According to Cyril Holbrook, author of 'Retiring to Spain', around 700,000 Britons have already migrated to Spain and the number of people moving to Spain to retire is steadily increasing.

What makes retiring in Spain so alluring? The quality of life after retirement is one of the prime considerations. Many of the people who eventually relocate to Spain have been charmed by their experiences as a tourist to the country.

The year-round sunshine, beautiful countryside, meandering shorelines, luxurious life style at affordable prices, all combine to make Spain a popular retirement destination. The weather is generally sunny and pleasant with cloudless, blue skies; the pace of life is easy going; Spanish cuisine is world famous and the music is great.

The beautiful landscape of Spain features fantastic geological and botanical terrain with great diversity. There are many natural parks, thick woodlands, snow covered mountains and desert areas that abound with plants and animals. Spain has some of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in the world.

What more could anyone need to enjoy a much-deserved retirement after all the years of hard work? No wonder then that, drawn to the prospect of a relaxed and fulfilling post-retirement life, lots of people are retiring to Spain even before they reach retirement age!

Besides all the emotional highs of retiring to a life-style of your choice in a new place, the financial benefits of retiring to Spain are quite significant.
The overall cost of living in Spain is only half of that in other European countries.

As a pensioner, it is important to make your savings go as far as possible. In fact, the cost of living is third lowest in Europe, ahead of only Portugal and Greece. In the UK on the other hand, you would have to pay taxes out of your pension.

Spain's inexpensive healthcare system ranks the fourth best in the world. Moreover, the country's dry heat plus the numerous salt-water lagoons with their healing properties for age-related ailments such as arthritis, make Spain an ideal choice for older people.

A primary consideration when buying a home and retiring in Spain is the cost of property. Spanish property is relatively cheap compared to equivalent homes in the UK, Italy or France. Another point to consider is that if you do choose to retire in Spain, you will still enjoy easy access to the UK and other parts of Europe and Africa. Not only can you take pleasure in a comfortable life in a Mediterranean beachfront property, but choose to indulge yourself travelling to nearby tourist hotspots without making a big dent in your savings.

If you are considering a retirement home abroad, do yourself a favour and take a good hard look at Spain and what the country has to offer, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.