If you want a campsite by the sea on the Golfo de Mazarron in the winter months there are two options. The first, a few kilometres south of the eponymous low rise resort, can be found Bolneuvo, the place we rejected yesterday as having stalag like qualities. Though there were plenty of options to wild camp in the area we needed a laundry. So we headed north towards Camping Madrilles at Isla Plana, more in hope than expectation. We stayed here previously, five years ago.
The place is forever associated in our minds with a particularly excruciating lunchtime karaoke session in the bar that concluded with a heartfelt rendition of 'Oh Danny Boy' that was quite disturbing. So there was no reason to expect Camping Madrilles to be any different to the stalag we rejected, just another coastal site catering for long-stay northern retirees, same area, same grim setup.
In the event we actually liked it. Small details made all the difference. To begin with the receptionist was really welcoming and jolly. First impressions count. The access road is wide, pitches are spacious and set out on terraces; it did not feel claustrophobic; the sense of space is reinforced by the fact the place is on a hill above the sea with a beautiful view towards Cabo Tiñoso.
This is not to say the place does not have the usual programme of activities to keep its regular residents occupied - a covered table tennis area, salt water pool warmed to 26°, Tai Chi, yoga, 'gentle stretching with Catherine' .. however, it appeared the kibosh had been put on the lunchtime karaoke.
None of this concerns you as an itinerant, but it is quite amusing watching the regulars rushing about like SIMs seniors, always occupied, being super social. In some places we've stayed the whole long-stay scene felt overbearing and a bit ghastly, here though it felt almost neighbourly.
The only social facility I used was the library as it had free WiFi and the blog needed love and attention. The place had built up an impressive library of holiday reading in half a dozen European languages just from books donated by people over the years. That's a nice thing. I think we would come back here, it joins the handful of sites on the Spanish Mediterranean coast that we remember fondly.
Aside from practical stuff like laundry, van cleaning and blog updating we have not done much. I meant to use the pool but I have felt a bit 'off-colour' the last couple of days so chickened out. We pedalled north up to the next small resort - La Azohia. It's the end of the road there and it has a slightly down at heel look, more of a dive centre than a full blown resort. Again, like parts of the Cabo de Gata it had the look and feel of out of the way places in Greece we have stayed in.
Quite a few vans were wild camping here and there. As in Bolnuevo the volume 'off grid' makes you wonder just how long wilding will be tolerated. The temptation in local communities to regulate and monetise the more popular spots by setting-up official camper parks and banning wild camping must be growing. That's what has happened at Agua Amarga, I could see it happening here.
A few metres before the entrance to the site a track leads across the fields to the nearest beach, about a kilometre distant. Gill decided to head straight back to the van, but I opted to have a look at the beach. The rough track connects to an 'eco-path' running along the shore from Isla Plana to La Azohia.
What this means in practice is the pathway is fenced to protect the maritime flora. Regulation does not end there, the scrap of beach at the end of the path is designated as a playa canina, which probably infers that the other playas around Cartegena don't allow dogs. It is all very right and proper, it would appear in order to allow your dog onto the beach you need to bring along its vaccination records.
There is a certain irony to this as the site we are on, the nearest to the doggy beach is a rare example of a place that bans dogs. The more populated places are, the more regulated space becomes. Given a burgeoning population, the need to protect the environment and the increasingly mixed culture that globalisation brings, whatever the the future holds I think it will increasingly regulated. The cove around the corner is a naturist beach. I found myself wondering how you might resolve your dilemma if you were inclined to sunbathe in the buff but owned a pooch.
Tomorrow we are heading to Cartagena. Our tunnel booking is in three weeks time, though that may seem a long time ahead we are about 1200 miles from Calais, so we do need to head north. The sunny weather seems set to continue, certainly as far as Valencia, so long as the sun shines and the sky is blue - it seems churlish to complain.
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