By Max Milano (Travel Writer) I, like most tourists and expats, must’ve driven past Sagunto a hundred times. Always between Valencia and Barcelona. Always in a rush. The AP-7 skirts along the Mediterranean, passing citrus groves, factory outlets, beach towns with nondescript condos, and even a Roman aqueduct. But then there’s that hill, the one crowned by an ancient fortress that seems to grow out of the stone itself. I never stopped. Most tourists don’t. […]
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Top 10 Best Digital Marketing Tools Spain Expats Need to Succeed
At some point in every expat’s journey through Spain, somewhere between your third bocadillo de jamón and your first encounter with the dreaded Ayuntamiento, you’ll feel it. That itch. The one that whispers, ‘You need to start a business.’ Maybe it’s a beachside café. Maybe a yoga retreat in the hills of Ronda. Maybe you’ve got a software idea you swear will change the world, or at least solve one weird Spanish paperwork problem. Whatever […]
Read MoreFor Whom the Horn Honks: An Expat’s Spain Driving Test Calvary
By Max Milano (Travel Writer) The day of the driving test finally came. Months of waiting. Over a thousand euros spent on driving school fees, paperwork, and lessons. He’d already flunked the first written exam. This was the last chance before the whole thing reset. Another fail would mean 300 euros to re-enroll in the school. The written exam stayed valid for two years, but the rest? Gone. Then 50 euros per driving lesson, with […]
Read MoreThe Day Fideuà Was Born: A Salty Tale From the Port of Gandia
by Max Milano (Travel Writer). Valencian fishermen leave port before dawn to haul in the day’s catch, so there’s something about being out on a boat under the hot midday sun that makes them tired and hungry. It was out on the warm waters of the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Gandia, sometime in the early 20th century (around the 1930s) that a hungry captain aboard the Santa Isabel waited for his lunch. He […]
Read MorePractical Tips for Expats: How to Survive the Supermarket Game in Spain (and Maybe Find Love)
Let’s start with a shocking truth: supermarkets in Spain are closed on Sundays. Closed. As in, shut down tighter than a Spanish pharmacy during siesta time. You’ve just stumbled out of bed on Sunday morning (after a big Saturday night), bleary-eyed, craving an orange juice, and boom, nada. No Mercadona. No Carrefour. Then, after wandering aimlessly along the quiet Sunday morning streets, you may or may not stumble upon a shady corner store with a […]
Read MoreHow To Sell Your Property in Spain for a Profit (Even If You Don’t Speak Spanish)
When Sarah, a British expat living in Alicante, decided to sell her sunny two-bedroom apartment near the beach, she assumed it would be easy. After all, Spain’s property market seemed hot, and the flat was in great condition, with a spacious balcony and sea views. She uploaded a few photos to a popular property portal, listed the price slightly higher than she had paid a few years ago, and waited for the calls to come […]
Read MoreWhy You Absolutely Need A Good Real Estate Lawyer When Buying or Selling Property in Spain
Lawyer Up To Avoid Scams, Squatters, Bureaucracy, and Costly Mistakes when Purchasing Property In Spain As An Expat Buying or selling property in Spain can be one of the most rewarding moves of your life. Whether it is a beachfront villa, an investment apartment in a growing market, or your next full-time residence, the Spanish property market offers exciting opportunities for expats. However, those opportunities come with significant legal and bureaucratic challenges that are often […]
Read MoreSpain Real Estate Buying Process Checklist For Expats
Use This Checklist to Simplify the Complex Spain Real Estate Buying Process The buying process in Spain is different from what many foreign buyers expect. If you want to avoid delays, hidden surprises, and unnecessary stress, it is essential to understand the whole buying process before you start house hunting in Spain. This checklist walks you through every stage of the Spanish property buying journey: From finding the right home to signing at the notary […]
Read MoreValencian Fallas: Fiesta & Fire
By Max Milano (Travel Writer & Photographer) Spain and fiestas go hand in hand, like jamón, paella, and sangría in the sun-soaked dreams of travelers the world over. Hemingway started that dream. His first novel, Fiesta (published as The Sun Also Rises in the U.S.), burned the image into the world’s mind: bulls thundering through narrow alleys, chasing drunk Americans as they slipped and stumbled over Pamplona’s cobblestones. But fiestas in Spain aren’t made for […]
Read MoreBeach, Bureaucracy & Broken Dreams: The Spain Real Estate Survival Guide
By Max Milano (Travel Writer) There is a reason why so many bright-eyed expats arrive in Spain full of hope and sunshine, only to end up neck-deep in housing disasters, unread WhatsApp messages, and real estate contracts that look like they were written during the Inquisition. One minute, you’re sipping cañas and daydreaming about tile work. Next, you’re begging a landlord in Valencia to explain why he wants 12 months of rent in cash and […]
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