Living in Albox: Essential Information
Living in Albox means staying in a relatively remote location, however, the town is popular with expats and has a vibrant population of foreigners. Both locals and resident expats are known for their welcoming spirit and it’s also known for being a place to integrate into the local population. Other nearby similar towns you may want to consider are Arboleas and Almanzora.
If you’re considering moving to Albox you should know that it’s located in Andalucía, but that it is very close to the border with the region of Murcia, making it an ideal location for exploring more of Spain too.
The latest data available from the Instituto de Estadística y Cartografía de Andalucía in 2022 shows that Albox had a total population of 12,087. Approximately 3,000 of these were foreigners. Around 38 percent of these foreigners were from the UK.
The average age here is 43. Around 20 percent of the population is under 20 and another 20 percent is over 65.
Healthcare in Albox
There are two public health centres in Albox – the Consultorio Taberno and Centro de salud Albox. You will most likely attend these if you pay social security and have public health insurance.
If there’s an emergency or you need an operation for example, you’re nearest public hospital will be the Hospital La Inmaculada in Huércal-Overa, just under half an hour drive from Albox.
There are two other hospitals in the province, including Hospital Universitario Torrecárdenas in Almería city and Hospital de Poniente in El Ejido. Typically you will be told to go to a particular one, depending on your health issue.
If you have private health insurance, there will be other clinics and hospitals you’ll be able to visit such as the Centro Medico Docthos Salud in Albox. For more serious issues there’s the Vithas Hospital in Almería.
Find out more via our Healthcare in Spain guide.
Working in Albox
If you want to find a job in Albox, you’ll find that by far the majority of positions here are in commerce, so local shops. This is followed by jobs in construction, then those who work in the transport sector, then scientific and technical jobs, and finally jobs in the hospitality services.
The latter will most likely have more vacancies for English speakers, but the positions may be seasonal too with more bar work being offered in the summer months. Much of the economy here is based on agriculture, so you may find jobs in this area too.
There’s a large proportion of expats here, so you’ll find many dedicated English-speaking services that might also need workers. But it’s important to keep in mind that Albox isn’t a major tourist destination, so you’re more likely to find jobs nearer to the coast in places such as Mojácar.
Retiring to Albox is a much better option here than having to rely on finding a job here. Alternatively, it could be a great place if you work remotely online or if you’re self-employed and already have a stable business.
If you are set on finding a job in Albox, then the regular big job websites are the best places to look for vacancies, including Indeed, LinkedIn and Jobsora. Most of these job adverts are in Spanish.
Local Facebook group ALBOX ARBOLEAS WORKERS where opportunities are listed in and around Albox and Arboleas. Most of the job posts here are in English and the types of jobs you’ll find being advertised here include bar staff, cleaners, construction workers and painters/decorators. It’s also a good place to post if you’re looking for work.
Word of mouth is also a good way to find work, as well as local online forums. If you don’t have permission to work in Spain, your best option is to move here with the digital nomad visa and either work remotely for a company outside the country or to become self-employed and set up your own company. Find out everything you need to know about the Digital Nomad Visa in Spain from our guide.
While there are several cafes with free wi-fi, your best option for reliable internet is to rent an office space or work from home. According to the Fair Internet Report, Albox has home internet speeds in the range of 83 Mbps and the most popular provider is Aire Networks del Mediterraneo.
Read our guide to learn more about finding a job in Spain.
Schools & Education in Albox
There are a handful of public kindergartens and primary schools in Albox, as well as a couple of high schools and a couple that offer the Bachillerato programme, the equivalent of A-levels in the UK. Local, public education is all taught in Spanish.
According to MiCole.es, the three best schools are Colegio Medio Almanzora II, Colegio Velázquez and Colegio Virgen Del Saliente, which are all primary schools.
Unfortunately, there are no international schools in or around Albox, so your kids will most likely have to go to public schools if you move here. There is one Montessori international school for young children located in Almeria, but since this is over an hour drive away, it’s not really a practical option.
To find out more about education in Spain, visit the Spanish Ministry for Education website and read our guide on how to find the right schools.
Transport in Albox
If you’re trying to decide where to live in Andalucía, you should know that living in Albox is very difficult if you don’t have your own car. Given its remote location, it’s a definite must to get around the local area, even for shopping in the nearby towns, as well as activities in the nearby mountains or to drive to the coast. Read our guide on driving in Spain after Brexit for all you need to know on the subject.
There are public buses that run to some of the nearby towns and villages, as well as to Mojácar and Almería via Mojácar.
The closest train station to Albox is Lorca Sutullena located in the Murcian town of Lorca. It lies around 50km from the town so most likely you’ll still need your own transport to get there. From here, you can take medium and long distance trains around the country.
