Our Spanish adventure

Our 3 week adventure began on the 2^nd September 2016. As many families headed home for the new school term as we had done the past, it was now our turn to head off for our summer break. 

We set off from home in our Land Rover defender towing our beloved 7.92 meter caravan to travel the 170 miles to Portsmouth for our 5.00pm sail to Santander. Our first stop was at Chilwell Valley services on the M40. These were large well equipped services with bespoke parking for caravans. Our final pause was at Sutton Scotney services , the last fuel stop on the A34 before Portsmouth docks.  Although expensive for fuel, refuelling was easy with one pump providing easy access and exit whilst towing.

With our first days travel at an end, we boarded the Brittany Ferries Cap Finistere once again for our overnight journey.  After a fabulous inexpensive meal in the ships restaurant, our first day was at an end and we headed off for a well-earned rest.

After a relaxing second day on the boat we faced the slight stresses of debarkation , driving on the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           right and finding our way out of the port but survived that and made the 39 mile trek to our first site, Playa Oyambre (E27). As we approached the site, our sat nav tried to direct us up a very steep track with no signage, a moment’s hesitation later and we had missed the turn. Convinced and disappointed that we would need to find somewhere to turn around on narrow lanes  we continued on only to find the main site entrance just a few hundred yards on which was well signed. An unbelievably steep driveway brought our first journey in Spain to a close as reception came into sight.  We were to find out later that we were not the only ones whose sat nav had tried to convince its owners to take the earlier turn for this site as one poor English couple became stranded up this lane late at night in a motorhome towing a small car with no opportunity to turn around.

This was our first time at this location having in previous years stopped off at Playa Joel. Whilst this site was more remote, we found it to be superb locationwith terraced pitches and fantastic views over the rolling Picos Mountains; the facilities including the showers and toilets were modern and immaculate.  It would seem that there is plenty to do in the area if staying longer as a few couples seemed to be regulars on site, however others obviously treated this as an overnight stay and left next morning.  After relaxing in the sun the next day and burning just a little, we prepared ourselves for the 230 mile journey to our next site near Madrid.

The following day we awoke to cloudy skies and with a minor amount of effort, collapsed our first site and headed for our second site, Monte Holiday (E04), near Gargantilla del Loyoza. As we climbed away from the sit through the cloud bright blue skies and a burning sun was revealed which was to set the tone for the rest of the day. Much of this journey was swallowed up by the A67 and A1. As the junctions counted down, I started to look for refuelling opportunities. I noticed however that initially they were not frequent and all of the services were located away from the main carriageway which we weren’t that keen on.  However after travelling about 65 miles from Oyambre we found a large service area at Campsa Estaciones De Servico, attached to the main carriageway which provided an easy fuelling opportunity and ample parking.

We had purchased a new sat nav especially for this journey which allowed us to input our width and length, which was great, however we could not for the life of us work out how to enter the site coordinates. This left us relying on a post code which did not fill me with confidence, however, I had copied the directions to the site from the internet and a combination of the two with much discussion in the cab brought us safely to the doors of a second home for a few days at least.

Monte Holiday is a huge site and has many facilities for sport and play and at the height of the season would bustle with families and playing children. However now, at least when we arrived a temporary peacefulness had entered the site with hardly any other caravans around us. The site offered breath taking views over the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. The facilities again were good, with a restaurant and small shop and helpful staff in reception. The toilet blocks were also immaculately clean. A small express supermarket was available within a 10 minute drive.

For the next two days, we recharged our batteries slightly, exercising and resting in the sun.

By Thursday we were ready to spread our wings and look to find some serious supplies to sustain us for a while and more than the local express supermarket could offer.  Our research led us to ‘Plaza Norte 2’ located at Junction 17 of the A1. Although our site was at junction 69 and it sounded a long distance to travel, the junctions pass very quickly and it is in reality only a 30 minute journey or thereabouts which in itself show cases fantastic mountain scenery.  Having located the shopping area with a little help from the local community, we found a great upmarket shopping area with all the big names to pass a few hours as well as a large Carrefour supermarket, Lavapies.   Fully laden, we returned once again to our temporary home. As the end of the week approached and we started to prepare for the next leg of our journey, the site began to fill up with local families ready to enjoy the weekend. When we left the site on Saturday morning it looked very different from when we arrived.

