The village resembles Andalucia’s famed white villages and is dotted with several charming churches. Its central focus is the Plaza Major where you can admire the church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, as well as the Town Hall, and relax in the open air and while away the day listening to the sound of the fountain and admiring the architecture.
Wooden footpath on the sand leads to the beach of Vera on the Mediterranean sea in southern Spain
Living in Vera is as slow or fast-paced as you like, with options to be a beach goer or take up water sports.
Vera itself boasts 5km stretches of beaches. This beach region, known as Vera Playa is popular with expats and naturists and there’s a relaxed attitude to nudity throughout the area here.
What’s it like to live in Vera?
Living in Vera gives you the tradition along with the attractions that a large expat community brings.
It’s just a 12-minute drive from Vera village to the huge stretch of beaches where you are guaranteed to find a spot, even in the height of summer. The village also comes with its attractions from the handicraft stores selling handmade pottery, glass and even woven baskets, to a wide variety of restaurants serving the most typical local cuisine and tapas, through to Thai and Italian dishes.
Stretches of the beaches are popular with naturists and there is even a naturist hotel in the area so make sure you’re comfortable with this before signing up.
Enjoy walks along Vera's endless beaches
Living in Vera: essential information
The latest figures from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) show that the number of residents is 18,919 and has been steadily growing in recent years. There is a fairly even split between males and females and the latest figures show around 20 percent of the population are foreigners. Of those, the majority are of Moroccan nationality. There is also a community of expats from northern Europe too.
The majority of residents here average just under 40 years of age, while nearly a quarter of residents are under 20 years with just 14 percent over retirement age.
La Glorieta park located next to the Chapel of San Ramón
Healthcare in Vera
The health centres you’ll attend in Vera, depend on whether you have public or private health insurance.
The nearest public health centre in the Cuevas del Almanzora municipality is just 10-minutes drive away. Vera village’s nearest regional hospital La Inmaculada is 25 minutes drive inland.
Virgen del Alcázar Vera is a private hospital based in the Vera Playa or beach area. The hospital indicates it has numerous specialties from cardiology to pain treatment.
If you’re thinking of moving to Vera read our full guide to find out more about healthcare in Spain.
Working in Vera
According to the latest details from the Andalucian Institute of Statistics and Cartography, the majority of the workforce in Vera are employed in wholesale and retail trade, next is hospitality and construction with a fairly even split. Then there are those working in professional, scientific and technical activities and there is also a fair amount in real estate.
It’s important to be aware that for most of these jobs you'll either need to be an EU-citizen or have a visa with permission to work in Spain.
For applying and checking job availability before you arrive, you can search Indeed Spain with the option to look for job adverts only in English, English Jobs Spain has frequent ads for various jobs in Almería city – it’s about an hour drive from Vera and maybe your best bet for finding a specialised role. LinkedIn of course can give you onsite and remote options for the region too.
If you can’t get work permission or are able to find a job, you may want to consider becoming freelance, or autónomo in Spain. This gives you the option to target clients that you want and can provide flexible working conditions depending on how you structure your workload. If you are going down this route do look up the social security, tax and gestor, or accountant costs, before signing up to the system as many freelancers find the system unfair related to their earnings.
For remote and freelance workers it’s good to know about internet service in the area. According to the Fair Internet Report, Vera has an average speed of 186 Mbps, the fastest speed being 838 Mbps, and MasMovil is the most popular provider.
Co-working spaces in the immediate area are limited, however, there are a handful in Almería city. One of the most popular and highly rated ones there is Co-working Almeria WorkSpace with people favouring its location, facilities, and social aspects. Alternatively, Contenido Creativo is a super-stylish option for those who want to bring out their classy creativity.
If ultra-fast and reliable internet isn’t a necessity, you can use the public municipal library in the village. Bear in mind you may need to register with the library first and get set up on the network.
The beautiful Plaza Mayor building in the centre of Vera, Almeria
Schools & education in Vera
There are several education options in Vera for your kids, depending on whether you opt for public or private schools and the language you want them to learn in.
CEIP Ángel de Haro is a public early childhood and primary education centre located in Vera village. It’s a bilingual centre with around 400 students of 19 different nationalities.
CEIP Reyes Catolicos is another good bilingual public centre for early childhood and primary education, located in Vera village.
IES El Palmeral is a local secondary school located in Vera village.
For private options, Valdeserra International School is located in between the village and the coast. It offers courses for young children through to high school with additional options for vocational training.
