I was 19 and on holiday in Malta when I saw something I have never forgotten. School had just finished, and the children were walking out of the gates and heading straight to the beach. I remember thinking, “I want this for my children.”
I was not making any decisions at 19, but that thought never left me. Years later, when Ed and I were deciding where to raise our own children, the question that mattered most became not where we wanted to live, but how we wanted our children to grow up. Families ask me every week where to live with children, and after more than 15 years helping them move to Spain, I still start with that question, long before anyone opens a property website.
This week, a short version of our family story appeared in The Telegraph. Answering the journalist’s questions took me back to the early days, when Ed and I were travelling and working wherever we could, long before we had children. A newspaper only has room for a few paragraphs, so here is the longer story, and what it taught me about choosing where your family lives.
We Travelled First and Chose Later
I was born in Liverpool, grew up in a small village called Lowton, and left for university in France at 17. I did not really stop moving for about ten years after that. I worked as a travel guide in Gran Canaria, in ski resorts in Andorra and the French Alps, all over Spain and the Spanish islands, and for short spells in Corsica, the USA and the Dominican Republic. I met Ed in Andorra when we were both travelling.
We settled in Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. Over the next seven years we got married, bought and sold our first home, set up and sold a snorkelling business, and had our two children.
We already knew what we wanted for them. We wanted a family life where our children could speak languages, spend time outdoors and grow up experiencing a different culture. We never doubted that southern Spain was the right place. But we did not do it overnight. In our interview with Expats Blog, I explained why we finally moved to the mainland:
“After the birth of our second child in Fuerteventura, we decided that mainland Spain offered both ourselves and our children a much better future than the islands.”
Choosing a Town Was Really About Choosing a School
We chose Mijas Pueblo, a white village in the hills above the Costa del Sol. The views were lovely, but that was not the main reason. It was the school. Our children were not going to international schools, so we looked at the local schools first and picked the village second. As I told Expat Arrivals:
“As we never intended for our children to attend international schools, we researched schools before deciding where to live.”
The village gave us plenty more. There was always something happening, and the children’s friends called out to them as we walked around. I described it like this:
“Imagine going to school in a village where you can get stuck behind horses and carriages and donkey taxis … it’s almost a fairy tale for a child!”
School first and home second is still the advice I give families today.
What I Told The Telegraph
The journalist asked why Spain. My answer was not about the weather. It was about what family life in Spain looks like day to day.
“Family is at the heart of everyday life, children are welcome everywhere, people spend more time outdoors, and life feels less centred around work. We weren’t just choosing where we wanted to live; we were choosing how we wanted our children to grow up.”
That is how our days looked too. I taught languages, Ed worked from home and did the childcare, and it was fabulous for the children. We organised our lives around them, and we had lunch together every day.
It Was Not Always Easy, and Spain Is Not Perfect
I do not want to sell you a dream. Spain is not perfect, and it was not always straightforward for us. Even though I speak Spanish fluently, fitting into the village took time. In the Expat Arrivals interview, I said it “has, however, taken a couple of years despite being completely fluent in the language.” What helped was turning up. I helped with school activities whenever I could, and slowly the other parents accepted me.
That is why I said this to The Telegraph, and why I still believe it strongly today:
“Meticulous planning is crucial to a successful move. Mistakes can be very expensive.”
Where to Live With Children: What I Would Tell Any Family Now
Here is what I have learned from our own move and from years of helping other families.
Start With Daily Life, Not the Property
Most families begin with property listings. I would start with a simple question: what will a normal Monday morning look like? Who takes the children to school, how long does it take, and do you need a car? In my guide, Where Is the Best Place to Live in Spain With Children?, I wrote that the families who end up happiest:
“are not the ones who chose the most popular area. They are the ones who chose the area that fits how they live and offers the lifestyle they are looking for.”
Pick the School and the Town Together
In Spain, state school places depend partly on where you are officially registered. That register is called the Padrón, and your town hall keeps it. Each state school serves a set area around it, called its catchment area. If you choose a home first and the school you wanted is outside that area, you may have far fewer options than you expected. As I put it in the same guide:
“School and location need to be decided together, not one after the other.”
Private schools do not use catchment areas, but check how your children will get there each day. Our guide to education in Spain is a good place to start.
Rent First and See It in the Quiet Months
I have said this for years, and I said it to Expats Blog too:
“I always encourage people to rent for at least 12 to 18 months to really experience living, rather than holidaying in Spain.”
A resort town that feels wonderful in August can feel very different in January. Try to picture both. Buying in Spain adds costs of around ten to twelve per cent on top of the price, so a rushed purchase is an expensive mistake.
Think About Your Children’s Ages and Timing
Moving at the wrong age or the wrong time of year can make everything harder. I have warned for years that moving with children aged 10 to 16, while school is compulsory, can be much harder than families expect. In the Expat Arrivals interview, I said:
“Planning the time of your relocation is fundamental to its success.”
Seeing that old family photograph in the paper made us very proud of the life we chose for our children. Our son, Joshua, has recently secured his first “real job” in the UK, thanks in part to being bilingual. There is more to tell on that, and I will share it soon.
I still would not tell you Spain is perfect. There is paperwork, there are slow mornings, and some things take a couple of years to feel normal. But choosing where and how your family lives is one of the biggest decisions you can make, and it deserves proper thought. We made ours carefully, and we know it was the right one for us.
If you ask me about the best places to live in southern Spain for families, I will always start by asking you another question:
What does your family truly need?
I’ve been helping families work this out since 2010, and the honest answer is that there’s no single best place. There are only better and worse fits for your children, your budget and the life you want to build.
A good first step is to sit down together and make a checklist of what really matters to your family. List your priorities: school options, distance to work, amenities, community, climate, and budget. This turns your thoughts into something practical and gives you a clear starting point for your search.
Most people start their search in the same spot: Málaga and the Costa del Sol. It’s easy to see why. You get sunshine most of the year, an international airport with direct flights home, beaches you can reach in twenty minutes, and one of the biggest international communities in Europe. For many families, that combination is hard to beat.
But a two-week holiday in Marbella tells you almost nothing about what it’s like to do the school run from Mijas in September traffic, or to find a long-term rental in Málaga when everyone else wants the same area. Southern Spain rewards families who choose carefully.
This guide walks through the areas I get asked about most, being honest about what each one gets right and where it falls short. It will help you work out where your family should consider living and where you should start by visiting.
Why Families Choose Southern Spain
The pull is real. Children spend far more time outdoors here than they would in the UK, Ireland, Canada or the northern US. School finishes and kids are straight out on a bike, at the beach, or kicking a ball around a plaza until it gets dark. Food is healthy and delicous and cheap by international standards, the pace of life really is more relaxed, and Málaga airport puts you within a few hours of most of Europe.
There’s also scale. Málaga province has one of the largest international populations in Spain, which means English is spoken almost everywhere along the coast. International schools are easy to find, and you’re never the only foreign family at the school gate. (ISA, 2026)
What surprises people is how different that experience can be depending on exactly where you live. Southern Spain isn’t one big expat resort. A family in central Málaga lives a completely different life to a family in a golf urbanización outside Mijas, even though both would tell you they live “on the Costa del Sol.”
The Reality of Family Life in Southern Spain
I’d rather tell you the truth now than have you find it out the hard way after you’ve signed a rental contract.
The lifestyle is good. Healthcare is strong, both public and private. There’s a wide choice of international schools around Málaga and the Costa del Sol, and property comes in every shape, from beachfront apartments to inland farmhouses with land. Málaga airport gives you real connectivity, which matters more than people expect once grandparents start visiting or you’re flying home for Christmas.
But the region has changed a lot, not always to families’ advantage. Rents have climbed sharply. Málaga province now has the highest average rents in Andalucía by a wide margin (El Español), well ahead of Sevilla, Cádiz, Huelva and Granada, and the province’s average rent, around €18 to €19 per square metre in mid 2026, has now overtaken Barcelona’s. Marbella and Benahavís currently lead the coast on price. (Idealista, 2026) That doesn't mean you can’t find somewhere affordable, but it does mean “moving south” is no longer a way to cut your cost of living, and you need to budget properly before you commit.
To give you a clearer idea, here is an example of a typical monthly budget for a family of four living in the Málaga area:
Rent for a three-bedroom apartment: €1,600 to €2,200 (depending on area)
Utilities (electricity, water, gas, internet): €180 to €250
Groceries: €450 to €600
School fees (international school, per child): €600 to €1,000
Activities and childcare: €120 to €200
Car expenses (fuel, insurance, parking): €150 to €220
Health insurance (if private): €120 to €180
Miscellaneous (transport, outings, etc.): €150 to €250
Overall, a realistic monthly budget for a family with two children at an international school can range from around €3,300 to over €4,700, depending on your choices and location. (Cost of Living in Málaga, Spain, 2023) Costs will be notably lower if you use public or concertado schools and live further inland, but it’s important to do the maths for your situation before committing.
