{"id":265,"date":"2021-08-20T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/?p=265"},"modified":"2026-04-02T11:40:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T11:40:25","slug":"spanien-camper-barcelona-valencia-mittelmeerkueste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/spain-camper-barcelona-valencia-mediterranean-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain by campervan \u2013 Barcelona, Valencia & the Mediterranean coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spain by campervan<\/strong> along the Mediterranean coast \u2013 from the French border via Barcelona and Valencia to Andalusia. Spain was the longest leg of our journey. Van Life European Adventure<\/a> and the country where we felt most at home: perfect climate, cheap food, relaxed locals and a van-life scene that is unparalleled in Europe.<\/p>\n

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Barcelona \u2013 Gaud\u00ed, tapas & the best city beach in Europe<\/h2>\n

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Barcelona<\/strong> is a city that everyone should see \u2013 especially (or even more so) as a camper. Sagrada Familia<\/strong>, the Park G\u00fcell<\/strong>, The Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter (Barri G\u00f2tic) are easily explored on foot. And afterwards you simply head to the Barceloneta Beach<\/strong>. Tip: Park in the north of the city (e.g., in the Badalona area) and take the metro in.<\/p>\n

Danger:<\/strong> Van life is becoming increasingly restricted in Barcelona and Catalonia. Free camping within the city limits is prohibited. Police also conduct checks at night.<\/p>\n

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Valencia \u2013 The underrated pearl of the Mediterranean coast<\/h2>\n

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Valencia<\/strong> impressed us much more than Barcelona (and I know that's a controversial opinion). City of Arts and Sciences<\/strong> It's architecturally stunning, the old town charming, and the food \u2013 Valencia is the home of paella! \u2013 is sensationally good and inexpensive. An authentic paella meal with wine costs \u20ac12-15.<\/p>\n

The Turia Gardens<\/strong>, The riverbanks, a former riverbed transformed into a 9 km long park, are perfect for jogging, cycling, or simply relaxing. And the best part: Valencia is significantly less touristy and cheaper than Barcelona.<\/p>\n

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Camper tips for Spain's Mediterranean coast<\/h2>\n

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Free standing:<\/strong> Strictly forbidden in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. South of Valencia, the rules become more relaxed. There are still many tolerated spots on the Costa Blanca and in Murcia.<\/p>\n

Cost:<\/strong> Spain is ideal for van life \u2013 cheaper than France or Italy. Campsites: \u20ac18-30\/night. Diesel: ~\u20ac1.55\/L. Supermarket: Mercadona is the best chain (cheap, good quality). Eating out: Men\u00fa del D\u00eda (set menu) for \u20ac10-13 \u2013 3 courses with a drink!<\/p>\n

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FAQ \u2013 Spain by campervan<\/h2>\n

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Is it possible to camp freely in Spain with a van?<\/strong>
\nIt varies greatly by region. Catalonia: no. Andalusia: more relaxed. Inland: possible almost everywhere. General rule: Not directly on the beach and not in tourist areas.<\/p>\n

What does van life cost per day in Spain?<\/strong>
\n\u20ac40-60 for 2 people \u2013 one of the cheapest van-life countries in Western Europe.<\/p>\n

Which is better for campers: Valencia or Barcelona?<\/strong>
\nValencia: significantly more relaxed, cheaper, fewer restrictions for campers. Barcelona: more impressive, but more stressful and more expensive.<\/p>\n

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We continued on to Andalusia<\/a>. Back: Southern France<\/a> | Van Life Overview<\/a> | Request Collaboration<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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After Portugal, we were most excited about Spain on our trip, partly because we could finally use our learned Spanish skills. \ud83d\ude01 We weren't quite able to converse yet, but at least we could order food and drinks! \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

However, we didn't get very far into Spain initially, as we made our first stop just beyond the border in Parc Natural del Cad\u00ed-Moixer\u00f3. Here, we went on a beautiful hike and spent the night at over 2000 meters altitude and just below 0 degrees overnight. \ud83d\ude0b This was actually our first time camping together, and we squeezed into a hammock and shared a sleeping bag \u2013 which worked out better than expected, and the night was pleasantly warm. The next morning, we set off early to the summit, where we had a wonderful view of the surrounding area. \ud83d\ude0d\ud83d\ude0e<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The city that never gets boring: Barcelona \u2600\ufe0f\ud83c\udf89<\/h3>\n

