The Travel Plan
During our last three weeks in South America in December, Mark and I needed a “What’s Next?” plan. We had just sold our truck camper in Chile and were officially homeless. Finding our next campervan would likely take a while — we’re very picky. (If you have a Mercedes Vario 4×4 for sale or know someone who does, please let us know!)
After more than two decades as nomads, we don’t really have a home base. Mark’s niece and her husband moved into “our” room above the garage at his mom’s house in Massachusetts, which is a win-win for everyone involved. Living in “our” guest bedroom with a shared bathroom in the middle of a New England winter would only work for about a month. So where could we go after that?
Renting a place in the Caribbean for a few winter months was too expensive. We didn’t want to go to Belgium yet to stay at my parents’ “little house,” because winter there is cold and rainy — and Mark can only stay in my home country 90 days out of every 180. It made more sense to use those days closer to summer. And we were ready to leave South America and its Hispanic culture.
Then an opportunity appeared. A friend invited us to stay at her rented house in southern Spain for a couple of weeks. My parents would also be nearby for their winter break. Add our curiosity about Andalusian villages and the discovery that Mark, as my spouse, didn’t have to do the Schengen shuffle while traveling with me — and the southern Iberian Peninsula became the obvious destination.
Yes, the irony of going from Hispanic South America to Hispanic Spain isn’t lost on me. There are plenty of similarities, but luckily some differences too. 🙂
We started in Lisbon, Portugal, mainly because rental cars were much cheaper there than in Spain, and we could take a direct flight from Boston with Maya. Our plan was to stay in the region for two months and then slowly make our way to Belgium – by train! – in early April. That would be the real adventure of this trip.
The Blogging Plan
This year, I had hoped to publish simple monthly wrap-ups. But honestly, we are doing and seeing so much — way more than we did in South America — that those posts would become ridiculously long.
Writing chronologically and geographically is tricky as well. During our first two weeks in Spain, we actually spent more time in Portugal. So I’m splitting that period into two blog posts: one highlighting our visits in Portugal, and the second focusing on southern Spain.
The Algarve — Part One
Faro
On February 1st, we brought the rainy and windy weather with us from Lisbon to El Rompido, Spain. After a wet drive without mountain views, we greeted our friend Patti and stayed indoors for the next few days, trying to be warm and dry.
On the first decent day — which turned out sunnier than expected — Mark, Maya, and I drove to Tavira to meet and pick up my parents. It had been a year and a half since we last saw each other in person.
We didn’t need an early start because crossing the border into Portugal meant gaining an hour. In theory, we would arrive at the same time we left, since the drive itself took about an hour. Of course, that also meant the return trip would take two hours. 🙂
(As always, hover over or click on the photos in the galleries to read their captions.)
Our little family group spent part of the day exploring historic Faro — wandering narrow streets, having lunch on a sunny patio (Maya wasn’t allowed inside), and strolling along sections outside the old city walls.
Tavira
Since we had time left that afternoon, my parents introduced us to Tavira, another beautiful town. As usual, we hadn’t done research beforehand, which meant every corner of the historic center revealed something new and charming.
Later, we discovered that our overlanding friends Heather and Jon were nearby. They had driven south to escape the crappy weather farther north. That meant another quick visit to Tavira — this time for more exploring, a fun evening together, and a delicious Indian dinner.
Vila Real de Santo Antonio
On one of the nicer days, the three of us drove to the first Portuguese town across the border. After exploring the castle of Castro Marim, we headed towards the waterfront to check out Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
It really was too cold and windy on the beach, but it was nice to roam around for a bit. We also took our time strolling the historic streets of the town center.
Afterwards, we crossed the bridge back into Spain to visit Ayamonte, but that’s for the next blog post.
Olhão
During our two-week stay in the region, Mark and I had planned two day trips with my parents. The second one literally fell into the water.
Our original idea was to hike in nature north of Faro and visit one of the barrier islands off Olhão, but relentless rain forced us to abandon the plan early. We finished up with a pretty miserable lunch that produced more inedible parts than actual food and promised to try again the next day, although our schedule was tight because we also wanted to spend Patti’s last evening with her.
The following day the weather finally cooperated — unfortunately, our timing didn’t. The plan was to take a ferry from Olhão to Culatra Island, spend most of the day there, enjoy lunch together, and drop my parents back off in Tavira by 3pm (to reach home by 5pm to hang out with our friend and make dinner).
