What a great idea, to come and rent and then you can make up your own mind, we have had our home here since 2004 and we moved over permantly in March 2011 and dont regret moving at all.

We have made some wonderful friends and have a good social life and we do voluntary work for S.A.T Animal Charity an walk the dogs twice a week and I, with a group of friends also organised fund raising events through out the year.

I think where ever you live, you will always get those that love it and some that don't

Thank you for the reply Linda, I have lived in Spain before on the Costa Del Sol so the move wont be such a big shift for me, Im real excited to get there, I was just worried about the bickering. If its ok with you Id love to come and help you with your charity when i get there, I work with a lot of them over here in UK (organising functions, special events) so i would be really grateful if you would let me come help you some times xx

You would be very welcome Kas, we always need dog walkers and help with fund raising events, my email is [email protected], please et in touch

Linda

Hi Kaz, Please do NOT take any notice of anything on this forum....Believe me, I have lived here for 14 years and have seen it all. Back stabbing friends, thieves, I can do anything builders. (Cowboys) and stupid bar room solicitors who think they know it all and know nothing, because they have no friends and wish to let the world that they are here. I know I will get a lot of kick back from this. There are hundreds of people here who I have found to be friendly, helpful, and will put themselves out to show anybody the right direction. I have spent a lot of time, energy, money helping the less fortunate here and if you need any insight. Please contact me via the email. I wish you all the best here in La Marina. It's a fantastic place for entertainment and a great place to live....

thank you both for your kind reply, I wasn't expecting any to be honest, I have been reading a lot of the feeds (most of them very negative) and it was beginning to put me off, but I have noticed it seems to be the same people, so I think I know who to avoid, I will keep in touch with both of you and let you know how I am getting on, thank you again I appreciate it xx

Hi We've been here for 12 years and love every minute. We all write on here to wind each other up but that's all it is - except you will get some idiots that try to spoil it for others. Ignore it or write tongue in cheek like the others. Alan and Marko are the worst!!!

Hi Kazz, don't let the negative comments on this forum put you off. You have sussed that it is a few people grinding their axe. This is a large urbanisation with all sorts of people that make up the community, just as anywhere else in the world. We are never friends with everyone we meet, but rub along with most. Come and rent and give La marina a try.

it does look like a nice place peter, seems to have everything im looking for, but I must admit alan and marko were not who I was referring too, i wont say who, as i havnt even arrived there yet, and don't really like to pass judgement until iv met them personally, but i am wary of certain people already, i look forward to meeting you when i arrive xx

flora 48 im so excited to get there now, perhaps I was wrong to take all iv read on here as negative, I look forward to speaking to you again soon, it seems that La Marina is a bigger place than I thought there seems to be lots of bars, have you ant recommendations for me to try xx

Bought 1st place in 2000, (know of people here from when la marina was still a building site in the late 1980s and still here) and the area was alive and buzzing, seen a lot of people come and go, places open and close, new areas built some still being built, property prices up down and crashing. But its still great here sun, sea, lovely beach, entertainment day, night and plenty of good places to eat and for the most really really friendly happy people, But Its still what you make it, give it a go.

2ndcasa thanx, I probably have not done enough research really, so could you tell me, are la marina and la marina pinet different urbs? if so which is the best to live on or near, I have already found a place that im coming to look at next month but im curious to where is best xx

Hi Kazxx,
To answer a few of your questions, Yes La Marina Urb. is a great place to live, especially if you are retired and on a decent pension, or you have a realistic chance of steady work. I think in the summer over 10,000 people stay on the Urb. and houses around 35 Bars/Café/ Restaurants, all set in about 4 different areas of the Urb. You should also find out about La Marina Urb. as it is completely different to La Marina and Pinet,as these last two come under the Elche umbrella,Where as The Urbs. come under San Fulgencio. Which means that the Urbs. have a completely different Council to the other two,also the health services are run from different places, although all of them come under the Valencia region for health etc.(Valencia is one of the seventeen autonomous regions in Spain). I would agree with several others who have made comments, and that would be to rent before buying, If possible in several different parts of the urbs.
Cant understand exactly if Peter, classes Marko and Myself as good or bad, for the Forum ,but thanks for your input.

alan, wow thanx for all the info, it seems I have a lot of research to do, why must they all be called the same?, lol. I am not retired so eventually I will have to look for work, how is that looking am I going to be able to find work out there or is it really bad like everywhere else? I can put my hand to anything really except labouring of course lol xx

A very good question Alan. I think Peter Horsfield will explain what is good and what is bad for this forum. And if your are in the categori idiots or not. Just take it easy and wait. And hope for the best. Don´t let it ruin your night.

