Advertisement

expats For Members

MAP: The towns in Alicante with zero British residents

The Local Spain
The Local Spain - [email protected]
MAP: The towns in Alicante with zero British residents
The village of Benasau, in the Sierra de la Serrella. Photo: Rodriguillo/Wikimedia Commons

No province in Spain has more British residents than Alicante. But believe it not there are some towns and villages with no Brits at all, albeit not many. But if you are interested to know where they are or become the first British resident to move in then read on.

Advertisement

Of all the provinces in Spain, none is home to more British nationals than Alicante, where some 69,289 Brits officially reside, according to the Spanish government’s national statistics organization, the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas).
 
The province’s sunny weather and the white sand beaches of the Costa Blanca draw so many Brits in such high concentrations that it can sometimes feel as if one has stumbled into a sort of Little Britain in the sun.
 
Legendary tourist destination Benidorm and its 2,322 British residents (though this only includes those who are registered) is only the tip of the iceberg.
 
 
The town  of Orihuela, with its coastal housing development, is home to a whopping 9,393 UK nationals. In the town of Llíber, they make up almost half (44%) of the population.
 
But believe it or not, there are still 4 villages in Alicante without a single British resident. If you're trying to escape your fellow Brits but still enjoy that sunny Alicante weather, then look no further…
 
 
Benasau
 
Tucked into the Sierra de la Serrella is the village of Benasau and its 156 residents, making it the most populous of the English-free municipalities in Alicante. It is home to the Torre del Palacio, ancient home of the Barons of Finestrat, and the recently restored Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro.
 
 
Benifallim
 
Not only are there no British residents in Benifallim, there are no foreign residents, period. This town of 108 - mostly Valencian speakers - lies just 7 km to the Southeast of Benasau, and is known for its castle overlooking the surrounding farmland and the Palacio of the Marquis de Montortal, today home to the local town hall.
 
 
The castle of Benifallim (left) overlooking the village (right). Photo: Galopax/Wikipedia Commons

Benillup
 
With only 94 inhabitants, the smallest of the British-free villages calls itself “the smallest big town in the world”. Another Valencian-speaking municipality, it is dominated by its bell tower, dedicated to the town’s patron saints, Llorenç and Águeda.

 
Photo: Joanbanjo/Wikimedia Commons
 
Facheca
 
Located in the Seta river valley, Facheca (Fageca in Valencian) just breaks the 100 mark in terms of population. On the outskirts of town are the remains of the Torre del Pla de la Casa, the highest-altitude castle in Alicante.
 
 
Photo: Juanbanjo/Wikimedia Commons
 
And there are a few with less than 10....
 
In all, there are 23 towns with less than 10 British residents, so it is possible to find places to live in Alicante without feeling that you’re surrounded by Brits. Of course, of these 23, none of them are on the coast.
 
The majority are in the mountains to east of the Sierra Mariola, with a few further inland to the west as well.
 
The exception and most populous town is Granja de Rocamora, with 2,489 residents, only 3 of whom are British. It’s located in the South, just northeast of Orihuela and only half an hour from the coast by car.
 
For a full list of Alicante’s municipalities with fewer than 10 British residents, see below:
 
Alcoleja - 2
Cañada - 2
Penàguila - 2
L’Alqueria d'Asnar - 3
Famorca - 3
Granja de Rocamora - 3
Gorga - 4
El Campo de Mirra/Camp de Mirra - 5
Beneixama - 6
Beniardá - 6
Alfafara - 7
Almudaina - 7
Beniarrés - 7
Benifato - 7
Benimassot - 7
Quatretondeta - 7
La Vall d'Alcalà - 7
La Vall d'Ebo - 7
Tollos - 8
 
 
 
 
 
by Edward O'Reilly
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also