Three boasts Brits living in Spain can make

Live here? It’s OK to boast about that… a little.

Nobody likes a bragger, it’s nice to be nice, and there is nothing worse as a Brit expat than getting caught between the two stools of denigrating the old country and dissing the new one…

But it happens. People misbehave. Amid the thousands of happy expats there is always a handful that will either make it their mission to tell others what they’re missing out on by not living abroad, or even worse, the disgruntled expat who appears to hate where they live but will not countenance moving home “in a million years” (it’s always a million years).

There are, however, legitimate grumbles that British expats have when living in Spain, and it is often only fair to point them out on occasion. Equally, enjoying your new life in the sun shouldn’t be something you keep to yourself: like that time you almost pulled a B-list celebrity or had trials for a professional football club, sometimes it’s good to brag…

1. You’re healthier

Spain’s excellent Mediterranean diet aside, living in Spain makes you healthier almost without you having to try. You move around more, walk further, swim deeper, drink more water, eat fewer TV dinners and ready meals, and consume a higher ratio of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish.

Life in Spain makes you look and feel good.

It is almost impossible not to. Spain’s supermarkets may be playing catch-up to the UK’s, but they’re still a good couple of chilled sandwich aisles behind the likes of Tesco et al. What this means is it’s harder to shop and cook lazily – you’ve less choice, which means you have to be a bit more creative in the kitchen.

Or you can eat out, which in Spain is incredibly inexpensive and can be extremely healthy. And while you might find yourself drinking more alcohol in Spain, it usually means you’re outside with friends and family – which does wonders for your mental wellbeing. Chuck in the year-round tan, and you’re positively glowing.

2. You have a broader horizon

Even those most narrow-minded of British expats who rarely shuffle outside their circle of fellow Brits abroad in the most homogenously British corners of the Costa del Sol have something that sets them apart from their contemporaries back home. Even if they don’t really know the lingo, they will know some. Even if they haven’t visited Seville or Granada or Cádiz, they will know where these places are. Even if every meal is either Fish n’ Chips or a Roast, they’ll know what a tapas restaurant looks, smells and sounds like. This, in isolation, is something to be cheered.

You cannot fail to expand your horizons while living in Spain.

The rest is a sliding scale. If you’re only partly curious of Spain’s culture, then that alone will add a few strings to your bow, meaning you’ll be more sympathetic, understanding, open-minded and – yes – educated than before. And for those who approach living in Spain as an incredible opportunity to learn a new language, way of life and way of looking at things, then living on the Costa del Sol will not let you down.

3. You have a more active social life

You would have to really want to live a hermit lifestyle to find yourself doing less with your free time in Spain than you did in the UK. The weather plays its part – giving you more days and months in which it’s fun to be outside rather than rushing home to the comforting embrace of the sofa and TV.

But there’s more to it than that. The expat community can be pretty close-knit in parts of the Costa del Sol, and it is broad enough to support all ages and outlooks: whether you want bridge night on a Tuesday, beers with the boys on a Friday, football on a Saturday or a hiking group on a Sunday, you can find it on the Costa del Sol.

Whatever you fancy doing, Spain lets you.

And you will seek it, too. The geography of the region makes it easy to get around, and the balance between space and vibrancy is perfect, meaning the Costa del Sol feels like a small village and a bustling metropolis all at once, making it ideal for social butterflies of every colour.