After we took down our awning on the second weekend in March, gave the cab a thorough cleaning, and baked some cookies as a farewell gift for our dear friends…
…a wonderful friend I met just this year treated me to an Aperol Spritz and some snacks. And she gave me two books she’d already read. How awesome is that? Especially since I’ve already read a few books by the author, M. Tsokos. Thank you so much—I was really happy to receive them.
It was with mixed feelings that we said goodbye to the Algarve. We were really looking forward to continuing our journey on March 10, seeing new sights, hitting up the tapas bars in Spain again, and enjoying the warmth of the people there. Portugal really is a beautiful place. We love walking along the rocky coast and looking out at the Atlantic. For us personally, the cuisine is very one-dimensional and bland. We also find the people here nice, but we miss the warmth and friendliness we’ve experienced in other countries. That’s why—never say never—but we probably won’t be spending the next few years in Portugal or Spain. We do find saying goodbye at the campground a bit sad, since we probably won’t see some of the friends we’ve grown fond of for a long time. At least these days there are a few ways to stay in touch, and that makes it much easier.
A big thank you goes out to Renate (I know this thank you will reach you, since you enjoy browsing through our posts)—we enjoyed the slice of Herrentorte she gave us as a farewell gift this afternoon with our coffee.
Our first leg of the trip was about 100 km long. We’d recently been on a motorcycle tour and had only passed through Loulè briefly. What we saw was really great, so we decided to take a closer look at Loulè. The parking spot—which had no utilities but did offer washing facilities and was within walking distance of Loulè’s old town—was in the Lidl parking lot. Although there is a separate free area for 5 RVs, it’s not exactly cozy. However, it’s perfectly adequate for sightseeing or shopping, and it’s free to boot.
Since the market hall closes at 3 p.m., we didn’t go into town until the next day, so we ended up staying here for 2 nights.
The first night was quite good and quiet; apart from the festive lights that stayed on all night, we had a good night’s sleep. On the second night, we were jolted awake—apparently a few car enthusiasts had watched too much *Fast & Furious*.
Hier ein paar Eindrücke von Loulè:
Loulé is a county seat in southern Portugal’s Algarve region, located about 16 kilometers north of Faro.
It captivates visitors with its Moorish architecture, historic charm, and diverse cultural offerings.
The city itself is a labyrinth of cobblestone shopping streets. The old town offers a glimpse of authentic Portugal.
The Church of São Clemente is one of the oldest churches in the region and was built in the 13th century on the ruins of a mosque. Its imposing bell tower, which once served as a watchtower, and its Gothic interior make it an important cultural site in Loulé.
In southern Portugal’s largest covered market hall (Mercado Municipal de Loulé), you’ll find not only food items such as meat and cold cuts, fish, fruit, vegetables, spices, and herbs, but also handicrafts and much more.
The Moorish castle in Loulé is one of the city’s most striking landmarks. It dates back to the 12th century.
The Jardim dos Amuados is a small, secluded garden that offers a fine view over the rooftops of Loulé. The garden’s name means “Garden of the Sorrowful,” a reference to the melancholic atmosphere of this peaceful spot.
The Araucaria tree is over 200 years old and, at 45 meters tall, towers over all the buildings in the area.
(Source: algarve-tourist-com and dinosontour.de)
The Hermitage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Loulé is a wonderful city well worth visiting. It’s not just its culture and history that make it special; it’s also a great place to stroll around, enjoy the cafés, or have a delicious meal.
We spent our last day in Portugal at the harbor in Vila Real de Santo António, right on the river that marks the border between Portugal and Spain.
A few impressions of the town of Vila Real de Santo António. The harbor and Praia das Amélias Modestas, about 4 km away, where we took a lovely walk:
In the Huelva region of Spain, we know a supermarket called “Super Carmela.” It has some really affordable items, like Alex’s favorite beer, Cruzcampo. At €0.46 a can, the price is unbeatable, and we haven’t found it cheaper anywhere else since. So Alex is more than happy with his haul.
We also filled up on diesel for €1.79 per liter. That’s manageable compared to Germany.
There are some beautiful hiking trails in Monesterio, Badajoz. The official, free parking area itself isn’t anything special. It’s located on the outskirts of town and is fine enough. That’s why we decided to stay there for two nights so we could go on a long hike.
The DIA supermarket reopened at 6:00 p.m. after its siesta. There, we stocked up on some picnic supplies for our hike the following day.
A few impressions from our hike in the Sierra de Aguafria: We already found the Extremadura region truly beautiful last summer, even though it’s said to be one of the poorest regions in Spain. Yet the typical landscape of Extremadura—with its rolling hills, oak forests, meadows, and countless Iberian pigs—is indescribably beautiful. Especially now after the rainy season, when everything is green and the meadow flowers, trees, and shrubs are in bloom.
We had varied trails and great views. Encounters with wildlife and interesting vegetation. But either I’m absolutely out of shape or simply getting too old. In any case, the climb up to 1,200 meters in elevation was pretty strenuous.
