Van Life in Spain: Three Lovely Andalusian Towns
[Music] today we're visiting three lovely Andalusian towns Ronda sanil and Nera our van Life Adventure in Spain continues next I'm writing writing ring riding in my RV my RV wherever I want to be guys I'm free [Music] MV we are on our way to Ronda we've been told it is a beautiful Town divided into two by a deep canyon really looking forward to visiting it [Music] we found this camping but it is too far away from the center that was ARA the a caravanas Ronda and we went to go to ARA the autocaravanas sud de Ronda Ronda city which is walking distance to downtown [Music] here we are it works kind of like a parking lot there is no set checkout time you pay for 24 hours I kind of like that system [Music] let's see what kind of connector they have here yep regular 10 amp there we go this one goes to the camper [Applause] we've got power yeah sometimes you have to improvise this wouldn't stay in place so I put my my selfie stick tripod and now it does actually pleasantly surprised by this place it's uh we have water and we're going to be able to to empty our tanks tomorrow and uh doesn't seem to be very expensive at all I forgot it's like 24 24 bucks and you know we're surrounded by mountains I mean it is tight but it is what it is and we are half an hour away from you know downtown Ronda one thing I don't necessarily like about all these areas caravanas you know areas you know the more developed RV areas is that um they'll ask you for your passport you know they want to scan it make sure you I don't know just for camping it seems uh a little much and then otherwise you're going to always bundock which is what this person is doing let's let's go downtown h l spicy M crispy should I should I have McDonald's in Spain tempting but I'm more of a Burger King kind of guy as I said we're just going to walk to downtown which is roughly about 2 km a little over half an hour and there's a very gradual uphill climb here on Malaga Avenue oh yeah we're surrounded by Hills beautiful country all around us here we have some interesting murals as we slowly make our way to the historic City Center here we have two more it looks like they like their murals here in [Music] Ronda here we are at the main pedestrian drag that goes all the way down to the ball ring and we've seen this at many other places the this canopies covering the street protecting pedestrians from the turd Sun it is actually very much appreciated in the middle of the day and delua and Spain in general has been a lot hotter than originally [Music] anticipated at some point we want to get something to eat and this place labola doesn't look half bad [Music] oh hon and there's that cow [Music] again it is very pretty if a little chaotic Las maras we decided to eat here at Las maravillas I'm sure it is touristy but the food looks good cett spinach cett drink some local wine as well it's got the solo menu and I've got the ox tail coffee time that's a good stuff oh that was delicious probably the most expensive meal we've had in Spain so far it turned out to be 80 bucks but the quality the the wine the the be it was amazing here we have the bull ring completed in 1785 and it is one of the main things to see here it would be great to visit to see the inside but we arrived here a little too late in the day maybe tomorrow morning we can explore a little more since there's no checkout time at the RV park Palma famous bull fighter boring Ronda and this is his son Antonio or a family of bull fighters from Ronda a tradition in Spain that goes back to Medieval Times I'm still kind of surprised it is still done in this day and age but tradition right let's keep going there should be a great view from behind the bull ring here we have a statue of the bull who doesn't always lose the competition many bull fighters have been killed over the years most recently in 2016 that one was even televised live we're walking towards the Viewpoint there is supposed to be this great view of the Gorge from here from that balcony right there [Music] H there are some ruins down there at the bottom apparently an old hydroelectric power plant the other main thing to see here is PUO the new bridge even though it dates back to 1793 spanning the 98 M Tahoe Gorge if this is indeed the new bridge I wonder how old the old bridge really was this is called PLA espa and I can already see the bridge here's looking up Cay noeva New Street and here's our first view of the famous bridge kind of hard to appreciate it from the side so let's walk on it Oh What A View From The Top what a great view Ronda is one of those places that you don't expect them to exist yet here it is [Music] there's a trail that goes to a great Lookout Point let's see if we can find it [Music] it looks like it is going to be a great Sunset over the [Music] mountains this is it this is the trail [Music] I cannot believe it is closed well that for nothing I mean there was a longer trip I could have taken but we're running out of daylight here really fast maybe we can come back tomorrow [Music] [Music] [Music] it's been a late start had to take care of several things one of them being one of my email addresses becoming compromised it took the better part of the morning but I was able to recover it and now we're going to dump and naturally there's a line so I found this road that goes to this other Vista Point it looks kind of sketchy but we'll see [Music] it is pretty narrow and I believe it is a two-way street yeah maybe this wasn't such a great idea of course the camera overheated and crashed right as I was about to have a near Miss nothing happened thankfully and now with the fresh battery we continue we've got oncoming traffic and it doesn't really show on camera but the road is very steep [Music] I think this is as far as I want to go with this heavy camper van I didn't record the most interesting part and by interesting I mean scary terrifying eventually I was able to turn around but it was sketchy especially driving a manual on that steep road we hav't spun a couple of times but if you're seeing