Eva Longoria in Spain: Why the Desperate Housewives Star Actually Left Hollywood Behind

Eva Longoria in Spain: Why the Desperate Housewives Star Actually Left Hollywood Behind

It happened fast. One minute Eva Longoria is a permanent fixture of the Los Angeles scene, and the next, she’s posting photos of her son Santiago playing padel in the Mediterranean sun. People naturally freaked out. Was it a political protest? Was she done with acting?

The truth about eva longoria in spain is actually way more interesting than the clickbait headlines suggest. It’s not just a vacation that got out of hand. It’s a full-on life pivot that’s been years in the making.

The Marbella Mansion: More Than Just a Second Home

Longoria didn’t just wake up and decide to move to the Costa del Sol. She’s been visiting Marbella for twenty years. Basically, she fell in love with the place two decades ago after her friend Melanie Griffith introduced her to the area.

She spent five years hunting for the perfect property. Eventually, she found a fixer-upper in the Vasari Alzambra area, right near Puerto Banús. It’s a massive 500-square-meter villa, but when she bought it in early 2023, it needed a total overhaul.

What’s inside the Spanish "Oasis"?

She worked with her close friend and interior designer Nicolás Escanez to turn it into what she calls her "oasis." Honestly, the house is stunning—lots of cream, beige, and white. It’s designed to feel like a retreat, not a showpiece.

  • The Kitchen: This is the heart of the home. Eva is a massive foodie (as anyone who watched her Searching for Mexico series knows), and the kitchen was the one room where she had a specific vision.
  • The Garden: Nearly 600 square meters of greenery and a private pool.
  • The Vibe: She’s traded the "hustle culture" of LA for what she calls "living." In several interviews, she’s mentioned that in the US, everything is about work, but in Spain, people actually prioritize enjoying their lives.

Why Everyone Thought It Was About Politics

You’ve probably seen the "dystopian" headlines. In a Marie Claire interview that went viral, Eva mentioned that the vibe in California had changed. She talked about taxes and homelessness and the feeling that her "chapter" in Los Angeles was just... done.

Because the interview dropped right around the 2024 election, people assumed she was fleeing because of the political climate.

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She was quick to shut that down.

"I didn't move out of the United States because of Trump," she clarified later on a podcast with Ana Navarro. She’s actually been living in Europe for nearly three years now. She considers herself a "proud Texan" and a "proud American," but she’s just at a point where her work and her family life are centered elsewhere.

The Work That Kept Her There

If you think she’s retired, you’re wrong. Eva Longoria in spain is actually a massive career move. She spent a huge chunk of time in Catalonia filming the Apple TV+ series Land of Women (or Tierra de Mujeres).

The show is basically a love letter to the Spanish countryside. She plays Gala, a New Yorker who flees to a wine town in Spain with her mother and daughter. Working on that project, alongside Spanish acting legend Carmen Maura, really solidified her bond with the country.

Then there’s her CNN series. After the success of Searching for Mexico, she’s been busy with Searching for Spain. She’s been traveling from the Basque Country to Andalusia, eating her way through the culture and documenting it for a global audience.

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Connecting with Her Ancestry

There’s a deeper, more personal reason for the move too. Eva’s roots go back to Asturias, in Northern Spain.

A few years ago, she visited the tiny village of Longoria. Yes, that’s where her last name comes from. She found the ancestral house where her family lived centuries ago. She was even named a "Dame of the Royal Corps of the Nobility of Asturias."

That’s a big deal. For her, living in Spain isn't just about the nice weather in Marbella; it's about reclaiming a piece of her identity that had been buried under generations of being "American."

What Life Actually Looks Like Now

In Marbella, things are just... slower. She celebrated her 50th birthday there in March 2025, surrounded by family and friends like María Bravo.

She’s obsessed with padel now—which is basically the national sport of Spain at this point. She’s often spotted at local courts or hanging out at the beach with her son.

She hasn't completely abandoned the US, of course. She still has business interests and family there. But her primary "home base" has shifted. She’s living between Mexico City and Marbella, using the "Golden Visa" program that Spain offers to major investors.

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Actionable Insights for Your Own Spanish Move

If you’re looking at Eva’s life and thinking, "I want that," here’s the reality of how it works for expats:

  1. The Golden Visa: If you invest over €500,000 in real estate, you can get a residency permit. This is likely how many high-net-worth individuals, including celebrities, facilitate their move.
  2. Marbella vs. The Rest: Marbella is the "Beverly Hills of Spain," but it’s expensive. If you want the Eva Longoria vibe without the million-euro price tag, look at surrounding areas in the Costa del Sol or the northern regions like Asturias for a more authentic, lush experience.
  3. The Lifestyle Shift: You have to be okay with things being closed for siesta and dinner starting at 9:00 PM. It’s a total mental recalibration.

Eva Longoria in spain isn't a story of someone "quitting" America. It's the story of a woman who worked her tail off for 20 years and decided she wanted her son to grow up with a more global perspective.

She’s found a way to balance being a Hollywood powerhouse with the Mediterranean concept of la sobremesa—the time spent chatting around the table long after the meal is over. Honestly? Hard to blame her.

To follow in her footsteps, start by exploring the different regions of Spain beyond the tourist traps. Whether it's the rugged coast of Asturias or the sun-drenched hills of Andalusia, each province offers a completely different version of "the good life."