If you’ve followed our blog for a while, you know that Mark and I (and our respective dogs) have always lived and traveled in campers and sailboats, with a three-year hiatus of house and pet sitting. We’ve been doing this worldwide as “digital nomads” for 23 years.
After selling our last truck camper in Chile, South America, we were homeless again. Or better, “in between” travel chapters. We wound down our three-year adventure on that continent with a few weeks in an Airbnb apartment in Santiago de Chile, before visiting Mark’s friends and family – and celebrating his mom’s 90th birthday – in icy Massachusetts, USA. That’s where and how we started 2026.
Without a home on wheels or any prospects, and not being fans of the cold, we came up with a plan, which was a twist on our usual lifestyle since we had few belongings left and no moving home. We booked a rental car in Portugal for two months, arranged two-week rentals throughout the southern Iberian Peninsula, fitted in a couple of city trips, traveled by train with our dog to get to Southern France, and rented three lodgings in that country as well. For the last stretch to Belgium, my cousins gave us a ride.
Entering Spain
Our rental car at the gas station – Fuel is cheaper in Spain than in Portugal
Driving through the countryside in Spain.
Maya was often panting and uncomfortable in the car.
Maya on her back seat
Returning to Portugal
(As always, click on or hover over the photos in the galleries to read their captions.)
How did we fare? Did we like this kind of traveling? Was it costly? What were our favorite parts? Would we do it again? How about missing our own home on wheels?
Maya learned to stick her head out of the window. This was never possible in our campers before.
One of the train rides to France
Last train ride to meet up with my cousin and her husband
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.
Andalusia in Spain
Sights around Orgiva in Granada province
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.)
Living room and kitchen
Our colorful, tiled cottage
Our bright bedroom
The smaller (cold) cottage on the property of our colorful cottage would make a great writer’s retreat.
We tried to be conservative using this gas heater.
Even Maya is chilled, rolled up in a ball.
Our separate, unheated bathroom
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.
Our sunny cottage
The driveway goes through a creek.
Side of the cottage that faces the entrance to the fenced yard
Finally a nice day in the garden
We loved having a big yard with many nooks.
Looks cool and comfy, until everything is soaking wet and moldy from the rain
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.
Church of Orgiva
Pretty display of the area
Police station
Cute and colorful corner
Strolling Orgiva’s few narrow streets
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.
Walk in nature with my companions
Spring is in the air!
View from the top of the hill
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.
Lanjeron in the valley with a snowy peak behind it
Viewpoint over Lanjeron – Maya jumped up without any reason….
Senior men on a bench across from the senior couple’s statue
Cute entrance to a patio
Mark and I are too tall for these entryways.
Tiny dwelling under a staircase
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.
The ruined castle of Lanjeron
View of the town from the castle
View of the valley from the castle ruins
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.
For our second two-week stint in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, Mark and I rented a fairly modern apartment in the coastal city of Benalmádena. The main reason for coming to Spain this winter was to check out a few cute Andalusian villages as a potential future base. Ideally, we would have stayed in one of those towns, but higher rents and cooler mountain temperatures in mid-February nudged us towards the Mediterranean coast instead.
View over the town and the Med from Benalmádena
The weather improved for a little while, but our apartment lacked outdoor space to enjoy those elusive sunrays during what turned out to be a particularly cold, windy, and wet winter. The thin walls didn’t help either, especially with loud neighbors above us. We relied on the fan for background noise to sleep.
Andalusia
Around Benalmádena
From Benalmádena to Orgiva
Ronda
The first town we decided to visit was a winner! Mark and I were immediately charmed by the beautiful architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, and spectacular surroundings. We picked a sunny day for our visit and quickly fell in love with Ronda. Yes, it’s touristy—but with good reason.
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Fort in Ronda
Nice open space and buildings
First view of the canyon
Narrow streets in Spanish towns are the norm.
View towards the old part of town
The walled city of Ronda
We admired the historic buildings, three different bridges, and the dramatic El Tajo gorge. While we had planned to descend to the river far below, a couple of hours of strolling around town—combined with a fantastic tapas lunch at dog-friendly El Lechuguita—left us without the energy for that steep descent and climb back up.
