When deciding to move to Spain, many people choose their location because they have enjoyed wonderful holidays in the country. Popular tourist resorts like Marbella, Sitges, Benidorm and Lloret de Mar are also prevalent areas for relocating. While only some of those who move to Spain choose resorts where they previously holidayed, many do.
But as I discovered, holidaying in a resort and living there is different. In my 30-odd years of resort living in Spain on various coasts, I have gained enough experience to give those considering moving to a resort after holidaying in the town a fair idea of what to expect during their daily lives when they move.
Work
Obviously, one of the most enjoyable things about being on holiday is you do not have to get up to work. However, when you live in the resort, you will have to earn a living if you are of working age and do not have income.
In a resort, work tends to be seasonal, with many businesses closing in the winter and those that remain open having few clients. Because of the seasonal contrast in takings, summer job hours are often extremely long, and bosses expect you to work overtime during the busy months.
Also, the months with the heaviest workload have the highest temperatures. It's a time of the year when most of us would rather lie on a beach or be in a relaxed shady spot, not sweating in a restaurant kitchen or, like me, sitting in a traffic jam when I am trying to get from one client to the next in my job working for a real estate agency in Javea.
Most jobs available in resorts involve the hospitality trade. Hotel, restaurant, and even shop work can be very demanding in Spain, with low pay.
Traffic
When holidaying, you likely will only be using a car if you decide to hire a vehicle because your holiday accommodation is out of town. When staying in a hotel near the beach, you will not miss having the use of a car. However, when you move to a resort, even if you live in the centre of town and everything is available within walking distance, you will probably, at some point, decide you do need transport.
The larger and cheaper supermarkets tend to be located on the outskirts of towns. Public transport in Spain is excellent in the cities, but buses often only cover the town centres and main streets in smaller towns. So to reach the outskirts, you must have use of a car or take a taxi.
Parking in a resort in summer is nigh on impossible, so expect to park on the outskirts and walk in or rent or buy private parking if your building does not have parking.
Even short journeys can take three times longer in the summer compared to off-season - not something you need when you are on a 12-hour split shift in the middle of August and trying to get the household shopping done within the short afternoon break.
Tourists
Tourists like other tourists! When you are a tourist, it's great to meet others who are also on holiday. With today's technology, it is easy to stay in touch after the holiday, and tourists will often maintain contact via social media and other means after the holiday ends. However, when you live in a resort, it must be said, tourists can be tiresome!
Tourists have all the time in the world. They often don't appreciate that others must work and keep us waiting in queues behind them while they chat, take time searching for their money, etc. It can be frustrating.
Even though Spain is nowhere near as cheap as it was 20 years ago for alcohol and cigarettes, it is still more affordable than the UK, and this tends to attract a particular type of tourism in some resorts whose main holiday goal is to overindulge, which often results in antisocial behaviour.
Due to the influx of summer tourists, noise levels can be excessive if you need near nightlife or the beach.
However, having said this, living in a resort on the Mediterranean coast of Spain is fabulous! The benefits (which I'll cover in my next post!) hugely outweigh the cons.
The glorious sunshine, sandy beaches, wide variety of activities, outdoor lifestyle, and the mild winters are not something I am thinking about giving up any time soon.