Posts by Fphilippe

Content for you. It’s a bit special, I admit... Having also done the guided tour with a Caminito guide, I can confirm there’s no pressure to follow them. Plus, I found it really interesting when we were close to her. Her approach was more like that of rangers in American national parks than typical organized tour guides... Don’t hesitate... And of course, have a great trip! You can contact me via PM if you need anything before or during your stay. Bye

On the page that appears, you need to click on "rechazar" (refuse cookies). Then, in the top right corner, click on the three little dots... the language options for English or Spanish will appear, as well as the "register" section. You create your account, and then you can buy the tickets... Normally, that should work. Good luck!

Claude The official site is working and there are tickets available for 18 € in May without any issues... You just need to create an account first and then proceed with purchasing the tickets.... Not simple, I admit....

Yes, El Torcal is worth a look. Be aware, you’ll need to hike—no cars allowed. And of course, under a scorching ☀️ that day! Bye

Hi Claude! The closed road is the A 397 from San Pedro (Marbella) to Ronda... no worries for you if you're going directly from Malaga to Ronda. In May, you can still get tickets for the Caminito del Rey on the official site—the one I sent you. Probably with a guide, but go for it! For the weather, don’t worry—May is a great month. I’m heading back down on the 13th by motorcycle with a friend... trust me! As for weather surprises, here or anywhere else, no matter the month... it’s always a risk, and part of the memories 😅 I remember Quebec at the end of September 2017 (I think) when we barely saw the Indian summer because it was a drought year and everything was scorched. Bye!

Hi there, Our trip is coming to an end... leaving on April 10th. It’s been a very rainy year. 23 days of rain in March, 330 ml per square meter. Haven’t seen that in 51 years. But the Andalusians are happy. No drought for the summer. When will you be here? Watch out—the coastal road to Ronda is closed for at least 6 months. Other ways to get to Ronda take at least 2h30 instead of 50 minutes. For El Caminito, no availability before May... that’s the issue. Tickets are limited to 700 per day. On the other hand, if you can find a guided tour (18 € instead of 10 €), don’t hesitate. It’s not a problem. Once you’re in, you go at your own pace and don’t worry about the others. I’ve done both options and had no issues. Tell me all about it when you get back...

hi there,

so glad to be back on VF after all those issues... no more motorcycle trips for us—Harley-Davidsons are too heavy for me, and my wife has trouble getting on. Now we stick to road trips by car in the US. I still ride a Guzzi California a bit here in France, because in June 2023, the Route des Grandes Alpes with my wife on the Electra Glide HD was sometimes *very*—too—complicated... Out of all the bikes we passed, I think I only saw one or two others! But a US road trip by car has its own charm.

Our next adventure is planned for September 2025 or spring 2026: Vancouver + Vancouver Island and a road trip from Seattle to Boston... And you? If you’re passing through Andalusia in March or April, you’re more than welcome! Have a great day

hi there,

having done SF to the Canadian border a few years ago, it’s totally doable in one month.

I haven’t dug back into my archives, but we always stuck to the safest coastal route—whether it was a small road or a big one.

An unforgettable memory of the beauty of the places and the kindness of the people... Very few tourists. Northern California’s coast, far from the clichéd image of California. Oregon. You absolutely must visit Portland and the Columbia River Gorge. Seattle.

We didn’t make any reservations in advance and never ended up sleeping outside...

My only regret? Not being able to go to Vancouver Island or Vancouver since we were on motorcycles. Well, that’ll be for 2026—by car this time.

bye

Hi there, I agree with Patoch—it’s super easy to organize the trip yourself. Personally, I don’t even book accommodations... though that’s off-season, of course. I also agree about the summer temperature issue.

As for renting a bike from Eaglerider, the rates have become "outrageous" with full insurance. In autumn 2023, a bike for 32 days was 9,500 €, while a car for the same period was 1,500 €—the choice was obvious. I assume West Forever has the same problem. Plus, I had a really bad experience with them a few years ago.

I’m not familiar with peer-to-peer rental sites, but they must be solid. The only downside is needing to loop back to return the bike.

good trip

hi there, mandatory in all accommodations in Spain since 1/1/25 and way more intrusive than before! no worries

Claude,

The villages you mentioned are in the province of Cádiz but most of them are (very) close to Ronda: Setenil de las Bodegas, Olvera, Ubrique, Grazalema, Zahara de la Sierra, Medina-Sidonia, Vejer de la Frontera. You can skip Ubrique, Medina, and Vejer if you want. On the other hand, add Gaucin and Génalguacil. And for the lesser-known one: Benarrabá. Ronda is a good base for visiting these villages, including El Caminito del Rey. For the latter, I recommend booking as soon as possible... and for your comfort, plan to park at the start (at the top) so you can finish at the bottom, near the buses that go back up to the start. This avoids stressing over the schedule... been there, done that! And all of this will be easier if you start from Málaga...

Option 1: Depart from Málaga, head toward Coín, El Burgo, and Ronda via the Sierra de las Nieves (total change of scenery).

Option 2: Depart from Málaga, take the coast road via Marbella to Estepona (both old towns are worth a stop), then take the road to Genalguacil via El Puerto de Peñas Blancas, then Algatocín, and finally Ronda.

Have a great trip! You’re leaving at the end of February for 6 weeks down there...

Hi there,

I’m traveling during the first half of February by choice, but the fares are pretty much the same until mid-May—though without a car, of course. On top of that, I found round-trip flights from Toulouse on Air France for 600 € for two. Bye,

Hi there,

Not related to your question, and I apologize for that... I just booked the Coastal Express from Bergen to the North Cape and back to Trondheim for 11 days/10 nights for around 5000 € for two people, outside cabin. Promo on Voyage Privé (about -50%) until tomorrow... Bye and happy travels to everyone

superbe, ces vues aériennes me donnent une autre image de tous ces endroits connus d'en bas ! drone ou parapente ? quand tu veux, tu peux venir nous faire le même dans le vignoble de Cahors.... bye et merci

mais aussi avec du vin rouge ou grillé à la plancha, à l'apéro.

Je crois qu'Hannah vient de te répondre.... la principale raison est qu'à la cuisson il va rendre beaucoup de gras (mauvais) et va colorer ta paella en rouge.... et si tu l'ajoutes cuit, aucun intérêt. bye

la prochaine fois, essayes avec du chorizo fort coupé en cubes et aussi avec du chorizo à cuire. persil et ail, pas de souci. par contre tu peux zapper les côtelettes.

Bonjour,

je regrette que tes convives n'aient pas été emballés. mais "el ajo blanco" est une soupe froide, certes, mais avant tout, destinée à caler l'estomac des journaliers. pour l'alléger, je pense qu'il serait préférable de diminuer les amandes plus que le pain. tiens moi au courant, bye

bonsoir à tous, belges et autres voyageurs...,

je vous souhaite un essai concluant avec la poitrine de porc, saisie très fort.et promis je testerai les crevettes cuites dans la sauce chaude. quant aux grandes paellas, mon maxi fut 45 kgs de riz, le soir de la photo jointe un peu plus haut. et oui, Hannah, la difficulté est bien le bon feu, raison pour laquelle je privilégie le bon réchaud d'un diamètre adapté à la poêle. c'est aussi ce qui rend sportif, la cuisson au feu de bois. bonne soirée