2 November 2022 - Conil de la Frontera

Miles driven today = 34

Total Miles to date = 2,908

We've not had wifi in the van since we crossed back over the border into Spain.  The SIM card we bought when we first entered Portugal doesn't allow for any roaming capabilities and so we have been reliant on tethering our phones to our laptops for the last 5 days.  We did try to buy a Spanish SIM in Seville (queues were too long) and again yesterday in Cadiz (stores shut due to public holiday) so it was third time lucky this morning.  We parked up at one of those large shopping centres that sucks the soul from you as soon as you pass through its gleaming glass doors, and headed for a Movistar shop, as they are Spanish owned and are reckoned to have the best coverage.  But they didn't have any pre-paid cards available so it was on to Vodafone.  We got told off for not using their overcomplicated queueing ticket system correctly but eventually came away with our Mifi router happily pinging out 4G data. We paid €30 for 120Gb which is valid for 28 days and is also available for roaming in France, as we will be well on our way home by the time that window closes.

We also filled up with comparitively cheap diesel (€80 compared to €117 when we last topped up in Portugal) before getting ourselves out of El Puerto de Santa Maria, heading south for a little under an hour before pulling in at Camping La Rosaleda, just outside the seaside town of Conil de la Frontera.  It's a big site which is realatively sparcely populated at the moment.  We had several attempts at finding a pitch which we could haul our 7.4m bulk into without taking out an overhanging branch or two but we're in and it'll certainly do for a day or two.  Judging by the set ups some of our neighbours have they intend to be staying a lot longer.

We got the bikes out and pedalled down to the nearest beach, Playa La Fontanilla.  A huge stretch of gently sloping golden sands.

Naturally we felt the need to chain our bikes up, take off our sandals, and go for a paddle.  Imagine doing that in Clacton in November!

Closer to the town of Conil itself, this is Playa de los Bateles.  I couldn't really tell where one beach finished and the next started in all honesty as it all seems to be one uninterupted stretch.  You can see why they call this section of coastline the Costa Del Luz (Coast of Light)

Conil is a fairly low key resort with no high rise blocks.  Before the tourists arrived fishing was the primary source of income for the locals.  This statue seemed to be a nod to their heritage.

The fishermen here specialised in catching "red" tuna.  

The town is bordered to the south by the Rio Salado.  This is the point where it reaches the sea.  There is a bridge over the river which marks the start of a 3.5km nature trail along the coast.  Maybe tomorrow!

The Torre de Guzman is a defensive tower, built in the 14th Century to protect the population.  I have no idea what the bizarre serpentine sculpture in front of it is all about.  We guessed it may have been a hangover from this week's Halloween celebrations.

Next to the tower is the Church of Santa Catalina, which is also a cultural centre nowadays.  It didn't seem very open unfortunately.

We cycled through the tiny winding alleyways of the fishermens' Barrio and got ourselves thoroughly lost.

The Arco de la Villa forms the entrance to the old town and is proof that driving into places like this in a 3 metre high vehicle is never a very good idea.

Back to the van.  Some of the eateries in town did look very tempting but we've had a rather expensive day, so it was home cooking for us tonight to re-balance the budget.  Here's something else you probably wouldn't consider doing back home in November.  Al-fresco cooking and dining.  Prawn curry, in case you're wondering.

3 November 2022 - Out to lunch