Finding the best beach for your expat destination
But which of Spain’s beaches is the best? According to the 2017’s Traveller Choice Awards by Trip Advisor, the best beach in Spain (and the best beach in Europe, for that matter) is La Concha beach, located in the coastal city of San Sebastian in northern Spain.
But you don’t have to pack up and head to San Sebastian to get the best beach experience. Spain is full of quality beaches. In fact, it was recently announced that Spain once again has the highest number of quality beaches, receiving the prestigious Blue Flag award at a total of 579 of its sandy shores.
The Blue Flag is an award given by the Foundation for Environmental Education to certify that a beach, marina, or eco-tourism boat has met its strict standards. The Blue Flag is a symbol that the beach is a safe, well-managed environment. Each beach is judged on four main categories: water quality; the safety of the beach’s users and the quality of services available to them, such as having an adequate number of lifeguards and available drinking water; environmental education and information; and environmental management (in other words, whether the beach has the right system and facilities in place to ensure it remains clean and hygienic).
Being the country with the highest number of Blue Flags is a claim to fame Spain has been able to make every year since 1987, which was when the Blue Flag Award was initially set up.
In total, the Spanish coast has been awarded 684 flags because, in addition to its beaches, it also won 100 flags for its marinas and five for its cruise ship ports. Broken down by region, Valencia, on the east coast, has the most quality beaches, with 129 earning a flag, followed by Galicia (113), Catalonia (95), and then Andalusia (90).
Add to your beach lifestyle with healthy finances
To fully enjoy your expat life in Spain, it helps to have peace of mind that your finances are effectively safeguarded, leaving you free to spend your time however you want – whether that be sunbathing, enjoying water sports in the ocean or getting busy setting up a new life.
Blacktower has financial advisers at various locations globally – please contact our team to speak with your local Blacktower expat financial advisor.
ions along the Spanish coast – Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, and Barcelona – ready to offer you expert financial advice in Spain.
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.
Time may be running out for British retirees to move to Portugal in order to take advantage of its valuable Non-Habitual Resident tax programme. Currently, talk abounds that the scheme will come to an end in 2018 and be replaced with a 10% net expat tax regime from the first day of the New Year. Luckily, for those who feel they may be tempted by a move to Portugal, any move before this cut-off date will ensure that they are able to enjoy the benefits of NHR status as they currently stand.
If you’re a British expat who has lived outside the UK for at least 15 years, then current legislation denies you the ability to vote in parliamentary elections and referendums.