Traffic is another one people underestimate. The coast road, and the A7 get congested at exactly the times that matter most to families: drop-off and pick-up. A school fifteen minutes away on the map can become a forty-minute crawl in September and June.
International schools solve many problems for newly arrived families, but they aren’t cheap, and fees have risen along with everything else. Admissions can also be competitive, and many international schools have waiting lists, so it’s best to start the application process as early as possible. (ISA, 2026) Most ask for applications between January and March for the following September, though some accept them year-round if places are available. You will usually need to provide school reports, passport details, and sometimes an interview or entrance assessment. State and concertado schools generally open registration in the spring for the following school year, with places allocated based on catchment area and, sometimes, siblings already enrolled. Planning ahead means you’re much more likely to secure your preferred school and avoid disappointment.
Some coastal towns also feel very different once the summer crowds leave. If you’re picturing year-round buzz, check what a place is actually like in the winter months before you commit.
I am not saying this to tell you not to come. I am saying it so you come with your eyes open and you know what to look out for.
Best Places to Live in Southern Spain for Families
There’s no single winner here. The right answer depends on your children’s ages, your budget, whether you’ll be working locally or remotely, and how much Spanish life you actually want to live. Below are the areas families ask me about most, with an honest take on what each one offers.
Málaga City: Best for Families Who Want City Life
Málaga stopped being just “the airport you fly into” a long time ago. It’s now a vibrant city with beaches, hospitals, universities, museums and a metro. Many families choose to live here rather than on the coast.
Each part of Málaga offers a different kind of living. Pedregalejo and El Palo feel like seaside villages that happen to sit inside a city, with a strong local community, good beach access and a string of beachside chiringuitos where seafood Sunday lunch tends to run late into the afternoon. Cerrado de Calderón and El Limonar are quieter and more residential, and popular with international families, not least because The British School of Málaga is right there, with the Lycée Français de Málaga also within easy reach. Teatinos, on the university side of the city, is more modern and practical, with good transport links but less character. For a change of pace with younger children, Parque de Málaga along the port and the city’s science and art museums make for an easy afternoon out.
The trade-off is cost and traffic. Málaga has become an expensive city to rent or buy in, and getting across town at the wrong time of day takes patience. If city life matters to your family more than space, it’s worth it. If you need a garden and quiet, look further along the coast.
Benalmádena: Coastal Life With Good Connections
Benalmádena works well for families who want the sea without giving up easy access to Málaga. It is located on the train line that runs along the coast to the airport and the city. This makes a big difference once you’re doing regular school runs, work trips or airport pickups.
The town has fairly distinct characters. Benalmádena Costa is the beachfront, busy and full of amenities, with family beaches like Bil-Bil and Malapesquera and a marina, Puerto Marina, with plenty to keep children entertained. Benalmádena Pueblo, up on the hill, feels like a proper Andalusian village. In between, the residential areas offer larger homes and a quieter pace. Schools range from the British curriculum Benalmádena International College to a nearby Norwegian school. There are plenty of family friendly activities with the cable car up Mount Calamorro, Tivoli World, and Selwo Marina all close by. It’s popular with international families and offers a solid housing choice without asking you to trade lifestyle for convenience.
Mijas Pueblo, Mijas Costa and Mijas Campo: Popular With International Families
Mijas is one of the most varied municipalities on the coast, and that's both its strength and its confusion. It's really three different places sharing one name, so it's worth looking at each on its own rather than lumping them together.
Mijas Pueblo is the white village up in the hills, all steep streets, viewpoints and the donkey taxis that are a genuine novelty for children. It's beautiful, but day-to-day life here is more removed, more Spanish, and a proper drive from the beach, so it tends to suit families who want atmosphere and space more than convenience.
Mijas Costa is the coastal strip where many international families actually live. It runs through Riviera del Sol, Calahonda and La Cala de Mijas, with beaches including La Cala and El Chaparral, a strong international community, and reasonably easy access to Fuengirola and Marbella. Novaschool Sunland, a bilingual British-Spanish school, is close by, with more options a short drive away in Fuengirola and Marbella. La Cala also has a real town centre and a proper year-round community, rather than feeling like a resort that only wakes up in summer.
Mijas Campo is the inland, countryside side of the municipality, dotted with golf resorts such as La Cala Golf and Mijas Golf. It suits families who want more land and a quieter pace, but you'll depend on a car for almost everything, including the school run.
What catches people out is location within Mijas itself. Depending on which of the three you choose, your daily commute and school run can look completely different, so don't judge the municipality as a whole. Look at each of the different areas individually.
Fuengirola: Convenient and Family Friendly
If I had to pick the most practical family town on the Costa del Sol, it would probably be Fuengirola. It has a real town centre that works year-round, not just in summer, along with beaches, shops, sports facilities, schools, and a train line straight to Málaga. The beach runs the length of the town, and Bioparc Fuengirola, a well-regarded zoo built into the landscape, and Sohail Castle on the seafront are favourites with children. In terms of schools, Fuengirola has one of the widest ranges on the coast, from Sisu International School for the Finnish curriculum and Svenska Skolan for Swedish families to British options such as St Anthony’s College.
It suits families who want daily life to be easy, rather than a resort that empties in October. The trade-off is density. If your picture of Spain involves a large villa with a private pool and total privacy, Fuengirola probably isn’t it, although the sought after areas or El Coto and La Sierrazuela are a short drive away. So, if you want somewhere that feels like a real town with everything on your doorstep, Fuengirola is hard to beat.
Marbella: More Than Just Luxury
Marbella is not only for the rich and famous. Most people picture Puerto Banús, superyachts, and five-star hotels, and miss that entire residential neighbourhoods are home to families living ordinary, year-round lives.
Areas like Nueva Andalucía, Elviria and San Pedro de Alcántara have strong communities, a wide choice of international schools, and plenty of sport and activities for children. Some of the region’s longest established international schools are based around here, including Aloha College, Swans International School and Laude San Pedro International College, which is a real draw if schooling is your priority. For children there’s Funny Beach water park, Marbella’s old town for an evening stroll, and a run of good family beaches from La Fontanilla to Casablanca.
The honest downside is cost. Marbella and neighbouring Benahavís currently have some of the highest property and rental prices anywhere on the Costa del Sol, and that gap has widened in recent years. If your budget can stretch, you get an excellent family setup. If it can’t, Mijas Costa or Estepona are worth a look instead, both are within easy reach.
Estepona: A Growing Family Destination
Estepona has changed more than almost anywhere else on the coast over the past decade. The town has invested heavily in its seafront and public spaces, attracting a steady flow of families who want coastal living without Marbella's price tag or pace.
Housing ranges from apartments to villas, and the town has a slower, more liveable feel than some of its neighbours. It also has a growing range of schools, including Atalaya British International College and the International School of Estepona. Children love Selwo Aventura, the safari park just outside town, as well as the murals and orchidarium in the old quarter. The beaches, Playa del Cristo and La Rada among them, are quieter than Marbella’s. The main question is how often you’ll need to get to Málaga or Marbella, since Estepona is further west and that drive adds up if you’re doing it daily.
Nerja: A Different Side of the Costa del Sol
East of Málaga, Nerja feels like a different coast altogether. It’s smaller, backed by mountains rather than sprawl, and known for some of the best beaches in the province, Burriana and Calahonda among them, plus the Nerja Caves and the Balcón de Europa viewpoint for an easy family day out.
It has a solid international community and a good quality of life. However, schooling is more limited here than further west, with mostly Spanish-language and bilingual options rather than dedicated international schools. It is further from Málaga than the western towns, so the real question is how often you’ll need to commute in. For families working remotely or running their own business, that distance barely matters. For anyone tied to an office in the city, it’s worth thinking through properly before you commit.
Inland Málaga: More Space, a Different Lifestyle
Not every family wants to live by the sea, and inland towns like Alhaurín el Grande and Coín, in the Guadalhorce Valley, offer a different version of southern Spain. You get more land, bigger houses, proper gardens and pools, and a much stronger Spanish community than you’ll find on the coast. Schools here are almost entirely Spanish, which suits families who want full immersion, and children’s lives tend to revolve more around riding, hiking, and the local ferias than the beach.
If you are looking for international schools, MIT and Sunland Novaschool are a short drive away and offer transportation services.
The trade-off is the car. There’s no getting around it: a car is essential here, and you need to think through the school run and your commute properly before you buy or rent. For families who want space and a real Spanish lifestyle, and who don’t mind driving, it can be some of the best value in the province.
What About Cádiz and the Costa de la Luz?
