Fast reliable air access to the UK is a priority for many expats moving to Spain today, due largely to the uncertainty of Brexit and a desire to maintain ties back home. Here are Spain’s top five airports for flights to the UK, so buying near one should make popping back to Blighty a cinch…

Alicante
The gateway to the Costa Blanca and wider Valencian Community, as well as northern Murcia, Alicante is well connected to all key regional airports across Britain, including during wintertime when there is a reduced timetable. Most people flying there use easyJet or Ryanair, although other options for Brits include BA, Thomson, Norwegian and Jet2.

Alicante sits halfway down the Costa Blanca, so is convenient for both the northern and southern parts. The nearby AP-7 motorway, which runs the length of Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, makes transfers up and down the coast quick and easy.

Resorts in the northern Costa Blanca typically within an hour from Alicante airport include Calpe, Altea and Benidorm, and within 90 minutes are Moraira, Jávea and Dénia. In the south, the Orihuela Costa resorts of Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Villamartín and Los Dolses, Cabo Roig and Campoamor are all comfortably less than an hour from Alicante, while popular Quesada and Benijófar are less than 45 minutes. There is also the option of flying to Murcia’s airport at Corvera.

Málaga
Rated as the Spanish airport with the highest number of UK flights, Málaga delivers Brits and other international travellers to the famous Costa del Sol, as well as inland areas of Andalusia. Like Alicante, easyJet and Ryanair handle the bulk of UK air traffic there, with alternative airlines running year-round flights including Norwegian, Thomson, Jet2 and BA.

Most people landing at Málaga find their way quickly on to the AP-7 and head west to one of the Costa del Sol’s cosmopolitan resorts, famous for golf, sandy beaches, lively social scene and – in certain areas – glitzy lifestyle.

Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Mijas Costa are all less than a 30-minute transfer, while international hot spot the Golden Triangle, which includes the swanky parts of Marbella as well as Benahavís, Nueva Andalucía and Puerto Banús is 45-50 minutes away. A little further west is the traditional family resort of Estepona, still no more than an hour from the airport.

Barcelona
A popular and hip city destination in its own right, Barcelona’s airport is also the gateway to the Costa Brava and the main air hub for Catalonia, which attracted more tourists than any other Spanish region during 2018.

Between an hour and 75 minutes north of the airport, using the fast AP-7 motorway to bypass central Barcelona, is the Costa Brava’s most impressive and sought-after stretch of rugged coastline.

It runs south to Palamós from the boutique medieval town of Begur, considered the region’s jewel in the crown, and is home to a string of small resorts set around sandy coves, including Sa Riera, D’Aiguafreda, Sa Tuna, Aiguablava, Tamariu, Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell.

Barcelona is best served by easyJet, but Ryanair also flies there along with BA and other airlines. A possible closer option for homeowners in the Costa Brava is to fly to Girona, but there is far less choice and frequency of routes.

Mallorca and Tenerife
The Balearic Islands are Spain’s second busiest tourist destination after Catalonia, with Mallorca attracting the bulk of tourists. Being an island no more than 100 kilometres wide means nowhere there is more than an hour from its airport located on the southern edge of capital city, Palma. The usual airlines fly there and while they operate less frequent winter timetables, you shouldn’t struggle to get back to the UK for Christmas!

Meanwhile, the Canaries’ constant sunshine makes them a true year-round destination. They are the third most popular tourist destination in Spain based on annual figures, but in December alone they attract more visitors than any other region – forget winter timetables, the UK’s colder months are their busy time! The largest and busiest island there is Tenerife, hence it makes the top five for UK flights.