Mark Danby swapped Stockport for the Costa del Sol around 18 months ago – but there are still a few things he can't stop thinking about back home.07:04, 10 Jun 2026Approximately 400,000 British nationals are officially registered as residents in Spain, though some estimates suggest the real figure could be closer to one million. They are attracted by the gentler climate, relaxed way of life and – it has to be said – the abundance of fellow English-speakers, which makes the language barrier far less daunting.‌Yet while expats gain a great deal from uprooting to Spain, many openly admit there are certain things they find themselves missing. Mark Danby, who chronicles his life on the Costa Del Sol through his Tapas Guy YouTube channel, told the MEN that it's only when he heads back home that he's reminded of the three things he truly misses.‌‌PubsThe first is that quintessential British institution – the pub. "One thing I do really miss, as much as I like the Spanish bars, it's a good old English pub," he explained."Every time I go back, the first thing I want to do is go into a pub and have a pint of beer." There are, however, signs that a taste of Britain's beloved pub culture is making its way to Spain. Wetherspoons recently launched their first venue in the country, at Alicante Airport.British foodThere's no denying that Spain boasts an impressive and mouth-watering culinary scene – from tapas to paella. Yet Mark admits to pining for the home comforts of a good old-fashioned fish and chips. He continued: "You can't get good fish and chips here... maybe if you go to Gibraltar, I've had some decent fish and chips, but you can't get fish and chips round here that are decent. Fish and chips, steak pie and chips, stuff like that."‌FamilyAnd naturally, Mark doesn't get to see his family as often as he'd prefer, though he mentions his 29-year-old son is also planning to relocate to the Costa Del Sol.Mark's life in SpainMark clarifies that, despite losing the international freedom that Brexit brought about, it remains achievable to relocate to a European nation under specific circumstances: "I'm on what's called the digital nomad visa," he explains.‌While residing in Spain, he essentially operates from the UK thanks to reliable broadband. He went on: "You can work, but you can't work for a Spanish company, or anywhere in Spain."So I can do remote work and so can my, so can my son. So we can be located out here, and we're not taking any Spanish person's job away from them, we have an income, and we can work remotely."‌In Mark's most recent video, he contemplates how effortlessly people become stuck in their routines and lose that adventurous spirit, explaining: "One of the strangest things about getting older is the older you get, the harder change becomes. Not necessarily because life gets worse, but because the life we know starts to feel much safer."He reveals he relocated to Spain roughly 18 months ago, but has only just returned to his former hometown in the UK for the first time in ages. "I started to think quite a lot about this because part of me feels deeply connected to it. The streets, the routines, the familiarity," he says."When you have lived in a place for decades, it becomes part of who you are, part of your DNA. And walking around there again reminded me how easy it is for years to quietly pass by without much really changing in your life."‌He explains that the "big leap of faith" of pulling up roots and relocating to a different country isn't suited to everyone, noting: "Some people find out it's not for them. They find out that living here is not the same as being on holiday. It's very different in winter than it is in the summer."Having said that, Mark reveals that in numerous ways he actually prefers the Spanish winter to the summers, which can be blistering. "It's just too hot to do everything," he says. "You've got to turn your life around.‌"I've got a dog, so it's early morning walks, it's walks after sunset. You can't really go out and do anything during the day. It's too hot to walk anywhere. So you live your life in the evenings and late at night."Due to this, Mark notes, he now grasps why Spaniards adopted their tradition of taking a mid-afternoon siesta and dining rather late in the evening. Despite embracing the Spanish way of life, Mark admits he hasn't quite got to grips with the language just yet: "I do make an effort," he says, "not as much as I should."But to be honest, you don't really need it on the Costa del Sal, because everybody speaks English. There's lots of English people and and ...there's a lot of Dutch and Germans and Belgians, and most of them speak English."Article continues belowHe adds that he's close to La Duquesa, which is an international port, where everybody speaks English. "So, you know, there's nothing forcing me. The only problem is when you come across bureaucracy."Even then, he notes that certain aspects of life in Spain, such as purchasing a property or sorting out car insurance, are considerably more straightforward than one might anticipate.He concludes that, for now, he has absolutely no intention of heading back to the UK: "I'm not planning on coming back, but you never know, do you? I mean, you never know what life's going to throw at you, health wise and all the rest of it."