Relocating to Tenerife from Costa Blanca

[Minerva]

I am considering moving to Tenerife (Puerto de la Cruz?) from Costa Blanca later this year and have some questions.

But first a tad of history. I am a Swedish and US citizen and four years ago relocated back to freezing Sweden from tropical part of the USA (Puerto Rico), not because I love freezing (on the contrary) but because the costs of health care in US were starting to kill me.

I enjoyed Sweden as long as it was possible, but got tired of outdoor climate. So last year I moved to Spain, Costa Blanca. But here I HATE the indoor climate: the houses are so badly built, they are impossible to get more or less uniformly warm and I froze all winter long despite ac/heating and high electricity bills. Since my experience from Atlanta, GA (called Hotlanta) is that cooling costs twice as much as heating, I dread summer ac bills and wonder if my Spanish apartment would be as difficult to cool as it is to heat.

Thus I am thinking of northern Tenerife, where winters are warmer and summers cooler.

*Does one need heating there (remember I spent lots of time in the Caribbean and am most comfortable in that climate) to get a uniform indoor temperature of at least 20 degrees C. ?

* Does one need cooling there in summer? A few years ago I could easily deal with upper 20s and even occasional lower 30s without ac, but my heart is not getting any younger.

Besides, diabetic neuropathy is making it more and more difficult to walk, shop etc., so I might soon need a mobility scooter. I have seen people using them in downtown Puerto de la Cruz during my recent visit there, but how about areas higher up in Puerto - ex, by Jardin Botanico, the English Library etc.? Are these areas mob scooter friendly? I live alone so I need to be as independent as possible.

Thanks for any advice and comments pertaining to matters I raised above as well as those I might have not thought of.

[canarybird]

Hello Minerva...
I am Canadian and have lived in the La Paz area (near the Botanical Gardens) of Puerto de la Cruz for over 30 years, after having lived in Mallorca and Ibiza. I have seen folks using mobility scooters around this part of the town, but I'm not sure about negotiating the hills to get up to the English library. Perhaps someone who has done that could give an answer.
As far as heating, my house has central heating from gas fired water radiators but I haven't used it for the last four winters as the winters have not been cold enough to use the system. Instead I've just been using one of the oil-filled electric radiators that are on wheels and is quite sufficient for heating a living room. I've not needed anything for the bedroom.

Friends have also been using a single heater, either electric or butane to heat their apartments or houses. I also have never used AC in the summers but have turned on a fan from time to time on hottest days. Still summers can be warm enough that it's a relief to go into an air conditioned shop or restaurant. But I think you would find that generally the climate is mild and ideal for your needs.

I'm happy to answer any more questions you may have. :)

Sharon

[Peanuts]

Hello Minerva

we lived in Puerto for one year and then decided to move to the south of Tenerife. We found Puerto and La Paz a bit depressing as you get a lot of clouds hanging in the valley during the year. One of the reasons it is so green. The harbour and La Paz can have 2-3 degree difference which makes a huge difference in the evenings and on cold days. You might be better off in the town itself. One thing we found is all north facing (sea) apartments are very cold and damp as the sun never hits them. Best is to find an apartment with Teide view to have a bit of sun or windows on two sides. Hope this helps.

[Minerva]

Thanks, Sharon and Peanuts. Now I know more of what to look for in an apartment in Puerto. And an where not to look for it. :-)