Why I Keep Returning to Spain

My home away from home.

Yes, I love Spain.

I’ve been returning to Spain for 17 years. I wouldn’t keep going back if I didn’t enjoy the time spent there, but I’m fully aware that Spain has it’s fair share of domestic problems.

For those of you who like to immortalize another country, this isn’t my intention with this article.

I’ve lived and traveled all over the world. Everyone has problems. If you can speak the language, and you’re actually interested in befriending a local person, you’ll soon find that they, too, are overwhelmed at times by government, opposing ideologies, religious zealotry, racism, refugees, climate change challenges, money problems, and more. It helps to be more than a tourist, however. That’s why I like to call myself an “untourist”.

So, why do I keep returning to Spain?

Well, there are a lot of reasons and that’s what I’m here to talk about, the really good bits about Spain. I get to almost solely enjoy the good bits because I don’t live there full time. I’m not a citizen so I can’t vote. I’m not married to a Spaniard. I’m not even an expat.

I’m merely an American with a passport, and so Spain allows me to stay in their country for up to 90 days in a 180 day time period.

I’ve stayed in Spain for the 90 day time period on more than one occasion, but usually I’m there for two months in the winter. I have been leasing the same apartment for a number of years. It feels like my own place, familiar and homey. I don’t need a car because the small town where I live, Torre Del Mar, has everything that I need within easy walking distance.

I walk a lot.

I walk to the grocery stores, meat markets, vegetable and fruit stands, restaurants, coffee shops, and banks. I walk to the bus station and catch a ride to other villages or the city of Malaga whenever I’m in the mood for a change. I can catch a reasonably priced taxi if I prefer.

Right across the street from me is the beach as well as the longest seaside promenade in all of Europe or so I’ve been told.

It connects four white villages along the Mediterranean. I walk the promenade almost daily. There are little restaurants all along the promenade where I can stop, order a beer, or if I fancy lunch the catch of the day.

I sit by the sea and watch fishing boats coming and going, green Morroccan parrots, children and old people enjoying the weather.

Both children and old people are highly visible and appear to be much loved. I can always find an elderly man willing to chat with me if I can spare the time. They often sit in groups of four or more, talking and laughing together. The weather in Spain and the public transportation system allows the elderly to enjoy life well into their 90s. Spain has one of the longest lifespans in the world.

Food is good in Spain.

I can eat out whenever I please and I do quite often. The village where I live seems to be less expensive than other Spanish towns and cities. I chose it partially for that reason. It’s a working village, not a big tourist draw. In the summer the beach is full of people, but most of the vacationers are Spaniards. I think that makes a difference in the price of things.

Besides being located on the Mediterranean Sea, Torre is surrounded by mountains.

Picture this if you will. The beach, palm trees, green morroccan parrots, and the snow-capped Almijara mountains, a 360 degree panoramic view that takes my breath away. I’ve been wintering in Spain for a long time. February and March still gets snow in the higher altitudes. Yet, most days, I can walk by the sea with nothing more than a sweater.

I have a doctor and dentist in Spain as well.

My dentist always does one of my six month checkups and if I need work done, he’s the best. The prices are so much lower than in the U.S. that I often wait until I get to Spain to have any work done. My doctor is located in a small clinic right down the street from my apartment. Yes, I can walk there. There’s a hospital in town, but fortunately, I’ve never needed it. I have been sick before, however, and the cost of prescription drugs is very affordable even without insurance.

Spaniards are generally polite and fairly friendly.

They spend an enormous amount of time outdoors and are highly social. The extended family is the center of their lives. On Sunday afternoon, families gather at local restaurants and enjoy a long leisurely meal. Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, kids, aunts and uncles make up a boisterous group. They often end up walking the promenade with stroller and babies afterwards. It’s an all-afternoon social event that takes place every Sunday weather permitting.

I never realized how isolated older people are in America until I witnessed the lives of Spanish seniors.

Nor did I realize how much a culture that insists on independence and individualism gives up in order to fulfill those ideals. You can’t have it all, I guess.

I love the coffee in Spain.

I mention it because it really is in my top ten favorite things about living there. My husband and I love coffee, but Spain has spoiled us. We’ve tasted coffees all over the world from coffee plantations in Guatemala to coffee served by handsome Italian waiters with impeccable manners. Spain rates in the top three. Beware if you get off a plane in Malaga or other big airports, you’re probably going to see a Starbucks, ugh. Ignore it!

There are small coffee shops almost everywhere you look in Spain.

Often they serve tapas and churros as well as a Spanish breakfast. Men sit or stand at the bar on their way to work in the morning. Take-out coffees are rare. Coffee is meant to be enjoyed. The waiter will bring your coffee, steamed milk, and usually a little cookie or goodie. They deliver it with style. You’re to sip it, savor it, and enjoy it. Whether it’s espresso, coffee americano, a double or a single, you can count on it to be perfect, consistently so, no matter where you buy it.

We start our morning with a walk to one of several favorite coffee shops.

We’re always greeted by the waiters. Waiters in Spain are often men. Not boys, but actual grown men with families. They do not depend on tips because they are paid an hourly wage. You can tip if you want, but it’s not expected, and generally not more than 10%. Also, they will not bring you the bill until requested. There is never a feeling of being rushed. Food is to be enjoyed, so take your time.

I love the music in Spain.

Whether I’m attending a live flamenco concert or listening to Spanish pop music on the radio, I love it all. We have been fortunate to enjoy many small intimate concerts. I cherish those experiences.

Traveling by train in Spain is amazing.

In addition to an abundance of local public transportation, Spain boasts some of the fastest trains in the world. Wanna go to Madrid or Barcelona? Hop on a train in Malaga and you’ll travel comfortably and swiftly to your destination. I much prefer a train to an airplane. There’s space for my legs and I can even stand up and walk around with ease. I love to look at the passing countryside or small country villages through the window, too.

I’ve been going to Spain for so long that I no longer feel like a visitor.

That has some real advantages. There’s a Spanish pace to life that I’ve come to truly appreciate. People work hard, but they don’t seem to live to work. They work to live. Spaniards take time out of their busy lives to relax and enjoy the company of those they love, eating the food they prepare with gusto, and drinking their fine coffee and wines in a leisurely fashion. Life feels different than back in the states, slower and less frenetic.

I had to retire before I was able to set the same pace in life for myself. After seventeen years of wintering in Spain, I think I’ve mastered it.

Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.