Spain Revealed

Costco, James? Really?

If you've seen my latest YouTube video, you might be wondering why Yoli and I were filming at the Costco in Madrid.

Yeah, I know...

You're probably wanting to move to Spain to get away from the warehouse shop. The once-a-week haul. The cart the size of a small boat.

But hear me out.

What's on the shelves — what people actually buy — tells you a lot about a place.
Some do a daily shop at the local market.

Some use the neighbourhood supermarket.

Some, it turns out, load up a trolley the size of a small car at Costco on a Saturday morning.

That’s the thing about Spain, or anywhere.

There isn’t one neat version of it.

And the clearer picture you have of this country, the better the foundations you're building on.

Would you do a Costco run in Spain — or is that exactly what you're moving away from?

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 85

Spain Revealed

When you think of "Home" in Spain, what is the #1 requirement?

After years of building new roots, the definition of "home" starts to blur. Is it where your passport is from, or where your favorite cafe is? Many people who relocate feel stuck between two worlds- too Spanish for their old home, and too foreign for their new one. It’s the price we pay for the freedom to reinvent ourselves.

👉Still figuring out whether a move to Spain is realistic for you at all? I put together a free 7-step self-assessment that gives you instant clarity on where you actually stand on visas, finances, housing, and more. Take it here: social.spainrevealed.com/tH9A

3 days ago | [YT] | 47

Spain Revealed

Cantabria doesn't look like the Spain most people picture.

When most people think of Spain, they picture golden beaches, blue Mediterranean waters, endless sunshine.

Sandwiched between Asturias and the Basque Country, Cantabria is right in the heart of Spain's green north.

A few things worth knowing:

— The capital Santander is elegant and very livable – Around 170,000 people, a noble architecture reflecting its past as a port and banking centre, and a proper city beach right in town.

— Perfect for outdoorsy types – Picos de Europa visible on clear days, stone villages, wild beaches, surfing and hiking.

— You'll actually integrate into Spanish life (be ready!) – Small, scattered English-speaking community. Real integration with Spanish-speaking neighbours — and the language challenges that come with that.

— Connectivity is decent but has limits – Santander airport, flights to Europe, 4 hours to Madrid by train. Connected, but not a major hub.

— The anchovies will change your mind about anchovies – Mild, nothing like the salty ones you might be used to. And if you're still not convinced, the rabas (fried squid) are also amazing.

👍 Give this a like if Cantabria is on your radar.

Still figuring out whether a move to Spain is realistic for you at all? I put together a free 7-step self-assessment that gives you instant clarity on where you actually stand on visas, finances, housing, and more.

Take it here: social.spainrevealed.com/tH9A

5 days ago | [YT] | 272

Spain Revealed

Last month, I got to catch up with currency specialist Michael Hart (Spartan FX) over some top gambas.

Michael is a featured expert in my Move to Spain Masterclass (you may have also seen him on one of my free webinars).

We got talking about one of the most common questions I get from people planning their move: when is the right time to move my money?

Do it now? Wait for a better rate? What if I move it and the rate improves next month?

The mental load of trying to crystal-ball the exchange rate gets exhausting fast.

Because moving money to Spain is not like a normal bank transfer.

Wire it directly from your US account and you're looking at a bad rate, receiving fees, and potential compliance headaches.

Here's how I think about it — you want to:

1. Understand the rate

The number you see on Google is the mid-market rate — the real rate banks use to trade between themselves.

Nobody gives you that rate. Every service takes a cut somewhere.

Treat it as a reference point, not an expectation.

2. Understand your situation

Are you moving a lump sum (savings, a property purchase)? Or receiving regular income from back home (Social Security or a pension paid into your home account)?

The right approach looks different for each.

For regular transfers, setting a fixed schedule and moving what you need on that cadence is often smarter than trying to time every transfer. The rate evens out over time, and you stop being glued to a currency app.

3. Use the right tool

For smaller, regular transfers, Wise is a solid starting point.

But it can fall over on larger amounts and anything with compliance requirements.

That's where a currency broker comes in.

Michael and the team at Spartan FX offer rates that are competitive with Wise. But unlike Wise, they actually pick up the phone.

They have a self-service app for smaller regular transfers, and they handle all the compliance requirements that come with moving larger amounts.

It sounds minor until your money gets locked up for some unknown reason.

They also offer tools specifically designed for risk mitigation like forward contracts (lock in today's rate for a future transfer) and limit orders (set a target rate and let it trigger automatically).

I put together a free Sending Money to Spain Cheat Sheet that covers the basics: why your bank's "0% commission" is usually costing you more than you think, how to time transfers to hedge against currency swings, and the tools that let you lock in a rate and take the guesswork out of it entirely.

👉Get it here: social.spainrevealed.com/uKqt

1 week ago | [YT] | 136

Spain Revealed

If you had to choose a "Vibe" for your move, which wins?

Spain isn't one single experience. Life in a village in Andalusia is worlds away from a flat in Madrid or a coastal spot in Valencia. I see so many people paralyzed by "Analysis Paralysis" because they are afraid of picking the wrong spot.

👉 Still figuring out whether a move to Spain is realistic for you at all? I put together a free 7-step self-assessment that gives you instant clarity on where you actually stand on visas, finances, housing, and more. Take it here: social.spainrevealed.com/tH9A

1 week ago | [YT] | 25

Spain Revealed

🔊FREE webinar happening next week

Next week, I'm hosting a free webinar: Buying Your Dream Home in Spain

You'll learn important information about buying a property in Spain, plus the role of property buyers in Spain (and how they're very different from your standard real estate agents).

