Greetje(68)

Three years after Karel passed away I faced a choice: grow old alone in our too-large house in Haarlem, or start something completely new. My daughter thought I was crazy. My sister understood immediately. At 66 I sold the house, packed two suitcases and left for Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.

Why Fuengirola? It has the largest foreign community on the Costa del Sol. Thousands of Scandinavians, British and Dutch people live there. There's a Dutch supermarket (Hollandse Hoek), a Dutch café, and even a Dutch bridge club. I knew I wouldn't speak Spanish right away, so that community gave me a safety net.

Healthcare was my most important requirement. With my diabetes and high blood pressure I can't go without good care. Through the S1 form I'm registered in the Spanish health system. My Centro de Salud in Los Boliches has a doctor who speaks English. My medications — metformin and lisinopril — cost €4.60 per month here with the tarjeta sanitaria. In the Netherlands I paid €385 per month for health insurance plus deductible. Here I pay nothing extra.

Safety was a major concern as a single woman of 68. But Fuengirola feels safer than Haarlem. I walk along the boulevard at ten in the evening without worries. Crime rates are low, police are visible, and neighbors look out for each other. My Spanish neighbor María brings me paella every Sunday and checks if everything is alright.

Building a social life was easier than I feared. I do yoga on the beach (€5 per class), I'm in a walking group from the Asociación de Residentes Extranjeros, and I take Spanish lessons at a language institute in the center (€120 per month for two classes per week). After a year I speak enough Spanish to have a chat in the shop and explain my complaints to the doctor.

My apartment in Los Boliches — two bedrooms, a five-minute walk from the beach and the market — I rent for €750 per month, including communal pool. With my AOW and a small teacher's pension I live comfortably. I even save €300 per month. My advice to women who are hesitating: don't wait until you're too old. It's scary, yes. But it was the best decision of my life.