In the first photo, you can see the stone bench, which serves as a memorial to those who, through their hard work and care, maintained this mountainous area throughout their long lives so that it could be enjoyed by many nature lovers.
Monesterio Astronomical Viewpoint.
It is said that Monesterio is the gateway to southern Extremadura for anyone traveling the Camino de Santiago, and this is where the Camino de Santiago and the Milky Way meet—here, these two paths converge.
This spot is a viewing point for astronomy enthusiasts. Thanks to the clear view of the horizon and minimal light pollution, it is said to be the ideal place—a public space for resting, relaxing, and gazing at the night sky, the Milky Way, and the countless stars.
While taking a walk in Los Santos de Maimona, we came across the artwork *El Capricho de Cotrina*.
The architect behind the project was Francisco González Grajera, who began construction in 1988 to fulfill a wish of his youngest daughter, who wanted a country house “different from the others.”
Francisco passed away in 2016 without seeing his work completed; his children carried on with the project. Today it is a museum that is open to the public free of charge on weekends. Too bad we were there during the week, so we could only look at it from the outside.
(Quelle: Wikipedia)
Tour of Cáceres in the Extremadura region. The historic old town, the Barrio Monumental, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
It is considered one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in Europe and captivates visitors with its unique blend of Roman, Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture.
The Plaza Mayor and the town hall.
The walk through the medieval old town takes you past impressive palaces, churches, narrow alleys, and charming little squares.
Béjar is a small mountain town with a population of about 12,000 in the region of Castile and León, situated at an elevation of approximately 953 meters.
On the day we arrived, we explored the old town of Béjar, and the next day we visited the bullring, which is located in the opposite direction.
A view from the city wall of the white mountains, the parking lot, and the restaurant in the old train station building.
The walk to the old town was great. It goes through the old train tunnel.
The path continues uphill toward the mountain town.
The narrow streets and shops are a delight to look at. Although many of the buildings look quite run-down, dilapidated, and sad from the outside, the city is somehow fascinating.
The next day, we made our way up to 1,080 meters to the bullring, which dates back to 1711. The entire journey there was uphill. A tree blocked our path, but Alex found a way through.
The stone arena, which is no more than about 10 meters high, is accessed through only four entrance gates, though not all of them are always open. The circular fighting area has a diameter of approximately 41 meters; the outer diameter of the entire structure is roughly 75 meters. The spectator stands, which could hold about 3,500 people and were constructed primarily of large limestone blocks but also included rubble stone, were likely secured against the bulls breaking out only later with wooden palisades; the upper tiers were partially covered. The imposing three-story entrance building, featuring ticket booths on the ground floor and spectator balconies on the upper floors, was not constructed until the second half of the 19th century.
(Source: Wikipedia)
In Castrejón de Trabancos, a small town with about 171 residents, we had a beautiful spot right on the Río Trabancos.
We were greeted by a little dog; he kept coming by for some pets, and when we started the engine to drive on, he came running over, said goodbye, and went on his way.
We had the spot all to ourselves and were able to enjoy the view of the Rio and the sun. That said, at an elevation of 736 meters, it was quite chilly despite the sun, and nighttime temperatures dropped to around 0°C.
The village is easy to explore. As usual, when you walk through such a small community as a “stranger,” people always stare at you. But the locals are exceptionally friendly. They wave and greet you from a distance. You immediately feel welcome, and we’re happy to support great free campsites with a visit to a bar or restaurant. There wasn’t much choice here, and when we were greeted by the guests sitting outside at the only bar in town—and initially eyed suspiciously inside—the owner came out with a big grin and welcomed us. When we took our cerveza and tapas outside, people immediately made a table free for us and chatted with us. Of course, we communicated with gestures, since no one really speaks the other’s language. The world is small, because a “senior” told us that he has acquaintances who run a restaurant in Ulm. Ulm is about 45 km from our hometown.
We spent two nights in Traspined/Valladolid.
Here are a few snapshots from our hike to the Mirador de la Atalaya. At an altitude of just under 900 meters, we actually found sandy paths—almost like being at the beach 😉
We had already been to Berlanga de Duero once before, in 2024. It’s a small village with friendly locals and a castle. We’d already toured the inside of it last time. This time, we went hiking in the surrounding area and were able to watch the beautiful griffon vultures.
Almazan, a municipality consisting of the main town and several villages and hamlets, with a population of approximately 5,500.
We had taken a quick look around the town that afternoon and moved on right after breakfast.
We spent the last two nights at a campsite just outside Zaragoza. Of course, we also took a stroll through Zaragoza. Zaragoza is the capital of the Aragon region in northeastern Spain. With a population of just under 700,000, it is the fifth-largest city in Spain.
The three landmarks of Zaragoza:
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, the Ebro River, and the Puente de Piedra bridge.
Here are the campsites we visited in March 2026.
We travel slowly. Sometimes we only cover a few kilometers. Depending on the site, we stay between one and three nights.
Sometimes we find really great spots, and sometimes they’re just functional.
