Living in the Canary Islands (PROS & CONS)
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- Опубликовано: 19 июн 2024
- Living in the Canary Islands (PROS & CONS)
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The Canary Islands have become a popular digital nomad destination, especially since the pandemic started in early 2020.
Many digital nomads are unable to continue their lives in Asia and choose places like Tenerife and Gran Canaria as a new base while they're awaiting for SouthEast Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to open its borders to international tourists.
What are some of the pros and cons of living in the Canary Islands?
The weather is one of the biggest pros of living in this subtropical paradise. Day temperatures rarely follow below 18 degree C with a typical day temperature value of 18 - 32 degrees C. Night temperatures range from 15 - 23 degrees C.
The epic sceneries are another pro the islands have to offer. Enjoy the beautiful mountains, fresh air and variety of beaches!
Living in the Canary Islands is fairly inexpensive mainly due to the fact that many products such as fruits, vegetables, meat and fish are locally sourced. Many imported products are not subject to VAT.
Tons of digital nomads live on the islands offering a vibrant digital nomad community.
And the islands are perfectly safe - violent crime is extremely rare!
Now that we talked about the pros of living in the Canary Islands, let's have a look at some of the cons - the things people don't like so much.
From a geographic perspective, the Canary Islands are isolated from the rest of Europe. Just getting to mainland Spain takes 2-2.5 hours by plane and 5 hours to Germany.
The nightlife can be a con if you don't like parties and noise until the early morning hours.
Dating is another con of living here. Many people just spend a couple weeks or months on the islands making it difficult for someone living here to build a relationships. Dating a local is a bit challenging - you need to speak some Spanish to communicate with a Spaniard.
Tenerife is a tourist hotspot - expect crowded beaches throughout summer.
Apartments are not well insulated.
Which of the discussed pros and cons did you personally experience?
Leave a comment below and let us know.
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After visiting 60 countries we spent a Christmas vacation in Tenerife in 1999. Now we are Spanish citizens and LOVE THE CANARIAN ISLANDS. We have a house in a Spanish village where we all speak Spanish - no problem after 23 years! We get 75% when we travel between the Islands or fly to mainland Spain. Our friends are lovely people, Canarians. We love “platanos” in our quite garden with solar heated jacuzzi.
Thank you for sharing. Glad to hear that you've made the Canary islands your home. :)
The locals remind me of my cuban people
Nice, I'm 35 and want to live in the fuertuventura in the future, I earn 60k a year as a scaffolder, what can I do to make my dream happen, it's hard to find advice.
Hola, scaffolder in Fuerteventura? To live in Spain you must show that you have an income to live from. First find a job in Fuerteventura! Good Luck!@@Dan-ze4qz
@@Dan-ze4qzid love to know this as well
Not sure where you’re looking but anything under 600 E a month in south Gran Canaria is something that needs renovation or tiny. You can get a 2-3 month sublet for a decent price but most apts that you’d actually want to live in all year are 700 E or more a month. Airbnb have made all prices rise drastically. Canaries are not even near as inexpensive as they were 10 years ago. Food prices have also been increasing. Everything else is spot on!
Please remember that this video is almost 1 year old - inflation moved prices to the upsde over the past 9-12 months.
Some of the problems you mention really depends on where you live. Obviously if you settle in touristy areas, it will be touristy and also more noise due to parties, but this might be avoided by living in less touristy areas and outside the most urban areas. You dont even have to go to islands as El Hierro. Even in Tenerife or Gran Canaria there are less touristy areas, and the level of noise will depend on where you choose to live. Personally I live in Bergen in Norway, so I am used to having to take the airplanes to go to most places outside Scandinavia. Now I travel abroad mostly in winter to escape the cold, but if I lived on the Canary Islands, I guess I would travel more in the summer season, when it´s nice weather in Europe.
This seems to be a very charming place, I hope I can visit sometime in the future when all this is over. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much! And please keep up the great job! Subscribed!!
Glad you liked it!
Where are these apartment for €400/month? I'll prepay for a year!
Thank you for the information!
My pleasure!
Thanks for the video! I'm definitely interested in potentially study abroad here to connect a bit with my roots (I'm Cuban and Salvadoran but my great grandparents where from here) so this was very informative! Thank you!
