Christopher Nye, senior editor at Your Overseas Home, shared his top four retirement destinations with Express.co.uk. He said expats should answer some “searching questions” first.
Christopher said: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so is the perfect retirement. So before retiring abroad you need to answer some searching questions.
“Such as, will I really learn the language, how do I cope with the heat, is my income secure enough, and how important is it to be able to fly back at a moment’s notice?
“Most problems can be handled easily enough just by choosing the right location. Don’t like the heat?
“Choose an island where ocean breezes moderate it, such as the Canaries. Income insecure? Maybe choose Portugal, where the retirement visa requires a lower income level.”
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Costa Blanca, Spain
Christopher said: “The 300 days of sunshine are an obvious benefit, but so is being able to speak English.
“An expat hotspot where you’ll have no trouble making friends, it’s easy to reach the Costa Blanca, with a choice of airports with direct flights to all of the UK all year.
“That’s important in case of a family emergency and because you don’t want to rely on one budget airline, as they change their flight schedules all the time.
“Head north out of Alicante Airport and it’s greener, cooler in winter, slightly more expensive for property and a little more traditionally Spanish. Head south and the property is less expensive and with it so much to do.”
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Sarasota, Florida, USA
“You may not be able to retire full-time to the USA, but you can certainly enjoy long holidays, including most of a British winter,” said Christopher.
He added: “Being a ‘snowbird’ as such part-time retirees are nicknamed in Florida, can be pure pleasure.
“The Gulf coast is famous for its white sand beaches washed by a warm ocean, but this side of Florida is cool, cultured and active too, especially for the retired.
“Perfect for finally finding the time to try sailing, staying active with walking or cycling as it’s lovely and flat, or perfecting your golf swing.”
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Tavira, Portugal
Christopher said: “Portugal has so many great options for a wonderful retirement, including Madeira, ‘the island of eternal spring’ and the green expanses of northern Portugal and Porto.
“But we can’t leave out the Algarve, that sunny stretch of Atlantic coast that’s so easy to reach all year and packed with retiree-friendly entertainment.”
He said that surfing, golf, spas, tennis and e-biking with fellow expats are all possibilities on the sunny Algarve.
Christopher added: “Location-wise Tavria, in the east of the Algarve closer to the airports, is a bit less blingy than the golden triangle around Vilamoura but has all the amenities you’ll need.”
Poitou- Charentes, France
“For those of us who always imagined the perfect home as old and beautiful but built to last, a nice garden with enough space for a chicken or two underneath the cherry blossom, a spacious kitchen and grand fireplace, with a local bar and boulangerie a short stroll away, France will always be the place, offering all that so much more affordably than most of the UK,” said Christopher.
He added: “The retirement you deserve after raising the kids in a semi! Poitou-Charentes, in the central west of France, is close enough that you can chuck everything in the back of the car and get the ferry, but far enough south to enjoy better winters.
“The French, despite their reputation, are friendly, but you’ll normally find a fellow expat propping up the local bar when you fancy a beer.”
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