Southern Spain is larger than Málaga, and I say that as someone who moved from the Costa del Sol to the Costa de la Luz. Chiclana de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz city, and Jerez offer a version of family life in Spain that feels more authentically Spanish and less geared toward international families. What you get in return is space, some of the longest, widest Atlantic beaches in Spain, La Barrosa in Chiclana and Bolonia among them, and an outdoor life built around the beach, horse riding and watersports rather than resort activities.
That’s not a criticism. For some families, it’s exactly what they’re looking for: quieter towns, a strong local community, and an even slower pace than the Costa del Sol. What you give up is choice, fewer international schools, a smaller support network for newcomers, and less English spoken day-to-day. Whether that’s a positive or a drawback depends entirely on what your family actually wants from the move. If you’d like a feel for the area before you commit to anything, we rent out our family home,Casa Las Chanclas, in July and August.
If quieter, greener living matters more to you than guaranteed sunshine, it’s also worth reading aboutthe best places to live in northern Spain, which is a different proposition again.
How to Choose the Right Place in Southern Spain for Your Family
Every family I’ve worked with who got their move right did one thing in common: they chose their location based on their family’s needs, not on a property listing.
Start With Schools, Not the House
This is the mistake I see most often. Families fall for a house first, then look at nearby schools and discover the options are limited, or the drive is longer than they’d like. Do it the other way round. Decide whether you want an international school or a Spanish state or concertado school (a semi-private, state-funded option that’s common across Spain), find the ones that suit your children, and only then look for somewhere to live within a sensible distance. Oureducation guide is a good place to start if you’re weighing that decision.
Work Out Your Commute Before You Sign Anything
Ask yourself honestly whether you’ll be working remotely, working locally, or somewhere in between, and how often you’ll realistically need to travel. A beautiful house forty-five minutes from school stops feeling beautiful fairly quickly once you’re doing that drive twice a day in the summer traffic and heat.
Budget for the Whole Picture, Not Just Rent or Purchase Price
Housing costs vary enormously across southern Spain, and Málaga city, Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola and Estepona are totally different markets, so don’t assume one figure applies everywhere. Whether you’rebuying orrenting, build in school fees if you’re going private or international, car running costs, insurance, utilities, activities, healthcare, flights home, and the unexpected costs that always turn up in the first year.
Decide Between a Spanish School and an International School
This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, and there’s no universally right answer. International schools make the transition easier for children who don’t speak Spanish, but they come at a cost most families haven’t budgeted for. Spanish state and concertado schools are far more immersive, usually free or low cost, and can be a good long-term option, especially for younger children who pick up the language quickly.
Be Honest About the Lifestyle You Actually Want
Do you want to walk to school, or are you happy driving? Do you want a garden, or is being near the beach more important? Do you want your children to integrate fully into Spanish life, or do you want a strong international community around you? These questions matter more than whether a property has a sea view, and they’re worth answering honestly before you start looking at properties at all.
Is Southern Spain Right for Your Family?
Southern Spain can offer an excellent quality of life for families, but it isn’t automatically the right choice for everyone.
It tends to work well for families who want an outdoor lifestyle, who are prepared to adapt rather than expect Spain to work like home, and who’ve thought seriously about education and budget.
It’s less likely to work if you need very affordable housing, if you’re relying on the local job market without speaking Spanish, if you dislike hot summers, or if you need to be within a specific distance of one particular school.
The real question isn’t where the best place to live in southern Spain is. It’s where the best place for your family to live in southern Spain is, and that answer is different for everyone.
How I Help Families Choose Where to Live in Southern Spain
Choosing where to live is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when you move to Spain, and getting it wrong with children in tow is a lot more disruptive than getting it wrong on your own.
I’ve spent more than thirty years living in Málaga and on the Costa de la Luz, and now I work with my team to help families compare areas honestly, choose schools that fit their children, plan realistic commutes and budgets, and avoid the expensive mistakes I’ve seen other families make.
If you’d like hands-on support with your move, our relocation packages cover the areas where families need the most help. We can help you find and apply to schools, narrow down housing options that suit your budget and lifestyle, organise orientation visits, and arrange ongoing support as you settle in. We also provide support with paperwork and local registrations. If you’d like to talk through your situation or get more details, you can find out more aboutour relocation packages.
Before you open Idealista or Rightmove, start with your family. Think about your children, their schooling, your work, and what you can really afford once every cost is on the table. Choose the location after that, not before.
Get it right, and southern Spain can give your family a fabulous life. Get it wrong, and you’ll spend your first year driving from one side of the Costa del Sol to the other, wondering why it isn’t working. The difference usually comes down to how much thought went into it before you signed anything.
And remember, I am here to help you. You only have to ask!
There is no single correct answer to the question “Where is the best place to live in Spain with children?” There is only the place that is best for your particular family.
I understand why people search for a straight answer. It would be so much easier if I could simply hand you a list of towns and tell you to pick one. But after years of helping families settle here, I can confidently say that the families who end up happiest are not the ones who chose the most popular area. They are the ones who chose the area that fits how they live and offers the lifestyle they are looking for.
Spain is not one lifestyle
It is very easy to talk about moving to Spain as though it offers one type of life. It does not. Madrid is not Málaga. Málaga is not Cádiz. A busy coastal resort is not a quiet inland town, even if they are less than an hour apart.
The climate alone can surprise people. The south generally offers the warmest weather and the most reliable sunshine. The wettest place in the whole of Spain is actually Grazalema, a village in the province of Cádiz, which surprises many people. In more rural or mountainous areas, winters can feel properly cold, and many properties are not built to cope with that. So before you fall for the idea of Spain as one sunny, easy lifestyle, take the time to understand what that lifestyle really looks like in the specific area you are considering.
Start with your daily life, not the property
Most families begin their search by looking at properties. I would encourage you to start somewhere else entirely.
Ask yourself where your children will go to school, and how far that will be from wherever you end up living. Ask how you and your partner will work together, and whether that changes which location makes sense. Ask whether you will need a car for daily life, or whether you would rather manage without one. Ask how far you are willing to travel each day, not how far it looks on a map, but how far it feels at half past eight on a Monday morning with two tired children in the back seat. Ask what you want your weekends to look like once the excitement of the move has settled down.
Answer these questions honestly before you look at a single property listing, and you will save yourself a great deal of wasted time later.
Your children’s school may determine where you live
This is one of the points I stress most with families, because it so often gets missed. In Spain, state school places are allocated in part based on where you are officially registered, as shown by your address on the Padrón. If you choose a property first and then discover the school you wanted is out of the catchment area, you may be left with far fewer options than you expected.
School and location need to be decided together, not one after the other. Work out which schools suit your child, then look at which areas realistically put you within reach of them, rather than choosing a beautiful property and hoping a good school happens to be nearby.
If you are considering private education, catchment areas are not an issue; however, research the school’s transport options if you do not plan to drive the school run every day.
Many families are naturally drawn to the coast, and it is easy to see why. You get established infrastructure, international schools, easier access to services, and a lifestyle that is simple to settle into quickly. The trade-off is higher demand and higher prices, and some coastal areas can feel extremely busy at certain times of year.
Move twenty or thirty minutes inland, and the picture changes completely. You tend to get more space for your money, a stronger sense of local community, and a slower pace of life. But you will likely rely more on a car, and some services will be farther away.
Neither option is better than the other. They are simply different, and the right choice depends on how your family wants to live day-to-day.
City, town or countryside?
Some families thrive in a busy city or town, where there is always something happening and everything is close at hand. Others are looking for something much quieter, a village or a residential area where life moves more slowly and feels more contained.
Both can work extremely well. But they lead to very different everyday experiences, and it is worth picturing how each one will feel not just in your first excited month, but six months or a year down the line, once the novelty has worn off and you are living your daily life there.
Do you really want to live where you go on holiday?
This is a question I ask many of the families I work with.
The places people love on holiday are not always the places they would choose to live full time. A lively resort town can feel wonderful for two weeks in August and completely different in January, when the shutters are down, the restaurants are closed, and the streets that felt so alive are almost empty. On the flip side, some of the quieter areas that feel unremarkable on a short visit turn out to be exactly where families settle happily for years. Try to separate the feeling of being on holiday from the reality of living somewhere every single day of the year.
How important is having a car?
For most families, a car in Spain is not optional; it is part of daily life. Beyond the obvious — the school run, the weekly shop, getting to activities — there is one factor people often underestimate: how close you are to an airport.
Once you move, people will come to visit you, which is part of the joy of this whole experience. But there will also be times you need to get back home quickly, sometimes at short notice, and knowing that is straightforward gives real peace of mind. As a general guideline, I suggest staying within about an hour of an airport, or having an easy connection to one. If one parent travels regularly for work, this becomes even more important, and it is worth thinking through honestly before you commit to an area.
