# Spain help needed



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Hi Folks!

We might be going to Spain for October. Currently in France.

Undecided but the only experience I have of Spain is the border areas on the Atlantic and Med side and the odd holiday to the likes of Marbella and Puerto Banús which I didnt much care for.

Its an area I really dont know much about and to be honest the main reason we would head there would be to hopefully get some better weather and to see some of the "real" Spain (whatever that is).

I think I need to head down way beyond Barcelona and down towards Valencia and Murcia.

We like picturesque as well as characterful and interesting places, great roads to explore on the scooter but equally important is a nice location to park the van. Dont particularly care for campsites but will use them if they are firstly not covered in trees, secondly quiet and thirdly cheap! Love Aires and wild camping and the same conditions apply.

I am struggling with finding decent looking stop overs and really need some guidance as to which are the nicest areas to visit.

So. Any ideas? PM's or replies appreciated.


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

Spanish Aires website: Areasac

Don't know much about aires/wild camping. I think most aires are in towns and smaller villages.

Last December we started our holiday in Extremadura and were very impressed. Weather was good, greener (vegetation) than Murcia or Andalusia. We stayed at Hervas and Camping Monfrague near Malpartida de Plansencia, a pleasant small town. The campsite is in the countryside near the Park where the vultures, Imperial Eagle, Storks and others can be seen. You can get a guided tour of the park and photograph the birds. Nice quiet roads to explore on scooter or bicycle.

There's a good ACSI site at Guejar de Sierra near Granada and the Sierra Nevada. You could scoot up to the highest Aire in Spain near the summit and stop there.

Another good site is at El Berro high in Sierra Espuna, Murcia, with lots of walking, cycling and scootering on the doorstep.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks Wug for that reply. Will look into those. Cheers.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

*spain, help needed*

hi,,

you might like it, i do ,bernard dosent, banas de fortuna,just up from murcia, very expensive hot spa hotels,just next a campsite with same hot water,jets etc, for pennies, we always stay for a couple of nights, even thourgh we dont do campsites, i just live in the hot water for 2 full days, and then bernard drags us away,because he dosent do water,only for fishing, and its an acia site,so cheapish.

not where you are now, but the top end of spain is fantastic,great little cities good scenery,and very green, first year last year that we did that bit, and were amazed how different it was.

mags


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

We are heading for Spain in the next week or so,if you want a guide get yourself down to the Languedoc toute suite.


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## Garcia (Mar 5, 2010)

You shouldn't have too much trouble Barry, tho you need a bit of care. The usual Spanish rule is park where you want but get nothing out of your van...no chairs , levellers etc 'cos then you are "camping" and they'll move you on . we have been moved on many times ....quite politely...without problem....
And we've also been ignored for days at a time...
there are a growing No of paid Aires of varying quality and location....
there are at least 2 we use near Gandia for overnighters .They'd be fine for a day or so but not for me for long term....
have stayed on the beach areas near Mojacar without problem and in the camp site there....tho the name escapes me.....
it is cheap enough for a long stay, but we didn't like that it was overrun with wild cats being fed by the residents.... With 2 big dogs it became a nightmare to the extent that I let my dogs off their leads as the cats we're coming in the van stealing food...much to the annoyance of the cat loving long term Brits when my dogs chased 'em off .......!!!
Further south it does get a bit touristy for me , but there are stopovers.
we like the area around Tarifa.....lots of wild camping but full of ageing hippy windsurfers.....good for a it of busking with the guitar tho......


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Haven't you got a pile of nasty brown envelopes on the mat back home Barry. Are you just trying to gradually emigrate?
Cost of living in Spain seems to be generally cheaper than France. But Portugal is the place to wild.

Ray.


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

bigtree said:


> We are heading for Spain in the next week or so,if you want a guide get yourself down to the Languedoc toute suite.


We are there tomorrow after some time in Portugal. you were right trevor's alvor is lovely. Oops sorry Barry for hi jacking thread.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Benicassim is 'Spanish' town (although plenty of Dutch,German & UK snowbirds winter time, 2 main sites are Bonterra Park & Camping Azahar, there is an 'Aire' not far from the railway station 4 minutes walk into town & vans seem to get away parking on the small roads opposite Lidl store ( but no idea where they dump !