Sounds exciting. I wish you the best! Thank you for watching.
Good video , thanks for sharing , I also take landscape videos in UK and sometimes abroad .It's very helpful and interesting . I subscribed to the channel, so I'm looking forward to it. Thank you for the good video
Nice video very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
I don't know why so many English speaking people tell that groceries or restaurants are cheap here. I come from Berlin / Germany. The diary products are like at least 30% more expensive here and there is not really a great variety of them besides Spanish manchego cheeses. Meat like chicken or beef is not cheap either. The average price for a very average pizza is 10-12€. I live on one of the most expensive boroughs of Berlin , I get a MUCH better one for as less as 7€ back home. The quality of the food in the restaurants here is worse than in mainland Spain, nevertheless you pay more than in the mainland. And because of the poor infrastructure with big supermarts and speciality stores here it is often difficult to buy stuff beeing something more sophisticated because they simply often don't have it on stock, starting with electric/electronic appliances and ending with furniture, unless you love Ikea and don't need anything else in life rather than their stuff (although even Ikea Canarias has a much more limited offer on available products than Ikea mainland Spain)
What city are you located in?
@@NomadElite Playa del Inglés,
@@berndw6031 You must check the north of the island. That's another world.
So nice to see this Vlog coz im rooting to this island
You should!
Thanks..helpful..
Glad you liked it
thank you very much!
My pleasure!
I can take a 6 hour flight and still be in the us. 2 1/2 hours is perfect tbh.
I live in Finland and I hate the seasons. Sure winter can be pretty but it is cold and dark. Spring is often slippery ’cause of the melting ice and fall is just windy, sometimes it rains a lot and the nights get darker. Sometimes the summer can be too hot. So 21-26 during the day and 16 at night sounds perfect for year round!
Thanks!!!
Welcome!
Everyone has their own perspective, is a good place to live and enjoy life and nature at all times
Thanks
It is definitely best place in the whole world. it is much better than expensive unsafe metropoles all around the world
Ha ha that's so so true when we come to the non well insulated flats. From my experience in different airbnbs and rooms, hostels and so on, most of the times, we can hear too much the external noises. I don't really care because as a noise supersensitive person, I always sleep with earplugs. But during the day it can be annoying. Also the external temperature. Don't think that you will sleep all the time naked without blanket. Suprinsgly, probably because of the pretty fresh canarian wind, the nights can be quite cold. Each island has its own characteristics. My favorite is Gran Canaria. Las Palmas is an amazing city. Finally, yes, people wait for you to speak spanish. It's pretty hard to find canarian people who speak english.
Great place to go in the winter. You really get to enjoy the weather and leaving winter behind. If you don't know Spanish, you can't penetrate the local culture, which is constantly active but also proud. It's understandable. They don't want to just adjust to you, you're in their scene. Also, some of the expat culture is very obnoxious and severely alcoholic.
You have to make your own way to find something in between. I do remember the plates being very good and quite affordable.
Sounds great!
Excelent video!
Thank you!
Thanks for a nice and informative video. I am wondering - Do you think Tenerife or Gran Canaria offers more interesting and varied nature/forest landscape for hikes and best beaches? Would you recommend Tenerife or Gran Canaria to move to for living? I'm having a hard time deciding. If it's not too much, I'm also curious if the temperature differences between the north and south are so big that it's cold in the north in winter, or can you still wear a t-shirt etc? Thank you and apologies for the long question!
I think Tenerife is better
For me the cons are the parties. I live in a relative quiet city in north Spain, so I don´t like crowded areas full of turist. I would choose a small village with all fundamental services but close to a main city and beatifull scenery. Weather in Castilla y Leon in winter is too cold, seasons are very mark, winter is cold, sumer hot. So houses are very well insolated from weather. The way the houses are built changes and the prices too. Here are a bit more expensive than in coast.
Thanks for sharing! How long have you been living in that quiet city?
Anybody knows where to find a cheap house to rent in villages or in remote area with hiking available without needing a car? Thanks!