Our intended destination after Monte Holiday was Campsite Bonterra Park located in Benicasim near Valencia. However the mileage to this location was approximately 330 miles which can be done but makes for a very long day for driver and passenger. Instead I had located and independent site called Camping Las Corralizas located just outside the village of Bronchales, Teruel and was approximately 180 miles away from us. Although the journey was trouble free I had read somewhere that it was difficult to buy fuel on a Sunday in Spain so had this on my mind and kept looking for fuel opportunities to safeguard us for the following day. As we approached our destination for the day, the mountain climbs presented a significant challenge for both car and driver but rewarded us with views which we will never forget.  As we arrived in the village on Bronchales in mid-afternoon, the market stalls were just being cleared away and inching our outfit past van and trucks I was grateful I had not arrived sooner. The locals looked on as we crept around tight bends and once again my palms became sweaty. The campsite was well signed through the village but less so at the actual entrance and at the end of our challenging drive, I missed it and continued to climb. At the top of the mountain we found two cyclists enjoying a welcome break who pointed us back in the direction from which we had come.  I eventually found an area to turn around and headed back down the mountain.

We arrived at Camping Corralizas, the highest campsite in Spain standing at an altitude of 1727 meters, and hidden in the shaded pine woods of the Montes Universales and were greeted by the owner George. He was warm and welcoming and explained everything about the site.  This was a magical place, breaking the tradition of the marked out plots we become so used to, instead you pitch in the trees in a space you can find. We loved this place and would recommend it to anyone, our only regret was that were weren’t staying longer. After a small beer or two, the stresses of the journey had gone and we headed for the restaurant. The restaurant specialises in grilled meat and my steak was superb, albeit as a hungry traveller, a little more on the plate would have been welcomed. 

The following morning we ate breakfast outside the van and noticed many squirrels in the trees above us. Then a thud as a baby squirrel fell from the tree.  We feared the worst but need not have as he scampered away only to fall again!

All packed, we left the site and I for one promised to return at some point. 

We settled into our journey but soon came across a broken down caravan which had lost its wheel. We stopped to offer assistance but the damage was too severe and assured the driver and passengers were ok, we continued on our journey. We were once again treated to views to be remembered including birds of prey that sored between the mountains. Most of our journey was on motorways or similar and although service stations are well spaced apart, fuelling was not a challenge as I had feared.  

As we approached Benicassim following our sat nav we were directed off at the Calle Santa Agueda exit. This was a very steep ramp and I was hesitant but committed. As we pulled away from the ramp into the adjoining road, the bottom offside corner of the caravan scraped along the tarmac with a sickening sound. Fearing the worst I continued on the few hundred yards to the site where I could safely inspect the damage. We arrived at Camping Bonterra Park only to find we had been lucky and the noise made it sound worse that it was. Slight scuffing underneath and nothing more.

Bonterra Park is a large site and I can imagine in the height of summer and at weekends would be extremely busy with families wanting to enjoy the beautiful beach nearby.  However it was relatively quiet when we arrived. Although the site is large, access to pitches is tight. I had read the clubs warning that this may be the case but having caravanned for 9 years or so took this in my stride. We have a twin wheeled van and no mover- apart from my wife, and I found this to be a significant challenge  at the end of a long day. I was only grateful there weren’t more people on the pitches surrounding our plot as at least it gave me some options for manoeuvring on.

Exhausted and hot, we left everything as it was, pulled the chairs out of the Land Rover and sat on our pitch. A small beer later, things seemed slightly better. We built camp and settled down for the evening. Suddenly, an engine roared and an outfit came onto our block of pitches. He tried to turn between the trees to get to his pitch but disaster happened and the rear of the caravan collided with a lamp post. A sickening sound for the second time that day came when the rear lighting panel from the caravan fell off.  The driver stopped and was distraught and held his head in his hands.  I walked across and helped him detach the caravan and push it to his plot. I handed him a beer and left him to pitch for the night. It was clear he was camping with family who had contacts to fix the damage.  