Our expert will be Agnes Csomos.

Agnes is a dedicated property buyer, meaning she works on behalf of the buyer to find the right property.

And she is one of the rare professionals in Spain whose job is exclusively to represent the buyer.

She will share five key things every buyer needs to know to get the right home at the right price — and answer your questions live.

Here are all the details you need:

Buying Your dream Home in Spain

🗓 When: Wednesday, 15 April at 5PM CEST (11AM EDT // 8AM PDT)
💻 Where: Live on Zoom
💰 Cost: Free (recording available for 5 days, but you must be registered)

Click below to save your spot and learn how to buy with confidence
👇
social.spainrevealed.com/uEU9

Can't make it live? No problem. Register anyway and I'll send you the replay the following day!

1 week ago | [YT] | 20

Spain Revealed

Community is usually the last thing on the list when you're planning a move to Spain. Here's why it shouldn't be 👇

Building community before you move matters for two reasons most people don't consider:

1. The practical one.

You can't Google everything. Some of the most useful information about your move comes from people already living it.

What's the heating bill actually like in Asturias? How does that neighborhood feel at night?

You need real people for that — not Reddit threads from 2019.

2. The emotional one.

Even if you're moving with a partner or family, this process can feel incredibly lonely.

Connecting with people who understand what you're going through (and share your enthusiasm for Spain) makes the whole thing easier to carry.

The tools are already there. Facebook groups, Reddit, Meetup. Communities organized around regions, interests, visa types, life stages.

Don't wait until you land to start using them.

👉 Still figuring out whether a move to Spain is realistic for you at all? I put together a free 7-step self-assessment that gives you instant clarity on where you actually stand on visas, finances, housing, and more.

Take it here: social.spainrevealed.com/tH9A

1 week ago | [YT] | 144

Spain Revealed

3 things you probably didn't know about Easter in Spain 👇

We're deep into Semana Santa here in Spain — what we call Easter week. And it's a whole week (or a little bit more).

Schools are out, families are getting together, and dramatic processions are taking place around the country.

I've been thinking about how different Easter actually is here from where I grew up in NZ (and perhaps from wherever you are).

So here's the lowdown on 3 things you need to know.

1. The processions have to be experienced

Attending Semana Santa in Seville a few years ago is one of the most memorable experiences I've had in 15 years of living in Spain.

And I say that as a very lapsed Catholic.

The music, the floats, the incense, the sheer scale of the whole thing... nothing quite prepares you for it.

Southern Spain is where the processions are most famous — Seville especially.

But they happen all over the country, from small villages to major cities.

Whether you're a believer or not, if you ever get the chance to experience Semana Santa in Spain, take it.

2. The Easter Bunny doesn't exist here

Or at least, nobody's told Spain about him yet.

Living in a multicultural household means our 4 year old is very aware of said bunny — and has been busy sharing that knowledge with her classmates.

Chocolate eggs are starting to creep into shops.

But the bunny remains largely unaccounted for.

3. We eat torrijas instead of chocolate eggs

No Easter Bunny means no chocolate eggs. But before you feel too sorry for us...

Enter torrijas!

Bread soaked in milk or wine, cinnamon, citrus, egg, fried in olive oil, finished with sugar or honey.

Crispy outside, soft and custard-like in the middle.

My mother-in-law makes them every year and they are exceptional.

Kind of like French toast — but better, of course. 🙂

So that's Easter in Spain.

Now I'm off to prepare Lucía's room for the mountain of eggs she's planning on waking up to tomorrow morning...

¡Feliz Semana Santa!

👉Curious about Spanish culture and festivals month by month? Click here to grab my free Seasonal Living in Spain guide
social.spainrevealed.com/u4D4

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 251

Spain Revealed

Is it getting harder to move to Spain?

I get some version of this question a lot.

And I understand why.

The immigration process can feel genuinely opaque. When new requirements appear out of nowhere, or you get conflicting information from different consulates, it’s easy to read that as Spain pulling up the drawbridge.

But I don’t think that’s what’s happening.

Yes, some things have tightened up.

The Digital Nomad Visa has faced more scrutiny.

The Non-Lucrative Visa added new banking documentation requirements.

And consulates often “invent” requirements that seem designed to make your life harder.

That part is real.

But tighter controls are not the same as Spain closing the door on foreign residents.

The team at Bureaucracy (the immigration firm I recommend for Non-Lucrative and Digital Nomad Visas) put it like this:

“Spain is not closing its doors to immigration. What we are seeing is more of a shift towards tighter controls and better regulation.”

Spain still needs working-age people, taxpayers, and contributors to the economy.

And Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly described immigrants as a source of "wealth, development and prosperity" for Spain.

So no, I don’t think the visa routes are drying up.

What is true is that the process is getting less forgiving, which makes good preparation more important than ever.

Still figuring out whether a move to Spain is realistic for you at all? I put together a free 7-step self-assessment that gives you instant clarity on where you actually stand on visas, finances, housing, and more.

👉 Take it here: social.spainrevealed.com/tH9A

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 209

Spain Revealed

What is your biggest fear regarding social life in Spain?

Moving to Spain is a filter for your friendships. Some friends back home will cheer for you. Others might not understand or appreciate this choice. Building a new social circle in Spain takes work, and early on, those connections can feel superficial.

Still figuring out whether a move to Spain is realistic for you at all? I put together a free 7-step self-assessment that gives you instant clarity on where you actually stand on visas, finances, housing, and more.

💡 Take it here: social.spainrevealed.com/tH90

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 40