Planning to live in Teneriffe

[ValWatkins]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and have just joined as my husband is taking early retirement next year. We are seriously considering moving to Tenerife and our first step has been to rent an apartment in Palm Mar for 3 weeks in March 2016. Our plan is to hire a car and explore the south as much as possible and find out as much as we can before renting in our chosen area for 6 months, to see if we like the lifestyle. I would be really grateful of any advice you can give me. In particular, we cannot speak Spanish. What would be the best way to learn and how can we integrate into a community?
Thanks!!
Val

[scotchmist]

Hi Val Watkins sorry I cant advise you on moving to Tenerife. Welcome to the forum. :welcome:

[Leam_Lin]

Welcome to the forum, you are going the right way by 3 weeks & then trying it out for 6 months.

It may be okay for you, I love tenerife but to live here permanately for me is a no no, 6/8 weeks is the longest I have managed.

[essexeddie]

I spend most of the winter here but to live here on a perminant basis, no way. Ok when the sun is out but when its not I would sooner be back in the UK.

[ValWatkins]

Thank you. That's really interesting. Can I ask why? Is there not enough to do?
Thanks.
Val

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This is the help I need. I thought the sun was out most of the time if you choose south Tenerife and nearer the coast rather than up the mountain. Due to family in England, one possibility is 6 months in the winter and 6 months in the Uk summer. This is something my husband and I have yet to decide.

[Leam_Lin]

Seems daft but I miss the seasons, love seeing now all the different coloured leaves falling, then the snowdrops appearing, lambs in fields, & most of all my daughter & her family.

[kathml]

its amazing the differences between summer and winter i stay in Medano and its image of a wind swept ghost town is much exaggerated especially by those who stay there
between april and october with the exception of a few weeks in may june its a busy canarian holiday resort with barely a word of English heard over the winter its mainly busy with elderly brits some for several months and coffee with milk becomes the norm rather than cafe con leche
and I'm afraid i appreciate the former rather than the latter
so you need to experience different places at different times of the year

[dariyana]

Palm Mar is a good place to start out with! Great thinking on hiring the car, that way you will soon learn to get by and around all the key towns of both south and north of the island (3 weeks is more than enough to learn the basic info about the whole island!).

The best way to learn Spanish is practice. I know - old news but it really only works like that. Knowing English facilitates it a bit when it comes to tenses but the language has a lot of exceptions so it will be a long, but fun ride. Luckily, local people are very patient and friendly. Upon seeing you try speaking Spanish, they will be more open to you, too. You can then register for some Spanish classes, in the official School of Languages (there is one in Los Cristianos) or through an independent person - there are a lot of people offering themselves to help you learn the language. Get yourself a small dictionary to get around at the shops (the cashiers don't tend to talk a lot of English but they will understand you and help).

The lifestyle can get a bit routine-ish but the island offers you a lot of things to do, a lot of hobbies to have, so it's a matter of seeing life :) Good luck!

[Hepa]

Your plan to rent is good. Many years ago Gran Canaria was our first choice, we rented but then discovered the secret Meridian Island of El Hierro, and that is where we eventually retired to.