What does the local community feel like?
This is the part that is almost impossible to judge from a property website or a short visit. Two areas can look nearly identical online and feel completely different once you are actually living there. One street can be far more practical for family life than the one next to it, closer to school, easier for parking, friendlier for a young family, and none of that shows up in a property listing.
This is exactly why we introduced Orientation Tours specifically for families. There is no sales pressure and no estate agent involved, just time to really explore different areas, ask the questions that matter to you, and start to feel which places actually fit and which do not.
Why you should rent before buying
I have said this to families for years, and it still holds true. Unless you have already spent real time living in an area, not just visiting on holiday, renting first is almost always the right decision.
Buying property in Spain comes with purchase costs of around ten to twelve per cent on top of the price, which makes a rushed decision an expensive one. Renting gives you time to test whether an area works for your family before you commit long-term.
I will be honest with you, the rental market has changed. Good long-term rentals are harder to find than they used to be, particularly along the Costa del Sol, so start your search earlier than you think you need to and be prepared to move quickly when the right property appears. If you are financially secure and already confident about your chosen area, buying can absolutely make sense, but it should come from real knowledge of a place, not from the excitement of a single viewing trip.
Ten questions to ask before choosing your Spanish location
Once you have thought through everything above, sit down and be honest with yourself about each of these.
Have I looked beyond the general idea of Spain and properly researched this specific area?
Do I understand what the climate here is really like at different times of the year?
Have I identified which schools I want before I start looking at properties?
Am I within the catchment area of the school I actually want? (state schools)
Have I chosen coastal or inland based on how we want to live, not just on price?
Have I pictured this area in both January and August?
Do I know how close I am to an airport, and how that affects my peace of mind?
Have I spent time in the area itself, rather than only looking at listings online?
Am I planning to rent first, rather than buying based on a short visit?
Can I picture an ordinary weekday here, not just a holiday?
Your choice of location will also shape your children’s education, your daily routine, and how much Spanish you actually need to get by, which is exactly what the next article in this series looks at.
The Location chapter of Moving to Spain with Children explores the questions that are difficult to answer from a property website or a two-week inspection trip. Look inside the book on Amazon to read more.
There is no single best month to move to Spain with children. Anyone who tells you otherwise is oversimplifying a decision that depends on your children’s ages, the school year, your paperwork, your finances and your own personal circumstances. But some “times” make the first few months not easier than others, and once you understand why, the right timing for your own family usually becomes obvious.
Why timing matters more once children are involved
If you were moving alone, you could arrive whenever suited you and figure the rest out as you went. Children change that. They have a school year to fit into, friendships to leave behind and rebuild, and routines that give them a sense of stability. Get the timing right, and a lot of the emotional weight of the move is lifted. Get it wrong, and you can end up fighting against the calendar for months, on top of everything else you are already managing.
Should you move during the Spanish summer holidays?
Summer is when most families choose to move, and there are good reasons for that. If you arrive in June or July, your children can start the new school year in September alongside everyone else, rather than walking into a classroom partway through the year as the obvious newcomer. Many state schools also run an escuela de verano, a summer school, in July, which gives children a gentle way to meet future classmates and pick up a little Spanish before term starts.
The downside is that summer is also the busiest and most competitive time to arrive. Long-term rental properties become much harder to find in July and August because many landlords switch to short-term holiday lets during these months, when returns are far higher. Government offices and some private services also operate on reduced hours in August, which can slow down any process involving paperwork. If you are moving in summer, start your property search and your admin earlier than you think you need to.
What if you need to move during the school year?
Sometimes summer simply is not possible. A job start date, a visa appointment or a family circumstance can force your hand. That is not a disaster, but it does mean doing a little more homework.
State school applications in Spain are normally submitted in March, with places confirmed before the summer and the school year beginning in September. If you arrive outside that window, you are not automatically shut out, but you will need to check directly with schools in your chosen area about mid-year availability, rather than assuming a place will simply appear. Private and international schools tend to be more flexible on timing, though popular schools can still have waiting lists regardless of when you apply.
How old are your children?
Age changes what “good timing” actually means for your family. Younger children, particularly those of nursery or early primary age, tend to adapt quickly regardless of when in the year you arrive. They are less tied to established friendships and pick up a new language with surprising speed.
Older children and teenagers need more careful thought. Moving a teenager close to an important stage of Spanish secondary education, such as the run-up to ESO exams or into the final years of Bachillerato before Selectividad, adds real academic pressure on top of everything else they are adjusting to. If you have a teenager approaching one of these stages, it is worth speaking to schools in advance about how a mid-course move would actually work for them.
When should one parent move first?
For some families, particularly where one parent has a fixed work relocation date, it makes sense for one parent to go ahead first. This can allow that parent to secure housing, get a feel for the local schools and start the paperwork process before the rest of the family arrives, which can reduce pressure once everyone is together.
It does come with real downsides, though. Family separation, even temporary, puts strain on everyone, including the children left waiting for the move to happen. If this is the route your family needs to take, keep the gap as short as you realistically can, communicate with your children honestly about why it is happening, and use the time apart to get as much practical groundwork done as possible, so the whole family is not starting from zero when they arrive.
Do not forget the paperwork
Your visa or residency timeline should be one of the biggest factors in choosing your moving date, not an afterthought once you have already picked one.
If you are a non-EU family, visa processing can take several months, and certain documents, such as criminal record checks and medical certificates, are only valid for a limited period once issued, which means starting too early can be just as much of a problem as starting too late. Once you arrive on a long stay visa, you also need to register with the local police and book your fingerprinting appointment for your TIE within one month of arrival, so your moving date needs to allow for that as well.
If you are an EU family, the process is more straightforward, but appointments for the NIE, residency and the Padrón still take time to arrange, and some town halls are busier than others. Add school applications and, if you are renting, the lead time needed to secure a property in a competitive market, and you can see why timing needs to be planned as one connected process, not several separate ones.
What will the first three months be like?
Whatever date you choose, it helps to know roughly what you are walking into. In the first few months, you will be registering on the Padrón, opening or activating a Spanish bank account, sorting out your children’s school registration, and waiting on at least one or two paperwork appointments that take longer than you would like. Your children will be adjusting to a new environment, a new language, and, quite possibly, new friends they are not yet familiar with. None of this is a sign that something has gone wrong. It is simply what settling in looks like, and having realistic expectations from the start makes it much easier to cope.
Your family relocation timeline
I want to be honest with you here. A neat countdown of twelve months, six months, three months and one month is easy to write, but it does not reflect how this move actually works. A non-EU family managing a visa application is working to a completely different clock from an EU family whose main fixed point is the school calendar. Rather than counting down from your moving date, it helps to work backwards from two things that do not move: when Spanish state school applications open in March, and how long your particular visa route actually takes.
At least a year out, if you have not already spent real time in the areas you are considering, this is when I would build in a proper orientation visit, not a holiday, but a dedicated trip to explore different areas, look at schools from the outside and start narrowing down where your family might actually settle. If you are a non-EU family, this is also when to start researching your visa route in detail, since processing times vary considerably and some required documents, such as criminal record checks, are only valid for a limited period once issued, so gathering everything too soon can cause problems in its own right.
Nine to twelve months before, non-EU families should be well into their visa application, not just starting it, once you account for realistic processing times. If you are aiming for a September school start, which remains the easiest timing for most families, this is also when to settle on your target area firmly enough to start looking seriously at property, since state school applications open the following March and you will want an address, or at least a firm plan for one, well ahead of that.
Six months before, EU families are often well placed for a second, more focused visit, ideally spending proper time in an area rather than relying on listings from a distance. Non-EU families should realistically be approaching visa approval by this point rather than freshly submitting an application.
Around March, if you are targeting a September start, this is when Spanish state school applications actually open, and you will need your address, your Padrón registration or a clear plan for it), and documents such as birth certificates and their translations ready to go. Your property search should be well underway by now too, not just beginning, given how competitive good long-term rentals have become in popular areas.
One to two months before, confirm your children’s school place once offers are released, finalise your bank account and currency transfer arrangements, and book your removals or shipping if you are bringing belongings with you.
In your first month in Spain, register on the Padrón, and check locally whether that needs to happen before or after your NIE or residency application, since the order varies from one town hall to another. Book your NIE or TIE appointment if you have not already, enrol your children at school, and register with your local health centre.
A final word from me …
My advice to you is to allow more time than you think you need. Visas, documents, schools and property can all take longer than expected. If possible, visit Spain before committing to a location or property and use the trip to see schools, neighbourhoods and everyday travel routes.
