10th May - Haro - A popular tourist town - Day 62

Just a 20 minute drive down the road to the main town of Haro. We booked in at a campsite called Camping de Haro.

This is a very popular site for British as it's not too far from both major ports on the North coast and make a great first or last stop before or after the ports.

We had a walk into town and found it quite busy around the tapas bars, it seemed only right to join in and sample a rioja or two.

After a short rain shower we headed back. Once at the campsite we decided to try the covered pool. The place was empty and the water had become warm enough to get in without too much fuss. Every about 15 minutes the water erupts into a giant jacuzzi with water jets and bubbling water over the whole pool.

There is no need to leave here until 2pm tomorrow, if we do that then after the drive to Bilbao we can park Buster at the ferry port in a secure compound and spend the night ready to start passport control and boarding around midday.

9th May - San Vicenta - An unexpected stop at an aire just outside the town - Day 61

The original plan was for a short journey to a parkup that looked great on the Search for sites app. When we arrived it was partly closed with one other motorhome.

We did stop and have lunch there but when the other motorhome left we felt uncomfortable and moved on.

It's very likely we would be fine but if things don't feel right then we move on. It's no use trying to sleep if you go to bed with concerns about where you parked up.

Plan B was to drive on to a stop just before tomorrows campsite at Haro. We picked a site outside a small village. 

8th May - Vinya Els Vilars - Day 60

Fairly short journey today to Vinya Els Vilars, not much to say about this site as we were here overnight on 21st March.

Just a couple of stops on the way, first to Aldi to stock up on food and then to a garage for diesel and LPG gas refilling. It's warm and the sun pops out from time to time. We will chill out here and then move on tomorrow.

The last time we were here the site was free, this time it's 10 euros which is fine but payment, entry and exit controls are now done via an app on the mobile phone. It's all worth it though as we love the site, it's peaceful has all the services we enjoy.

7th May - Camping Gavina - Day 59

You can click the picture to watch a video and see how far we had to walk to get to our beach spot.

A nice easy morning followed by a day on the beach again and as usual we are almost the only ones there. People must wonder how we could sit on a beach four days in a row, well I can say it's easy. Watching the waves is like watching the flames of an open fire. Also, it's been a tradition since I was a kiddie, often the last family to leave the beach that day. I would be more than happy to stay another day but it's time to move on.

After a couple of days of unpredictable weather and a couple of one night off grid stops it's been nice to pitch up somewhere and have some good relaxing time.

Next stop is a vineyard, we stopped there on the way down and it was lovely. But first it will be Aldi and another stop to refill the LPG.

6th May - Camping Gavina - Day 58

When you wake up in the morning and look out the door to a view like this things can't be all that bad.

We realy want to make the most of this weather, tomorrow should be ok but after that there is rain forecast. 

I booked another day here for tomorrow so now we head off on Friday morning. The route then will take us North so tomorrow will be our last day at the Mediterainian, no more beach days for us!

There is beach access just to the left of the blue caravan, the sand is soft and it's almost deserted. Perfect.

5th May - Camping Gavina - Day 57

Second day on this site and the forecast was for rain and storms, neither happened here on the coast but we could see dark clouds and lightening inland.

First job of the day was to empty waste and refill the water. After that it was a trip to reception to book an extra night. As I mentioned, initially we thought the weather was going to be bad with the day after being good.

Once we got a few motorhome jobs done like washing it was nice enough to get on the beach.

4th May - Camping Gavina - Day 56 afternoon

Another long drive today to Camping Gavina. It rained a bit on the way but it seems to have cleared now, 

We picked a nice pitch, a row back from where we were last time, this gives us more privacy and shelter plus the pitch is covered rather than sand we had before.

We left the caves a bit late and the drive was long so the most we can do today is set up and relax

4th May - Coves de Sant Josep - Day 56 morning

Up bright and early (8 o'clock) to make sure we are ready for our 10 o'clock cave tour.

We did get there on time and it was all worth the wait and overnight stop. This was a fantastic tour. You enter throuh the cave and make your way to an area where you have to board a small 10 person boat. The caves have water in them and to get through them you need to rely on the man who's pushing you along slowly with a long stick.

