This is the last blog of three about our six weeks in Andalusia, Spain. The first one covers Ayamonte and Sevilla – and a side trip to Cadiz – while we stayed in El Rompido for two weeks (you can find it here) and the second one focuses on the pretty white villages in Málaga province. Read about them here.
Órgiva
The funky cottage we booked in Órgiva was the accommodation we had looked forward to the most. And while it was indeed super pretty and unique—with a few inconveniences—our fear of being cold in the mountains during the first half of March turned out to be justified. Whenever we were home, we needed either the gas heater or the smoky wood stove on.
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
The shower was in a separate, unheated building, which made washing up… less than pleasant. Have you ever taken a hot shower with low pressure and felt the water turn cold by the time it reaches your feet? (The opposite is true as well, when you take a cold shower and the water feels lukewarm by the time it gets down.) Add in patches of skin remaining dry from uneven water flow, exposed to chilly air, while you awkwardly turn in circles trying to get clean… That was our daily experience. Going outside to pee in the middle of the night was less uncomfortable.
This place would be amazing on sunny days, or in spring and autumn. One positive of visiting in winter was that the closed windows kept out the constant barking of dogs at night.
This video will give you a great feeling of our special cottage and garden.
Órgiva had been marked on our map as a potential place to live someday. It didn’t take long to cross it off the list. While there are a few cute alleys, the overall vibe felt a bit rough—more struggling hippies and noticeable homelessness than we expected.
On a better day, Mark, Maya, and I went for a long walk along the stream and into the hills. Despite having to take multiple steep detours due to the swollen river, we enjoyed peaceful moments and decent views.
Lanjarón
This neighboring village—also on our list—left a much better impression. It’s relatively small, clean, and less touristy than Órgiva, with beautiful views and great access to hikes into the river canyon.
There are plenty of trails in the surrounding mountains, one of which Mark and Maya explored while I took it easier. During our stroll through town, we came across castle ruins perched on a hill. Of course we had to climb up.
Overall, we didn’t find anything negative about Lanjarón as a potential place to live, but it also didn’t quite make it to the top of our list.
Salobreña
On another somewhat sunny day, we chose sightseeing over relaxing in our colorful garden and looked for something on the coast, hoping for higher temperatures. We ended up in Salobreña, a surprisingly charming white village perched on a hill, with sea views and narrow streets. And a foggy climate.
As usual, we found free parking on the edge of town and made our way up through the alleys to various viewpoints and a castle (which didn’t allow dogs).
After exploring the village, we headed down to the beach and a short promenade. Despite its charm, we couldn’t ignore the downsides: dog poop, some grimy corners, and not the friendliest atmosphere.
Soportújar
While searching for things to do in the area, we stumbled upon Soportújar—the so-called witch village—just ten minutes uphill from us.
It’s a bit of a tourist attraction, but since we visited on a weekday, it was quiet. We wandered through the small village, following a public map to find all the witch-themed statues and decorations. It was a fun and quirky outing.
Frigiliana
And then… Frigiliana. The town that truly drew us in—and brought us back.
On our first visit, we wandered its steep, narrow alleys, occasionally dodging cars squeezing through to supply shops and restaurants. As we climbed higher past the main church, we spotted ruins on a steep hill. At first, I wasn’t thrilled about the climb, but I’m glad we did it.
Unfortunately, Saharan dust had rolled in, erasing the views of the Mediterranean Sea just 8 km (5 miles) away.
On our way back down via a different route, we spotted a canyon below, and Mark immediately decided we had to return for a hike with Maya. The town felt clean, welcoming, and simply… nice. We slowed our pace just to soak it all in.
After tasting the local muscatel wine, we wrapped up our visit with a Polish tapas lunch and a quick stroll through another part of town. Frigiliana is undeniably touristy, but that also means it’s well-maintained and offers great food options.
On our second visit, Mark and Maya hiked through the canyon—discovering clear water and small waterfalls—while I enjoyed a leisurely photography walk (and more local wine).
We ended that morning with a long-awaited paella lunch, a belated birthday treat for Mark. This is one place where we could genuinely see ourselves living. Hopefully, we’ll return for a longer stay.
Nerja
We only briefly stopped in Nerja, since it was on the way back from Frigiliana. It definitely deserves more time.
In about an hour, we explored the shopping streets, visited the famous Balcony of Europe viewpoint, and walked along the lively coastline. A quick impression—but a positive one.