But when we arrived at the ferry booth, we noticed a big sign: dogs only allowed in crates. Our moods dropped instantly. A private water taxi would cost about 80 euros ($100). Ouch.
My dad — who isn’t a big traveler — offered to stay behind with Maya while the rest of us explored the island. Unfortunately, Maya isn’t the kind of dog who cooperates easily with other people. Without one of us, she would refuse to move and might cry or pull the whole time.
So after a quick stroll through the town center, Mark stayed behind with Maya and took her for a long walk while the rest of us boarded the ferry at 11am.
Because of our tight schedule, our visit to Culatra felt rushed. My dad stayed in the main village while my mom and I walked toward the Farol side of the island to catch the ferry there.
At first the walk was pleasant — colorful houses, a well-maintained boardwalk, and lots of catching up. Then the boardwalk ended. Suddenly the only way forward was through the sand, and we only had an hour before our ferry left.
What followed was a one-hour slog across the beach to reach the lighthouse area. We took a few quick photos and managed to board the ferry less than five minutes before departure. I felt bad pushing my mom that hard. We definitely didn’t do the island justice.
Back on the mainland, the three Belgians reunited with Mark and Maya for a tapas lunch — deliberately next to the restaurant that had earlier chased Mark away because he only wanted a beer and olives without ordering a meal. Yes, we still have principles.
A tasty tapas lunch with loads of amazing smoked salmon
When we dropped my parents off at their rental place, we hugged goodbye — but not for long. We would see them again by the end of April; the shortest time apart in 22 years.
Albufeira
Mark and I were thrilled to hear that Heather and Jon had arrived in the Algarve with their truck. They had recently shipped it from South America to Europe but hadn’t planned to come this far south yet. The last time we saw them was in Paraguay – from Paraguay to Portugal! 🙂 It felt amazing to reconnect so soon. If only we had our own camper yet so we could travel together again…
Since we were wrapping up our stay in El Rompido, Spain, we had one full day to spend together after our dinner out. We chose Albufeira to walk and drive between beaches. Finally, I got to see the golden sand and dramatic rock formations the Algarve is famous for.
We enjoyed picnic-style sandwich lunches on the beach, plenty of sunshine, and hours of catching up.
Mark, Maya, and I would return to the western Algarve in mid-March, while Heather and Jon planned to continue on to Morocco.
We had to wave our friends goodbye again for who knows how long?
Next up: Two weeks in the very Southern part of Spain
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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March 14, 2026 at 11:15 am
I was glued to your travels, thinking how hard it would be not to have a vehicle. I sure hope you find proper transportation so that you can explore more freely. Are you still in contact with the people who purchased Thirsty Bella? I just sold my pickup truck to a friend. It has been such a reliable vehicle for me, and I sure hope it is for him as well.
March 14, 2026 at 3:04 pm
Hi Pete,
The way we travel now is day and night compared to having Thirsty Bella in South America and we sure miss the freedom of going wherever we want and staying until it was time to leave.
In a way, having a rental car and spending two weeks at a time in rental properties gives us more comfort and ease, but it’s temporary and more expensive.
Yes, we are still in touch with the current owners of our camper and they have gotten in quite a lot of trouble (and/or being unlucky) lately, but this is unrelated to the camper itself. They are super happy with and comfortable in their truck camper.
March 14, 2026 at 11:19 am
I’m trying to think where you haven’t traveled… Asia (which I have, well, USSR before it was Russia)? SE Asia? Australia? Canada? Hmm…
March 14, 2026 at 3:08 pm
Good try, Jacqui! 🙂 But I’ve traveled to and in all of those places you list when I was younger.
I never mention this on my blog, but before I – unintentionally – became a nomad (in 2003) and met Mark (in 2004) I spent two years backpacking around southeast Asia and down under, half of it on my own. I went to St. Petersburg, Russia with my mom once for five days (in 2015). And with and without Mark, I probably explored Canada for about six months in total.
March 14, 2026 at 2:04 pm
Lots of adventures and a visit with your parents. 😃 Seems like you have a plan, (although homeless) that is working out. You will find your new rig soon. Great photos of the cliffs!
March 14, 2026 at 3:10 pm
Hi Suzanne,
I hope you’re right about us finding our new rig soon. It’s been a long road and search so far. But you’re right, our current plan is working out relatively well. Let’s see what happens once we return our rental car in three weeks, haha.
