The next morning we woke up excited – the overnight spot discovered in last evening's darkness revealed itself in a whole new light at dawn. The sun rose on the horizon, reflecting off the sea surface and casting a golden glow over the Spanish cityscape.
Marbella
After breakfast we decided to head for Marbella. The spot proved perfect – completely empty, lined with beautiful pine trees.
After setting up camp we cooked clam pasta and headed out to explore the city. We started at the modern Puerto Deportivo, which oozed luxury. Next we moved to Marbella's old town, which charmed us immediately. Churro restaurants were everywhere. We ordered a giant churro spiral – at first we enjoyed the flavors, but very quickly we felt nauseated!
A concert was about to start in town, but we decided to head back to the van and go for an evening walk along the luxury area's beachfront road. Next to grand luxury hotels, living in a motorhome felt completely different – but at the same time incredibly free.
Ronda – mountain town magic
The route from Marbella to Ronda wound along serpentine roads, curving steeply upward. Soon we were driving across the famous Puente Nuevo bridge. It was incredible to drive a motorhome across a 250-year-old stone arch bridge with a deep gorge opening beneath it.
Ronda's old town consisted of narrow, ancient alleys. We headed to one of Spain's oldest bullfighting arenas, Plaza de Toros de Ronda. Along the way we paused to watch a wedding at the gorge's edge.
Campsite with cats
At the end of the afternoon we headed to Area Autocaravanas Ronda campsite, where it was time to service the motorhome. In the off-season, the price was reasonable at just €18 per night.
The campsite was clean and crowned by the resident cats! The evening was perfect – we cooked fresh Spanish fish, rice, and asparagus, and enjoyed a glass of local wine as the sun set.
This was exactly what motorhoming at its best is – freedom, new experiences, and unforgettable scenery.