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

*spain help needed*

benicassim is so easy to wild, large car park, just off the beach at torre de vincent, and aire....well empty ing and filling up area just on the edge of town, very spanish, and a prom of about 5 miles,cycled it but never managed to walk the full length there and back.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

Barry if you are travelling through the middle of Spain then try and fit in Toledo. Park at the bottom of the town in the large carpark (free and you can stay overnight without problems). Very picturesque Medieval town, there is a series of escalators to get you up to and down from the town square. Would be easy to take the scooter and park it (if the tyres are up to it) if your knees are not up to it.

Another vote for Tarifa, the goat fields situated about 7 miles outside of Tarifa town (keep the sea on your left) hold about hundred vans but you get loads of space and great views and it's free. All sorts of people, vans etc use the site but there are no services although there is a couple of service bays, washing machines at one of the service stations on the outskirts of Tarifa (3 euros unless you buy fuel then it's free), there is also a large Mercadona there as well. Have been here several times (bit lumpy getting onto the site) and have always had a good time there. Often someone will hold an impromptu gig and others come and join in which creates a Bohemian atmosphere. Literally hundreds of windsurfers and sail boarders out on the water in the right conditions.


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## Al42 (Aug 4, 2011)

We have visited the Cabo de Gata Natural Park in Almeria for many years stopping at Camping Los Escullos but there are literally scores of places where free camping goes on. I personally do not like area around the Cabo de Gata site compared to the coast from San Jose to Las Negras and beyond, a good article from the Grauniad about the area:

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/29/almeria-spain-guide-hotels-restaurants-beaches

In the Valencia region North of Benicassim is Alcossebre, smaller and more a village, vans park up directly above the beach from the Playa Tropicana site to Torrenostra, they do occasionally get moved on but there does not seem to be much hassle and we have seen vans there weeks at a time. We will be at Tropicana from tomorrow for a couple of weeks before a couple of weeks at Los Escullos and then into Portugal for the winter.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the info

We are still undecided. If we go we would be working our way round the French Med coast where we are right now so would just go down the coast. Clearly the weather will be better but I cant decide if there is very much of interest along the coast. It seems like a trade off to me. Stay in France or northern Italy and see some interesting stuff but no more hot days or belt 600 miles further south just to top up your tan. I think if we were not going home early November it would be a no brainer heading south into Spain for the Winter. 

Seems all the interesting stuff in Spain is probably inland. I could be wrong of course but thats my gut feeling. Maybe we stayed too long in Provence I dunno but once your here its blooming hard to tear yourself away to be honest. We have loved it down here.

Choices currently are

Continue into Tuscany, up to Venice then home
Stay in France, maybe cut across to the Tarn, Avyeron, Lot, Dordogne, Brittany and home. (also the cheapest option)
Go to Spain, come back up via St Jean de Luz / Biarritz which we love and home up through France

Decisions, decisions huh?


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Barry

Ask Michelle what she wants. Then do it - lots of Brownie points:smile2:

Problem solved>

Geoff


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

We normally do Aires but will also use campsites for longer stays in an area. At the moment we are in the middle of a one month stay at Camping La Llosa in Cambrils. The price for a month is €305 all inclusive.

Cambrils is a 'working town' which doesn't close down for the winter.
There are the usual posh restaurants down by the port/marina area but plenty of ordinary ones away from the sea front and in the old town where you can join the locals and have a coffee & croissant for €2.
There is a railway station just a 10 minute stroll from the campsite for trips up and down the coast, over 60's can get a 40% discount card for RENFE travel throughout Spain for €6 which lasts for 12 months.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Barry
> 
> Ask Michelle what she wants. Then do it - lots of Brownie points:smile2:
> 
> ...


Dont be daft Geoff. We would be here indefinitely if I did that.