Is there any technical work that is needed? For example welders, drivers ? Without dating possibility is not so good :D
We also considered the Canary Islands, but landed on Malaga. We moved to a smaller town 30 minutes from Malaga and 5 minutes from the sea. The climate here is warmer in summer and colder in winter, i.e. 30/32 degrees in July/August and 15/17 degrees in December, January and February. The sun shines even more here than in the Canary Islands and you are on the mainland which is a plus. It is also cheaper here and for us Europeans the health care is free here, high standard in public schools and it is also free. In fact, we live cheaper here than we did in the Philippines all in all, not bad 🙂. But we're tempted to try Malaysia, so we'll see what happens next year. We have been here for 7 years now and at my age I have to consider the pros and cons of moving more carefully than in the old days.
We live currently in Malaysia, and we are considering relocating to Malaga, mainly for the weather.
@@TBLiov It can be recommended, the sun shines all year round here. Check out some RUclips videos from Malaga and you will get an impression of Malaga.
@@skaidimusic We already did the homework and we are sold.
I could see that you are considering Malaysia, we lived in KL for 3 years, and it's so livable, people, services, cost of living and of course food all satisfying.
Since the Canary Islands are in the EU, isn’t healthcare also free for the Europeans?
@@PeterKoperdan Yes I think so.
thank you , i get it . I still would love to live in Las Palmas i guess , less cons would be probably
Great informative video..
I have a personal interest in the Island of Tenerife. .
I am Cuban American living in New Jersey, USA and my paternal grandmother was born in that Island.
I've only known this for a few years, so part of my roots are from that Island.
I would like to know exactly what part of the Island she was born.
That would be awesome.
Sounds great! Let me know how as your research progresses.
A large percentage of Puerto Ricans & Cubans have a Canary Island background. Explains why our accents are similar and very different from the rest of Latin America, we also have many different words like Guagua ( bus ) , zafacon ( trash bin ) foo ( bad smell ) , guiar ( to drive ) etc that originated in the canary islands. Theres actually a beach in the canary islands called Puerto Rico .
Hows the public transport? Suggestions for places where I could live in a bit more remote & quiet area, but be able to access the beaches & night life easily with pubic transit?
The whole island is pretty well connected through buses. Puerto de la Cruz got a ton of bars but it's definitely not as quiet but what you could do is live in La Orotava which is just up the hills. Costa Adeje is nice too!
The Guagua (bus) system is excellent on Gran Canaria. I used to live in Playa del Ingles and didn’t own a car. It connects just about everywhere on the island with very modern, clean busses.
thanks
You're welcome!
Thank you for the video. Do you happen to know what's the cost of living compared to mainland Spain?
Food and transportation are cheaper. Apartment rental prices depend on where you want to rent, but Santa Cruz and San Cristobal are affordable cities.
@@NomadElite thank you very much!
You should go to Gran Canaria, main nomad spot. Tenerife and Puerto de la Cruz are very different to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, main city of the Canary Islands.
Appreciate the recommendation. I had a good time in Tenerife but would like to head back to Gran Canaria in the near future.
LOL, You mentioned its 2.5 hrs from mainland spain..
I live in Canada, right now. I'm 28 hrs flight from Brazil (where my family is at)
LOL Yes, many more hours for you!
Would be nice if you show videos when you are at location . Very easy to just give pros and cons ?
I work for a UK business, been here for 4 years and I find it easier to work here than in the UK. I have very good fast unlimited 100MB internet and it costs me €31 a month. Only thing I find more expensive being autonomous is the tax allowance being a lot lower than the UK - around 5,500 compared to 12,500 in UK - and social security payments of over 320 a month - but the state health care and pension are a lot better than the UK so worth paying a bit more.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, internet is reasonably priced in Tenerife.
Maybe I just overlooked it, but what is the quality of the internet connection on the islands? What speeds can be expected? Can you choose from different ISPs? Thank you :)
Its okay. Not the fastest internet on the work but its stable.
5G here in GRan Canaria with excellent speed. Sorry, I’m not a tech weenie, but it serves my purpose for everything. Las Palmas is a haven for nomads and bloggers though.
To me the flight connections is not really a cons as you have a lot of cheap direct flights in every major european city and you can reach any airport worldwide with a two stopper.