Next, we headed to Barcelona \u2013 a city that never gets boring. This is already my third time in Barcelona, but there's always something new to discover! We parked outside the city in nature, so we had to take the bus into the city every day \u2013 still much better than being in the middle of the city. In addition to the usual attractions that Barcelona has to offer, we also drove to the Muntanya de Montserrat, a mountain range 30 minutes away, where we had a beautiful campsite directly below the famous rock formations. From there, we went hiking and enjoyed a beautiful sunset with a view over the valley in the evening. \ud83c\udf04<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Valencia \u2013 definitely worth a visit! \ud83e\udd70<\/h3>\n

Valencia really surprised us on our trip. Neither of us had been there before, but I had heard only good things about it, so we decided to stay for several days. We didn't regret it! In addition to the great fairgrounds with their futuristic buildings, we were especially impressed by the city center, which is really diverse and has beautiful restaurants and cafes. On our last day, we visited the city beach and met many new people at a beach meetup \u2013 it's just a shame that we had to move on so soon... \ud83d\ude2c<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Snorkeling on the Costa Blanca \ud83e\udd3f\ud83d\udc20\u00a0<\/h3>\n

We were particularly excited for the next few days... the Costa Blanca supposedly has the best snorkeling spots in all of Spain. So, we bought a snorkel mask and went to the first spot: Denia. There, we had a dreamy campsite right at the snorkeling spot, so we went straight into the water when we arrived and saw an incredible number of fish despite the dusk! \ud83e\udd17 We spent the next few days in the water, including at a hidden cave, where we saw huge schools of fish again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We continued along the Costa Blanca to Calp \u2013 a real tourist town with a beautiful, long sandy beach. The setting is completed by the Parc Natural del Penyal d'Ifac \u2013 a rock on which many different bird species are at home and which is also the smallest national park in Spain. \ud83d\ude01\ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n

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From Alicante to Almeria \ud83d\ude90<\/h3>\n

In Alicante, we used the time to work, as there wasn't much to do, but we had another first-class campsite right on the cliff coast (we've been incredibly lucky with our campsites in general). Of course, we still checked out the city center of Alicante, which is very nice, but one day was sufficient.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, we made a brief stop in Cartagena (which is not necessarily a must-see) and then continued our journey to Almeria. Here, our drive along the coast came to an end for the time being and we continued inland. However, since there are simply so many amazing places along the southern coast of Spain, the rest will be covered in SPAIN PART 2. \ud83d\ude1c\ud83e\udd20<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Spain by campervan: Barcelona, Valencia and the Mediterranean coast. Vanlife guide with the best campsites.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_analytify_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,7,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europa","category-travel","category-vanlife","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":"

Nach Portugal haben wir uns auf unserer Reise wohl am meisten auf Spanien gefreut - unter anderem auch, weil wir endlich unsere erlernten Spanisch Skills anwenden k\u00f6nnen. \ud83d\ude01 So ganz zum Unterhalten reichte es noch nicht - aber zumindest haben wir etwas essen und trinken k\u00f6nnen! \ud83d\ude02<\/p>

Weit sind wir in Spanien anfangs jedoch nicht gekommen, da wir unseren ersten Stopp bereits kurz hinter der Grenze im Parc Natural del Cad\u00ed-Moixer\u00f3 einlegten. Hier machten wir uns auf zu einer sch\u00f6nen Wanderung inkl. Overnighter auf \u00fcber 2000 m H\u00f6he und bei knapp unter 0 Grad \u00fcber Nacht. \ud83d\ude0b Tats\u00e4chlich war dies unser erstes Mal zusammen zelten und wir haben uns zu zweit in eine H\u00e4ngematte gedr\u00fcckt und uns einen Schlafsack geteilt - tats\u00e4chlich klappte das aber besser als gedacht und die Nacht war angenehm warm. Am n\u00e4chsten Morgen ging es in der Fr\u00fch auf zum Gipfel, von dem man eine wunderbare Sicht auf das Umland hatte. \ud83d\ude0d\ud83d\ude0e<\/p>\n[gallery ids=\"312,311,310,309,308,307\"]\n