Once you know roughly when your family is moving, the next big decision is where. Location affects everything from schooling to daily life, and it deserves just as much thought as your moving date. We discuss location in the next article in this series: READ Where Is the Best Place to Live in Spain With Children?
If you would like the fuller picture, my book Moving to Spain with Children, 2026 edition, includes a full chapter on timing that covers exactly how to weigh up your children’s needs, the school calendar, and your own paperwork together.
Before you start looking at houses or schools, there is a more important question to answer.
Is Spain actually the right choice for your family, or does it simply sound like the right choice from wherever you are sitting right now?
This stage looks at the four decisions I encourage every family to think through properly before they start planning the practical side of the move: whether Spain is right for you at all, when you should go, where you should live, and how much Spanish you actually need. Get these four straight, and everything that follows — schools, visas, healthcare and money — becomes far easier to plan properly.
This is where every family should start, and it is the one question I see most families skip past on their way to the exciting parts. Should You Move to Spain With Children looks honestly at why families really want to move, what Spain can and cannot fix, and the real difference between a two-week holiday and an ordinary school day living here. READ the article: Should You Move to Spain With Children? 10 Questions to ask yourself!
2. When is the best time to move to Spain?
Once you know Spain could be right for you, timing becomes the next big factor, and it matters more than most families realise once children are involved. When Is the Best Time to Move to Spain works through your children’s ages, the Spanish school calendar, visa timelines and the practical reality of choosing a moving date that actually works. READ the article: When Is the Best Time to Move to Spain With Children?
3. Where is the best place to live in Spain with children?
There is no single best place to live in Spain, only the place that is best for your family. Where Is the Best Place to Live in Spain With Children walks through how location, schools, lifestyle and transport all connect, and why the area that feels perfect on holiday is not always the one that works for daily life. READ the article: Where is the best place to live in Spain with children?
4. Do you need to speak Spanish before moving to Spain?
Language worries stop many families before they even get started, often for the wrong reasons. Do You Need to Speak Spanish Before Moving to Spain gives an honest answer to how much Spanish your family really needs, what that means for your children, and what you can realistically achieve before you move. READ the article: TBC
These four questions build on each other
I would encourage you to work through these in order rather than jumping straight to the one that interests you most. Whether you should move shapes how seriously you take the rest of this process. When you move affects where you can realistically live and which schools are even an option. Where you live affects how much Spanish you will need day-to-day. None of these decisions sits in isolation, and treating them as four separate questions rather than four parts of the same decision is where many families lose their way.
Where this leads next…
Once you have worked through these four questions, the decisions get more practical. Stage 2 of this guide covers choosing a school, understanding your visa and residency route, sorting out healthcare, and building a realistic budget — the foundations you need in place before you commit to a property or a move date.
You can also return to the main Moving to Spain With Children guide at any point to see the full picture of how all four stages fit together.
Moving to Spain with Children, 2026 edition, takes these four decisions further and covers the practical realities of relocating your family, from education and property to visas, healthcare, money and settling into Spanish life.
Look inside the book and read a sample on Amazon before you make your plans.
Spain looks like the perfect place to raise a family. Sunshine for most of the year, an outdoor lifestyle, more time together as a family, and a pace of life that feels a world away from wherever you are reading this from. I understand the appeal completely. I have lived it for over three decades, and I have spent many of those years helping other families make the same move.
But before you start looking at schools or scrolling through property listings, I want you to ask yourself a much simpler question. Is moving to Spain actually right for your family? Or does it just look right from where you are standing right now, tired, stressed, and dreaming of something different?
This article will not tell you to move to Spain. It will not tell you not to. What it will do is help you work out, honestly, whether this move makes sense for your family before you spend any money or any time on the practical side of it.
Why are you thinking about moving to Spain?
Every family I have ever worked with had a reason for wanting to move. Sometimes it is one clear reason. More often it is several, tangled together.
Maybe you want a better lifestyle for your children, more time outdoors, less pressure, a slower pace. Maybe it is the weather, plain and simple, and the idea of grey skies for half the year has finally worn you down. Maybe you have looked at the Spanish school system and think it might suit your child better than what is on offer at home. Maybe your work has become location independent, and you have realised there is no real reason to stay where you are. Or maybe it is simpler than any of that: you just want a change, and Spain is the change you keep coming back to.
None of these reasons is wrong. But it is important that you can name yours clearly, because the reason you move shapes the decisions you will make once you get here, from where you live to which school you choose. If you cannot explain, in one or two sentences, why your family wants to move to Spain specifically, that is worth thinking about before you go any further.
What do you expect your life here to look like?
This is where I often see families get caught out. They picture Spain as it feels on holiday, long lunches, empty afternoons, the sea a short walk away. Then they imagine that same feeling stretched out over an entire year, and they assume that is what living here will be like.
It is not.
I want you to picture an ordinary weekday, not a summer afternoon. Who is doing the school run, and how? What does your working day actually involve, and does your income still work from here? What happens when one of your children is unwell, and you need to see a doctor and explain the symptoms in a language you do not speak well yet? How are you getting to the supermarket, to activities, to the airport if you need to fly home in a hurry? Who are your friends, three months in, six months in, a year in?
Let me offer you an example. Picture a weekday morning: You wake up early, usually around 7:00. Breakfast is quick, often something simple like toast with olive oil, fruit, and juice. The children get ready for school, and you leave the house by 8:15 to walk or drive to the local colegio. Many Spanish schools start at 9:00, but some open earlier for morning care, so routines can vary. After school drop-off, you might stop by a café for a coffee before starting your own workday—either commuting to an office, settling in to work remotely, or running errands. If you work from home, you’ll learn to adjust to the local rhythm, which often includes a quiet midday period when shops close and life pauses. School finishes around 2:00 or sometimes 4:30, depending on the region and whether your children stay for comedor, the school lunch service. Private schools often finish later! Afternoons are filled with homework, extracurricular activities, or time on the beach. Dinner is later than you might be used to, usually at 8:00 or 9:00 pm, and evenings are often relaxed, spent together as a family. This kind of routine may feel very different from both your holiday memories and your current life, and it is worth thinking about how it might feel in practice.
None of this is meant to put you off. It is meant to replace the holiday version of Spain that might be in your head.
Will Spain solve the problems you have right now?
This is the question I would ask you to answer with complete honesty.
Moving to Spain can make a real difference to your family’s quality of life. I wouldn’t have built a career helping families do it if I didn’t believe that. But moving countries does not resolve problems that exist for reasons unrelated to where you live. If money is tight at home, it will still be tight in Spain, and in some ways the pressure can feel worse here while you find your feet. If a relationship is under strain, a stressful international move rarely eases that strain. If you are exhausted and burnt out, that feeling tends to follow you onto the plane.
Spain can be part of the answer to many things. It is very rarely the whole answer on its own. Be honest with yourself, and with your partner if you have one, about which of your problems you actually expect Spain to fix, and which ones you are simply hoping will disappear.
What about your children in all of this?
Your children haven’t chosen this move. You have. That does not mean you should not do it, but it does mean their needs deserve careful consideration, not just an assumption that they will adapt, as children usually do.
Age matters a great deal here. Younger children tend to settle faster, particularly into a new language and a new school. Older children and teenagers often find it harder, because they are leaving established friendships and, depending on their stage of education, moving school at a point that carries real academic weight. Personality matters too. A confident, sociable child will usually find their feet more quickly than a shy one, and that is something to be approached rather than hoped for. (School Transitions and Adolescent Development, 2026)
You can support your children as they adapt. If possible, start learning the language before you move, through simple conversation, online apps, or local classes. Once in Spain, look for after-school activities, sports, or clubs where your children can make friends outside the classroom. Encourage them to invite classmates home and to join community events, as building local connections helps foster a sense of belonging. Many schools offer additional language support for non-native speakers, so ask about this early on. Stay patient, keep communication open, and let your children express their feelings about the transition. Even a few small positive steps can make the adjustment much easier for everyone.
Talk to your children about the move, at whatever level suits their age. Ask them what they are looking forward to and what worries them. You will not be able to solve every worry, but knowing what they are carrying into this move will help you support them once you are here.
Can you actually afford the life you want in Spain?
Spain is often, though not always, cheaper than the UK, the US, or northern Europe for everyday living. But the life many families picture — private or international schooling, a house with a pool, regular flights home — comes with a cost that often catches people out. For example, in major cities or popular coastal areas, monthly rent for a family home can easily range from 3,000 to 5,000 euros, while buying a house with a pool usually starts at 550,000 euros and can go much higher depending on location. Private or international schools often charge between 4,000 and 10,000 euros per child per year in tuition fees, with additional fees for activities or meals. If you need private healthcare, expect to pay 60 to 200 euros per person per month for comprehensive coverage. On top of these, factor in return flights to your home country, which can add several thousand euros a year for a whole family. These are rough estimates, but they are useful starting points when planning your budget. (International School Fees in Spain 2026: Costs by City, 2026)
Housing, schooling, healthcare if you are not in the state system, transport, and activities all need to be budgeted accurately, not optimistically. Then set money aside for the costs nobody warns you about: the first few months of double expenses while you sort out a home, the furniture you don’t think you would need to buy, the unexpected trip home when a parent back in your home country falls ill. Families who arrive with a tight, hopeful budget and no room for the unexpected tend to struggle the most at the start.
