in the countryside surrounded by olives or oranges. Living in the Spanish campo is not easy, no-one will speak any English but from my own personal experience, the farmers and country people have been the friendliest and most generous people I have met in Spain. Be prepared for  water and electricity cuts (the cities are given priority). It can be quite a trek to your local shops and medical centre. Don’t be under any illusions - the country can be just as noisy as the city, especially if your neighbour keeps dogs and a cockerel (sound travels far in the campo, so even if he is a mile away, you’ll still hear it). Be very careful not to live near any pigs!! I stayed deep in the mountains and everyone was surprised that I always locked my door when I went out – nobody else did, they laughed at me when I mentioned crime.

The worst moment living in the country for me was when I was just by the front door, heard a noise and saw a four foot Mountain Snake slithering into my house straight for my baby’s cot. Luckily the snake was not dangerous (though we didn’t know at the time), my husband bravely caught it in the baby bath with a broom and sent it off slithering into the campo.

One of the best moments I remember was waking up for the first time in my country rental property and walking out on my balcony and being spellbound by the beauty of the place. I had a view of the sun rising over the mountains and the fortress village of Comares surrounded by olive trees and blossoming white almonds.

In the end when we bought a house, it was on the edge of the campo but I have a school, shops and medical centre four minutes away and I am only 20 minutes away from the coast. I think we got the best of both worlds.