Highlights from a Road Trip in Spain
By Chris Wildgen, McMaster Alumna, travel writer, photographer and tour leader.
A road trip with a friend along the Mediterranean coast of Spain seemed like a good opportunity to see more of Spain while checking out potential seaside towns. We drove through several regions of Spain, from Catalunya, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia, seeing the source of many of the typical Spanish food and wines.
The first thing that I learned is that since I did not have an international driver’s license, I could be fined 300 Euro if pulled over by the police — great motivation for following the speed limit, difficult because the roads are so good!
Traffic roundabouts became our friend as we navigated the Spanish highway system, switching from the smaller ‘N’ roads when it was too slow to the free ‘A’ highways, the autovias, and trying to avoid the toll AP Autopista highways. And sometimes the sight of high-rises along the coast kept me driving on the ‘A’ roads, avoiding the over-built towns.
After Barcelona, the last stop in Catalunya was Monserrat, with its Benedictine monastery and hiking trails, reached by funicular, around the top of the mountain. Samples of cheese and honey along with other farm products from the park were for sale in the stands just outside the entrance. Inside the church, a fantastic international boys’ choir sang a mass, a special religious and/or musical event, and behind and above the altar, we could see the black Madonna, our closest view of it because the line stretched down the stairs and into courtyard.
The other benefit of visiting Monserrat was staying at Masia Can Canyes, a beautifully renovated rural wine house which dates back to 1712, in Sant Llorenç d’Hortons, the heart of the Penedès wine area, famous for its cava. The welcome glass of delightful Mim cava was made from their own organic grapes.
Leaving Monserrat, we passed through more hilly vineyards towards the coast to drive through the flat rice fields of the Ebro Delta, which stretches for miles.
And then we were in the neighbouring region of Valencia, with its miles and miles of orange groves, for as far as the eye could see.
In a few hours, we reached Peniscola in Castellon and chose the Palace Hotel for its beach location and full view of the beach and castle. I appreciate Peniscola for its long, wide, clean beach and lack of over-development. Games of Thrones fans will recognize the castle, built by the Knights of Templar and home to Pope Benedict XIII, on the promontory. Walking the steep streets of the old fortressed city was easier than driving as I am still not sure if I drove through a pedestrian-only zone at the top!
Peniscola is also known for its seafood and the grilled squid at Xulos set the standard for the rest of trip.
Still in Valencia region, Altea is a small city on the water with a busy and crowded waterfront. We stayed at a 300-year-old farmhouse and olive mill in the upper town, Hotel Tossal d’Altea, a short walk to its center in its white, clean, quiet and calmer upper town. We had grilled squid (again!) at one of the sea-view restaurants perched near the top of the hill.
An hour from Altea, we stopped for lunch in the town of Villajoyosa, and with its buildings painted bright and happy colours, it certainly feels like a “joyful village!” The Valencians claim to be the home of paella, so we enjoyed one at a beach restaurant, right beside the popular, Spaniard-filled paella restaurant next door — maybe next time!
In the region of Murcia, we drove through Cartagena with its broad, treed boulevards and stopped in Mazarrón. For breakfast, we were directed to stop at Bolnuevo. The café was perfect, on the beach, looking at the Bolnuevo erosions, sandstone sculpted by the elements.
Entering Andalusia, the drive changed from mountains with glimpses of the sea to more rolling and flatter farmland, easy to see how it is the breadbasket of Spain, with its fields of vegetables, vineyards, orange groves.
The surfer town of Tarifa, the southernmost point of Spain, served as our launch point for day trips to Gibraltar and Tangier. Going from Spain to the very British Gibraltar was just a walk through a booth across the border. Navigating “The Rock” with its military sites and monkeys occupied the day, made longer by getting lost on the way down. We were saved by a native, Francesca, who kindly drove us to the border.
The hour-long ferry ride to Tangier prepared us a bit more for the culture change. With the services of a guide, we saw the major sites, some of which our guide wanted to show us because of famous Americans or rock stars such as the café where Mick Jagger had coffee. The highlight of the day was the tiny restaurant of Abou Tayssir, where I ate the best, most memorable hummus of my life. I would seriously return to Tangier just for that hummus!
Driving through the cattle farms and wheat fields of Cadiz province, we reached Seville, the capital city of Andalusia, famous for its Alcazar from the time of the Moors and the Catholic Seville Cathedral. My favourite is the Plaza de España, particularly its 48 alcoves with tableaus and maps on painted ceramic tiles for each province of Spain. Seville feels comfortable with its history and graciously welcomes tourists. The food in Seville is fresh and varied as expected from its access to the sea and land, with its warm climate and long growing seasons. Tapas here are varied and suited to all diets and food choices, and pair well with the full-bodied local red wines.
And so the coastal road trip ended as it began, inland! I managed to not look at a single prospective home, but I enjoyed experiencing the food, wines, architecture and landscape of these regions of Spain. And I did find places to return and spend more time, as well as more food and wine to try!
After an international career in sports medicine and sales and marketing, McMaster graduate Chris Wildgen is following her dream of connecting with people and diving into local cultures around the world through travel. Now a digital nomad, Chris is a travel writer, photographer and tour leader. With a natural flare for languages, she can converse in German, French, Italian, Spanish and English. Visit her site www.travelbetterlivebetter.com.
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