this video that means that we made it now we're going to a nearby town called sanil de las bodas [Music] here we are found [Music] parking and we've made it to sanil de las bodas another in the camper here too we found this parking lot which someone actually the taxi driver last night recommended in any case it's been one of those mornings that um we spent most of the morning taking care of things you know unrelated to our travels and then I wanted to go to that Vista Point to see the bridge in Ronda and what happened that road was really really rough so he some of the best stick shift driving I've done myself ever if I may say so myself oh there's the sidewalk here in any case everybody recommended setan de las bodegas so we're going to spend a couple hours here see what it's all about and then we continue yeah it's it's been one of those days where things have not gone according to plan but you know we'll make it up as we go along there you go thst proof we're here they have an RV we're camping here 700 M I think we're better off where we are if we're going to be here for only a few hours it's an olive oil factory olive oil this is called pente D [Music] Bodega yeah there's a creek there's a creek down there [Music] it is called a Royo Del burgo burgo Creek it is still 1 kilm from here to the center of town and here we have a graphical representation of the town of de las bodas and over there we have some horses check it out well there you go that settles it I guess we found the the the right parking space right outside of town [Music] this town is famous for all the whitewashed houses built into Cliffs like Cliff Dwellings if you will oh here's the taxi terminal good to know just in [Music] case so far lovely town and we haven't even gotten to the good part I don't think here's a map of the town and all the cave streets there it is that's where we're going the cliff dwellings there's some construction going on on this side and it does look like the cliff dwellings of the ancestral P people we've seen in Colorado and Arizona a little more developed perhaps but similar concept this narrow little I believe this is Cave of the sun since it receives a considerable amount of sunshine and as The Story Goes the villagers built these houses between the Rocks as a natural insulation so they wouldn't get too hot in summer or cold in Winter what a unique place this is now let's go to the cave of the shade now let's go to k somra [Music] [Music] [Music] as interesting as the construction on the Rocks is the fact that Vehicles use these narrow streets as well I mean it is a tourist Town nowadays but people still live here and function as such even though we're spending over a month in Spain a year wouldn't be enough to satisfy our curiosity sat Anil deserves a couple of days not a couple of hours perhaps make the time to relax at one of these cafes overlooking the creek someday we will learn and explore in more depth there are a lot of souvenir shops it certainly feels surreal to be here we're certainly not in Kansas anymore as the saying goes let's go on a little hiy it is going to be up and up and up but we're supposed to get a great view of the Town besides I could use the exercise what can I say it's a steady climb I can't help but wonder what it would be like to live at a place like this commanding views but you really have to make an effort if you want to come have a drink there [Music] we're starting to get some pretty nice views [Music] here of the Town quite a unique town with all those you know buildings inside the cave can't help but compare them to to Cliff Dwellings now Fork on the road where shall I go we have a little bit of a downhill section here but I shouldn't get used to it and we're going up once again yeah I have a feeling the views from up there are going to be spectacular and I I could use the workout to be honest about it keep going up and up and up I think it says 300 M so we're almost there yeah there's no sidewalk how about that [Music] I were not kidding when they said it was a 45° climb maybe this wasn't such a good idea oh wow oh yeah totally worth it and we'll still have a little more to climb I mean look at that the town is surrounded by fields of olive trees probably some of the best in the world [Music] all right let's go a little bit [Music] higher there is so much more to see the castle the cave maybe sample a little more of the local Cuisine down there at one of those Street side cafes but still I'm glad we came hearing your advice by the way definitely worth a stop since we were so close at Ronda now IL is waiting for me down there having some heres wine Sherry so I better go so we can continue this epic journey in southern Spain yeah what can I say totally worth the effort seeing the town from this higher perspective now we're going [Music] down I'm taking a different route on the way down it is supposed to be a little shorter [Music] old door gym [Music] [Music] here now after that climb cortal Sher is in [Music] order this is it you know I got to drive and with that we're going to start saying goodbye to this lovely town next time we'll come hungry and with more time now that we know where it is and that's kind of the thing with this trip with the camper van find out what we like and what we don't what places are RV friendly which are not so we know for next time because I intend to visit Spain periodically in the future for as long as I can maybe every other year or so it is the land of my ancestors after all and we plan to visit different areas of course but also revisit places like this oranges how UND delution of them well next we have a 2-hour drive so a good espresso is in order and clunker still here let's hit the road but before we continue let's check out that other RV parking area let's see what it looks like it is here on the right and it seems to be like a proper Campground [Music] ardales this would have been the gateway to Caminito Del re which we wanted to do but couldn't it is supposed to be a very Scenic hike [Music] it was bound to happen we're stuck in traffic as we