Tom1957 wrote:I (briefly) considered VM but in the end decided it felt like a ghost town compared to Quesada.
Apart from te Plaza (which is an overpriced tourist trap) there is no sense of place.
Quesada feels more like a living, breathing town.
When was that, Tom?
I have lived in both (well, El Galan which is next door to VM).
That was some 14 or 15 years ago and, yes, in certain seasons it did seem like a ghost town. But they have now built lots more houses and communities around so it is a lot busier that it used to be. In my day, mainly apartments around the approaches that were always being broken into as nobody actually lived there. That has all changed now for the better.
It used to be full in the golfing season and little else but every time I go through it now the improvements are there to see.
It also has the advantage of a regular bus service to the beach and around which is something lacking in Quesada and is a very short journey to Zenia Boulevard. (That could be a disadvantage as my OH would probably be shopping there every other day).
Saying that, I do prefer Quesada with all the amenities around including the water park, the bowling alley, the variety of shops which is getting better all the time, the mini golf plus the big boys golf course just up the road.
We moved from El Galan after about 5 years but only because we wanted a house with garden as opposed to the apartment we had (being quiet as you can when the downstairs lot were there and so on). The main houses in that area were then poorly built by a company that put up hundreds of illegal builds (look for the problems at Bosque de Las Lomas which is opposite Blue Lagoon) which weren't particularly well built either (Technologia Urbanistica).
Another advantage is that Quesada really is an all year round location. Even the Orihuela Costa area can be like a ghost town in the winter months whereas I've never felt like that about Quesada.
As said before, look at both. Try renting in both areas for six months or so to get a feel of the place.