About

Welcome to Sun Sea Sangria 🌞🍷

¡Hola from Costa Blanca North!

I’m Joanne, and I’ve called this beautiful corner of Spain home for over 20 years. What started as a sunny “let’s buy a holiday home” dream quickly turned into a full-on “sorry UK — we’re never leaving” love story. And honestly? We’ve never been happier.

For more than 14 years, my husband and I ran two lovely apartments — Cumbre Del Sol and Golden Beach 2 — under the name Sun Sea Sangria. We welcomed hundreds of wonderful guests who came for the sea views and left with sun-kissed noses, fuller hearts, and plenty of stories from those epic sunset sangria sessions on the terrace.

Those years were our real crash course in Spanish life: mastering the endless red tape, building lifelong friendships, raising our kids surrounded by almond blossoms and beach days, and learning exactly what makes the Marina Alta so special.

Along the way, I’ve cleaned more villas than I can count, hand-poured scented candles that filled our home with gorgeous smells, and taught English online to students all over the world — sometimes with fireworks exploding outside the window mid-lesson!

Now I’ve turned that long-held dream into reality by relaunching sunseasangria.com as a proper website and blog. No corporate polish, no filtered perfection — just honest, warm, lived-in stories from someone who’s experienced every almond-blossom-pink, ridiculously beautiful (and occasionally absurd) moment of life here.

What You’ll Find Here

This is your friendly, no-nonsense guide to real life in the Marina Alta:

• Sun Sea Foodie — local recipes, tapas bars, sangria pairings, market secrets and all the best places to eat like a local
• Sun Sea News every* Monday* — what’s really happening in the Marina Alta
• Sun Sea Lifestyle — the honest expat experience (the sunny wins and the everyday realities)
• Red Tape & Tears — practical help with all the bureaucracy: SIP cards, TIE cards, NIE, residency, healthcare, and everything else that makes new arrivals panic. We’ve turned our hard-won knowledge into a free downloadable guide so you don’t have to learn the hard way.
• Paws & Mischief — light-hearted stories inspired by my beloved Snoopy and the four-legged friends we meet along the coast
• Hikes & Trails — proper walks for the cooler months with maps and tips
• Sun Sea Seekers — weekend adventures and places we think you’ll fall in love with
• Sun Sea Books — our little book club celebrating stories that capture the soul of Spain

Everything is written straight from the heart — exactly as I’d chat to you over a glass of sangria on the terrace.

Come Join the Family

Whether you’re here for a holiday, planning your big move, or you already live in Costa Blanca North and just want more local secrets, you’re very welcome here.

This is a real, down-to-earth space — the sunny highs, the quirky lows, and everything in between. I’d love you to join me on this adventure. Leave a comment, reply to the newsletter, or drop me a message to say hello.

And while you’re at it… Tell me: what mad jobs or side hustles have you tackled in Spain? I’d love to hear (and maybe even feature) your stories!

Pull up a chair, pour yourself something cold, and stay a while.

Welcome to the Sun Sea Sangria family.

See you under the Spanish sun!

Joanne 🌴🍷