I have lived here and run a business for over two years, my partner has been here for eleven years and we both enjoy it, quality of life is relaxed and better than the UK. Ive loved it here and wouldn't go back. Yes there is banter on here but ive found people club together when push comes to shove and help you, COME OVER

thanx both, the urb does come under san fulgencio alan, so advice please is this a good place to start my new life? xx

jescapes if iv read this properly you have a bar don't you? ill pop in when im over to say hello xx

Come on Alan! How could I say you were bad? You are what keeps this place going!
Funny no retort from Marko - yet. I thought I would have wound him up as he like a good bit of banter being a proper northerner! Maybe he's gone back to Castleton, my home town!

I think that if you are coming over here with little money, and think you can get a job to survive, then Spain is not the place for you. Jobs are very scarce and there is no dole. A lot of people have come here thinking that they can make a living, and failed.

Kazxx,
Must agree with Marv 75, If you need to work to live here, you would not be doing yourself any favours, jobs in Spain at the moment are almost non existant. So unless you can get a guaranteed work placement, this is not the time to come to Spain. At the moment to have any chance of a decent job, you would have to be Bi- Lingual, good in the IT field or become self employed and to become legally self employed you may have to jump through hoops. Also if you are here to stay you would need health insurance, as your EHIC would not cover you. In Spain But on the plus side the National Health, I feel is far superior to what I left in the U.K. seven years ago.
So I unfortunately I would say to you, now is not the best time, undoubtably you would have a great life over here,but to enjoy that great life you need food on the table,and I am not sure you could guarantee it. But if you do come over I wish you the best of luck and hope you make a success of it. If you need help or advice, Myself and many others would be only to pleased to help you

fortunately I do have money put by to live on, but I know it wont last me too long as i like a good social life and love to travel round spain, i have my residencia NIE etc, as i have already lived in spain a good 10 yrs or so, so the medical side of it is covered and i am good with my Spanish so that wont be a problem, however i know from past experience that going to the beach having bbqs and drinking in the bars can only last so long, and boredom sets in for me, hence the reason i asked about work, id like to be able to settle, i think ill come over give it a go, from what you guys have said to me ill be surrounded by great people and that's whats important xx

I came over with 30 kg off luggage, yes its hard but you can do it if you are prepared to do anything, you do need a bit of luck and contracts are hard to find. Be brave, give a go.

wow well done you jescapes, don't know if I could be that brave, I do know that if I don't go back to spain I will regret it, I hate the life over here, its cold boring the people walk around with their heads down, no one wants to interact with anyone, to be honest I should never have came back in the first place, so hopefully ill see you when I arrive xx

Think about a move to Quesada as a friendlier place ,better social life and much saver never any trouble.Police station on both sides of Quesada being rojales and benijfor

Quesada? never thought about there, I will have a look at that too, thank you xx

"never any trouble.Police station on both sides of Quesada".

Wonder why they have police on both sides?

Much nicer and safer in La Marina!!

They're not Police Stations, but Border Controls to stop escapee's from La Marina trying to enjoy themselves

Well done peter and marko, I haven't stopped laughing since reading your last posts.

Hi Marko - You've been very quiet this Christmas. Did you evade the border patrols?

Quesada or la marina ? No contest come to la marina...

We moved to La Marina 5 years ago. We rented to start with, with the intention of finding a place off the Urb. Having lived 6 months on the Urb, we loved it so much that we bought a place. There is always so much going on at the various places on the Urb, and you can walk everywhere!
Quesada is a nice place too, but does not have any bus services, so when you get older and can not use a car, you will feel cut off. From La Marina there are buses to Alicante, Elche, Torrevija, Orihuela, and Guardamar Del Segura. The buses are a bit late at times, but do arrive and are cheap.
For us it is the Urb every time!

Must admit that the bus service is shocking in Quesada. There does seem to be a lot of buses, but most seem empty, I think its due to lack of advertising and foresight between town councils.

Sorry Peter, didn't respond before as the original post was about La Marina. I'm not looking at the site as much, as I can more or less work out whats coming up next.... Council Waste, Corruption, Police Stop and the favorite -- Bar Noise.

La Marina it is then, thank you very much for all your comments, hope to meet with you guys when I arrive.

Go for it
Once there you would wonder what you have read, as clearly not the same once there
Have fun :-)

Hi Marko, There is more of a smell of corruption in San Ful these days due to accusations referring to 'A football club' and its directors who get paid. I've been trying to get some answers as I am meant to be vice president of San Fulgencio football club and know nothing about this.