Spain drive and camp

learnerplates

Myself and my girlfriend are thinking about driving around south Spain's coastline and maybe into Portugal (2 weeks in June). Maybe camping most of the way too.

Has someone out there done this? if so any recommendations on places to stop, campsites, places off the beaten track, car rental, time required, best time of year?

I'm a bit apprehensive about hitting the resorts at all so would prefer the quieter more scenic areas of the south of spain.

Also would it be worth bringing my own car over from Eire (via France I presume) or should I go for the car rental?

I've been to the spanish islands, Alicante and Barcelona before, the usual, and have rented cars out before so pretty familiar with the way it works. I don't want to enter any of those resort type places again but would like to see Barcelona again for a couple of nights, it's not a requirement.

Cheers,
LP.

learnerplates

I'm heading over this weekend. Flying into Malaga and have a car rented, the plan is to drive south west and do the Atlantic coast, Andalusia. We plan on camping for 10 days and stay on the move, also hope to get some watersports in around Tarifa.

Have anyone experience here? and any recommendations on campsites or towns ,attractions to see

Carawaystick

If you can get to Grenada 2.5 hrs form Malaga to see the Alhambra I'd go there. Most amazing place I've seen ever.

I drove from Cadiz to Malaga before inland via Arcos de la Frontera, Grazelema - wettest place in spain apparently and Ronda. bit of a drag from ronda to the coast but nice places.

the beach north of tarifa is segregated into zones for swimming sailboarding surfing kitesurfing etc. but it's 11km log you'll find room for what ever you want.

Cadiz is nice but not really special. there used to be street parties where you bring yer own to a square after midnight till dawn with thoussands. govt made this illegal now so dunno if it still happens.
Sevilla isn't far 2.5 hours from Cadiz, worth a trip

a sherry house in Jerez or Sanlucar de la Barrameda

there's a large nature reserve between Cadiz and Portugal, access is restricted but you can get in a limited amount.

any of the white villages of andalusia are defintely worth a visit, anywhere your car radio picks up english radio stations is not...

didn't camp here ( honeymoon) but around tarifa should be camping easily.
if tu parle le francais a trip across the straits from tatifa to tangiers would be a worthwhile 35 mins on the fast ferry.

Never been to portugal

jrar

learnerplates wrote:

I'm heading over this weekend. Flying into Malaga and have a car rented, the plan is to drive south west and do the Atlantic coast, Andalusia. We plan on camping for 10 days and stay on the move, also hope to get some watersports in around Tarifa.

Have anyone experience here? and any recommendations on campsites or towns ,attractions to see

Just outside Malaga (turn inland at Nerja and head into the hills about 8/10 kms) is the lovely whitewashed village of Frigiliana - worth a ramble as it's so easy to get to without straying too far from the coast. Check out the restaurant in the church square - seriously good food for seriously small money in a lovely village setting.

As mentioned elsewhere, Granada is worth a look esp. the Alhambra and the old Moorish district on the hill nearby

learnerplates

Jrar,Carawaystick, wow thanks alot. Yes I'd love to see some of the old moorish sites and the little white-washed villages is exactly what I'm looking for.
thanks again.

If any one has any more information on camping in Andalusia that's be great, I have heard that Tarifa has a couple of great ones but we do plan on heading up Cadiz way and also back towards Granada, we're flying back from Murcia but we can do a days driving that day as the flight is a late evening one.

Is the coast from Malaga to Tarifa worth a look or is it too built up?

learnerplates

I've come across this website, excellent site, at least it makes the campsites look excellent

http://www.campingsonline.com/?idlengua=3

Carawaystick

I wouldn't recommend the Costa del Sol, very built up most of the way.

I would second Frigiliana, well worth a detour if you're passing/nearby
Nerja does tapas like so:
buy a tapa/media racion get a free drink.

Grenada does tapas:
buy a drink, get a tapa

Sevilla & Cadiz you've to pay for tapas and drinks. but not very much.

Buddies of mine reckon getting out of GIbraltar makes it not worth while, up to 3 hours to get into Spain. the spanish customs are baxtards cos they can.

I'd imagine you could find camping sites easier north of Tarifa and east of Malaga, but that's just a hunch.

There's camping on the coast west of the parque national near Huelva,

Browse Lonely Planets/Rough Guides/ other guidebooks to get site names and descriptions if you can - late night opening tomorrow....

try all the sherries, come back and say you liked it. ther'll be two of us then.

learnerplates

Carawaystick,
Thanks for that.
I'm familiar with the tapas, usually free where I've been before, very salty of course it's no wonder they give them out free.

I'lll have to see this Frigiliana.

Sherry is it, I'll give anything a try once.

I bought a Lonely Planet a few weeks ago, it doesn't have information on the Camping at all except it mentions there's a free camping guide available in the tourist office.

I don't want to do too much driving, i mean driving long distances to ad from the campsite, I'd prefer to stick around whatever campsite I'm at, and change campsite every second day, so it's really all based on the campsites. I'll get a full list of them over there and see where I'm at.

jrar

learnerplates wrote:

I'lll have to see this Frigiliana.

Hope I haven't built up your expectations TOO much - it's a very nice accessible white village, but it's relatively small. Also, there's 2 parts to it - there's a newer town which you'll probably drive through first depending on what way you come up the hill from Nerja, but the old town is higher up and although you CAN physically drive through it, I don't recommend it, and the locals won't thank you for it !

Instead park down at the tourist office, and ramble though the old town with its narrow alleys, some hidden shops/bars, and some great views down over Nerja and into the Med.

learnerplates

No problem, I'll keep that in mind. I'll head up that way one of the days, Malaga->Frigiliana->Juan->Alhambra

calistro

I know this is a bit late but!

I am renovating an olive farm in southern spain at the moment and am moving there full time early '09. If you or anyone else are looking for a place to stay I'm there from the 10th until th 20th September '08. Totally Rural, white wash villages, 1 hour from the Alahmbra Palace & Granada. It would be just a room as I am still renovating but the area is surrounded by lakes and natural parks, cheap food & drink and away from the resorts.

learnerplates

Fair play to you, sounds great, are you going to produce olive oil for a living then?
By the way, We managed to camp all the way up from Tarifa to Cadiz by the way. Brilliant holiday. Only 2 campsites I'd recommend, I'm not sure of the names, one in Tarrifa and one in Conil, the rest were didgy enough, so we stayed in these 2 for the majority. The campsite in Tarifa is right on the beach too, and the beach was huge, a bit messy though with seeaweed and water was usually rough.
Easy driving all the way, great roads.
After Conil things get ****ty so I wouldn't go any further North than that.
Got some excellent surf in El Palmar too.
I'd highly recommend a week to anyone.