Are you ready for Spanish paperwork?
I will only touch on this briefly here, because it deserves its own proper explanation later in this series and in the book. But you should know from the outset that visas, residency, the NIE, and Spanish bureaucracy in general take time, patience, and a willingness to follow a process that will not always make sense to you. If that already fills you with dread, it is worth understanding what is actually involved before you commit to a moving date.
Are you moving towards Spain, or away from something else?
This is the question I keep coming back to, because it tells me the most about how a move is likely to go.
There is a real difference between a family who is moving towards something, a lifestyle they have thought about, researched, and chosen deliberately, and a family who is moving away from something, a job they hate, a relationship that has broken down, a life at home that has simply become unbearable.
Both can lead to a happy life in Spain. But if you are moving away from something, be honest with yourself about it before you go. Spain will not undo the thing you are running from. It will simply become the place where you have to deal with it in a language you may not speak yet, without the support network you have built over the years at home.
Ten questions to ask before you decide
Before you move on to timing, location, or schools, sit down with your partner, if you have one, and answer each of these questions honestly.
Can I explain, in one or two sentences, why our family wants to move to Spain?
Have I pictured a normal weekday here, not just a holiday?
Am I expecting Spain to fix a problem that has nothing to do with location?
Have I talked to my children about how they feel about this move?
Do I understand how my income or work will actually function from Spain?
Have I built a realistic budget that includes the costs nobody talks about?
Do I know roughly which visa or residency route applies to our family?
Am I prepared for the pace of Spanish bureaucracy?
Am I moving towards a life I have chosen, or away from one I want to escape?
If the first year is harder than I expect, do I still believe this is the right decision?
If you can answer these honestly and still feel confident, you are in a strong position to start planning properly. If some of them make you uncomfortable, listen to that discomfort rather than pushing past it.
In the next article in this series, I will look at one of the questions families underestimate the most: timing. When you move, not just whether you move, has a real effect on how smoothly your first months in Spain will go. READ the article: When Is the Best Time to Move to Spain With Children?
If you want the fuller picture, including the questions that come after this one, my book Moving to Spain with Children, 2026 edition, brings together everything I have learned helping families make this move over more than three decades. You can look inside and read a sample on Amazon.
I published Moving to Spain with Children back in 2014, at a point when I had already spent years answering the same questions from families packing up their lives to start again here. That first edition found its way into lots of households. Parents told me they packed it in their hand luggage, read it over and over again before the move, and then again once the reality of Spanish paperwork actually hit home.
Twelve years on, most of the heart of that book still holds true. Family life in Spain is still one of the best decisions many of you will ever make. But the practical details that influence that decision have changed enormously, and some of what I wrote in 2014 is now simply out of date, or wrong.
So I sat down and rewrote it properly, chapter by chapter, checking every fact and every process against how Spain actually works in 2026. By updating all the core topics, I aimed to make sure the book is exactly what families need for their move now and in the coming years.
What’s Actually Changed Since 2014
Brexit alone rewrote half the rulebook for British families. As non-EU citizens, British citizens now follow pretty much the same path as Americans and Canadians. Freedom of movement disappeared, and in its place came a whole new set of visa routes: the Non-Lucrative Visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, the Entrepreneur Visa, each with its own income thresholds, paperwork and pitfalls. Spain also brought in a new immigration law in 2025 that changed work permit durations, raised the age limit for family reunification, and shortened the residency period needed before applying for permanent status.
Driving rules have moved on too. The warning triangle you were once told to carry is being phased out in favour of the V16 beacon. Child seat rules now follow the i-Size standard rather than the old weight-based groups. Even the alcohol limit for new and professional drivers has changed.
Pet travel changed completely once the old pet passport stopped being valid for pets travelling from the UK, replaced by the Animal Health Certificate. Healthcare access rules shifted more than once, and depend far more heavily now on your specific visa and work status than they did in 2014. And the rental and property market looks nothing like it did back then. In the most popular areas, prices have climbed by thirty to fifty per cent over the last five years alone, and finding a good long-term family rental now takes real strategy rather than luck.
None of this is a criticism of the original book. It was accurate for its time. But if a family reads outdated advice about a NIE application, a driving licence exchange, or a visa income threshold, that mistake can cost months of delay or real money.
What’s New in the 2026 Edition
Every chapter has been rewritten and fact-checked from scratch. There’s a full new section comparing the Digital Nomad Visa and the Non-Lucrative Visa, now essential for non-EU families. The healthcare chapter now walks through exactly which route into the Spanish system applies to your situation, because assuming that residency alone gives you access to public healthcare is one of the most expensive misunderstandings I see families make.
Financial planning has been expanded considerably, including guidance for US citizens navigating their own tax reporting obligations alongside Spanish residency, something that barely came up in 2014. The property and schools chapters reflect today’s tighter rental market and today’s school waiting lists, not the market of over a decade ago. And there’s a completely new section on meeting people and building a real social life here, because that’s the part families often underestimate until they’re already feeling isolated.
What Families Said About the First Edition
The original book was never written to sell a dream:
“The Bible for any parent aiming to live in Spain. Up to date, clear and full of vitally important information, Lisa’s book is a must-have for any parent considering moving to Spain or here now with their children.” Nick Snelling, Gandia, author
“Essential reading for anyone considering moving to Spain with children, and in fact even without children, it is an excellent starting point.” Kelly Lawlor, Vejer de la Frontera
“I own three books on moving to Spain, and I purchased this one last – but I wish I had purchased it first. It gives a really good, basic overview of many of the most challenging issues with moving, and poses some good questions to consider. The author shares some of her family’s personal experiences, which are often quite entertaining, and has a lot of supplementary material on her website, Facebook, etc.
I recommend this book as an excellent, readable starting point to understanding a move to Spain overall, and to get you thinking about what you will need to dive into more thoroughly.” S.J. Locke, USA
“If you are thinking of making the move to Spain and especially if you have school aged children you absolutely must buy this book. I can’t praise it enough. I managed to read it through the weekend it arrived but I know over the coming year it is going to get read time and time again. We are currently planning our future life in Spain and have already done a lot of research, in fact researching Spain is my number one hobby, but there were so many things in this book that we would never have known until it happened to us because no matter how much research you do, its not the same as experiencing the move first hand. Lisa Sadler is an absolute expert on moving to and living in Spain with children and this book is wonderfully well written, informative and very easy to read and digest and then to refer back to. So glad we have it for the next chapter in our lives.” Clare Hunter, UK
“I bought this book as I thought it sounded pretty much perfect to suit our needs… & I was right, it was. I’ve read a few books on relocating to Spain, living in Spain etc, but this was the first one I’ve come across that seemed to be written by a real person who understood the concerns of ordinary parents. It certainly put my mind at rest about a few things & also confirmed a few things I had already thought about. All in all a really useful up to date book for anyone thinking of making the move to Spain with children to consider (although it also offers advice that would be useful to people without children). If Lisa writes another book I will definitely be buying it.” A. Miller, UK
“A well written, easy to understand guide to making the move to Spain. Lisa shares so much useful information and includes so many things you’ve not even thought about. It will be our bible when we make the move!!!” Cherry-Jo, UK
Still the Same Honest Approach
This has never been a book that tells you what you want to hear. It tells you what actually happens, the paperwork, the waiting lists, the costs that catch people out, and the parts of the process that are really simple once you know how they work. That hasn’t changed for 2026. What has changed is that every single fact behind that advice is now current.
If you’re planning a move, or even just starting to think about one, the updated edition is available now. And if you’re relocating to the Malaga area specifically, remember we now also run Orientation Tours to help families understand different areas properly before making any decisions. No sales pressure, just time to explore and ask the right questions.
Family Life in Galicia: A Guide for Families Moving to Northern Spain
Most families researching a move to Spain end up looking at the same places. Málaga, the Costa del Sol, Valencia, Barcelona. And that makes sense, because those regions have the most visibility, the most expat infrastructure, and the most English spoken. But there is a growing number of families choosing a completely different path, and that path leads northwest, to Galicia.
Family life in Galicia is not for everyone. If you go in with the wrong expectations, it can feel isolating. But if it fits your values and your situation, it can be genuinely one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
This guide gives you a clear, honest overview of family life in Galicia, including schools, best areas, cost of living, transport and the real pros and cons.