It gets very low at some points and you all need to lean in towards the middle to get under the rocks. The water is clear and the cave walls are well lit so you can see all the formations. After some distance you disembark and make your way further by foot, eventually you are picked up by a boat again and head back. It was a great experience, one of many we have had on this trip.

3rd May - Part 2 of the long drive North - Coves de Sant Josep - Day 55 and stop number 32

Stage 2 of 3 of our longer drives North before we park up for a few days. After that we turn inland and head across Spain to the North coast.

Today we reached the Coves de Sant Josep, paln A was to visit the caves today and move on in the morning, however that failed so it was on to plan B. Today was fully booked, Spanish holiday weekend again, so we booked tickets for tomorrow morning. More photos and updates then as today was limited to walking around the entrance area and gift shops.

2nd May - Part 1 of the long drive North - Denia - Day 54 and stop number 31

Our days are running out so we had to make a decent headway into the miles we need to cover to get home. We bypassed a stop we had planned as the site was full (Spanish holidays) and pushed on to clear a few more miles. All we needed was an overnight park-up to grab some rest then repeat the same tomorrow.

So we hare here in Denia, this is a free park-up alongside the beach and about 10 minutes walk to the town and marina. The police patrol here looking for signs of camping but we are wise to them and make sure we follow the rules.

If all go's to plan we will reap the reward from these two long driving days by getting an extended stay at our next stop and an extra day at the one after.

1st May - Lazy beach day and prep for departure - Day 53

Our last day on this site. Noisier than before due to the Spanish holiday. The Spanish are lovely but they are so loud, get a group of them and it's a right din. The weather picked up later in the day so it was more beach time and not much else. Later in the day we packed up ready to leave in the morning, chairs away, mats and ground sheet just in case it rained overnight. Turns out it didn't.

30th April - Bike ride to Isla Plana - Day 52

The day starts with customary visit to the beach. After lunch we decided to take an ebike ride to Isla Plana Out come the ebikes today for a ride to Isla Plana. The aim was to buy some toilet chemicals we needed as the shops are all shut tomorrow for the holiday weekend.

The trip was 7 miles each way, on the way back we stopped at Puerto de Mazarron for a break and an ice cream.

In the evening we called into the site restaurant and ordered two very nice ceasar salads a beer and a red wine, 26 euros, that's so cheap.

Tommorow could be a dull start, the Spanish will all turn up for the weekend and it's sure to get noisy. We will decide what to do for the day and where to go next later in the day.

29th April - Back at Bolnuevo - Day 51

We are back! After three days off grid at the beach we needed the services of a campsite. Low on water, drinking water, a full waste tank and a need to clean the stinky loo.

First stop was a town close by for a haircut then we called in at the campsite without a reservation. We managed to get in on a good pitch for three nights. A scheduled stop in Cartegena we had planned was cancelled so we could add the extra day here.

Saturday is a holiday in Spain so this place will fill up with Spanish, nice people but they get halla noisy. Good job we leave Saturday morning.

Tomorrow should be sunny like today so we hope to head for the beach.

26th - 27th and 28th April - Back at Vera Playa - Day 48, 49 and 50

We left Little Texas campsite this morning and headed off towards a beach parkup off grid called Vera Playa. We had been here before on the 18th.There have been a couple of dull days recently so as the forecast has improved we thought a day or two back in the sunshine would be great.

Before we left we fully charged to Ecoflow power bank, filled with as much fresh water as we dare plus a couple of 8l bottles, emptied the shite box and cleaned all the flies off the windscreen. Two days planned for this stop.

Day 2 here was more of the same. Bikes out today so we could explore further along the front and stop off at one of the few supermarkets for a few essentials. Once we got back we headed for the beach again.

The sun is shining, it's a bit blowy but it's also far better than being at work.

25th April - Little Texas campsite - Day 47

We had a peacfull night, no great rush to set off so I checked to make sure all was still good at the next planned stop in Almeria, it wasn't. A latest review on 'search for sites' app said the aire at the marina was closed due to construction works.

A hasty plan B was a site called Little Texas. To get there we had to follow a new route through an area that was used for most of the Western films from years ago, parts of Star Wars was also filmed nearby.

It was an easy journey through great landscape, last last mile was a bit bum nippy as it was a narrow dirt track with no pull ins. 

