Some time has now passed and we have already arrived back in Spain 🇪🇸 and are almost back in France. At least we plan to be back in France 🇫🇷 by September 15, 2019 at the latest.
In October we want to reach Germany 🇩🇪 for our final conclusion to this great motorhome trip. But first I’ll tell you what we’ve experienced so far.
Camping at a Lidl parking lot
We had looked around Faro but unfortunately we hadn’t found a place to spend the night and didn’t want to stay right next to the road to sleep. As we came back too late from the city tour, the next planned motorhome pitch was already closed and I wasn’t sure whether we could still arrive.
So we decided to spend the night at the Lidl parking lot a few villages away. They had 4 pitches there especially for motorhomes and we weren’t alone that night. It was a bit noisy and hot there too. The next morning we did some shopping at Lidl and then drove on to Spain.
Seville is a beautiful city in Spain
When we arrived in Spain, our first stop was at the recently built Camper Park Playas de Luz near Isla Christina for two nights. We then went on to Seville and slept in the Port of Gelves, which was a great pitch with electricity and bathrooms as well as supply and disposal included.
We were able to take the bus to Seville and the city really is a dream. Very beautiful historical buildings combined with modern ones and there was absolutely no stress in the city. I liked Seville very much and this stay was more than worth it.
We then wanted to drive on towards Gibraltar and had a stopover in Sanl煤car de Barrameda on a pitch. However, this was actually more of a campsite with lots of caravans and loud locals with no respect for the other campers.
It was awful and we drove away the next day. The area outside the pitch was also desolate and very dirty. So we had to leave!
Camping pitch at the harbor in front of Gibraltar
In front of Gibraltar we stood in a harbor again. Some people must have had a good idea to use these areas as pitches for motorhomes. The border to Gibraltar is at La Linea in Spain. We were able to walk to Gibraltar, but unfortunately we didn’t have a passport for Liam yet, so he wasn’t allowed to cross the border with us.
I then walked to Gibraltar alone with Sofia, directly across the runway from the airport and then on through the walkway to the cable car to get to the top of the rock and see a couple of monkeys. Sofia certainly had fun with the monkeys and we also had a great trip.
Afterwards, we walked back to the pitch. We had no electricity and were therefore off-grid for another two nights. However, there was a supply and disposal point, as well as a wash house with a washing machine and dryer. There was also a toilet but unfortunately no shower.
The wash house was locked in the evening and only opened again the next morning. However, I found a shower outside the harbor directly at a traffic circle, where we always showered later on.
Ronda with the new bridge is also worth seeing
Maic gave me the tip to visit Ronda, so the next stop was Ronda on the Honda. No, by motorhome of course and we found a brand new pitch right next to the campsite.
It was wonderful and we were completely alone most of the time. We walked into the center of Ronda a few times and I was able to take some nice photos again. This stopover was also worthwhile for us and we had a very nice stay.
Next, I actually wanted to visit someone in Marbella, but unfortunately there was no space left in the parking lot we had previously chosen and it wasn’t easy for us to park our motorhome anywhere in the high season. We decided to drive on and postpone the meeting in Malaga. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, which was a bad thing.
However, we found a quiet parking space near Los Rubios and stayed there for three nights. We were able to take the bus to Malaga in 45 minutes and sightsee the city. Malaga was beautiful but we hadn’t been swimming since Portugal and unfortunately hadn’t seen any nice beaches so far, so we chose a pitch with a nice beach nearby as our next destination.
Swimming in the sea with a pebble beach
We drove to Castell de Ferro to a pitch with a pebble beach, so the sea was pretty clear. We were in the first row to the sea and were in the water very quickly. We stayed for three nights and then drove to the next beach in Agua Amarga. Another pitch for three nights and everything was fully booked.
The high season is quite stressful for campers, but we have always found a pitch so far. Agua Amarga is a small but cute little town in classic Andalusian style. On our departure, we drove over a beautiful pass road towards Aguilas and it was much more fun than driving on the highway. By the way, we haven’t paid a single cent in tolls on our trip so far.
