The things you will miss when you move to Spain

If you like your ale, stock up before you leave, or brew your own

Think this is easy? That the life of an expat on the Costa del Sol is an endless round of golf, sunshine and, well, rounds of drinks? More fool you – it’s much more than that.

Usually.

Living in Spain requires not a little forward planning, stable finances and new boundaries in patience and cultural flexibility. But your reward for making the leap, taking that step, crossing that divide from the dreary grey of the UK to the dazzling effervescence of Spain is the chance to live the life you have always wanted…

Fancy a year-round tan? Head to Spain. Want to lead a more active, outdoorsy lifestyle? Hop on over to Spain. Want to learn a new language and immerse yourself in some of the richest history and most beguiling culture in the world? Spain’s the place for you. Want to live a British lifestyle in the sunshine? Then the Costa del Sol is the perfect destination to cater for your needs.

Almost. While there are some brilliantly accessible British services and stores on the Costa del Sol, sometimes that thing you crave – that trigger of homespun memories, that trinket of irreplaceable home comforts – just isn’t available.

This engaging article on the Guardian looks at some of the things that British expats around the world miss most, focusing predominantly on food. Now, if you’re a Brit in, say, Taiwan, it is perhaps understandable that a few foodstuffs from your youth are not going to be easy to come by in Taipei. But Spain is not Taiwan.

On the Costa del Sol, you can get your jars of Marmite, your packets of Salt and Vinegar crisps, your Branston Pickle and Cadbury’s chocolate quite easily at numerous specialist stores across the region. You can even get British TV quite cheaply and reliably. As we have said many times before, the Costa del Sol is probably the cosiest ‘home from home’ you will ever come across.

But there are some things that just aren’t easily replicated. Take pubs. Irish bars are ten-a-penny on the Costa del Sol. The peculiarity is, however, that Irish bars are not that popular or prominent in the UK. Not really; not when compared to classic British pubs. And there are actually very few British-style pubs in Spain. It’s a subtle difference between the two – imperceptible to a Spaniard of course – but there are surprisingly few examples of a classic British pub recreated accurately on the Costa del Sol (I am happy to be corrected on this fact, though).

It is also difficult to get good ale. Sure, the heat means a cold San Miguel is more palatable 95 per cent of the time. But still. If you like your ale, be prepared to stock up before you leave, or brew your own.

What else? Good sausages are hard to find. I love chorizo, but a Lincolnshire pork banger it ain’t. Bacon, while available, is rarely as good as the stuff that’s readily commonplace in Britain. And while morcilla is a tasty treat, it is not a patch on the classic black pudding from your local butchers.

I could go on, but things get subjective and emotive the deeper you delve. If you already live in Spain then I’m sure there are things that you miss that would barely raise a ‘meh’ from me. And if you’re buying a property in Spain with the intention of moving over, then you might confidently be thinking that you will miss very little.

Give it a few weeks.

None of this makes moving to Spain any less of an absolutely brilliant idea, of course. Life on the Costa del Sol is still a very fine thing indeed.

And in fact, knowing that a trip back home will yield all manner of culinary treats adds a certain romantic nostalgia to ‘ol Blighty… and you have Spain to thank for that!