Thanks for swinging by while you’re on vacation!
March 14, 2026 at 2:42 pm
sounds like most of it is working out, with adjustments along with way. looking forward to what’s up next as always
March 14, 2026 at 3:12 pm
Hi Beth,
I’m actually a fan of this kind of travel (for a while). It’s comfortable, diverse, and still quite adventurous. Unfortunately, it is not sustainable long-term, financially. But that’s okay. We prefer exploring the world in our own camper van anyway. Fingers crossed we find one in the next few months. Thanks for reading, commenting, and continuing to follow along!
March 14, 2026 at 5:13 pm
I hardly know this part of Europe, but I’m familiar with Tavira because of Restless Jo’s blog.
March 19, 2026 at 9:58 am
Hi Anabel,
I forgot you knew Jo from her blog. Did you two ever meet?
Before I started blogging on WordPress myself, my sailor friend Lisa Dorenfest encouraged me to check out a few blogs, namely The Glasgow Gallivanter, Restless Jo, and Retirementally Challenged (by Janis). These three blogs were the first ones I ever followed and subscribed to. 🙂
I was very aware that Jo lives in Tavira, but time and “obligations” didn’t allow for a meeting, unfortunately. She and I were – and are – in touch via Facebook.
March 19, 2026 at 11:59 am
Ah, so Lisa was the matchmaker! She just disappeared from WordPress, are you still in touch with her in other ways? No, I haven’t met Jo (yet)!
March 24, 2026 at 11:59 am
Hi Anabel,
Yes, we are still in touch with Lisa and Fabio. Our last messaging happened in December 2025. We visited them in Chicago a few years ago, where they still live. Once they sell Lisa’s condo there, they might move abroad (Europe). They sold their sailboat a while ago, which was a sad event.
March 14, 2026 at 5:35 pm
It’s lovely that you could spend time with your parents.
Spanish is spoken in both SA and Spain & Portugal, but I suppose there are differences. Not familiar with either European countries.
March 19, 2026 at 10:01 am
Hi Marian,
It had been a while since we met my parents abroad as they stopped visiting us for multiple reasons.
Yes, the Spanish is quite different in Spain and South America. But even in SA, the accents and dialects differed between countries. Portuguese is spoken in Portugal and Brazil, but I really struggle with that language.
March 15, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Wow, what spectacular scenery! And it sounds as though you’ve had more time to explore and socialize, instead of constantly struggling to find safe places to sleep and travel. Are you enjoying it? Or does it seem a bit… tame? 😉
March 19, 2026 at 10:07 am
Hi Diane,
You always make me smile. Nope, this lifestyle is not tame or boring at all. It feels like the break I craved and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Apart from the fact that we are truly homeless and without direction until we find a new camper. And apart from Mark’s building frustration with not finding anything suitable after researching two hours a day (I’m not kidding) for almost a year (also not kidding).
Staying in rental apartments and houses is much easier than the camping life, as long as everything is booked and arranged ahead of time and nothing goes wrong. But it is way more expensive as we always camped for free.
The rental car is small, low to the ground, with a manual shift, and Maya hates it. So driving is often not so pleasant. Although, this is much easier than whatever will come next after we return it in Lisbon in a couple of weeks.
The beaches of the Algarve are quite stunning on a sunny day and there is more to explore. As I write this, we were hoping to go for another daytrip to the Algarve tomorrow (we are back in Portugal), but it’s been raining for days and it won’t light up until we move on again. 🙁
March 19, 2026 at 2:13 pm
I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying your “break” (despite the rain). Fingers crossed for you in your quest for a new camper!
March 24, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Thanks, Diane. I’ve been trying to put the new camper thing out of my head and enjoy the here and now, but it’s about time to switch priorities again. Sigh.
March 16, 2026 at 6:44 am
I’m glad the weather has been playing nice for you some days, because this winter has been very wet and cold in much of Europe. So nice to catch up with your parents and spend some time with them. Are you guys tempted to cross over to Morocco and explore it, given that you are in southern Spain?
Love the photo of Maya poking her head through that hole in the wall with Mark.
