August Traffic in Southern Spain May be Ending But “Operación Retorno” is Just Beginning

August May have Ended But “Operación Retorno” is Just Beginning

At the end of August there is a definite busier flow

of traffic heading North 

With the end of August comes the annual migration of thousands of mammals (people) making their way back to their homes in the north after spending time getting suntanned in the south. Having headed down south to enjoy the sun, sea, and sand they are now headed back north to get back to their regular lives and routines after living it up for a few months. This whole process is commonly referred to as “Operación Retorno” and is when Spaniards from the north make their way back home after spending time living in the southern Spanish sunshine.

What started as a small trickle of traffic on the motorway quickly became a torrent of vehicles of biblical proportions as everyone heads back where north and returns where they came from. August has ended and it’s time for regular life to resume once more. 

August is traditionally the month when many Spaniards take time off to hit the seaside and shake off the city heat to enjoy the more forgiving and beautiful coastal climate. The result is packed beaches, supermarket queues and traffic jams a mile long, and almost no chance of reserving a table in a restaurant. It also means that everything is filled with life and activity, businesses boom, and even the staunchest of southerners can’t help but get lost in the atmosphere of fun. Summer along the Costa del Sol is always fun for everyone who stays there; whether permanently or temporarily. Things really come to a head when Operación Retorno starts up though.

The beaches in Spain are still busy but it’s more pleasant than before. It doesn’t take nearly as long to travel in the car. The weather is still good without being stifling. You have less trouble getting a parking space or a taxi. You might be able to go to a restaurant without booking in advance. The summer feeling is still there but there’s a lot less people. Prices become cheaper and kids go back to school and, overall, there’s just a lot less noise.

If you’re in the know then you know that May, June, September and October are the best times to take a trip to the Costas. With Spain currently seeing record numbers of tourists, even compared to previous records set just last year, it can be a little much to stay around during the summer months. Now though people can look forward to the peace and pleasantry that comes with less people being around.

Study Finds the Cost of Buying Property in Spain and Living is Cheaper in Southern Spain Over Northern Spain.

The United Kingdom has a north-south divide that can be found in politics, class, and even football rivalries. This north-south divide is something that is no longer found only in the UK.

A study done by Kelisto.es has found that Spain has a north-south divide of their own, especially in terms of the cost of living. It’s different from the UK divide, however, in that value for money is found down south.

            Cost of living in Spain

Research showed that the cost of living in Barcelona was as much as 30% higher than the national average cost of living. However down in the southern cities of Jaén in Andalucía and Cáceres near Extremadura the cost of living is over 10% lower than the average.

Higher living costs were found all the way across northern Spain including San Sebastián, Madrid, and Palma, the capital of Majorca.

The price of property is also cheaper down in southern Spain. It’s cheaper to both rent property in costa del sol and buy property in the south. An 80 m2 home in the northern states of Barcelona or San Sebastián would set you back on average between €241,000 to €328,000. In the south however it costs around €131,000.

Kelisto.se also looked at living costs and took daily living costs into account. These costs are how much tax people pay, the costs for public transportation in Spain, the cost of accommodation and petrol, the average price for daily essentials like bread and milk, and also the cost of leisure activities like tickets at the cinema and a meal for two including beer.

They took a look at 50 cities overall and there was a strong correlation between high wages and high costs of living in Spain.

The research showed that San Sebastián had a cost of living that was roughly 28% higher than the national average, but the average household income was also around 25% higher than the national average.

The inverse was also shown to be true. Teruel is the tenth cheapest city in the country where citizens pay approximately 8% less than the national average, but the average income there is also around 11% lower than the national average wage.