We spent one night on a pitch behind the petrol station with electricity and everything else you might need. There was a beautiful beach within walking distance and we went for a long swim. Showers cost 2 euros and that was the most expensive thing so far. Unfortunately there was no beach shower here, otherwise I would have showered there of course.
We continued our journey to Los Alc谩zares to a campsite that is mainly powered by solar energy. The site was still relatively new and beautifully laid out. The beach was mainly for kite surfers and swimming would have been too dangerous. The area was also rather dirty again and in the immediate vicinity is the military airfield of Murcia, on our arrival we once saw a jet take off.
Long sandy beach in El Campello near Alicante
Now we went on to Alicante, where we stood on a pitch near El Campello. We stayed at the Area 7 motorhome site for 6 nights and were pleasantly surprised. The site really had everything and it was very easy to walk to the Mercadonna and the kilometer-long beach.
We walked to the beach every morning after breakfast with the handcart and were able to swim in the sea. Once we took the bus to Alicante for dinner and had a delicious pizza. We returned to the motorhome late in the evening and everything went really well, even with our children.
Next we went to Camping Sol de Calpe for three days. There was a family park next door, similar to a fair, with a correspondingly loud noise level until 1am, but it was okay. There are various beaches on site, a Lidl supermarket just around the corner, the nature reserve with lots of flamingos and of course the small Gibraltar rock called Ifach, which I wanted to climb up once.
Unfortunately, I had to stop early because I was first on the wrong path and then had to turn back 500 meters before my destination after the correct climb because it was simply too dangerous for me in the dark. We also had our first paella de verduras in Spain in Calpe and it was delicious.
We visit grandpa in Denia
The time had finally arrived and we were allowed to visit my grandpa in Denia. During this time, the motorhome was parked on the street in front of the house and we slept downstairs in his apartment. Grandpa cooked for us a few times, once we had a mixed paella and once we went to the WOK to eat at the rich buffet.
We had a lot of fun, talked late into the night and the next morning we had to get up as soon as the children woke up. Grandpa was of course allowed to sleep in and it was not unusual for him to have breakfast when we were already at lunch.
He also showed us some of the backcountry in Denia, such as the bodega in Jalon and the spring where he always gets his water, as well as a rustic restaurant on the mountain. We had a great time and left after a week. In Denia, I was also able to give the outside of our motorhome a good wash, as we are now starting camping again.
Continue with the motorhome towards Germany
Our first port of call was a pitch in Daimuz, not far from Gandia. There was another kilometer-long beach, but this time we didn’t go swimming. We ate paella de verduras again and had a large pan to ourselves.
We stayed for two nights and were very happy. The owners here spoke German and were quite friendly. It’s now September and the high season is coming to an end, because from September 1st the ACSI Card will be valid again on some campsites.
We are currently staying at Camping Torre la Sal 2 and it’s all very touristy here. I almost lost faith when we arrived because I had to queue at reception for a long time to be able to register. The traffic had to be regulated because everything is so narrow here and it can quickly become congested.
I almost wanted to leave, but we had promised Sofia that she would have lots of opportunities to play on this campsite. We’re staying here until Sunday but it still feels like high season and the disco goes on until 4am, so there’s a lot going on.
The price with the ACSI Card is also outrageous at 20 euros and we pay an extra 9.90 euros for our two-year-old daughter, although all the activities for children are only available from the age of 3. Well, that’s just the way it is, but I think she likes it and has fun.
Where are we going next?
Our next stop will definitely be a campsite in Spain, where we’ll stay for a maximum of a week and then we’ll drive on to France. Maybe there will be a stopover at a pitch, we’ll decide that spontaneously.
In France, we’ll probably meet Stefanie’s sister at a campsite and spend our vacation with them. It will last until the end of September and then we’ll drive back to Germany, certainly not in one go and with one or two stopovers at campsites.
Once we arrive in Germany, we will sell our motorhome. I already have the ad online on mobile.de. As soon as the motorhome is sold, our next big adventure will begin, but more on that later. I will certainly write a part 4 at the end of our trip to Spain and Portugal.
Until then, I wish you maximum success! 📈
Best regards Sebastian
PS: In the meantime, I’ll be posting the latest locations and pictures from our trip on my Facebook profile.