Granada
No post about Granada Province would be complete without mentioning the city of Granada itself. I’m happy to report that I truly enjoyed it. Mark prefers Seville.
After a one-hour drive—and the realization that our Portuguese-plated car could only be parked in an underground garage due to low-emission rules—we set off on a self-guided walking tour (thank you, GPSMyCity).
The city center offered a mix of churches, impressive buildings, and lively squares. The Moorish quarter felt cozier and just as enjoyable to explore, with several viewpoints overlooking the Alhambra.
We didn’t visit the Alhambra itself because of high entrance fees, no dogs are allowed, and you need to book far in advance, which is not our style.
For lunch, we chose an outdoor Moroccan spot on a pedestrian street. I really appreciate cities that create car-free spaces—something that’s surprisingly rare, even in tiny villages where cars still squeeze through the narrowest streets.
In the afternoon, we wrapped up our visit with a walk through a beautiful park and past a couple of restored city gates.
After two weeks in our colorful (and chilly) cottage in Órgiva, and exploring Granada Province, we set off on a long drive back to Portugal. Stay tuned!
Next up: Village Life in Southern Portugal
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs? Check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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April 15, 2026 at 3:44 pm
Always a fun journey with you.
April 16, 2026 at 4:31 am
I’m glad you’re still enjoying the rides, Jacqui!
April 15, 2026 at 4:37 pm
It’s great that you are giving so many potential places to live the opportunity to woo you over. It sounds like Frigiliana is the early leader.
April 16, 2026 at 4:34 am
I love how you mentioned we are giving these places an opportunity, Pete! 🙂
We seem to have become (or always were) very picky about a potential place to live and it’s probably one of the main reasons why we are still nomads and not planning to settle or grow roots anytime soon. When you immerse yourselves in places like we have – especially when traveling by camper – you involuntarily see the bad and ugly things about these places as well. They are the things that make us want to move on or mark it off the list of a potential base in the future.
April 15, 2026 at 4:51 pm
What a beautiful area. Those villages perched up on the hills are something else—the views looking back at places like Pampaneira and Capileira almost don’t seem real. I really liked the mix of the wide shots and then the smaller street scenes… it gives a much better feel for what it’s actually like to walk around in them. Bubión looked especially charming tucked in between the others, and that one view looking across the valley toward the clustered white buildings really stood out. And as always, I enjoy seeing your living space—it brings it back to reality that this is life for a while, not just a visit.
Do you feel like this region had a different vibe compared to Málaga province, or did it all blend together after a while? Just curious. Thanks for sharing. Jim
April 16, 2026 at 4:39 am
As always,thanks for your thoughtful comment, Jim. I’m not familiar with the place names you mention, though, like Pampaneira, Capileira, and Bubión. Unless there was a very stubborn autocorrect involved, you might have mixed up something. 🙂
We both feel like we enjoyed Granada province better than Malaga province, but I think that’s because we stayed in the mountains and not at the busy coast while we were there. To be honest, our favorite town of this trip, Frigliana, was actually just across the border and back in Malaga province. I should mention that on my blog. Let me add this now…
April 16, 2026 at 8:53 am
Liesbet, sorry about that. I brought up a google map while reading the post and typed in Granada Province to see where you were. I then got involved in looking around and just got too focused on my browsing when I went back to your post. The areas I mentioned are close on the map, but actually 75 kilometers away. What a beautiful area of Spain. Jim
April 17, 2026 at 3:41 pm
No worries, Jim. Now it makes sense! I think you and Carmen – and the new pup – would enjoy time here as well. Maybe for a future three-month break in Europe? Or the next anniversary. 🙂
April 15, 2026 at 8:13 pm
I can’t wait to get to Spain now. Your accommodations in Órgiva were cute, but I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the cold shower area. I would have been unbathed the whole time.
April 16, 2026 at 4:46 am
Hi Duwan,
Spain has been a nice surprise. We actually liked it better than Portugal, which came as a surprise to me. That being said, there are more rules and less free camping opportunities in Spain than in Portugal. You could see Portugal as the underdog. And a lot of it reminded us of South America.