This place is ok, definitely unique, run by a very nice Dutchman. It has all the service plus a pool. We won't use that as it's raining on and off.

24th April - Roquetas de Mar - Day 46

We made the most of the free water and elecrictity at Almerimar marina, both having steamy hot showers, filling up the tanks and spare water bottles. We have enough gas for a couple of days so we picked a site off grid near the beach at Roquetas de Mar. It was an official motorhome aire but there were no services other than bins.

The weather was grim, it rained en-route. We drove through the town centre which also looked a bit rough. However, nce we arrived at the front it all looked ok. First stop Aldi a short walk up the road where we got the chance to look around the bull ring. I met Bertie in Aldi and decided to buy him. Bertie is a bonzai for Buster, he can stay in the bus but I've not yet worked out where to put him during transport.

We had lunch on the beach as despite it being cloudy it was still hot and humid. After that we got the bikes out and went to visit the marina, the castle and the amphitheatre. 

23rd April - Almerimar - The long drive backwards - Day 45

Gibralter and the West coast of Portugal was forecast to have poor weather so we had a decision to make. Do we head on up through Portugal as planned or do we had back East along the Spanish coast where the weather was better. We decided to head back along the coast and stop at places we we missed and left for another day.

Our first planned stop looked awful when we arrived, scruffy town, a bit run down and the beach was covered in litter. So it was on to the back-up stop and this time we picked a winner.

Almerimar is an upmarket town, lovely marina with shops and bars, golf courses on the outskirts.

We parked at a motorhome aire right on the marina looking out to sea, it's a gated area so to get access you need to speak to the harbour master who lifts the barrier for you.

There are all the services here you need plus they provide electricity. Just one night here, top the batteries and the water and we head off again. The weather here is a bit cloudy but should improve, we have been spoilt with the sunshine so far.

22nd April - Gibraltar - On a Dolphin Adventure boat and a walk on the main street - Day 44

One of the things we planned to do in Gibraltar was get ourselves on a boat trip out to see dolphins in the wild. There were two companies doing the trips so I picked the one on TripAdvisor who had the best reviews. We had a short wait before boarding so we headed for the bar. The trip was great, we thought it was good when we first saw them in the distance but even better they were swimming directly in front of the boat for ages.

After we made our way to the main high street for some lunch and then it was shopping time. 

21st April - Gibraltar - A couple of days planned back on home turf - Day 43

Most of the day was spent packing and getting ready to leave Mariposa Libre, driving, setting up again then doing some shopping in the local supermarket that just happened to be on the Gibraltar rock. We went through the ETIAS entry system and that is about us done for the day.

20th April - Mariposa Libre Campsite - Day 42

This is a great site. I had seen this site reviewed on YouTube so had a good idea what to expect.It's a small site, no more than 14 motorhomes, there is a nice pool, plenty of sunbeds, washing machines, showers and all the other services you need. 

On arrival you meet the owners who are a lovely couple and make you feel very welcome. The roads to here are fine but the last 1/2 mile along a dusty and rocky track with big dips is a bit of a challenge.

We seem to have bagged pole position here, right in front of the pool, great views all around. They have many animals on site, a pig, sheep, chickens, roosters and three horses.

We only plan to stop for the one night but would happily make that three if we had more time. We need to move on to Gibralter before the weekend and then make our way into Portugal.

There are many more pictures of this lovely place here and don't forget you can comment or leave a message here.

19th April - Nerja - Not stopping - Day 41

We had most of the day at Playas de Vera just sitting on the beach, there was no rush to get away.

The next stop was just a park up at a pull beside a minor coastal roa near Nerja. You can see the park up in the images shown here.

There were no plan to stop long, we arrived late in the day and was nothing more than a place to sleep. Tomorrow we are off to somewhere recommended and then its on to Gibralta

18th April - Vera Playa - A one night off grid beach stop - Day 40 of the tour

We left the site at Bolnuevo this morning about 10am and headed to a big expat community area called Camposol. There is a big supermarket there with easy parking and we needed to stock up for a couple of nights off grid. 

Our stop was Playas de Vera, just to the side of the town is a huge area popular with motorhome where you can parkup for the night almost directly beside the beach. No services here but we have water, gas, our power bank, wine and beer so we should be ok.