descend towards the Mediterranean and the more densely populated areas once again although this time I do have a plan for parking I think [Music] n [Music] here we are nerha the eastern boundary of Costa Del Sol I know we missed a lot in the middle most importantly Malaga proper but at this point we have to find places where we can park the clunker and I believe this is one of those there are lots of things to do here in Nera including some famous caves an aqueduct that looks Roman but it's not inspiration for many writers and Poets and the filming location of many TV series including a popular one in many Spanish speaking countries called Verano aul blue Summer from the early 1980s it is one of those Coming of Age dramas during a summer vacation in Costa Del Sol anyway we're only going to focus on what is walking distance to the parking lot and one of the main points of interest B K Europa literally the balcony of Europe did I say parking lot well here it is it is huge and overnighting should be okay the largest parking lot I've seen in in in Spain so far we are in the at the beach town of Nera and you know epitomizes Costa Del Soul AR well the Mediterranean Coast filming location of um a very popular Spanish TV series from 1981 called verul Blue summer I was 10 at the time so I was a you know target audience you know bunch of kids you know Coming of Age here on these beaches and uh anyway let's let's go to H the the balcony of of the Mediterranean or balcony of Europe I forget it's there is that here you go Balon de Europa that's what it's called balcony of the Mediterranean is in Benidorm actually totally different town much further up the coast which we also plan to visit in a few days this is where we're going and yeah this whole center of town seems to be pedestrian only I mean a car could fit through here and we've definitely seen them on narrower streets in other parts of Spain so I guess this is even more touristy you got to be able to have all these racks on the street right let's see what's around the corner and yeah more touristy stuff and I'm not putting it down sometimes I like touristy I'm a tourist myself I mean lots of signs in English too and the blue Mediterranean I wonder what's up with the Cuban flag though the name of the town comes from the Arabic narika which means abundant Source or abundant spring or simply rich in water and would you take a look at this view this is of course the aforementioned Balon de Europa a name coined according to Legend by King Alfonso the 12 in 1885 we have CES with beaches on both sides this one called kalaa the one on the other side kalachik makes sense it being much smaller over there past the cove a statue of chunti one of the characters in that blue summer TV series I was talking about well this is Bal Europa the balcon of Europe and you know we get commanding views of the kala down there the little small Beach and then look at these views it's kind of reminiscent of California if you ask me as far as in the nature of the coastline goes but yeah and that that of course in the Mediterranean Sea we're going to spend a few minutes here and then we're going to get something to eat yeah I'm totally getting California Vibes here when it comes to Nature and topography like Central Coast or Santa Barbara maybe well here will have King Alonso the 12 [Music] musicians and the streets and places like this are always great and this guy is really good [Music] anyway before we get something to eat let's just walk around a little bit get lost along the narrow streets it is still early and many of the good places are not quite open yet for dinner this is such a picturesque town kind of the first thing that comes to mind when I think Mediterranean all these white structures in contrast with the deep blue sea sup J it's been a while it's been a while brother from here we get to see the balcony of Europe up there didn't know there was something below it oh it's official Mirador de chanti one last balcony view before we move [Music] on 1991 is not searching for a place to eat something with a view might be nice right or maybe we'll find something better along the narrow streets it is too early for dinner but we got a sria and we got a free something to nibble on you know this looks very tempting but there are so many choices I think instead of a proper sitdown restaurant we should probably do a tapas bar at this point well we came to this place called Redondo round bar and we're getting some wine and we're getting free Tapas with the wine that's the Spanish way this is one of those where they let you choose which free tapa you want out of a pretty extensive menu we're starting with some chorito oh tuna salad something called a mini Fleming King we got the Fleming King kind of a mix between a te and I don't know this is what it looks like inside all the Tapas ready to be served oh it's a lot busier now well for €1 18 we had six wines and six Tapas can't be that [Music] it is gelato time well what can I say a lot more people out and about now here in nura but we're tired we're heading back to the clunker but let me tell you this town has a going on wish I'll return one I mean take a look at this it's like the arches of the Mediterranean right there and yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] amazing this I got two our guitar of too is still jamming along as we say goodbye to nerha for now Costa dool has been a good time but tomorrow we're going back England towards another one of the great cities of alalo of course I'm talking about Granada this is the way good night from n it is morning in narha before we go I checked the app and it is okay to fly here so how about an aial view of [Music] Nera oh [Music] a [Music] a [Music] [Music] oh yeah it is that time of the day all the parents dropping off their kids at the school and we're stuck in traffic just waiting for for them to finish check it out [Music] [Music] [Music] n [Music] on the next one Granada until then thank you so much for watching and see you on the road [Music] I'm writing riding in my arv
2024-10-16 02:19
