Travels through Southern Spain, Almuñécar to Villablanca

The Roman aqueduct at Almuñécar

We liked Almuñécar, though it hasn’t been on our radar from the motorhome groups, I assume that’s because there isn’t really anywhere to park except for little bits of the market square, when the market isn’t on, so that rules out Thursday night and Saturday night and half of Friday and Sunday.

Anyway we went to the cave of the seven palaces, which isn’t a cave or a palace, but seven arches built into the hillside by the Romans to increase some available space. Interesting to look at along with an amphora dating back to the Phoenicians, which has the oldest bit of lettering found on the Iberian Peninsula. 

Cave of the seven palaces (arches)

The damaged entrance to the castle

The highlight for Brian though was on telling the ticket man that he was a ‘pensionista’ he then had to prove it! He would always rather be challenged than look like a pensioner, but nobody ever does! The ticket was a joint one with the castle which was well worth a visit, initially Roman, modified by the Moors and then the Castillians before being bombed by the British during the war of independence in 19th century. In disrepair it was used as the local cemetery before having the bodies removed and being rebuilt in the 1980’s.

Views from the castle out towards the Rocks of San Cristobal. Stretching out are the remains of the viaduct that used to connect the castle to the rock 

The Phoenician amphora with oldest lettering on Iberian peninsular

Lunch was on the seafront, against our better judgement, it was still windy, but fortunately we managed to find a sheltered spot in a very buzzing restaurant.

We decided to stay for Sunday too as we’d been told there was a big flea market in town. So after walking along the much calmer seafront and up to look at the Roman aqueduct, we went to visit the local carboot sale. We didn’t buy anything, but it was entertaining to walk around.

These are the remains of the Roman fish salting factory at Almuñécar, originally the Roman town of Sexi Firmum Lulium. This was sited outside the town walls because of the odour, but is now in the El Majuelo Botanical Park. Salted fish was in high demand throughout the Roman Empire, as was Garum, a kind of fish sauce and by product, all produced here

The quite pleasant El Hornillo Playa campsite

One last coastal stop on Monday took us to Almayate, just west of Torre Del Mar and Vélez-Málaga. Right on the beach, but really hard to find. Fortunately Search4sites had said not to follow the sat nav or Google as these took you along a very narrow bit of seafront with lots of cars. They have built their own dirt track, but it’s really not very well signed which made for a certain amount of sympathy with all the people who did find their way in the back gate (campsite location: 36°43'28.4"N 4°07'35.0"W Entrance to gravel track to campsite from main road: 36°43'40.1"N 4°07'41.4"W).

Cycling from the campsite at Almayate to Torre del Mar. Have a look at our short video with lots of photos of our cycle ride: click here

Mid-morning refreshments in Torre del Mar

We cycled into Torre Del Mar mostly to find my last plate of chipirones (little fried squid) which proved slightly harder than expected till finally, down at the end of the strip, we found a great place, cheap and cheerful, with locals and expats. Just what we wanted. We did read all about the battle of Vélez-Málaga in 1704 When the British captured Gibraltar as somewhere to restock ships with men, munitions and rations. I didn’t realise we’d had it that long! Read about it here

Torre del Mar is a very pleasant seaside town. Lots of bars, restaurants and shops, quite touristy and, we imagine, very busy in the summer. At this time of year, no problem. There's even a cycle path that we came in on and goes along the seafront past this lighthouse. On that bit of green grass and all around Velez-Malaga and in many places along the coast of Southern Spain are green parrots with very loud squarks, constantly. I believe they are Quaker or Monk Parrots (technically a parakeet)

Here's a few of the. Great looking birds, but really noisy!