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

Try the Cabo De Gata near Almeria where they used to film the westerns the coast is stunning and very quiet and you will be ok Wild camping there.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

The lighthouse at Cabo De Gata had a lot of broken glass from vehicle windows laying around when we visited last year so we went to the beach area on the other side of the cliffs on the AL3115 at La Fabriquilla. Park between the road and the beach on the hard standing. Parked up for the night on the beach again this year but they were resurfacing the road so we moved on. There is a fresh water standpipe in the housing complex in La Almadraba de Montaleva next to the play area. 

Further around the bay there is La Isleta and you can park for free in the car park overlooking the beach-no services. There is a stand pipe in the village and a comprehensive little supermarket off one of the side streets.

Further around the bay there is Agua Amarga, park on the Rambla, park next to the beach on the free car park-water from toilet block on the beach, there are also beach showers. There is a small supermarket in the town. 

Free services at the Repsol garage on the N341 between the junction for Cabo and the junction for Agua Amarga, it also has auto gas.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks for the further info,
Much appreciated. Looks like we
Are heading west tomorrow and finally leaving the Cote D'Azur. Whether we will ever get as far as Spain is anyone's guess.

The vans now way behind the bike in miles traveled and I don't think he can be arsed to drive very far anymore.  or is that me?


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## Harrers (Dec 21, 2011)

Hi Barry

If you are currently working your way along the Med Coast towards Spain you will probably end up as we did on the AP7. Unlike most MH-ers, we tend to travel late in the day sometimes arriving after dark. 

Last year we spent September in France and October in Spain. Having travelled along the Med Coast from Marseilles to the Spanish border, our final stop for a few days was at Marseillan and we subsequently found that the day after we moved on to Spain the area was flooded following horrendous storms.

Anyway, we crossed late into Spain but I had picked out an aire on The Aires CC infos number 22932 at Saint Hilari Sacalm (N 41.88434 E 2.50804). Its up in the hills before Barcelona and is a nice little town. We arrived very late on a Saturday night but all the Spaniards were still up eating and drinking. Its plenty big enough and free with all facilities. You can pay for electricity if you need it everything else is free. I found a market in the town on Sunday morning.

Moving on, we had to spend some time in Valencia as the brake cables snapped on our trailer. We tried 2 aires which were both good for exploring Valencia and the coast. Firstly, Area Campingcar la Marina, Valencia El Saler which I found on the Camper Contact app no. 15522 (N 39.3871 W 0.33187) but its also on the aire campingcar infos. i think it's 13 euros per night. Slightly further around the coast is Playa de la Dehasa, Valencia Sidi Saler on the Campercontact ref 13017 (N39.36286 W0.31956) - it's free and is practically on the beach with views of the ships going in and out of Valencia. There are no facilities but there are showers for bathers and you can always use the other aire at a cost for just servicing.

Another bit of coastline to discover is around Almerimar and you can park right inside the port - Puerto Almerimar for about 8 euros (campercontact no. 20676 N 36.69642 W 2.79424). It's a bit tacky and modern as ports go but a good base for exploring. You get access to toilets and showers within the port area after paying a deposit for the key.

If you are looking to explore Cartagena, I can recommend the aire at Camping Cartagena Los Dolores, Santa Ana. It's 10 to 12 euros per night depending on size of mh or whether you want a fully serviced plot. The wifi is excellent and there are good showers etc. The owners are really friendly and can give you tourist maps and will make suggestions for where to eat etc in Cartagena. There are good cycling routes nearby and Santa Ana has supermarkets etc. 

Another free aire for exploring the coastline is Los Alcazares - another Campercontact no. 26657 (N 37.76122 W 0.82911). It's free with few facilities although I think there is a place to empty your cassette. If you look at the map you will see that it's an interesting bit of coastline. A lot of kite-surfing and similar going on.

Another free parking spot is the fair ground at Golf Noria at Mijas Cala between Fuengirola and Marbella (N 36.505859 W -4.681936). When we were there last year they were doing some work on the drains but there was a manhole behind some public toilets for emptying cassette and grey water. The toilets were only open on Wednesday and Saturday when there is a big market. The site is massive so there is plenty of room. You can walk through to Mijas Cala and there is a tap outside the municipal building where you can get water if you need it. Plenty of pubs etc in Mijas Cala and the beach of course.