What Is Family Life in Galicia like?
Galicia sits in the far northwest corner of Spain, sharing a border with Portugal to the south. It is green, rugged, and cool. The coastline is dramatic. The inland areas feel ancient. The food, especially the seafood, is extraordinary.
Life here moves at a different pace. Communities are close-knit and largely local. There is a strong regional identity, and many people speak Galician, a language that sits somewhere between Spanish and Portuguese, alongside Castilian Spanish. English is not widely spoken, even in the cities.
For families, this creates a genuinely immersive experience. Your children will learn Spanish fast. You will integrate into real Spanish life rather than a parallel expat bubble. And the cost of living is significantly lower than in the rest of Spain.
But the trade-off is real. You will not find a wide range of international schools. Expat services are limited. If you need the kind of support infrastructure that exists in Marbella or Alicante, Galicia will feel like a gap.
Expect:
Green countryside and rugged coastline
A slower, quieter pace of life
Strong family and community values
Limited international influence
For families, this means:
A safe and stable environment
More space and lower housing costs
A more “local” Spanish experience
But also:
Fewer expat services
Greater reliance on the Spanish (and Galician) language
The weather is cooler and wetter than in southern Spain
Limited international schools
Fewer job opportunities for expats
Less English spoken
A slower pace may feel isolating for some families
Galicia suits families looking for authenticity and affordability—not convenience.
Best Areas in Galicia for Families
A Coruña is the most practical starting point for most families. It is a coastal city with solid infrastructure, a reasonable range of schools, and more international connections than most of Galicia. It feels manageable and relatively well-connected without being overwhelming.
Vigo is the largest city in the region and has a stronger economy, largely driven by its port and automotive industry. If one or both adults need local employment, Vigo offers more options. The city has good amenities and a coastal setting that families tend to enjoy.
Santiago de Compostela is smaller but has a strong community atmosphere and good education options. It has the feel of a city that takes culture seriously, partly because of its university and partly because of the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who pass through on the Camino each year. For families who want a quieter pace without losing urban practicality, it is a very good option.
Pontevedra deserves a mention because it has become well-known as an exceptionally family-friendly city. It was redesigned decades ago to prioritise pedestrians and public space, and the result is a town where children move freely and safely. It is affordable and increasingly popular with families who care about liveability over convenience.
Rural Galicia is beautiful and very affordable, but it demands a clear-eyed approach. Services are limited, distances are real, and you will need a car for almost everything. It suits families who actively want a rural lifestyle, not those who simply want to save money.
Education in Galicia
Education is a key consideration when relocating with children. This is where Galicia requires the most careful thought before committing.
State schools here are free, well-structured, and often very good. Teaching happens in Spanish and frequently in Galician, depending on the school and the region. Younger children adapt quickly, but for older children who arrive with limited Spanish, the transition can be genuinely hard.
Concertado schools, which are semi-private and partially state-funded, are a popular middle-ground for local families. They often offer more structure and in some cases, bilingual programmes. Costs are lower than those of fully private schools.
Private and international schools exist in Galicia, but the options are limited compared to the south. A Coruña and Vigo have some choices, but you should not assume the same range that exists around Málaga, Madrid, or Barcelona. If an international curriculum is a non-negotiable for your family, research the specific schools before choosing Galicia as your destination. Do not assume you will find what you need once you arrive.
In Galicia: 👉 School availability and language (Galician/Spanish) will strongly influence your choice of location
Cost of Living in Galicia (Family of Four)
Galicia is one of the most affordable regions in Spain.
Typical Monthly Costs
Around €2,600–€3,000/month including rent
Around €2,000–€2,500/month excluding rent
Key Expenses
Rent (3-bed property): €500–€1,000 depending on area
The value for space and quality of life is genuinely strong. You get more for your money here than almost anywhere else in Spain. But keep in mind that local salaries are also lower, and job opportunities for non-Spanish speakers are limited. If your income comes from outside Spain, whether from remote work, a pension, or investments, Galicia can offer excellent value.
Transport and Infrastructure in Galicia
Transport is functional but less developed than major regions.
Galicia has airports in Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, and A Coruña, which gives reasonable connectivity to the rest of Europe. Road connections between the main cities are functional. Bus networks cover the urban areas.
Rail is improving, but still limited compared to central or southern Spain. If you are used to the high-speed AVE network, Galicia will feel behind. Rural areas are genuinely isolated, and getting between towns often takes longer than the map suggests.
A car is not optional in most of Galicia. It is essential.
Lifestyle: What Daily Life Feels Like
Family life in Galicia is:
Calm and community-focused
Outdoor-oriented (nature, coastline, walking)
Less commercialised
But also:
Slower and quieter
Less convenience
More traditional
This is not an expat-driven region—it is one you integrate into.
Is Galicia Right for Your Family?
Galicia works well for families who want a quieter, more affordable life and are prepared to integrate into Spanish culture rather than orbit around it. If you value nature, community, good food, and space, and if your children are young enough or flexible enough to adapt to local schooling, Galicia has a great deal to offer.
It is less well-suited to families who need a wide range of international school options, who are looking for a strong expat community, or who want the kind of English-language convenience that exists in parts of the south.
The key question is not whether Galicia is good. It clearly is. The question is whether it fits your family’s specific situation, your children’s ages and needs, your income, your language skills, and your long-term plans.
How We Help You Decide Where to Live in Spain
Choosing a region is one of the most consequential decisions in any relocation. Getting it wrong is expensive and disruptive, especially for children.
If you want an honest assessment of whether Galicia is the right fit for your family, rather than a sales pitch, get in touch. The right region makes everything easier. The wrong one makes everything harder.
We help families:
Compare regions realistically
Understand schooling before choosing a location
Assess long-term viability
Avoid common relocation mistakes
Thinking About Moving to Galicia?
Before making a decision, make sure you understand:
What daily life will really look like
How your children will adapt
Whether the region fits your long-term plans
If you want clear, honest advice based on real experience, get in touch.
It could save you time, money—and help you make the right decision from the start.
Where to Live in Northern Spain: The Best Places for Families
Picture a family scrolling through photos of green hills, quiet beaches and stone villages late at night. They start to wonder if they could really live in Northern Spain. Then someone checks the weather in February, and the room goes quiet.
That mix of excitement and doubt is normal. Northern Spain is a very different place from the sunny south most people picture. It can be a wonderful home for the right family, but it is not the right home for every family. This guide walks you through where to live in Northern Spain, what daily life is really like, and how to choose the right area for your children.
Why Families Choose to Live in Northern Spain
Northern Spain is often called "Green Spain" because of its lush hills, forests and rivers. The green is there for a reason, and we will get to that. The area includesGalicia, Asturias,Cantabria and the Basque Country, and these are the four regions this guide covers.
Families are drawn here for a few clear reasons. Summers are cooler and milder than in the south. You can reach mountains, beaches and open countryside without driving very far. Towns tend to be less crowded, and many places have a strong community feel.
There is also a more traditional Spanish experience. You will find fewer expat bubbles, so your family is more likely to mix with local people and take part in everyday Spanish life. For some families, that is the whole point. For others, it turns out to be harder than they expected.
What Is It Really Like to Live in Northern Spain?
Before you decide to live in Northern Spain, it helps to see both sides clearly.
On the good side, many families find the north safe and family focused. Daily life often feels calmer, with time outdoors built into the week. The food is excellent, and in many areas housing costs less than in the more popular parts of Spain. Public healthcare and education are available here as they are across the country, and you should check the current rules for your own situation before you move.
The challenges are just as real. The climate is wetter than in the south, and rain can turn up at any time of year. There are fewer international schools, and less English is spoken. Jobs can be limited in some regions, and transport and infrastructure can feel slower, especially outside the larger cities.
This is not a plug and play destination. It suits families who are ready to adapt, learn Spanish and build a life that looks Spanish rather than copying a life from home.
Which Region Is Best to Live in Northern Spain With Children?
Each region offers a different version of family life. The best one is the one that matches your priorities, not the one with the prettiest photos.
Cantabria: One of the Easier Places to Settle
If you want to live in Northern Spain but still need a good balance of convenience and lifestyle, Cantabria is a strong option. Santander is the main city and has the services most families need, including a range of public, concertado (privately run but publicly funded) and private schools. Cantabria only uses Spanish, so children are not learning a second regional language on top of everything else.
Children can spend their weekends at the beach, in the mountains or at the Cabárceno Nature Park. Santander's El Sardinero beach is a popular city beach. For many international families, this is a more manageable first step into the north. Our detailed guide to family life in Cantabria (coming soon!) will help you decide if it fits.
