From Puebla de Lillo, we headed south towards León and on to Salamanca. Since there were only a few good overnight spots on this route, we decided to stay on a campsite for the following night. Unfortunately, most of the campsites near our route to Cadiz were already fully booked or didn’t suit our taste. Therefore, we decided on a campsite off the route, which turned out to be the right decision. From Salamanca, we headed southwest into the natural park of the Sierra de Francia to the El Burro Blanco nature campsite.
This beautiful nature campsite is situated at an altitude of 650 metres, within the Sierra de Francia nature area, next to the mountain village of Miranda del Castañar. This small-scale campsite comprising 25 spacious, sunny, and shady pitches with electrical hook up, is ideal for people who are searching for tranquillity as well as birdwatchers, hikers and off-road bikers. Pets are welcome. ⠀⠀

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Anyone who has ever been to the center of Spain in the height of summer knows how hot it can get and after a very warm night (around 30º) we went to the nearby village in the early hours of the morning to check it out and having breakfast. The medieval village Miranda del Castañar is listed among the most beautiful villages in Spain, and is located only 10 minutes walk from the El Burro Blanco Camping. We enjoyed the clean and fresh air and the tranquility without the crowds of tourists and having a walk through this historical village. All these hidden little corners are certainly worth to discover. We were absolutely thrilled how well preserved this place is and you feel like you are back in the Middle Ages when you walk through the alleys. Miranda del Castañar borders the Spanish province of Extremadura, which is famous for its Jamon Ibérico and it’s also worth visiting the fabric Jamones Benito Pérez, a little outside the village.

We found a nice cafe in the village where we had a typical Spanish breakfast, which included coffee, fresh orange juice, churros (a fried-dough pastry with chocolate sauce) and toasted bread with fresh grated tomatoes and olive oil. It was delicious.

Afterwards we spent the rest of the day very quietly, as it was far too hot for any activities, what was actually a pity, because climbing the Peña de Francia (peak 1726 metres) is highly recommended while staying here. The roads are in good condition and usually quiet, besides the cool waters of the Sierra rivers provide a delightful way to refresh oneself on a hot summer’s day.

But we had to move on to Cadíz because in two days our ferry back to the Canary Islands will leave. So around 22:00 we left the camping site and drove on. Although it was still over 30º, we wanted to avoid driving the rest of the way through Extremadura and Andalusia during the day. ⠀⠀

After 4 hours on the road we started to get tiered that’s why I was looking for a place where we could stay. I found a beautiful lake where we just parked next to the shore in the middle of the night to sleep for a few hours.

Before Sunrise we got up and we drove the rest of the way to Cadíz. As our ferry will leave tomorrow in the afternoon we had to spend one more night. That last night we would like to stay not directly in the city of Cadíz, so we drove a little further toward Tarifa. As we didn’t have breakfast we found a nice restaurant next to the beach to have a late breakfast. After that we were looking for a campsite to stay, but it wasn’t easy. Because almost all campsite were fully booked. In the end we found a nice campsite with walking distance to the beach, so we spend the rest of the day at the beach and next day in the morning the last time for that trip we hit the road to Cadíz.

At Cadiz we had breakfast, and we bought drink and snacks for the time at the ferry.

That’s it…at the evening the ferry left Cadiz with us and Lenny and next day at the evening during sunset we arrived Lanzarote the first point of the Canary Islands. So this was the end of our 2 month tour through Europe. Our 30 year old Land Cruiser has brought us the more than 8.000km without technical breakdowns. Next day at 5:00 in the morning we finally arrived Las Palmas. That means this was my last post about our Europa road-trip in 2021. It took me a long time to write this travel diaries but now I have completed it.

Since Lenny had a big repair and was for few months in the garage of a mechanics we couldn’t go on a trip for a long time. Our last time was in December where we were at Fuerteventura. But we hope we can hit the road soon. Fingers crossed! Because we are looking forward for more adventures with Lenny and of course together with our Pitbull lady Lotta.

But next time I will write about how celebrating outdoor Christmas at the north shore of Fuerteventura.

Have a nice Sunday evening,

Katy

Pics by Daniell Bohnhof

Text by Look2 Ocean