Die Stadt, die nie langweilig wird: Barcelona \u2600\ufe0f\ud83c\udf89<\/h3>

Weiter ging es nach Barcelona - eine Stadt, die nie langweilig wird. Dies ist bereits mein drittes Mal in Barcelona, dennoch gibt es immer etwas Neues zu entdecken! Wir parkten etwas au\u00dferhalb in der Natur, weshalb wir t\u00e4glich mit dem Bus in die Stadt fahren mussten - dennoch viel besser als mitten in der Stadt zu stehen. Neben den \u00fcblichen Attraktionen, die Barcelona zu bieten hat, fuhren wir auch in das 30min entfernte Gebirge Muntanya de Montserrat, wo wir einen wundersch\u00f6nen Stellplatz direkt unterhalb der bekannten Gesteinsformationen hatten. Von dort aus gingen wir dann auch wandern - und hatten Abends einen wundersch\u00f6nen Sonnenuntergang mit Blick \u00fcber das Tal. \ud83c\udf04<\/p>\n[gallery ids=\"306,305,304,303,302,301\"]\n

Valencia - definitiv einen Besuch wert! \ud83e\udd70<\/h3>

So richtig \u00fcberrascht auf unserem Trip hat uns Valencia. Wir waren beide noch nie dort - ich hatte aber bisher nur Gutes geh\u00f6rt, weshalb wir uns direkt entschieden f\u00fcr mehrere Tage zu bleiben. Wir haben es nicht bereut! Neben der tollen Messeanlage mit ihren futuristischen Geb\u00e4uden hat uns vor allem auch die Innenstadt begeistert, die wirklich sehr vielseitig ist und wundersch\u00f6ne Restaurants und Caf\u00e9s bereith\u00e4lt. Zum letzten Tag haben wir uns noch den Stadtstrand angeschaut und bei einem Beach-Meetup viele neue Leute kennengelernt - nur Schade, dass wir schon wieder weiter fahren... \ud83d\ude2c<\/p>\n[gallery ids=\"300,299,298,297,296,295,294,293,292\"]\n

Schnorcheln an der Costa Blanca \ud83e\udd3f\ud83d\udc20\u00a0<\/h3>

Auf die n\u00e4chsten Tage haben wir uns ganz besonders gefreut... die Costa Blanca soll n\u00e4mlich die besten Schnorchelspots in ganz Spanien bereithalten. Wir kauften uns also eine Schnorchelmaske und fuhren an den ersten Spot: Denia. Dort hatten wir einen traumhaften Stellplatz direkt am Schnorchelspot - also ging es direkt als wir ankamen ins Wasser und wir haben trotz der D\u00e4mmerung unfassbar viele Fische gesehen! \ud83e\udd17 Auch die n\u00e4chsten Tage verbrachten wir im Wasser, unter anderem bei einer versteckten H\u00f6hle, wo wir auch wieder riesige Fischschw\u00e4rme sahen.\u00a0<\/p>

Weiter ging es, entlang der Costa Blanca, bis nach Calp - eine richtige Touristenstadt mit wundersch\u00f6nem, langem Sandstrand. Abgerundet wird die Kulisse durch den Parc Natural del Penyal d'Ifac - ein Felsen auf dem viele verschiedene Vogelarten beheimatet sind und \u00fcbrigens auch der kleinste Nationalpark Spaniens. \ud83d\ude01\ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n\u00a0\n[gallery ids=\"290,291,289,288,287,286,285,284,283\"]\n

Von Alicante bis nach Almeria \ud83d\ude90<\/h3>

In Alicante haben wir die Zeit zum Arbeiten genutzt, weil es nicht so viel zu unternehmen gab und wir wieder einen erstklassigen Stellplatz direkt an der Steilk\u00fcste hatten (generell haben wir wahnsinniges Gl\u00fcck mit unseren Stellpl\u00e4tzen). Nat\u00fcrlich haben wir uns aber trotzdem auch die Innenstadt von Alicante angeschaut, die zwar sehr sch\u00f6n ist, aber ausreichend f\u00fcr einen Tag.<\/p>

Danach haben wir noch einen kurzen Zwischenhalt in Cartagena eingelegt (muss man sich nicht unbedingt anschauen) und sind im Anschluss weiter bis nach Almeria gefahren. Hier endete unsere Fahrt entlang des Meeres vorerst und es ging weiter ins Innere des Landes. Da es an der S\u00fcdk\u00fcste Spaniens aber einfach so viele tolle Orte gibt, kommt der Rest in SPANIEN TEIL 2. \ud83d\ude1c\ud83e\udd20<\/p>\n[gallery ids=\"281,282,280,279,278,277,276,275,274\"]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2540,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265\/revisions\/2540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/max-haase.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}