Asturias: A Slower, Nature Focused Life
Asturias has some of the most beautiful scenery in Spain, with mountains, coastline and countryside all close together. The Picos de Europa are on the doorstep, so hiking and outdoor activities are a natural part of family life. Cities like Oviedo and Gijón have the schools and services, and Gijón has a well known city beach at San Lorenzo.
The cost of living is generally lower than in the bigger cities, and the local identity is very strong. There is very little international influence, so this region suits families who want a quieter life and are ready for full integration. If you need lots of English speaking support around you, Asturias will feel hard.
Galicia: Affordable and Traditional
Galicia is often the most affordable way to live in Northern Spain. Property prices are lower, the food culture is strong and the pace of life is slow. The coast is wild and beautiful, with long beaches and sheltered inlets, although the Atlantic water is cold and the weather is cooler and wetter than many newcomers expect.
Galicia has its own language, Galician, which is used in schools alongside Spanish. That is worth asking about early when you compare schools. The bigger cities such as A Coruña, Vigo and Santiago de Compostela offer the widest school choice. This region works well for families who want authenticity and do not rely on international services. You can read more in ourfamily life in Galicia guide.
Basque Country: High Quality of Life, Higher Costs
The Basque Country feels different from the rest of the north. It has a strong economy, excellent infrastructure and cities that offer more jobs and services than most of the region. Bilbao and San Sebastián are the best known, with beaches like La Concha and Zurriola in San Sebastián, and surf towns along the coast.
Education is well regarded, but the Basque language, Euskera, is an official language here and many schools teach mostly or partly in Basque. Ask early which language your child would study in and how that would work if they arrive without Spanish. The cost of living is higher than elsewhere in the north, and the property market is competitive. It is often the best fit for families who want more structure and opportunity, and who are ready to deal with a strong regional culture and language.
Key Decisions Before You Live in Northern Spain
Choosing where to live in Northern Spain should be based on more than lifestyle photos. A few decisions matter more than the rest.
Schools Come First
School choice is more limited than in southern Spain, and international schools are mostly found in the larger cities. For many families,the school will decide where you live. Look at schools before you look at houses, and check how each region handles language teaching.
Work and Income
Northern Spain is not the easiest place if you are relying on the local job market or on tourism work. Most families who settle here successfully have remote income, financial stability or flexible work. Do not move planning to "find something when we arrive" unless you have checked how realistic that is in your chosen area.
Language and Lifestyle
Ask yourselves a few honest questions. Do you want to integrate, or do you want an expat community around you? Are you comfortable with fewer English speakers? Do you value nature more than convenience? If your children arrive without Spanish, are you ready to support them through the first difficult months?
Climate
This is the point families underestimate most. Temperatures are cooler, there is more rain and the weather is less predictable. For some families that is a big advantage, especially those who struggle with southern summer heat. For others, it becomes a real problem by the second winter. If you can, visit outside the summer months and rent before you buy.
Is Northern Spain Right for Your Family?
Living in Northern Spain can give you an excellent lifestyle, but only for the right family.
It works best if you want a quieter, more natural environment and you are open to adapting to Spanish culture. It suits families who are planning for the long term and who value space, safety and community.
It is less suitable if you want a strong expat network, need several international school options or expect guaranteed sunshine. It is also a poor match if you want fast paced city living.
How We Help You Decide Where to Live in Northern Spain
Deciding where to live in Northern Spain is not always straightforward. Each region offers a very different experience, and getting it wrong can affect your whole relocation.
We help families compare the northern regions realistically, understand schooling before choosing a location, match expectations to reality and avoid common relocation mistakes.
I offer guidance and consultations for all parts of Spain, including the northern regions. For families considering southern Spain, we providehands on support in Malaga and the Costa del Sol. For Northern Spain, we work with trusted local partners who can give reliable, on the ground advice and support.
Start Planning Your Move to Northern Spain
The next step is to look at each region in more detail. Start with our guides to family life in Cantabria andfamily life in Galicia. Our guides to family life in Asturias and family life in the Basque Country are coming soon.
Each guide shows you what daily life really looks like and whether it fits your family.
Thinking About Living in Northern Spain?
Before you make a decision, be clear on where you can realistically live, what schooling options are available, how your children will adapt and whether the lifestyle matches your expectations.
If you want honest, experience based guidance, get in touch. It could save you time and money, and help you make the right decision from the start.
If you are thinking about living in Spain without working, the Non-Lucrative Visa Spain (NLV) is often the first option to consider.
For many people, it opens the door to a completely different lifestyle. More time outdoors, a slower pace of life, and for families, the chance to give children an international experience that stays with them for life.
We work with families and retirees from the UK, the USA and Canada who are making this move every year. Some are planning a one-year experience. Others are making a permanent relocation.
What they all have in common is this: they want to live in Spain legally, without working, and without unnecessary stress or mistakes.
In this guide, we will explain clearly:
What the Non-Lucrative Visa is
Who it is really suitable for
What you can and cannot do on this visa
And how to decide if it is the right option for you
What is the Non-Lucrative Visa?
The Non-Lucrative Visa is a Spanish residency visa for non-EU citizens who want to live in Spain without carrying out any work or professional activity.
It allows you to:
Live in Spain for an initial period of one year
Travel freely within the Schengen Zone
Enrol children in schools in Spain
Renew your residency if you continue to meet the requirements
It is important to be clear about one key point.
You are not allowed to work at all on this visa.
That includes:
Working for a company in Spain
Working remotely for a company outside Spain
Freelancing or running a business
This visa is designed for people who can support themselves financially without needing to work.
Who is the Non-Lucrative Visa Spain really for?
In practice, we see three main groups using this visa successfully.
Families planning a year in Spain
This is one of the most popular uses of the NLV.
Typically:
One parent moves to Spain with the children
The other parent continues working outside Spain
The family is financially supported from abroad
The working parent visits regularly within the allowed time limits
This setup allows families to:
Experience daily life in Spain
Enrol children in school
Take a planned “year abroad” as a family
It can be a life-changing experience when done properly.
Retirees relocating to Spain
The NLV is also ideal for retirees who:
Receive a pension
Have savings or investments
Want to enjoy a better quality of life
For many, this is the first step toward a permanent move to Spain.
With renewals, the visa can lead to long-term residency.
Individuals with independent income or savings
Some applicants qualify because they have:
Rental income
Investments
Significant savings
The key is being able to prove that you can comfortably support yourself without working.
Financial requirements: what you need to show
To apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa, you must demonstrate sufficient financial means.
This is usually based on a multiple of Spain’s IPREM (a government financial benchmark).
In simple terms:
You must show enough income or savings to support yourself
The required amount increases for each dependent
For families, this is where planning is essential. The financial evidence must be clear, consistent, and well presented.
Healthcare requirements
You must also have:
Private health insurance
Full coverage in Spain
No co-payments
This is a strict requirement. Travel insurance is not accepted.
Criminal record and documentation
Applicants must provide:
A clean criminal record certificate
Medical certificate
Supporting documents translated into Spanish
Each document must meet specific requirements. This is another area where small mistakes can cause delays.
How long does the Non-Lucrative Visa last?
The initial visa is granted for one year.
After that, it can be renewed:
First renewal: 2 years
Second renewal: 2 years
After five years of legal residence, you may be eligible for long-term residency in Spain.
What families need to think about
For families, this visa is not just about paperwork.
You also need to consider:
Schooling options (Spanish, bilingual or international)
Where to live
Healthcare access
Daily life and integration
We often help families align their visa strategy with schooling and location decisions so everything works together.
Common misunderstandings about the NLV
There are a few points that regularly cause confusion:
You cannot “just do a bit of remote work” on this visa
You must genuinely be financially self-sufficient
This is not a flexible or grey-area visa when it comes to work
Being clear on this from the start avoids problems later.
Is the Non-Lucrative Visa right for you?
The NLV can be an excellent option if you are:
A family wanting to spend a year living in Spain
A retiree planning a long-term move
Someone with sufficient income or savings who does not need to work
It is not suitable if you plan to work in any form while living in Spain.
Final thoughts: planning your move properly
The Non-Lucrative Visa is one of the most straightforward ways to move to Spain, but only when it is approached correctly.
Most problems we see come from:
Misunderstanding the rules
Underestimating the documentation requirements
Or trying to fit a situation into a visa that is not the right match
When the visa fits your lifestyle and your finances, it works very well.
We have helped hundreds of families and retirees successfully relocate to Spain, and we understand both the legal process and the real-life decisions behind it.
If you are considering the Non-Lucrative Visa and want clear, practical guidance on whether it is right for you and how to approach it properly, get in touch with us.
Getting this right from the beginning makes the entire move smoother, calmer, and far more enjoyable.
This is one of the most popular uses of the NLV.
