A British woman has shared the reason she left the dreary UK for the sun-drenched “Orchard of Europe – the city of Murcia in Spain.
Taking to her TikTok page earlier this month, Jade Gartshore, who goes by @jadeinspain on social media, revealed the reasons that made her leave her native England to settle in Murcia. Murcia, often called the “Orchard of Europe” due to its long history of extensive fruit, vegetable, and flower production, is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Moreover, the city has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters and is one of the driest regions in Europe, with around 300 sunny days per year. While the warm climate was a key factor in Jade’s decision to leave the UK for good in December, she revealed there was another compelling reason behind her bold move.
“I absolutely love outdoor living,” Jade exclaimed in her now-viral video on TikTok. “Going on walks, going on hikes, going by the sea.” In the clip, which has amassed nearly 45,000 views, she further explained: “Just absolutely love it. Just love the style of living out here. It just makes me feel so good that you just want to be outside.
“When I lived in the UK, you know, when you make a plan and you think, ‘yeah, we’ll do this if the weather’s okay’. The weather is always amazing. I think that Murcia is all about sports, in my opinion. From what I’ve gathered.”
The TikToker went on to mention there are plenty of outdoor activities, including free or paid events like “fun runs”.
Jade, who is currently job hunting and taking Spanish lessons, chose to settle in Murcia—a lesser-known destination she had previously visited and fallen in love with—rather than following her English peers to more popular cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, or Seville.
In another TikTok video, she shared her reason: “It’s because it’s beautiful. Look at this,” as she filmed herself walking through the city center, standing in front of a stunning building bathed in sunlight.
She continued: “It’s just the best lifestyle here. So it’s a lot of outdoor living, very green. It’s just the perfect place. I’ve never found somewhere where I’ve just loved so much. I love that you can go on hikes, I love that there’s a great beach, everything.
“I just have fallen in love with it. And the people, not to forget the people, they are the best.”