Follow idealista\/news in Spanish on the WhatsApp channel<\/a><\/p>\nExperts identify two distinct groups of retirees in the region. It is also important to distinguish between people moving to Catalonia from elsewhere, those who relocate within Catalonia after retirement and those who choose to remain in the areas where they have always lived.<\/p>\n
In Catalonia, two retirement landscapes coexist. \u201cOne is that of the ageing inland and Pyrenean districts, such as Bergued\u00e0, Ripoll\u00e8s and Terra Alta, where many older residents remain in the homes they have lived in for decades. The other is that of the coastal districts that attract people who actively choose where to retire, including areas such as Garraf, Baix Empord\u00e0, Alt Empord\u00e0 and Tarragon\u00e8s,\u201d explains Mercedes Blanco, CEO of Vecinos Felices and Pimec representative on the Catalan Government’s Housing Advisory Council.<\/p>\n
Carles Ribes, CEO and co-founder of The Barrio, shares a similar view. He highlights the appeal of an interesting mix of large and medium-sized towns and cities that are well connected and well serviced. In addition to offering a more affordable alternative to Barcelona, they also provide advantages for retirement, such as being close to nature.<\/p>\n
Ribes points to coastal destinations such as Sant Feliu de Gu\u00edxols, several towns in the Maresme region, Tortosa, Reus and Calafell. He also highlights inland and pre-Pyrenean locations including Lleida, La Seu d’Urgell and Manresa.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall quality of life\u201d<\/p>\n
The decisive factor is not the climate, although it certainly plays a role. According to experts, retirees in Catalonia are primarily seeking overall quality of life: accessible public healthcare, good transport links and connectivity, peace and quiet without isolation, a vibrant cultural scene and a home that is easy to maintain.<\/p>\n
According to Mercedes Blanco, “People retiring today are not looking to slow down in a beautiful location. They want to continue enjoying a high quality of life for many years, and their home needs to support that choice.”<\/p>\n
Where do foreign retirees buy homes?<\/p>\n
Foreign buyers are becoming increasingly important in Catalonia’s retirement market. The CEO of Vecinos Felices explains that many come from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy, although their motivations often differ.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrench retirees are attracted by proximity and climate, Germans and Dutch by the balance between quality and cost, Britons by healthcare and post-Brexit stability, and Italians by cultural affinity,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
What is clear is that many of these retirees tend to concentrate in a limited number of areas, particularly the Costa Brava, Garraf and Tarragon\u00e8s. According to Blanco, \u201cthe European retiree in Catalonia is generally a valuable and well-integrated residential profile. They buy or rent homes to live in rather than to speculate, they look after their properties and they participate in community life.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to The Barrio, however, the choice often depends on the type of retirement each person is seeking. One of the most common profiles is someone looking for a coastal lifestyle, a mild climate, a promenade and easy access to amenities.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaces such as Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltr\u00fa, Calafell, Tarragona, Cambrils, Sant Feliu de Gu\u00edxols and several towns in the Maresme region fit this profile perfectly. They are attractive because they allow residents to maintain an active lifestyle, with access to the sea, shops, restaurants, healthcare facilities and strong transport connections to Barcelona and other major cities,\u201d says the company.<\/p>\n
There are also foreign and Catalan retirees seeking tranquillity without complete isolation. Areas such as the Pened\u00e8s, Baix Llobregat and parts of the Girona province are popular options, along with higher-budget locations such as Sant Cugat. Other attractive destinations include La Garriga, Cardedeu, Granollers, Vilafranca del Pened\u00e8s, Girona and Banyoles.<\/p>\n
The houses chosen by Catalan and foreign retirees<\/p>\n
When it comes to housing preferences, differences begin to emerge. Mercedes Blanco notes that Catalan retirees, many of whom remain in their existing homes, tend to prioritise renovations and accessibility improvements.<\/p>\n
Foreign retirees, meanwhile, are often focused on finding homes close to the sea, with a pleasant climate and access to services, while minimising maintenance responsibilities. As Blanco explains, \u201cboth groups share the belief that housing should stop being a burden and instead become an enabler of their new stage of life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Catalonia is one of Spain’s most sought-after regions for retirement. Its coastal destinations, beaches, quality services, pleasant climate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-80508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spain","tag-spain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}