Wintering in Spain (Part 1)

From mid-November to Christmas we spent the time in our old hometown of Duisburg and were already longing for Spain's sun again. On Christmas Day it finally started again. Our first destination was Finestrat near Benidorm to spend New Year's Eve there. Our route went through Nismes (Belgium), Nevers (France), Vinassan France, Font-Rubi (Spain) and Algemesi (Spain). On December 30th we reached Finestrat and were able to enjoy Spain's winter sun again in wonderful sunshine and warm temperatures. On New Year's Eve we took a very nice 6 km walk to Benidorm and experienced a great celebrating atmosphere. No firecrackers, no bangs, just lots of music and lots of happy people. Spanish tradition says that women have to wear red lingerie on New Year's Eve and at midnight, before wishing each other a Happy New Year, they should eat a grape every three seconds (12 times). That brings luck and what else can you do but join in?

We spent 3 days in Finestrat, after which we wanted to spend 2 nights free and chose the long stretch of beach, Plaja de los Pichones, north of the well-known snake bay, Playa del Percheles. There we literally fell out of the motorhome into the water and actually should have stayed there much longer. Because our choice, our goal for the following days, was, as the saying goes, a shot in the oven. First of all, the journey: 200 kilometers long we went through the plastic tarpaulin landscape, which really hurts the eyes. But there are enough buyers, including in Germany, for strawberries in winter, for example. The destination Camping Cabo del Gata. The national park is certainly very beautiful, the area around the campsite less so. Ultimately 2 nights were enough for us and we moved on.

Destination: The desert of Tabernas. It covers an area of almost 280 square kilometers and is located in the east of Andalusia. The area is considered the only desert region on the entire European continent and offers a fascinating landscape that has also been used for several Hollywood blockbusters. We also really liked the newly created Route 66 campsite.

Since we are fans of contrasts, we really went back to civilization: Puerto de Almerimar. There is a motorhome parking space in the middle of the large marina. Since we can now park without having to rely on shore power thanks to our solar system, we found a spot right at the harbor exit. This is really our thing, being able to watch boats from our motorhome. But even this was enough for us after 2 nights. We have changed. Back in our working hours, we didn't mind standing in one place for 3-4 weeks. Now after a short time we are restless and we quickly get the travel and driving bug again and set our sights on a new destination.

So we came to Granada. A highlight on our first wintering tour. On the first day of our stay we dedicated ourselves to the two old towns. That's right, there are actually two: the area around the cathedral and the Albaicin. Both neighborhoods are very different. In the lower town, around the cathedral, there is a labyrinth of small streets. While the winding streets of the Albaicin stretch up and down the hill below the Alhambra. The Albaicin is the oldest district and dates back to Spain's Moorish period. Personally, we liked the Albaicin better.

Alhambra, the entire next day was dedicated to her. I had ordered tickets online to ensure that we could visit the highlight of the Alhambra, the Nasrid Palaces. It was absolutely impressive and our little photographer hearts jumped with joy and excitement. A day must definitely be planned for a visit to the Alhambra.

After Granada there was one stop that we could have skipped. But that's how it is on a long tour. There can't just be highlights. Almunecar and beyond, there's not much to report.

We continued straight towards the southwest: Gibraltar, a British overseas territory. We stood outside at a very small campsite, which enabled us to enjoy the endlessly long sandy beach on the second day. On the first day we hiked towards Gibraltar, but decided against visiting the Monkey Rock. The weather was too hazy and visibility too poor to catch a glimpse of Africa. We just observed the border activity and the hustle and bustle that occurs when a plane lands at the airport. As soon as planes take off or land in Gibraltar, car traffic comes to a standstill - because the only road to the overseas territory runs over the runway. That's really strange.

This was followed by Tarifa, the southernmost point of mainland Europe. The Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet there. Due to its location and winds, Tarifa is a paradise for wind and kite surfers. We liked the small old town and the evening sunset on the beach.

Due to our southernmost stay, we decided to at least get to know Portugal as a replacement for our postponed Morocco tour. Best decision in advance and Portugal is definitely worth its own report.

However, since the weather was going to be very changeable for two days, especially windy (who is surprised), we decided, especially because of the little fear in me, to leave the Spanish coast a little on the way to Portugal. We ended up at a mobile home park in the middle of a large shopping center. We stood there, extremely sheltered from the wind, and enjoyed various purchases. The next morning the weather allowed us to take a bus to Jerez da la Frontera. The most famous sherries in the world come from there (a sherry was of course mandatory). Jerez, as the city is called for short, impresses with its feudal atmosphere, a historical center and, in addition to being the stronghold of sherry, is also the most important place for Andalusian horse breeding. A visit to this very beautiful city is absolutely worth it.

And that was Spain Part 1 - Portugal follows - and spoiler: Spain Part 2 also follows.