Looking to relocate to Los Alcazares, pros and cons please

I would like to answer your question with my questions:

Did you visit/spent time in/around LA? If yes: What was what that attracted, you?

What are your hobbies? The day has 24 hours. (OK minus 6/8 hours sleep) Social life,  Pub watching sport with a crowd,  Member of a choir, Support charities? If golf: more opportunities that you can handle……

What do I have to understand about “nice quite place”?

OK, I would say not near a bar who is doing every night a gig…

Would you be willing to travel (car or taxi) if there was something what is attracting to you or just “walk around the corner”? There are just little “villages” around…..

In the area of LA there are some “safe places” and some where you can be hit by heavy rain:

Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (Zonas Inundables)

https://www.chsegura.es/portalchsic/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=78668c5c6f9f40cdafa3677e6b1485ca&codif=&nombre=Zonas%20inundables

No Estate agency will tell you about this.

Are you buying or renting?

My main worry: If you watched “A place in the sun” and attracted to the prices of properties come and look for yourself.

My recommendation is: Make a list (each of you) of your dreams and talk about it together to find out what you want

Come down here off season and get a feeling what it is in winter. Hire a car and travel around.

Thanks for the reply, we are buying, never been to LA, just back from Malaga which was our 1st choice, after living there for a couple of months we have decided against this due to the high villages steep streets, this not such a problem right now, however, will be in our older years.  LA is flatter and we feel we can live out our lives there, our hobbies are hiking, reading, socializing, golf could be a possibility.  Dont want to be in an area where we would get flooded, would prefer to either walk or taxi to bars and cafes., dont particularly want to be in the thick of it, but not too far away either.  We would appreciate any advice from you, can you recommend any areas, we are looking for a 2 bed villa with some outside space, thanks again in advance

We searched on the web with kyero & fotocasa what properties are around, set a budget, search with google maps where the property could be. Try to learn the language of the estate agent: sunny (gets very hot in the summer) duplex (this is MY translation: the rooms are so small that when the sun shines in you have to leave because the room feels overcrowded). Look for the villages that are around lots of opportunities. Check out the golf resorts, for some very attractive without playing golf, its a personal thing. Rent an Appartement for a couple of weeks.....

Thanks, is there any villages you would recommend 

Hi Carol,

We rented for winter months in Los Alc. last few years.  First on a complex.  No privacy & walls like cardboard. Could hear neighbours all hours.  Next times rented detached villa.  Superb.  Loved it and decided to move.  We rented and came across in July 2020.   In summer it's packed.  June-Oct .  Noise practically 24/7.  We were on Isla Formentera.  BUT the holidays makers have saved and looked forward to letting their hair down for 2 weeks or so and it was cheerful, happy noise so we didn't mind too much.  Was up dancing at 3am to someones party across the street once!  Turns out I still got the moves :-))  Sooooooo.  

AND the other massive NONO for us was in July/Aug/Sept when I say it was hot it was sweltering.   Very high humidity.   Life was very uncomfortable and we showered, swam and changed about 3 times a days.  We were permanently exhausted. I love the heat and suffered heat exhaustion for a few days in August.   Only relief was driving out to other inland areas where, funnily enough, you did get breezes and less humidity.  It was wonderful up in the mountains.

We still love Los Alcazares, always will, but in the quieter months!  We finally bought in a small country town, about 12 min drive away, called Sucina.  The change in comfort, life in general was wonderful to us.  Cooling breezes every day.  Calmer pace of life.   And we can do a quick drive into Los Alc anytime we like. (In fact we lunched there & went on the prom just yesterday.)   By moving out we gave ourselves options and choices. We now have the best of all Murcia worlds.  We're super busy revamping and furnishing but feel we happy we made the right choice.

Hope I've given you another POV to consider too.  Good luck with the move and I'm sure, like us, you will be very happy in this wonderful, beautiful area.

So ask yourselves

Are you specifically after LA or the Mar Menor in general ?

The comments above are realistic. 

LA can be crowded, but if you like it a bit less buzzy, try Santiago de la Ribera. If you can cope with a flat (with a parking space) you can still live within 5 minutes' walk of the beach on a small budget. Last summer, my brother-in-law bought a 3 bedroom end-terrace house, with good exterior space and an 8 minute walk to the beach for 96K Euros. It is worth a lot less now (Covid, Brexit, floods - although his house was not flooded).

If you like it quiet, try Los Urrutias or Los Nietos.

Los Nietos puts you on the tram to La Union and Cartagena, so you can get to a full-on city pretty easily.

Wherever you go, check the flood info.

Hi Will,

Good advice.  We thought of Santiago la Ribera and Lo Pagan too.  But couldn't afford detached villa there!  (If we'd held on longer tho.......)   Checked out villages along coast too but flooding was a big problem. 

So we went with San Javier or Sucina.  Never thought but San Javier is a fairly large town too and nearer to Los Alcazares.  

Thanks for all your input guys👍

I'm probably looking for a villa, 2 bed. I have a budget of 100k. Preferably within an area of 3k from the beach and not in a flood area, is this possible?

Yes, perfectly possible.  Just get on to the local estate agents.  As someone already said - do beware of being left ignorant of any issues with property.  Do you're own research too.