Not much planned for today after lunch, we arrived a bit later after the journey so it was off to the beach for us.

17th April - A planned bike ride along the coast - Day 39 of the tour

We packed up a lunch and set off through the town on our bikes, up the hill and past the last villas. The half decent road surface soon came to an end and the track turned into a really rocky surface, too much of a challenge for our bikes little wheels.

So we turned back and spent another day on the beach. Shame about the ride but another day on the beach is no trouble at all. Back to Buster later to pack things away ready for departure tomorrow.

16th April - A bike ride to Mazarron Port - Day 38 of the tour

We went for a bike ride today into the Port of Mazarron just a few miles down the road. After a trip around the town and a peddle along the front we decided to stop for lunch.

Lunch did not impress but I followed it down with a San Miguel and that was fine. One bill and no tip later we were off again. A couple of stops for pictures and it was back to Buster.

First up was testing the swimming pool here, it was freezing cold as per usual so I declined. A short spell on the sun bed and we headed for the beach for the rest of the day.

Same agin for tomorrow but this time we will pack a lunch and head off along a coastal track and see if we can stop off somewhere nice.

15th April - Bolnuevo - This was a lovely find 

Bolnuevo is not new to us, we have been here once before. I don't think we stayed for long, we just drove into the town out of curiosity. However, the campsite site is new, something we were not looking for when we was last here.

The campsite here is one of the better ones we have stayed at. The pitches are large, water, grey waste and electric hook-up on the pitch. The toilets and showers look good too. There is a pool and a bar but the biggest feature is its direct access to the beach. 

We are just two rows back and less than a minute walsk to the sand. Once we parked up and set up we headed straight to the beach. Most of those here are a similar age to us so it's quiet and layed back. 

We booked in for two night but I was quickly back to book a third. There is a lot to see here and in between we can head for the sand as the weather is great.

Tomorrow we have a choice, cycle into Port of Mazarron or cycle along a coastal route to small bays armed with a picnic.

14th April - I can see the Mediterranean sea and the Mar Menor

I've always fancied a trip along La Manga, it's a thin strip of land that extends out to sea and almost back to land again. It forms the Mar Menor (little sea). We are parked at the end of it so we can see the Med on one side, turn to our left and see the Mar Menor. 

This is an official motorhome parking area, there is nothing here just bins.

We have all we need on board including a power bank that gives us 240V and can be charged using our sola panels.

We are just a few feet from the sea, so close we can hear the waves breaking. There is also a sandy beach here too. We only plan to stop here one night, it's free so we can leave whenever we want.

Something I wanted to do while we were here was watch the sunrise in the morning. Today there was very little cloud so I went out to grab a picture. 

It was realy lovely watching the sunrise, well worth wandering out at 7:30 in the morning. 

13th April - Flamingos and swimming caps

First up today was a cycle to a local nature reserve where there was a very large lake and a chance to see flamingos.

This was better than we expected, there we good wooden walkways and bird hides around and to top it off we saw plenty of flamingos. We were glad we went, it was the highlight of our visit here.

In the afternoon we planned to go to the spa, this was an extra cost but we thought hey whatever. At reception they looked blankly at us as we had no appointment but they managed to find a slot. However, the next comment from reception was "have you got a swimming cap?". As the answer was no and there was an additional cost for the cap of 2 euros we told them they could put their caps where the sun wasn't shining.

Next stop was the bar. Following that we headed for the outdoor pool but the sun went in. Tomorrow we are leaving and we are looking forward to it.

12th April - Expectations not met

It was about 45 minutes drive on to the next stop which was called Camping Alannia. The forecast was for rain so my thought was that this place would be good as it's a resort, with club, nightlife, indoor heated pool etc, things to do on a dull day It is a lovely site but it made us realise that a place like ths is not for us. It's more geared up for kids, music playing everywhere and the indoor pool was closed just after lunch today so we missed it.

This is a family place, it's inland and realy geared up for younger people  not so much for a couple like us.To be fair it didn't help that it was so overcast and rained on and off. A positive is that it's reasonably priced, the pitch is huge and drinks are cheap as usual. A pint of beer and large glass of red was 6 euros.

We did manage to find the bar and had a good walk around the site. Tomorrow if it stays dry we can cycle to and big lake in a nature reserve and see what that has to offer.