Limitezero are the company who offer the zip line between countries. You get a lift to the top of a hill in a 4wd and zip line down the hill on the Spanish side and across the river Guadiana, finishing on the Portuguese side with a boat completing the circuit. I am not a fan of these things and with it only being one line I decided to opt out and read whilst Julie, ever intrepid, was first in line for her group to cross the country border.

The next location was a busy family campsite but the location right next to the beach had lots of sand dunes and I was scoping out places to ride my fatbike. Some fun in the trees and then onto the beach for some carving action, was fun and exhausting!

A few days later and we were up early to drive to the Donana National Park to meet our off road bus and tour guide for the four hour tour. The tour is great, it takes you through the 4 areas in the park, dunes, scrubland, marsh and pinewoods. I always go into these things with low expectations but it was brilliant, we saw Red and Black Kites, Grey Herons, loads of storks, rabbit, red deer, wild boar, gulls, flamingos, beautiful Iberian magpies, dragonflies and probably more that I forget right now. After the tour and lunch we went for a nice walk in the park too, it is all on boardwalk to protect the flora and fauna but a decent few kms in the sun.

Further down to Los Canos De Meca and a lovely private campsite, a couple of relaxing days by a beach, cruising up to a lighthouse and a very sandy hike along the cliffs to the next town Barbate which involved more shoe emptying that anything else. Ten km hike and five km cycle is surprisingly tiring in the heat, or maybe I am just a lazy pie now, who knows, I don’t care!

After our mostly relaxing days we headed down towards Gibraltar, stopping at Bolonia and Tarifa on the way. Tarifa is the kitesurfing capital of Europe, so the drive was great with lots of hills and turbines for miles, breaking out from time to time with glimpses of colourful Kites in the skies at pretty much every beach.

In Gibraltar now with my family for a few days, making good use of the washing machine and showers that are not on set temps or times and don’t require flip-flops each morning, bliss! Yesterday we went up the local hike, the Med Steps, this time incorporating the new attractions of the Skywalk, a glass walkway out over the cliffs, and the suspension bridge. I somehow managed both without freaking out, I think I actually enjoyed myself, progress! Today we are off to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding, woohoo!