The following day, Monday marked the second week of our adventure. We discovered that the site had a gym which although not included in the price was a welcome addition which I had not been aware of. Having exercised for the day, we explored the local beach a few hundred yards away from the site then bought supplies from the supermarket directly across the road from the site.  

Over the next few days we explored the local area on our push bikes taking in the sea air and enjoying the up market feel of the beach and promenade. Wednesday brought about a change in the weather as a storm hit the site. The wind started to blow then the rains came, a scramble to move the outside lounge inside and collapse as much of the awning as possible to prevent damage. The storm knocked the electricity out on site, but we were fine in our van. 

Friday morning brought our stay in Benicassim to an end. We inched our caravan out of its tight spot and headed out onto the open roads, leaving the cheeky monkey flies and mosquitos behind. This time we were heading North, our intended destination for the night being Lago Resort (E29), Nuevalos, 182 miles away. As the miles dwindled down, we entered a small village, our sat nav suggested we should turn left but the road seemed simply too small. I continued and the selected a left turn I thought would be ok. With cars parked either side of the already narrow street, I sank lower into my seat as the local people turned and starred. A very small roundabout appeared with parked cars all around, I thought that was it, we were stuck, but managed somehow to crawl around it. I looked in my mirror only to see the local police following. I just knew. At the top of the street, I gave up and pulled over, the police stopped alongside. One officer stepped out and said to my wife, “do you know who you are?” Well it broke the ice as we laughed and said, “yes, but I think you mean, do I know where I am.” Two great local police officers with a far better command of English language than my Spanish explained their dismay when they saw an outfit so big in the centre of the village and understood our plight.  The officers kindly led us on a safe route out of the village and showed us on our way. This took us to the A2506. If I said that the Spanish classification of an ‘A’ road was slightly different than that in the UK, it would be somewhat of an understatement. We travelled miles on nothing more than what seemed to be a track. The Land Rover was fine but the caravan has still not forgiven me. Seeing the fuel gauge sinking I commented I could use some fuel and we laughed thinking what’s the chances of that and just as we said it we came across what must be one of the most remote filling stations in Spain. Refuelled we continued across the mountain roads eventually and thankfully arriving at our overnight stay. 

As we pulled up at reception, our hearts sank as we realised it was closed. Then we saw a sign that suggested we should select our pitch and come back to reception later when it was open. Grateful, we headed onto the hilly site. We pitched our van ready for an early start next day and then settled down for a couple of hours.  Lago Resort is a large site which was only being partly used due to the time of year. The facilities are appropriate for this rustic setting.   The site is in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon and is near to the Piedra River. There is also the Monasterio de Piera nearby.  Having booked in with reception, we settled down for the night ready for our early start next day.

Saturday morning arrived which brought about the final long journey of our adventure. The journey would take us to our final and favourite destination of many years Pavilion Royal (A06) in Bidart near Biarritz. As we set off, our sat nav tried to direct us down a small track. I pulled over and my wife spoke with a local lady. Corrected on our path we continued, ignoring the sat nav that knew exactly the size of our outfit.  Once again, for the first 30 miles or so we bounced along the mountain roads until eventually finding level tarmac. The clouds were thick and air cold making me regret my earlier decision to wear shorts. Once again we climbed the mountain roads and into the clouds that pelted us with rain. I had only just commented on how lucky we had been with the toll charges this year when I began to regret my comment as toll after toll took our money off us. Finally and eventually we reached our safe haven for a few days at least, the final stop of our three week adventure. For us, Pavilion Royal is a special place that feels like home and we will return year after year on our travels. With magical views over the moody Bay of Biscay, this site offers everything there is, access to the beach and crashing waves, to the nearby supplies in Bidart. After a hearty and welcome meal in the site restaurant we retired once again to our home from home.

Over the next few days, we explored Biarritz eating lunch at a fabulous restaurant, Le Bar Jean, located on Rue Des Halles. Fabulous food served in a busy vibrant atmosphere and one that can only be recommended. We also discovered the heart of Bidart on our bikes with an enchanting square, steeped in history and surrounded by places to dine.

Finally we witnessed our final sunset over the Bay of Biscay and our adventure came to an end. As we brushed the sand from our awning carpet, I couldn’t help thinking…where next?