The three 'Little Norways' of Spain

Norwegians are not among the main groups of foreign origin in Spain. However, members of this non-EU Scandinavian kingdom are among those who chose Spain once, more than six decades ago, and are still active in coming here to settle or spend the warm winter in certain parts of the sunny coasts with clear skies all year around - Alicante, Gran Canaria and Malaga.

La Marina Baixa of Alicante province is considered the main area chosen by Norwegians to settle in Spain.

The Nordic pioneers discovered it with the arrival of mass tourism in Benidorm in the 1960s. At that time, many visitors were so attracted by the climate and the beach, the low prices and the hospitality of the Spaniards that they did not hesitate to buy houses and flats there.

According to the researcher of the University of Alicante, José Ramón Valero Eskandell, in 1975 there were already more than a hundred Norwegians on the Alicante coast, and ten years later they became the first Norwegian community in Spain, with 341 officially registered people.

By the mid-nineties, their number had exceeded one thousand, and the community has continued to grow ever since. The town of L'Alfàs del Pi could be named as the capital of 'Little Norway' in the province of Alicante. It has been celebrating 17 May for 55 years in a row.

Today on the Costa Blanca, in addition to Norwegian-owned real estate firms, entertainment and health centres, there are Norwegian clubs, a consulate, a Norwegian church and a Norwegian school that has been operating since 1986.

The Norwegian school located in Mogán in Gran Canaria is one of the oldest and last year celebrated its 50th anniversary. The municipality of Mogán can be defined as Spain's first 'Little Norway'. Many years ago, Norwegians fell in in love with this Canary Island with its high dark mountains protruding into the sea, reminiscent of the Norwegian fjords, but warmed daily by the warm rays of the sun.

The municipality includes the fishing towns of Puerto de Mogan and Arguineguin, which are home to almost a thousand officially registered Norwegians out of a total population of 20,000.

In addition, between 7,000 and 8,000 Norwegians spend the winter there. It is reported that the largest Lutheran congregation outside of Norway is located there. Therefore, the local Norwegian Church often has to borrow premises from the Catholic Church to accommodate all its parishioners.

The so-called Sjømannskirken (The Seamen’s Church) has been serving as a spiritual and cultural hub for Norwegians residing or visiting the Costa del Sol for 21 years.

In 2004, the Norwegian church opened its doors in El Campanario, the oldest building of Sitio de Calahonda. This district in the municipality of Mijas traditionally offers a high quality of life that attracts retirees and expatriates seeking a Mediterranean lifestyle.

The Norwegian Church in Sitio de Calahonda is not just a religious building, but a meeting place for the entire community, which today numbers thousands of people. This means that Mijas Costa can be titled as the capital of the third 'Little Norway' in Spain.

“The Norwegian community is a significant part of the expatriate population on the Costa del Sol. While exact numbers fluctuate, there’s been a saying for many years that there are approximately 15 to 20 thousand Norwegians who live or visit the area through the year, but this is just an estimate,” Deacon Jannecke Bjørge Køhn told SUR in English

Over these two decades, Sjømannskirken has also become the epicentre of the Costa del Sol's ‘Seventeenth of May’ celebrations. This Saturday, hundreds of Norwegians will head to El Campanario, decorated with red, blue and white flags and ribbons.

“Here at the Norwegian Church in Calahonda there will be a morning service at 12 noon to commemorate Norway's Constitution Day. In our garden the children can take part in various traditional activities on this day. There will be a lottery with many nice prizes going through the day as part of the programme in our lovely patio,” Jannecke Bjørge Køhn explained.

Many participants will be dressed in traditional bunads - Norwegian costumes - because this day is about tradition and… friendship. Therefore, the doors are open to everyone who wants to learn more about Norway and its lifestyle through songs and dances, as well as taste the typical May-food - hot dogs, waffles, and ice cream.