However, the shipping is a cons, because the ferrys are very expensive and the timetable is poor. That is sad, because there are so many interesting islands like La Gomera (good streets for bycicle, only about 500 cars on the island) you cannot easily reach for a daytrip and there are not a lot of accomodations too. Unless you have your own boat there is no good way to go there.
That makes me to come to the conclusion that it is the perfect place for those want to liveaboard a private yacht but not so much for those wanting to have their home property.
Sure, it just takes longer to get the mainland and cheap flights are available if you book early enough (not many cheap flights during winter/high season).
Hi, what about the practicalities / reality of operating a business in the Canary Islands compared to Mainland Spain? Thinking in terms of support from government, opportunities, tax, ease of set up and operation.
Various reviews sound negative about operating a business in Mainland Spain , so I am wondering if there is a specific Canary Island which is better.
Moving my business from the UK, so choosing the location for my self-employed visa is important.
I may explore the Digital Nomad Visa when it comes out.
Thank you for your video and look forward to your insights.
Gary
Hi Gary. I just saw this comment (replied to the other one already). What weather and lifestyle is important to you? How good is your Spanish?
Buenos Días Amigo,
Apologies for the 2 similar messages. The one looked like it had disappeared.
Anyhow, to answer your question, my ultimate goal is long term residency, a Spanish Wife & A Family over there. Also to be conversationally fluent in Spanish.
I’m not sure at this stage weather this would be mainland Spain or the Canaries (even Latin America could be an option). I have always been drawn to Spanish speaking countries. Most holiday’s in the Canaries.
In terms of lifestyle, initially it’s just to get over there. Mid term operating a business that is in harmony with family life and enjoying a Compelling Schedule. I love Sun and hate the long dull seasons in the UK. I’ve heard southern Spain weather is okay in the winter for Sunshine.
Connecting with Digital Nomads would be cool, and it may be a route I need to go down Visa Wise. I’m not sure I’ll tick the boxes right now for ‘high skilled work visa or the self-employed one.
I’m currently learning Spanish at just past beginners levels.
Thank you.
Mexico would be one of the best options. It's a very diverse country, it got some of the best beaches in the world and it's relatively easy to get a long term visa for Mexico. Its cheap and full of hospitable people.
Thanks for a video that honestly describes ONE Canary Island. I am a new convert to the Canary Islands and I genuinely that think I have found a rare spot on earth., and I have been visiting quite a few countries around the world. So much so that, from now on, I plan on spending the european winter where I am at the moment.
From my little experience, you describe the pros quite well. But I think that most of the cons are related to staying on Tenerife which is the most populated and most visited island if I am not mistaken.
I stay on another island and most of the cons you describe don’t apply here. I don’t know about the dating situation as I am old enough not to be concerned by that issue anymore 😀.
Which island am I talking about? I won’t tell, I want to keep my little paradise intact!
You're welcome. Indeed, I did primarily address the largest Canary Island in this video.
8:54 same in Madrid from my experience, so annoying…
In terms of business opportunities, tax, growth, support from the government etc would you choose the Canaries or Mainland Spain? Any island or location in particular.
Currently exploring self-employed visa.
Thank you.
Are you looking to network with digital nomads? If so, then the Canary islands may be better than many other locations on mainland Spain. There's an option to pay 0% tax on certain income but you need to invest a substantial amount of money - requires you to open a company in Tenerife or another island.
I may need to make a transition to taking my business online, so I can go down the digital nomad route, as a route to get in. Mid term I would like the option of re-setting up the physical side of the business in mainland Spain or the Canaries, of course if I ticked all the boxes.
I’m almost trying to think mid term now, for the best location / province that is best for business tax wise, opportunities, government support etc. I just hear it is not as good as the UK or that some parts are… Just exploring those parts. And of course taking into consideration the lifestyle, meeting someone and starting a family, as you said in a previous comment.
Being round the native speakers is important also.
