Holiday blog, Spain January to April 2023

Travel Blog Spain 2023

To answer a number of questions posed by curious friends I will submit a travel Blog.

Day 1 Sunday 15th Jan

Totally fed up with the weather at home we set off for Spain. Taking my two best bitches, the wife and Lily the Labradoodle we were all set (so I thought) for a few months in the sun.

Staying at Black Horse Farm campsite in Folkestone the plan was to cross using the channel tunnel as early in the morning as we could. 300 miles chucking it down, good time to be leaving this green and pleasant but cold and wet land methinks. We made good time arriving just after 2pm. As usual my Lexus RX450h made light work of towing the 7.4 m Lunar Clubman. The fuel consumption as with all vehicles is dependant upon the speed you travel. At 60 mph I was getting 21 mpg, at 55 mph this increases to 26 mpg.  

Day 2 Monday 16th Jan

So 5am Monday we were up packed and off to the terminal. Now it's difficult when light for the first time travelling to an unknown location never mind in the pitch black.

Having taken the dog with us we had to take through pet screening, once sorted they managed to get us on the 7.20am crossing. Normally I’d have preferred to do the Portsmouth to Santander crossing however unless you book a January crossing as soon as the dates become available the previous June you’re screwed, Pet cabins are like gold dust and are snapped up as soon as they become available.

Going through customs was straightforward once the dog had been our checks completed. The border staff checked the caravan. All they were interested in was the gas being switched off. No problems with the milk, cheese, bacon, eggs and other fresh produce in the fridge. Phew.

Travelling to Spain this early in the season presents a problem with campsites that are actually open in Northern France. The nearest one to Calais on the West side of France was Camping le Futuriste, Poitiers.

Leaving the Channel Tunnel a torrential deluge of rain that continued to fall for virtually all the 384 miles.

After a long and difficult drive, we found the site, due to the heavy rain we had to pitch on a service road alongside our allotted place. The staff at this particular site were not the friendliest.

Some minor points, since Brexit Sky Go, ITV X, BBC iPlayer no longer work in Europe for Brits. Netflix, Prime, Disney+, Paramount all work fine though but you need a good Wi-Fi connection to view. Whilst many will say they didn’t go on holiday to watch TV it does pass the time at night. No TV means finding other things to occupy the mind. I recall this being the case numerous years back, que two children in quick succession.   

Day 3 Tuesday 17th Jan

After another long drive in the rain, 297 miles, we arrived at our second French site that was open, Camping Larrouleta, Urrugne. A very nice site at the foot of the Pyrenees, friendly staff reasonable prices, great facilities. WIFI is extra but 5 euros gets you 20 hours and it’s a strong signal so no need to use my data on the mobile. The area is spectacular the Pyrenees dominating the skyline, snow covered perhaps indicating what was to come. Thunder boomed in the distance. That night we had rain, sleet and hailstone which resounded on the caravan roof.

Day 4 Wednesday 18th Jan

This time we are on our way into Spain and it’s snowing. Up and over the mountains and through a number of long tunnels through the mountains. I have never actually seen snowploughs ploughing snow off the roads, today I did. Whilst beautiful I couldn’t help feeling dread that grip may be lost and the snow chains needing to go on. Fortunately, their ability to keep the roads clear despite a foot of snow falling was very impressive.  Camping Municipal Zaragoza was todays destination. A mere 183 miles away.

We made good time and once set up were about to visit the nearby supermarket to restock, still cold though but sunny. Wifi on this site had previously been reported as good, it’s not. In fact, it’s none existent. Perhaps they turn it off during the winter season. Using the mobile as a hotspot it is.

Day 5 Thursday 19th Jan

Heading to Camping Los Pinos, Denia, 281 miles. Another early start and off we go again. By now we have well and truly reacquainted ourselves with the caravan and the method to quickly pack and be on our way. The Lexus RX450h is performing faultlessly. I can hardly notice the caravan on the back. On arrival we are given a good sized pitch, shaded which, in the height of summer would be an enormous bonus however it in January and still a tad cold.

