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Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

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TomW
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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby TomW » Sun Nov 01, 2015 5:56 pm

And about Montpellier.
We have cycled a lot in France, and 20 years ago we did a bike tour from Biarritz to Montepellier along the Pyrenees and Med coast. The area just west of Perpignan was beautiful with 3000m mountains behind and the Med coast stretching up towards Leucate was flat with wide beaches and to the SW was Port Vendres ( end of Pyrenees ride section) with dramatic cliff geography. Wine and food is amazing there.
Negative is that temps are not high in winter, no waves. On other hand there is great skiing in mountains right there....

The french are special kind of people, they have a somewhat bad rep with english speakers but I´ve found them to be really nice when you show up on a bike and butcher their language.

So short list is:
Portugal, western Algarve
Canaries
Perpignan area

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gmb13
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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby gmb13 » Sun Nov 01, 2015 6:06 pm

TomW wrote:
the Canaries i have not considered, and i´m not sure why. Perhaps i should think deeper about them. I was on Fuertaventura on NE in November a few years back and Flagbeach was great, had 5 days of wind out of 7, used a 14 and had a blast on the waves...good surf over on west side near Cotillio, mostly beginners out there when i was looking. Corralejo was OK town.
I guess the mental thing is that its 99% turism and was hoping to find some sort or real everyday people around.
You don't have to live in Corralejo. Most of the expat community live in La Cappelania (Tamaragua), Villa Verde of Lajares. There is quite a vibrant expat community up here in the North. Quite a lot of english, german, french and italian retirees here.

--
Gunnar

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby Danperez » Mon Nov 02, 2015 12:07 pm

Hi there ¨old boy¨,sounds we are looking for the same retirement plan.
I am an old boy to,51,and crazy about all wind,board and bike sports.Have been on it since the age of 15.Got a wife and 2 kids....
I am dutch born but having lived in Cape Town a long time, and now for the last 15 years in living in Barcelona.
My favourite European spot is Fuerteventura for year round action.Big waves,flat water,strong winds.....you name it.And good weather all year round.
I know most of the European spots but nothing beats Fuerte on a good day.
The social aspect is good as well,small towns like Lajares,Cotillon.....or isolation in Majanicho..you name it.
I am setting up in Lajares!
Good luck with your search.

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby sixdivision » Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:04 pm

Hi there! Not sure if this topic is still active or open, but here's my opinion anyway: if you want to find a place in winter that's still warm enough to kite, I doubt you'll find it in Europe (although maybe with your swedish-ish background you might tolerate low temperatures better than others?). I have been living in the south of France (mediterranean side) for quite some years and in spring-summer-autumn you can have good winds for kiting (tramontane wind from north and marin-wind from the south). But in winter it's simply too cold, at least for me. The canary islands seem to be the best option - but for sure not perfect - in winter if you don't want to travel too far. I've been in Fuerteventura for some months in January and February and the weather was pleasant, but not hot, even some rain on days. You can either surf/SUP on no-wind days or kitesurf/windsurf on others. Also you can bike there, I didn't try but I noticed quite a few cyclists, they were well-equipped on pro road bikes, I'm sure you can also do some good MTB there. Otherwise in Europe it's just too cold...maybe see if you can travel to Brazil every winter, or at least for 2 months, this shouldn't be a problem health-insurance-wise.
For the rest of the year, within Europe, try Greece. I think at this moment it's the best quality for the least money, and very good wind from march/april until the beginning of winter.
France is good but complicated and expensive, at least where I was (Pyrenees).
If anybody else has some up-to-date tips I'd be interested! Where is the best place to live in Europe if kiting is the center of interest, but you'd also want to be not too far from facilities?

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby Clarencephil » Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:33 pm

I'm going through the same thought process. I considered the Montpellier- Beziers area of France but not warm enough in winter. My sister in law has a beachfront condo 10 km to the South of Valencia Spain which I could use, but this year (late Decembrer, it was too cold also for my taste and also too deserted.
I spent the first week of January in Fuerteventura, both in Sotavento Beach and Corralejo and the weather was more to my liking (19 to 22 deg) plus a good kite scene. So I'm thinking......

TomW
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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby TomW » Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:43 pm

Hej, Thanks for bumping this up.
I'm still looking and considering. Yes, if it's over 10c in water and air then it's fine for me.
I'll have to research Fuertaventura more. It's not a direct flight from Copenhagen, and it's a long one. But, surely it's warmer!
Still have my eye on Lagos area of Portugal.
For next 7-8 years I'll most likely be working full-time and have a child in school. ( late parenting).
So trips would be more often and short. So Portugal is best option

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby Toby » Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:53 pm

Europe is cold during winter.
You should find a place during coldest period to escape the cold.
Brazil, Asia, Caribbean, Capetown

Then from April til October I would recommend Sardinia as well. Italian culture and food, quiet many speak English, mountains for biking, good winds and great spots with crystal clear water, fun also for SUP.

Let us know what you decided for. I am sure there are more people like you and would want to know why you went where.

Enjoy life!

Heja Sverige ;-)

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby BWD » Sun Jan 22, 2017 4:56 pm

Portugal is another option if you are willing to wear a wetsuit. Winters much milder than here in the US, affordable but better connections for travel than an island. And the waves are awesome.

@toby how is Sardinia in September/October for wind and waves more specifically? Looks beautiful and nice flat water spots... Do they have some waves in October or not until winter?

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby Airy » Sun Jan 22, 2017 6:04 pm

Cape Verde is warm the whole year round. I'm not sure what it's like to live there.

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Re: Best place to retire in Europe for Old boy board freak

Postby enricobuonanno » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:19 pm

I think you're looking for a place that doesn't exist.
Tarifa is Europe's southernmost point... if that's desolate in wither, it's because winter in Europe is cold, so people don't go to the beach. It's that simple. If you want a buzzing place in Europe in winter, it's in the mountains. Else you have to go to a warmer climate.


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