After a quick lunch stop on the cliffs above Conil beach, partly for Mr B to have a quick power nap, partly to wait until reception at our chosen site would be open, and partly to try and remember if we’d ever stopped on the beach at Conil on one of our trips 25+ years ago (we failed!), we set off for Camping Rosaleda. This was our first choice campsite as it was closer to the town and therefore nearer for the bus into Cádiz , one of the main reasons for stopping here.
Entering a very busy reception, a nonplussed Mr B soon returned to Evie with a glum face and the news that the site was full for the three day Halloween festival! We’ve not travelled in Spain over this period before and it showed…
Even though the actual days, (31st October and 1st/2nd November) were still four days away, we now know it’s common for los campings to put on a big show of animaciònes (parades, disco, karaoke) and to have huge family get-togethers over the nearest weekend.
So it was on to our plan B site, Camping Roche, further out of town and more rural than we would have liked, but it had spaces when we arrived late afternoon, so met what was by now our key criterion, a vacant parcela!
Although a bit scruffy and basic, we came to love our little piece of dusty Halloween heaven. After initially bracing ourselves for three nights of witchy wildness we realised we had lucked out: mainly quiet after midnight (except for the obligatory soundscape of dogs and roosters); easy access to shops and beaches (with Evie); decent facilities; and for Mr B, a chance to practise Spanish at last, with most campers over the holiday period being Spanish, as well as extra sociable over a holiday weekend!
We liked it so much that we ended up staying for six nights, with the weather delivering a toasty mid 20s in the day and high teens at night. And luckily, the only-too-familiar-and-fierce Levante wind (known from our many visits in the past to Tarifa, a little further south), which blew for 24 hours solid on our arrival, had a rest and we had the gentle Poniente for the rest of our stay. Phew!
Our first bit of exploring was to find easy access to the beach. Being mainly backed by sandstone cliffs where we could park, we needed to find somewhere with a sloped path to get our beach trolley down. After a few false starts, we found a spot in a quiet bit of condo-land where we had spotted a possible track down to the beach on Google Maps.
The track took us through a gully between condos on either side, and let onto a lovely and almost deserted beach – perfect…
…or so we thought. It was only after we had taken a leisurely stroll along the beach to check it out for another day, that we realised whilst great at low tide, once the tide came in, which it had started to, and quickly, that there wasn’t actually much of a beach at all!
Beach plans were put on hold and, having seen a lighthouse in the near distance, we decided to go exploring north along the cliffs. Which is how we chanced across this intriguing collection of old anchors at Puerto Roche…
…and a beautiful mirador at the lighthouse above, where we enjoyed afternoon tea whilst learning that we were right on the flight path for a whole variety of migrating birds heading for the straits of Gibraltar down the coast and onto Africa – including spoonbills and griffon vultures! Scanning the skies in hope, the best we managed were a few herring gulls!
Later that evening we were treated to the locals parading around the site…
… as well as a tempting glimpse of the pool – still open, so a real treat this late in the year!
Our main reason for stopping over at Conil was to visit Cádiz, somewhere we had driven past so many times and were now keen to explore, especially as we had loved our stop at Sanlúcar just up the coast back in 2016.
Our trip into the city involved a cab ride into Conil, and a one-hour bus journey to get there. So imagine our disappointment when the sun, which we had started the day with, disappeared behind some murky clouds.
Our pics don’t do the city justice, but the bits we really enjoyed were: the amazing tree-lined prom, ficus magnolia at over 120 years of age…
…. the camera obscura (with a poster that mentioned the Brighton one!) with views that included the massive cruise liners that disgorge thousands of visitors…
the American and Spanish naval base across the water…
the amazing art on the walls of the municipal market…
the delicious tortaillitas de camerones (thin, crispy shrimp fritters) and a glass of Manzanilla (yum!)…
the incredible tableaux made from stall holders’ produce as part of the traditional ‘tosantos’ All-Saints’-night festival…
and, as we walked our tired legs back to the bus station, an animated animatronic street music show to bring a smile to our faces for the long journey back!
With one day left to unwind by the pool, we added on another day on the beach before the great march north up the ‘Ruta de la Plata’ to visit some cities on our hit list before heading to France. And we lucked out with a beach in Conil we could drive right up to…
where we passed a lovely day reading and swimming/body surfing in the still-warm Atlantic, until the sun started to drop in the sky and reminded us that we had reached the end of our endless summer sojourn…
Thanks Conil de la Frontera – we had a great time!
S&J
06.11.22
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