Exploring andalusia with a camper van

Helpfull tips for the perfect road trip.

In May 2023, we embarked on a journey unlike any we’ve had before: we took a road trip with a camper van. Although our road trip was incredible and allowed us to experience the Andalusian landscape in a unique way, there are definitely thing we wished we knew before we set off and things we did right the first time around and would do again. Keep on reading if you want to know what they were and if you want to learn from our experience.

Know the pros and cons of vanlife

Holiday in a van isn’t for everyone. It’s not the most luxurious way to unwind, but if a few inconveniences and a bit of planning and work doesn’t daunt you, you could be in for an adventure of a lifetime! Read our article about the pros and cons we experienced on our first ever van holiday, to find out if this type of travel is for you.

Choosing the right rental company

We rented our van from Indie Campers, a company with several branches accross Europe, the USA and Australia. Although the fleets may vary from branch to brach, Indie Campers generally have a wide range of vehicles, suitable for every need: from VW Busses for 2 people, to large mobile homes for the whole family. In our case, we rented the “Active”, a Fiat Ducato van that could sleep up to 4 people, but with more basic furnishings than the “Nomad”, also a 4-sleeper but powered with gas instead of a leisure battery.

Of all the rental companies we researched, we found that the Indie Campers booking system was the most transparent and they offered the best prices. Usually, 75km/night are included within the quoted price. Should you travel more than the included distance, it will be added to your final bill. If you know from the start that you will cover a lot of distance, you can also book a km-bundle at an exra cost.

When we rented a van from Indie Campers, the following features / items were included in the price:
- Cool box / Fridge
- Portable toilet
- Gas stove
- Kitchen kit (pots, pans, french press, plates, cutlery, cups, etc.)
- Cleaning kit
- 220V camping cable

For a small aditional fee, you can add a few extras to your package, eg. the Essential Travel Kit, which I definately reccommend. This package includes:
- Bedding
- Outside table
- 2 camping chairs
- 3 chemical tabs for the portable toilet
- After-travel cleaning

We rented our camper van from Indie Campers.

When to visit andalusia

With its beautiful beaches, mountainous inland and cities packed with historical landmarks, Andalusia offers activities for almost everyone. It’s therefore no wonder that in 2023, Andalusia registered a record number of 12.2 million international tourists*. Although Andalusia is year-round destination, it might be wise to avoid visiting summer when, additional to the normal tourist groups, families flock to the region to enjoy the summer holidays.

We visited Andalusia during the end of May, which had the following benefits:

• Although the weather wasn’t stable all of the time (we did have some cool, rainy days inbetween), most days were warm and sunny. Temperatures lay between 25°C and 32°C, which is tolerable in comparisson to summer temperatures, which can reach 40°C and higher.

• The popularity of camper van holidays are at an all-time high and during peak season, finding a good overnight spot can be difficult. Travelling outside the main holiday times, made finding a parking spot much easier and locals were more willing to turn a blind eye if we didn’t overnight at a clearly designated overnight spot.

• April and May are the months of the Ferias, colourful festivals celebrating Andalusian food, music and traditions.

*Official data by INE (National Statistics Institute)

parking overnight: General Rules and regulations

If you love flexibility and adventure and the idea of waking up in a new location every day, travelling with a camper van is perfect! There are, however, a few rules you should keep in mind, if you want to avoid hefty fines:

• Generally, you are allowed to stay overnight at any spot where parking is officially allowed. This means, however, that you are allowed to sleep in your van, but not allowed to pack out a table or chairs or extend your van’s awnings.

• Parking in cities such as Seville or Granada can be tricky. Not only are parking spots limited, but camper vans are often prohibited from parking in the city centres. Usually forbidden parking areas are clearly marked, so keep your eyes peeled while searching for a spot!

• Staying overnight in nature reserves and national parks are strictly forbidden!

choosing a usefull travel app

To find the perfect parking spot for the night, we used an app called Park4Night. The app shows parking spots near you as well as other users’ review of the spot. Reading the reviews are very helpful filtering out parking spots that might be difficult to reach, uneven or potentially unsafe. Apart from showing overnight spots, the app also shows camp sites, designated camper van parking spots as well as service stations (area de autocaravanas).

The Park4Night app is free. You can use it without registering, but creating an account will show you more parking options and allow you to write comments as well as create your own reviews.

Our favorite camping spot was in an olive grove near Jaén.

Good-to-know things for daily vanlife

Although travelling in a van is fun, it does require a certain amount of work and upkeep. Water needs to be filled up, waste needs to be removed, gas needs to be topped up. It’s almost like taking care of a mini house!

WASTE WATER DISPOSAL
Depending on how often you shower, do dishes or use the portable toilet, you will have to get rid of your grey (shower, dishwashing) and black (toilet) water every 2-3 days as well as top up the water tank. This can be done at service stations (area de autocaravanas). Spain has always been a popular country for van travel and many small towns have a service station situated at the edge of town, usually next to the local sports grounds. Most of the time, the service stations are well-maintained and you can dispose your waste water and top up new water for free. Some service stations even offer parking spots where you are allowed to park for a max of 24 hours. Some gas stations and car washes offer these services as well, but usually against a small fee.

REFILLING/BUYING GAS
If your camper van runs on gas and uses large gas bottles, you can refill them or buy new ones at a gas station (eg. Repson or Cepsa). Small gas cartridges for camping cookers or small gas stoves can be bought at Decathlon, large sport and camping equipment stores found in most of the larger cities. I would advise you research the location of stores or gas stations before you leave on your trip, to avoid running out of gas to cook or heat.

COOLING FOOD
If your van is powered by a leisure battery, it might be equipped with an electric coolbox. We wanted to save as much electricity to avoid staying overnight at a camping site, so we filled it with fresh ice every day. Ice packs can be bought at a small price at almost every gas station or supermarket.

FEELING DIRTY?
Our camper van didn’t have warm water unless we were connected to a power source so keeping clean, especially on the cooler days, wasn’t exactly a pleasant affair. If, like us, you are at some point in need of a decent, hot shower, some rest stops along the highway offer showering facilities where, for a small price, you can take a nice hot shower.