We are currently meandering through the Poitou Charente Region of France and plan to head to Spain again later in the year but will return to UK for a rugby dinner on the eve of the RWC final. Also a grandchild is expected at the end of November - but after that it will be Espagne!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks very much for that detailed information its much appreciated


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

If you go via Barcelona _ watch out for fake police trying to pull you over . . !
(I'm given to understand that police do NOT use unmarked cars. But if it's a 'real' police car . . Do as they say & pull over (their sense of humour is shall we say somewhat lacking) - oh & put your high vis jackets on before you step out of your van !


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Went round Barca yesterday and never saw any fake police,might have been too wet for them.


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

vicdicdoc said:


> If you go via Barcelona _ watch out for fake police trying to pull you over . . !
> (I'm given to understand that police do NOT use unmarked cars. But if it's a 'real' police car . . Do as they say & pull over (their sense of humour is shall we say somewhat lacking) - oh & put your high vis jackets on before you step out of your van !


Spanish Police especially Guardia Civil do use unmarked cars for traffic patrols and speed checks. However they will always be in uniform and will be armed and show ID on request.


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Parked up at the spot I gave you co-ords for and there is a great beach 5 minutes walk with bar and wifi,doesn't get any better.


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## tubbytuba (Mar 21, 2007)

The Aire at Totana is a lovely spot, as is the one at Vera - both fit your criteria Barry. Making me jealous, have a great trip.


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## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

If you get as far as the Murcia region, there are plenty of places to wild camp. The town of Aguilas is still pretty Spanish, and we have stayed many times on the port in spite of the signs saying no parking for more than 6m ( or something like that). We are just over 8m, and the police patrol regularly without saying anything. There are a number of wonderful coves within a couple of km of the town. To the west are the 4 calas, and you can usually stay in any of them, although they are down tracks and the police occasionally ask you to take in chairs. It's no problem though as you only have to carry them a few metres to the beach. To the east, just before Calabardina is Plata Arroz. Again it's down a track, but you can put out awnings, chairs, tables, mats BBQ and whatever you like. The walk into Calabardina village is about half an hour. The police regularly come down and wave to you. If you want to pm me I could send you some GPS.


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

tubbytuba said:


> The Aire at Totana is a lovely spot, as is the one at Vera - both fit your criteria Barry. Making me jealous, have a great trip.


Now at the aire at Totana,excellent plus we are the only ones here.


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Total peace and quiet,stay away Barry !


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. We are still in Catalonia at a place inland called Besalu and are off to see some Volcanos today. Found a cracking place at Peratalada (mideival village) and some lovely places along the Costa Brava and haven't moved on. 

I think only a Chinook will get me that for south now, should have kept going but we are are enjoying Catalonia.


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## exmusso (Jun 18, 2006)

Hi Bigtree,
Have you met Martin and Judith in the house below? They should be back from Orienteering Championships up at Inverness.
They stopped at Crail where we were stewarding a C&CC meet in August before heading North.
Regards to Angel, his lovely wife and his knitted dog. (Portugese Water Dog)
You should have good wi-fi as well. We've visited there two years - LPG in Totana and Lorca.
Cheers,
Alan, Lesley and Speed the Cat.


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Hi,
Yes I met Martin,he came and asked me to turn my music down,didn't think it was loud as I don't go out of my way to annoy people.After that we had a chat!:wink2:

He didn't introduce himself as a Facter or a Funster but has since been on f*n to which I replied.


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## tubbytuba (Mar 21, 2007)

Mmmmmm Paula - truly a ''lovely'' wife  The knitted dog always came and sat with us when we were eating outside, must have liked my cooking


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## jrr (Oct 17, 2011)

*Spain*

Barry,

I my be too late with this advice, but if you do venture a wee bit further south than Catalunya, I can recommend the aire at Morella, up in the hills inland from Peniscola.

Photos and info on our blog:

http://motorcaravanmeanderings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/top-of-world.html

cheers


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

jrr

You are too late - he is halfway through France on way back to UK - and work(Titter, Titter>)

But maybe someone else can use the info.

Geoff


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## jrr (Oct 17, 2011)

nicholsong said:


> jrr
> 
> You are too late
> 
> Geoff


The story of my life, Geoff....


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