Why I Left Torrevieja for Santa Pola: An American Retiree's Honest Spain Experience

Thinking about moving to Spain? In this honest interview, Leslie shares her journey from Washington DC to Spain on a Non-Lucrative Visa. After retiring from a federal government career, she packed up her life and moved to the Costa Blanca with her daughter. But things didn't go as expected. After choosing Torrevieja as her landing spot, Leslie quickly realized it wasn't the right fit for her. She opens up about feeling unwelcome, the challenges she faced as a woman of color, and why she ultimately decided to leave and start over in Santa Pola. In this interview we discuss: ✅ Why she chose Spain over other countries ✅ Applying for the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) ✅ The Washington DC Spanish Consulate experience ✅ Using an Airbnb for visa approval ✅ First impressions of Torrevieja ✅ Experiencing life as a Black expat in Spain ✅ Why Santa Pola felt completely different ✅ Whether she has any regrets about moving to Spain ✅ Advice for Americans planning a move to Spain If you're considering retiring in Spain, applying for a Spanish visa, or searching for the best place to live on the Costa Blanca, this interview offers valuable real-world insights. Need help planning your move to Spain? 🌐 https://spainguru.es #MovingToSpain #RetireInSpain #AmericanInSpain #SantaPola #Torrevieja #CostaBlanca #SpainExpat #NonLucrativeVisa #LivingInSpain #RetirementAbroad #Spainguru ⸻ 🧭 Plan Your Move to Spain Start with our free interactive tools — no account needed: 🔍 Visa Navigator (find your visa path) → https://spainguru.es/spain-visa-navig... 💰 Budget Tool (estimate your costs) → https://spainguru.es/moving-to-spain/ 🧮 Tax Calculator (IRPF, Beckham Law & more) → https://spainguru.es/moving-to-spain/ 🏙️ City Finder (match your lifestyle) → https://spainguru.es/moving-to-spain/ ✅ 47-Step Relocation Checklist → https://spainguru.es/moving-to-spain/ 📩 Get the free 10-Day Move-to-Spain Plan (email series) → https://spainguru.es/moving-to-spain-... ⸻ 👩‍⚖️ Vetted Experts & Services Immigration lawyers, tax advisors, health insurance, translators, movers and more — all personally vetted by our community: 🔗 https://spainguru.es/services-for-spa... ⸻ 💬 Join 150K+ Expats in Our Community Facebook groups, Reddit hubs, and regional communities for every visa type and Spanish city: 🔗 https://spainguru.es/spainguru-facebo... ⸻ 📬 Weekly Newsletter → https://spainguru.es/newsletter-signup/ 🎙️ Free Webinars → https://spainguru.es/moving-to-spain/ 🎥 Subscribe →    / @spainguru   🌐 Website → https://spainguru.es ⸻ ℹ️ Spainguru helps expats and future residents navigate Spanish visas, taxes, housing and everyday life. Free tools, vetted professionals, live webinars, and the largest English-speaking Spain expat community online. https://spainguru.es/about-spainguru/ #Spain #MovingToSpain #Spainguru #ExpatLife #LivingInSpain #SpanishVisa #NonLucrativeVisa #DigitalNomadVisa #RetireInSpain #SpanishCitizenship