Interesting church on another pretty square
Wide open promenade along the canyon wall
El Tajo gorge
Outside the famous bullring of Ronda
View into the bullring from a hotel/restaurant balcony
Our popular lunch restaurant
The tapas, atmosphere, and good prices were worth the long wait
Instead, we drove around the outskirts for a better view of what many consider Ronda’s masterpiece: the Puente Nuevo. Completed in 1793, it spans the lush canyon in truly impressive fashion.
The New Bridge from outside of town
The new bridge seen from the bottom of the canyon
Setenil de las Bodegas
Since we still had some daylight left, we made a quick stop in Setenil de las Bodegas—a town I had only recently come across in a blog and that immediately piqued my curiosity.
Beautiful and accurate welcome sign
Having houses built into the rocks is so cool!
A village built in the cliffs
Narrow, steep paths crisscross town
Bell tower with a blue sky
For an hour, we wandered the shaded streets and photographed the homes built directly into the rocks and cliffs. I found this fascinating, as we never saw anything like it before. The closest comparison we could think of were the cave dwellings of Mesa Verde in Colorado—which, of course, are completely different.
Can you believe cars actually drive through these narrow, dripping streets?
A dark alley covered by rock
This remains one of my favorite shots and views of Setenil de las Bodegas
On February 1st, Mark, Maya, and I left Lisbon in a rental car and joined our friend Patti at her rental house along the Piedras River in El Rompido. We stayed for the final two weeks of her three-month stint there.
Welcome to Spain!
While the setting and views were lovely, the weather didn’t cooperate. Long beach walks and outdoor happy hours were off the table.
(Hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Sporty Patti with two of the dogs
Koozie soaking up some sunrays on the balcony
That said, whenever sunshine was in the forecast, we made the most of it — heading into the Algarve of Portugal for day trips to visit my parents or explore with our friends Heather and Jon. One particularly good morning, our little group — three people and three dogs (Patti has two of her own) — managed to get some exercise along the river beach and through the nearby forest.
Cloudy walk on the river beach
Fishing boats on the sand
The house itself was spacious but cold. Luckily, we had a small electric heater in our room, which made it possible to warm up and get cozy under the covers. Patti, on the other hand, prefers cooler temperatures — a difference we definitely noticed. 🙂
Dinner at Patti’s rental
Vegetarian frittata
Flooded streets in El Rompido
Three relaxing doggies
More rain led to flooding
Despite the chilly, rainy conditions and busy days, our evenings were enjoyable and social.
Sunset after another rainy day
Indian curry on the stove
Social with friends
Comfy Maya
Enjoying an Indian-style lunch with friends
We indulged in home-cooked dinners, fabulous wine and port, and great conversations. At night, we sometimes watched the Winter Olympics together. Our trio even hosted an Indian curry lunch for one of Patti’s friends and were invited to a traditional Spanish tapas and tortilla meal at a neighbor’s house.
Authentic Spanish lunch at a neighbor’s house
The Spanish tortilla
Is the sky finally clearing up, after two miserable weeks?
Cádiz
Patti had bought a car in Spain, which needed to pass inspection in Cádiz. Since it was a 2.5-hour drive each way, she appreciated having company. With questionable weather in the forecast, Mark stayed behind with Maya and Koozie, while Patti, Pekoe, and I turned it into a day trip.
Roaming About – Liesbet Collaert & Mark Kilty & Maya
We have been perpetual nomads as RVers, sailors, house and pet sitters, and overlanders since 2003. Currently, the three of us are roaming about Western Europe, searching for our next camper.
As lifetime adventurers, we are self-employed and maintain a tight budget. This blog is about all that – and more – to inspire a life less ordinary. Don’t dream but do! 🙂
This Daily Travelogue is a labor of love for our families and friends at home and around the world. Prior to 2020, all our trips were documented on yearly blogs which can be accessed below. THIS WORDPRESS BLOG IS A COPY OF OUR MAIN BLOG WHICH ALSO CAN BE ACCESSED BELOW. Be safe, stay healthy, and stay connected.