March 19, 2026 at 10:12 am
Hi Hugh,
Morocco is not on the agenda right now. We did see it across the Strait from Gibraltar when we were there, though. Together with the military vessels the US sent towards Iran…
We will hopefully spend next winter in Morocco in our next camper. It’s tricky with dog paperwork (to return to Europe) and we want to have our own home with us there, so we can be in nature. I visited Morocco twice in a very long past, as a teacher on an exchange project and as a highschool student for the same purpose. Belgium has a big Moroccan population.
It looks like you might be enjoying a long stretch of sunshine and warmish weather right now, if it’s the same as in Belgium. We are struggling with all the wind, rain, and chilly temperatures again. It’s been the worst winter ever in the south of Spain and Portugal. 🙁
March 20, 2026 at 5:02 am
So I hear, Liesbet. Yes, spring has sprung in the UK, but next week is back to chilly temperatures and some rain.
March 24, 2026 at 12:01 pm
I’m sure you like the changes in the weather and the seasons, Hugh! So, enjoy the sunshine when it’s there and the cozy days inside when it’s not. 🙂
March 16, 2026 at 7:51 am
Glad you got to spend so much time with your parents.
March 19, 2026 at 10:13 am
Hi Alex,
It’s always nice to see my parents in person, especially when it has been a while and especially outside of Belgium. 🙂
March 16, 2026 at 2:37 pm
It feels like you are on a whirlwind. So many places. What charming towns.
It’s so nice you got to see your parents and travel with them.
I love the beaches of Algarve. Those rocks are so beautiful.
March 19, 2026 at 10:17 am
Hi Duwan,
You are right. We’ve been on a non-stop journey of exploration. The towns are super cute and we still love all the castles and architecture. As long as the sky is blue. And because this doesn’t happen frequently, we have to take advantage whenever it’s sunny.
On the days we are not sightseeing, I have job assignments and writing projects or we do research. You know how it goes with trying to find accommodation for hours on end… And soon enough, trains and more rental cars as well. Sigh. It’s been super busy. Especially since we are still looking for a camper as well and following potential leads (not often) or sending out questions.
March 16, 2026 at 7:07 pm
What a great situation for you 3 to be so close to your parents. Faro looks beautiful. We would love to visit there some day. So is Tavira. Beautiful photos! Love the photo of Maya above the “NO DOGS” sign. 🤪 Great story about almost missing the ferry due to the walk through the sand. That must have been stressful. Algarve must have been a fun place to walk around, glad you are going back there for more time. Thanks for shariing. Jim
March 19, 2026 at 10:21 am
Hi Jim,
I hope the recovery is going well and a tad quicker by now.
I think you and Carmen would really like it here. So many cute villages and pretty beaches. Portugal and Spain are relatively dog friendly, too, and the only strays we encounter are cats. The dogs are owned, not too aggressive, and well fed. 🙂
We are actually back in southern Portugal right now and had hoped to take another day trip to the Algarve tomorrow, but the weather has been awful. It’s been raining for days with more in the forecast. On Saturday, we already leave this area for our last two-week stay further inland. Oh well. I guess we’ll have to come back next winter, hopefully with our next camper.
March 16, 2026 at 9:47 pm
I’m traveling vicariously through you. I’ve been to the beautiful Algarve, but not yet Spain. 🧡
March 19, 2026 at 10:23 am
Hi Debby,
Beautiful Mexico is just as nice! 🙂
I’m still trying to figure out if I like Portugal better than Spain or vice versa. The verdict is still out. Since we always immerse ourselves in the regions we visit, we always have a list of goods and bads about each place. It’s very tricky for us to like a town or area 100%.
March 21, 2026 at 10:43 am
Enjoying your new posts on the other side of the world from SA, Liesbet. Your Algarve descriptions have whetted my appetite for us to return to Portugal someday, but other places are calling our names first. So happy that you were able to spend time with your parents when you were both on vacation, apart from the hard slog back to the ferry through the sand when the boardwalk ended! Good luck hunting for a new camper.
March 24, 2026 at 12:05 pm
Hi Annie,
Now you have me curious about those “other places” that are calling you…
We rarely feel the need or the desire to revisit areas once we got a (good) feel for them. Now that we have seen some of the Algarve (despite more rain and gray weather), I don’t really have to return. We are trying to figure out whether we like Spain or Portugal the best, which will affect our driving routes in the future.
Thanks for the camper hunting wishes. By the way, Mark and I are never on vacation. But it’s a nice thought. 🙂