There's a good dual carriageway south from Lorca to the coast at Aguillas; then it is two junctions up the A7 motorway to the turn-off for our next destination - Puntas de Calnegre. Well that was our plan, but part way down the RM11 Gill noted a short cut that would take us across the southern flank of the Sierra de Almenara on a direct road to our destination.
Usually we are a bit sceptical about taking shortcuts in mountainous areas, we have had tricky moments in such places and the more we travel the more risk averse we become.
This time though it worked well, the road was reasonably wide, well surfaced in the main and did not involve steep hills or hairpin bends. In fact it felt great to get off the beaten track and find an empty road through wild, unpopulated country. It struck us just how much of our journey from January onwards, has taken us through highly populated places, apart from our days in the Cabo de Gata, everywhere has been semi-urban.
Puntas de Calnegre
We remembered the Puntas de Calnegre as a slightly remote, soulful spot. We have been here in February before, in 2015. Taray Motorhome Camping is just beyond the village; back then it had only been open a few months and there were fewer than half a dozen vans parked on the extensive plot. When we arrived this time there were over forty, some monster Winnebagos and Concordes among them. With plenty of space, a good service point and only €6 per night, spectacular coastal views the place offers very good value.
We even recognised one of the Winnebagos from 2015; the the owner, like others on site, is living full time in his moho. He looked a bit older than I remembered him, but then I've aged too if you look back to our first trip's photos.
Of course it is somewhat disingenuous to complain how crowded with motorhomes south of Spain has become if you are a part of the problem yourself. One of the delights of travel out of season in the far south used to be to both escape winter cold and enjoy beautiful places in peace. In Spain it would seem in future you are not going to be able to do both. Inland there is beautiful mountain scenery, it still has a sunny climate, but is chilly. You will find wild camping spots, but places with services are scarce. I can foresee peace-seeking motorhomers heading for the deserts north of the Sierra Nevada to find some winter solitude, or maybe to south of Extramadura; if warmth is what you want I think you will just have to put up with the crowds.
As for us, we have visited Spain more regularly in recent years initially because the ferry link to the UK enabled us to get back home quickly while we had care responsibilities for Gill's dad. More recently, when our daughter re-located to Lisbon heading to Iberia again became the natural choice for our winter travels. In the process we have come to love Spain, its huge landscapes, convivial cities, welcoming people and the inexpensive, yet rich and varied food culture. However, we love Italy and Greece too, and that is where we will head for our next winter journey, but not commencing next autumn. We have major building work planned in our house. In all likelihood come October we will be living in the van for weeks somewhere in Derbyshire while builders remodel the downstairs. So really the only travel plans we have right now is a visit to Sweden in May, after then, given the uncertainties around Brexit, who knows?
The Puntas de Calnegre may be busier than we like, but the view north across a very perky looking Med towards Sierra de la Muela and Cartegena looked lovely as ever.
Moreover, after forty days of wandering finally we managed that grilled fresh fish Sunday lunch at a beach restaurant, something we had promised ourselves back in early January when we resumed our travels. Admittedly, not in a chiringuita; even if Bar Calnegre cannot claim be be banged together from old pallets and recycled plywood, the fact that diners at the tables nearest the briney are in grave danger of being swept out to sea qualifies the place for chiringuita status even if it is solidly constructed in bright blue stuccoed breeze block.
The dorada was perfectly grilled, the garlic and parsley in olive oil dressing excellent, the house white refreshing and the chips...well they were chips. Something else ticked off the list, we have chiringuited; if Uber can be used a verb (as in shall we Uber it?) then I see no reason at all why an impromptu visit to a Spanish pop-up beach restaurant cannot be similarly accorded a verb status.
Yet again we are in need of a washing machine. Tomorrow we are heading to the Bolneuvo/Mazarron low rise beach sprawl. Will there be spaces in the sites given how busy everywhere else is? We shall see. We have plenty of LPG, a full tank of white water and empty grey, so if we do have to wild camp until we get to the Cartegena moho camping place that will be fine.
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