Thank you 👏
I personally have a company in London and I love the set up I got there. Was easy to get a bank account opened with HSBC which I still have today. You wouldn't be interested in Eastern Europe, would you? Bulgaria got a flat income tax rate, not sure about the British community though. Romania and Georgia are good too. You're going to pay more taxes in western countries than eastern countries. Gibraltar might be interesting? You could also delay paying income taxes by investing your profits and claiming a profit tax exemption. There are certain tricks that can be applied
May I kindly ask you for your advise of which website is the best if I'd like to rent a apartment?
Idealista and fotocasa
Many thanks mate.
Tenereev... From what little I understand about the Spanish language is it should be pronounced "Teh-neh-reef-eh". Just a little constructive criticism. Love the video!
Mainland spain or Canary islands for starting an airbnb business in terms of taxes and income?
Rental income is always taxed in the country your property is situated.
I am from here and i dont get the point you criticize the place is touristy and you are a digital nomad, anyways, if you dont want to stay in a touristy place, I recommend you to move to La Laguna or Santa Cruz. And obviously, you are in Spain and if you want to meet people or just in your normal life you need to speak Spanish.
23 female here! so as a native the island i'd like to sure my perspective. also when i native i mean native i was born raised here and i have Guanche ancestry along with Nahuatl from my mexican mother. i bring this up as i get quit annoyed with mainland Spaniards idk i don't feel like us natives get treated well. haveing to put up with drunk Catalan or Castilian folk all the time as a teenager just made me a little bitter to non locals so as result i moved out of the major city limits into which would considered the "country side" if you will when i was 19.
If you do a DNA profile, you’ll find that you have a tiny percentage of Guanche ancestry. Past studies have shown only a very small percentage at the highest for a large sample of people tested. It’s been filtered out over the years. Embrace your Spanish heritage!
Hi#1 I'm 23 and from the UK. I'd love to connect/chat further about this and I'm also considering moving to the canary islands for a few months and would love to chat to a local and understand the full picture before making a decision. gracias :)
@@glasscoughs1975 i got socials so feel free to drop yours in the comments
@@grl9917 not Spanish though I'm mostly Nahualt and then the rest is Guanche and galician
I’m sorry to hear this, i plan to move together there in las palmas with my fiancé and my cat, I promise the new generation( 25-35) we come in peace. We plan to build a business there to offer some jobs on the market ( not many because we can’t afford a big company) and we will give our best to learn the language and the culture. As a Romanian myself and my fiancé Bosnian we know how it is not to be respected in your own country ❤️
No matter cons, still like it
Good to hear. Where do you live?
Hey bro its still not letting me sign up to the nomadelites guide.
Great to see youve been in canaries, I also have
Hey! Please try again. Let me know if it works.
at least when the canary sings. is not augury. as in a fallen sparrow
Haha
It’s actually named after dogs from the Latin word Canis.
I live in Puerto too, but loud into the mornings..? When?
Yes, especially on the weekends.
@@NomadElite I guess that’s when you live in the centre
Yes exactly
@@NomadElite maybe we’ll see each other some day! We have the best wine bar in town Vinoteca Con Pasion, salud!
That’s my ancestor’s land. The Guanches lived there up to 1400’s. Spain committed genocide against my ancestors and took their land.
Wow, imagine going to a country that doesn't speak your language, then discovering with surprise that the locals don't wanna have to do with you, cause you don't speak their language.. And being offended by that. Typical "expat" mentality ... and btw, you are an immigrant there, not an expat
Absolutely true, I agree with you
Go to Cambodia. Everyone speaks english.....and you are allowed to call yourself an expat.
easy to find ecological vegetables and fruits and nuts ? internet is good ? when will u go to another country ?
Absolutely. I really liked the local melons and oranges and they are cheap. The internet was good as well. I'm in Mexico now!
@@NomadElite nice, then am looking forward to know more about mexico :)
Working on some videos for you guys
The dating aspect would put me off
Hey thank you for sharing this video!! I just want to share you that there is always love, hope, forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus. If you come to Him with a sincere and humble repented heart, He can save you and forgive you and give you abundance of joy, love and peace and eternal life. Believe in Jesus: He is The Son of God, He died for our sins and He rose from the dead, Believe in Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” -John 3:16
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” -Romans 10:9 Repent and Believe in Jesus.
Go home, islands are overcrowded
😂
The main income, without which the islands would suffer.