Yeah, living in the cottage was a bit challenging. We have an electric heater with us, but the solar bank and inverter wouldn’t have been able to support it in the cabin, so we had to spend money on gas. And there was no outlet in the bathroom to plug anything in anyway. Plus, drinking water came out of jugs and we could only use hot water in one spot, so we couldn’t have one of us shower and the other doing dishes. We felt like we were camping again, but in a cute house with an amazing yard. 🙂
April 16, 2026 at 7:39 am
The Witch village is really cool.
Pass on going outside to use the bathroom though.
April 17, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Alex,
Our generations are so spoiled. I remember my parents’ generation in Belgium still had a separate building in the yard that housed the toilet. As a kid, I remember using it at my grandparents’ place. We didn’t think anything about it. Now, we hate not being able to just jump out of bed and use the bathroom! 🙂
April 16, 2026 at 5:01 pm
Lovely photos, and I’m glad you found at least some of the places welcoming and worthy of consideration as a place to live. I notice the “witch village” didn’t make your list of possible domiciles, but the snake emerging from the wall made me laugh!
April 17, 2026 at 3:42 pm
Hi Diane,
That snake was pretty cool, especially because it appeared unexpectedly. But the witch village would be too small and “fabricated” for us to be a base in the future. We are so picky!
April 18, 2026 at 3:15 pm
Hi Liesbet, Is this a new blog. I lost track of you, it seems, and your travels and tales of them are always so interesting. I’m following up with blogs on Hugh’s recommended list that I didn’t recognize. Hope you are having a great weekend. 🙂
April 26, 2026 at 1:26 am
Hi Marsha,
Welcome back! I’m sure there must have been a WordPress issue at some point. I’ve had this Roaming About blog since 2015, so not new at all. 🙂 And before that, I had a sailing blog with Blogger for eight years. I’ve lost WordPress blogs that I signed up for in the past as well. Not sure why.
Sorry for the late reply. We’ve been traveling and sightseeing with family for the last ten days. Have a great Sunday!
April 26, 2026 at 10:19 am
It’s great to reconnect. Who knows what happened. I always enjoyed your blog, and your book. Have you written another one?
May 1, 2026 at 4:13 am
Hi Marsha,
I haven’t written a second book yet. We are still too busy living the adventures and content for it. 🙂
May 1, 2026 at 10:18 am
Good for you. I enjoyed your first book so much. It’s the life I dreamed of doing but didn’t have the guts or the knowledge. But reading your book was a fabulous substitute. 🙂 Keep enjoying your life. There’s plenty of time later to write, if you still want to. 🙂 xxx
May 2, 2026 at 3:35 pm
Thanks a lot, Marsha. That’s a lovely, kind, and wise comment. 🙂
May 2, 2026 at 9:31 pm
🤗
April 19, 2026 at 4:49 pm
Hallo Liesbet ik heb weer genoten van je verslag, Dankuwel.
Nonkel Pierre
April 26, 2026 at 1:28 am
Dag nonkel Pierre,
Ik ben blij dat er nu geen problemen meer zijn met het ontvangen en lezen (en zelfs reageren) van mijn blog en dat je van onze verhalen en foto’s geniet.
Tot binnenkort!!
April 20, 2026 at 7:57 am
Now, the witch village is a must-visit, but that funky cottage looks like it is out of a fairytale. I bet it’s popular in the summer months.
I wasn’t aware you guys were looking for somewhere to live, but I guess it makes sense that it has to be planned. I can only imagine it’s going to be somewhere warm (or hot) all year round.
April 26, 2026 at 1:31 am
Hi Hugh,
Surprisingly (as we are not into tourist traps), we enjoyed that witch village, which was very different than famous Salem in Massachusetts. The history in Spain was less intriguing (and sad) anyway.
“Looking” for a place to settle is probably a bit strong. During our travels, we’ve kind of always kept an eye out for places we really love to maybe settle/use as a base in the future. So far nothing substantial has jumped out but we know that – one day – it would be nice to either grow roots somewhere or have a place we can call home for whenever we need a break from the road.
April 22, 2026 at 9:04 pm
Thank you for this beautiful little tour through Spain. I especially loved that Orgiva cottage. It looked surreal! And what’s up with that bed outside? Lol 😍
April 26, 2026 at 1:33 am
You’re welcome, Debby. I’m glad you are enjoying my virtual tours in Spain and Portugal. That funky cottage might have been our favorite place to stay on this trip, despite the cold. At least it was quiet there.
Yeah, that outside bed… It must be mostly as decoration, because after it rains, everything is soaked, moldy, and gross!!