The big but empty campsite at Humilladero

From there we headed inland to cut off that bottom portion of Spain, most of which we looked at last time, to head towards Portugal. We stopped at Humilladero, a very odd town, seems to be all newly built and not very inhabited, but when you can find a small beer and tapa each for the grand total of €3 whose complaining? The campsite was big, and empty, probably what we expected, but the weather was not. Yes, it was cold overnight, but almost too hot on the afternoon we arrived. Chairs and awning out, and biscuits for all the local semi-feral cats. They’ve eaten all our biscuits, so imagine how guilty we felt this morning, when they had the last dregs, only for the bravest, little black one, the only one to have strokes, followed both of us individually to the bathroom, and me to the recycling and back. Cornflakes it is then! They ate them, but did seem a little nonplussed! Campsite location: 37°06'31.4"N 4°41'44.8"W

Fears that the weather inland would be much colder were unfounded. Blue skies and no sea breeze meant hot! Awning and deck chairs out

On our forest and hill walk in Humilladero

We had a nice little walk yesterday before back to soup I made from water I’d boiled some pork ribs in before frying them and giving them a yummy Chinese sticky glaze. As a by product the soup was fab, a few veggies, noodles and spices, wow. Brian then sauntered off, casual as you like, in his dressing gown, for a shower, only to return a few minutes later looking a little sheepish. He’d shut his towel and shampoo in the shower while going to the toilet and the door had locked. Could I climb over the top? The answer, was in a life or death situation, with his help, probably, but I really didn’t fancy the long drop into the cubicle! Fortunately although reception probably wasn’t open, the handy man was just mowing the lawn close by. He said not to worry about it, till we explained that without his towel Brian couldn’t shower, so off he went to get the right tool for the job!

View from the Mirador, not the highest point. Humilladero is off on the left. Have a look at our short video of this walk with lots of photos: click here 

Fields of Iris' flowering on the hills

We would have stayed another night, to cycle to the bird watching lake, but rain was forecast, so we’ve headed west. A long drive for us, 3 1/2 hours, only to find that now, 3 hours in, it’s raining here too! Oh well, tomorrow is another day, and now I’ve written a blog he’ll have to post it, from Nirvana, the campsite we have booked into. New, but still sounding fairly hippy, but we shall see....

Flowering quite early we think (but maybe not in Southern Spain)

So in my usual fashion I told Jackie it would be a good idea to lengthen our walk to take in the highest point (680m) and taking a path up we came upon a new site over the hill. I think possibly Antiquera is down there on the left. Unfortunately the path ended here and I wanted to take in the highest point way off to the left. Nothing for it but to hack through the undergrowth in search of the path we should have taken...

And here we are on what we think is the highest point. No markers to indicate this but they don't do so much of that in Spain, there are too many highest points. Down there on the left is a rocky bit - that was the Mirador we'd previously been on, now obviously not the highest point

And here she is on the highest point. I told her to look happy that I'd dragged her through undergrowth to get here!

Don't know what this is, there were lots on the hillside and I thought it looked a bit unusual

And then back on the campsite there were cats - lots of them. We counted at least 8 that came rushing over for Jackie's cat biscuits everytime they saw her. 

I think they had her wrapped round their little paws. The box was at least three quarters full when we arrived, it was empty when we left. She's now bought a new extra large sack for the next encounter!

Just look at this little cutie. This was the one that followed us around this morning before we left looking for the now finished cat biscuits. I could easily have taken her home!

The UK boasts a lot of white horses carved into the chalk hillsides in Southern England. Europe is not known for them and, we're sure this isn't one, just a quarry, but it looks a bit like one don't you think. We saw it whilst on the motorway going west towards Seville this morning

So this is us on our new campsite tonight. It's called Casa Rural Nirvana, near Villablanca. Here's the location: 37°17'20.2"N 7°19'21.2"W It only opened in October last year so everything is new. They have a bar open all day, serve tapas (tonight we're having paella), it's very rural and the owner describe it as paradise. It does have a feel of that! Think we'll stay three nights before heading into Portugal

This is the bar area and we're having our welcome drinks. It's just a shame it's a bit cloudy and cool today, but tomorrow the forecast is clear blue skies and a lot warmer. This view reminds me a bit of Africa, I want to see warthogs and elephants on that savannah behind!

Just to finish off, this is a sunset picture from a few days back. I can't even remember where it was now, I forgot to download it from my camera. It looks like a setting Mars not the sun. Kind of other-worldly I thought