The Permanent Education Center (CEP) BAREA, located in Vera village, offers courses for those over 16 years of age. There are diverse courses ranging from formal qualifications to languages, IT, and crafts.
While there are a few public transport options in and around Vera, owning your own car would be best to make the most out of the nearby natural areas and many beaches.
Autocares Baraza runs a fairly regular bus journey between the village and Vera’s beaches. It takes around 15 minutes and the cost is minimal.
There is also an ALSA bus service to Almería which takes around one hour, which is not too much longer than driving.
Vera combines Spanish culture and village life with beaches and a host of options for on-land and water activities, so if you’re wondering where to live in Andalucia, Vera could be a great choice.
During the hotter weather, enjoy downtime at the relaxed beaches or at the waterpark. On other days you can explore the village and its churches, traditional bullring, and of course, take in the Spanish village pace on the Plaza Mayor.
Day trips can include Mojácar, a pretty and popular white village with a host of shopping and eating options, or further afield Almería City, to explore the impressive Alcazaba and perhaps experience authentic flamenco.
Wander the white-washed streets of nearby Mojacar, Almeria
Parks and nature
Cabo de Gata Nature Reserve is perhaps the most well-known natural area in Almería, most likely for the number of movies that were filmed in the area, from several Westerns to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The unworldly and sometimes desertlike landscapes have attracted Hollywood directors and casts alike.
These beaches are less busy than other well-known beaches in the country. This means even in the summer season you’ll find a space for your beach towels. The quality of the water and the unique rocky landscape makes it a special place.
The nearby town of San Jose is nestled in Cabo de Gata natural park
Beaches
Vera Playa is the area of the coast nearest to the village. It features verdant golf courses and a variety of exclusive clubhouses. This beach area is known for its naturist clientele and as such provides hotels, apartments, and camping establishments focusing on nudists.
Puerto Rey Beach is adjoined to the laidback urbanisation of the same name. It’s a long stretch of beach and you can find a sailing school and kayaks for hire nearby. There’s also a small lagoon at the mouth of the Antas river which attracts migrating birds from Africa and other European countries.
El Playazo beach stretches for around 2km and is popular with naturists. Onward from El Playazo is a tranquil cove, Cala Marqués, backed by a natural pine forest.
With so many beaches to choose from, you'll easily find a quiet stretch to relax in Vera
Shopping and markets
An artisan market takes place along the beach area during the summer months where you can buy handmade crafts and more. There are a variety of shops in the area from stationary and paint stores to needlework shops.
There is also a small shopping mall called La Esquina de Puerto Rey near the beach of the same name. There you can find fashion shops, hairdressers, estate agents and convenience stores.
Fresh produce at local markets
Eating out
Andalusian cuisine has been influenced by Moorish flavours and therefore don’t be surprised to see dishes such as meatball stew, rabbit, ajo colorao (red garlic) on the menu.
There are a wide range of restaurants in the village serving traditional Spanish fare such as tapas, seafood and meat cuts at Terraza Carmona with more restaurants such as Juan Moreno, Regio or beachside Lua Puerto Reyor offering Andalusian dishes using local ingredients. International cuisines can also be found in the area at Thai Fusion Phuket or Pizzería The Wall Italian restaurant.
Dulce Luna is a popular cafe where you can find a range of pastries, cakes and if you need a break from the surgery snacks, healthy options like fruit bowls and toasts. Another highly rated option is Pastelería Soler which makes savoury and sweet pastries as well as creative cakes.
Expat clubs & activities in Vera
To find out more about what it's like to live in Vera, check out Vera Playa & Garrucha Forum where members can post photos, ask for recommendations and take part in other activities related to living in Vera Playa. It has over 10k members and is an active group. Garrucha is the stretch of beach just below Vera’s.
You may also want to take a look at Expats in Almeria, Spain group which has over 5k members and is active daily.
There are many more expat groups and clubs in Mojácar, just a 20-minute drive south. These include:
If you’re into fishing or you want to take it up as a hobby, you may want to join the Mojácar Fishing Facebook group where people regularly post when they have space on fishing trips. If you’re into running or want to get started then the Mojácar Indalo Hash House Harriers could be a great option. They organise trail runs for all abilities, as well as jogging and walking routes and meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. Find out more and about the events on their Facebook page. Women may want to consider joining Dames in Spain, a club that has been going for around 35 years and has around 60 members in and around Mojácar. Most of them are British but there are a few other nationalities too. They organise various activities and events.
Ready to search for your dream property in Vera? Check out 1,000+ properties for sale in Vera and make your Almeria dreams come true today.