Our intention had been to stay three weeks then head down to Mojcar. However, after six nights we decided to head much south instead and chase the sunnier climes.  Camping Los Pinos is a family run site, excellent facilities and lovely friendly staff. Had the weather been warmer we would have stayed longer. The site is very close to the seas and there is an excellent promenade which runs directly to the town and a mile or so in the other direction. We enjoyed numerous walks along it.

I managed to get some cycling in whilst there. The area is a mecca for the pro cycling teams, we saw a number of them out training when exploring the area. A day trip to Moraira is a must recommended by a friend of my wife’s, Holly Eaton who now resides in Spain with her husband and children. What a lovely pretty place this is. On route we saw Team Totalenergies out training with no less than Peter Sagan and Edvard Bosan Haggen in tow. (You’ve got to be into cycling to know who they are).

We had some excellent meals whilst in Denia, top tip come away from the mariner to get great food at a better price. Plum for the plate of the day you won’t be disappointed.

Day 11 Wednesday 25th Jan

Up very early ready to leave the site as soon as the gates opened at 8am. Destination Camping Cortijo San Miguel, Nerja, 335 miles. As we left Denia the rain fell relentlessly, bloody hell we’d come away for some sun if we’d wanted cold and rain we’d have stayed at home. As we neared Nerja the temperature increased, sunny skies, things were looking up. We had booked 46 nights (45 days plus gets a 30% reduction on the price) we like Nerja and the surrounding area having been here on numerous previous occasions. Once set up on an extra-large pitch we headed into town for tea.

Day 12 Thursday 26th Jan

Admin day, a day to take stock and plan for the future. Holidaying in the winter has grown in popularity. The Pandemic has seen a huge rise in motorhome ownership and these people all want to use them. The sites are populated by Germans, Swedes, Dutch and Brits in the main with a smattering of Spanish too. This means having to book sites instead of just turning up. So today I set about sorting our onward campsites and if we could get a crossing from Santander instead of doing the long drive back through France.

Using the Caravan clubs brilliant booking service, I booked ferry from Santander for the 9th April Pet cabins are like gold dust this was the only date they had within the 90 days we are now allowed to stay in Europe. Next campsite booked Bella Vista out Estapona way for two weeks. Also the travelling back through Spain sites booked, one in Salamanca and the other in Burgos.

Having taken care of this we spent the day soaking up the sun. Whilst the official weather reports stated a temperature of 16 degree I can tell you it was 21 degrees from my temperature gauge. It’s fair to say that it is cool in the mornings and evening but lovely and warm during the day. You can spot the tourists a mile away. We are the ones wearing shorts and tee shirts. The locals are all dressed for the Artic.

Day 13. Friday 27th Jan

Up at 6am dressed and out for a ride, reacquainting myself with the mountain roads. Being January yes I did leave in the dark. A bit cool but no ice and dry. Riding in the dark can be very satisfying quite roads, still air and having the opportunity to watch the sunrise over the mountain tops. 35 miles ridden, back for a shower.

Over the next few days I managed to get another three rides in before disaster struck. A gear shifter component failed meaning a trip to the Local Bike Shop only to be told the part could take a week to arrive…bugger.

So I contended myself with some walking and dealing with the gas bottle problem. I had stupidly left the continental adapter at home in the garage, schoolboy error. After visiting a few hardware and gas supply stores I had an alternative EU compliant gas hook up. As at home if you purchase your gas on site it’s much more expensive than going to the supplier which in my case was 500m down the road Repsol. As I needed a bottle (no exchange with me) the total cost for a 11.5kgs one was 37 euro’s as opposed to 55 euros onsite.

Next thing to go wrong was the TV. The screen was just a mass of vertical lines. Checks online indicated that the main control circuit board was broken. New TV required. Now the choice was wait a week for one to be delivered. If you’ve got an Amazon account, you can actually use the Spanish version with your UK login details and it works fine. However, I decided not to wait and bought one from a large shopping estate near Malaga. Travel plug adapter to sort the plug in problem, sorted. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting an Avtex TV 32”, at £499 they aren’t cheap, perhaps from a caravan show it will be cheaper.

Electrics on Spanish sites are much lower in amps than in the UK. This current site in Nerja is 6 amp and they trip with regular occurrence. Too many van’s on the supply. Especially first thing in the morning when everyone is putting the kettle on. Even with low wattage appliances it trips. So you find yourself using more gas.