Prior to the pandemic, I was a seasoned traveller. I often spent my time planning, preparing and executing trips in and around Europe – a passion of mine that I indulged in regularly. After three years of being grounded in the UK, and in the meantime expanding our little family with the birth of our son – things looked particularly different for me when it came to considering our first family holiday this year.
Usually, I am pretty carefree about travel. I’d book last-minute flights, get cheap deals and head off to places without much thought. We’d select extremely early flights to get the most of the time away, happy to fly back late at night on the way back. We were never bothered about booking nice hotels, knowing we’d only be there to lay our heads before getting up and packing in full days of activities and other exploration. But now, we had a little one to consider and we needed to risk assess and plan more carefully – not just with flight times and accommodation but also planning for the weather and making sure we had the suitable facilities we needed to cater to his needs.
As my father lives near Malaga in Spain, we thought it would be the perfect first-time trip as a family of three. Without needing to worry about accommodation, we booked flights from Bristol airport and enjoyed the cheaper prices at the start of September – with the kids back to school in the UK, we jetted off from a wet rainy England and landed in a very hot Spain!
My father lives in the Andalusia region of Spain, his villa hosts the most beautiful view of the Reservoir La Viñuela. Although very low due to the droughts (and fires) that have occurred across Spain over the year, it was a spectacular backdrop and coupled with dizzying views of La Maroma, a prominent 2,069-m. mountain that set the scene for some breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
We travelled as light as we could, but instead of just having hand luggage with clothes thrown in for the trip – we had a changing bag packed to the brim with nappies, wipes, snacks and babygrows. Instead of just heading through security and through to the boarding gates we had to get the pushchair tagged and check-in the car seat to baggage drop. Thank goodness for priority security access and boarding!
Whilst there, my father and his wife acted as chauffeurs to show us around their local area Los Romanes, and the villages and towns surrounding them nearby. We first visited pretty Frigiliana, with cute cobbled streets and delicately painted doors. The afternoons are quiet and laid back with siesta time seeing the shops close up their shutters for a few hours at the hottest time of the day.
We sought out a cafe serving ice cold drinks and of course ice cream for our toddler who – after a few hours in the sun – was showing signs of irritability. A learning curve for me as a new mother, was that travel would now be at a slower pace and a lot of time would be spent seeking shade.
After a dip in the pool back at Villa Maroma, we headed into Torre Del Mar, walking along the seaside promenade and soaking up the Spanish way of life. Later eating times, flood-lit play areas with children playing late at night, families out in force enjoying the cooler temperatures and the welcome breeze.
Next, we explored Nerja where we walked to its seafront promenade, Balcón de Europa. Famous for stunning views of the med and surrounding mountains. The white sandy beach was tempting – but our sand-averse toddler meant we imagined dipping in the crystal blue seas and instead sought out a place to rest in the shade, visiting the many souvenir shops and markets as we walked.
My father saved the best until last though, taking us up into the mountains along winding narrow roads to the village of Comares – a place that has a history of harbouring bandits. We walked through the little streets of houses and shops, up to the tip where the cemetery can be found – offering the most amazing views of the valley below. A perfect resting place.
Overall, whilst the trip was a slower pace than we are used to, it was the perfect first-time holiday for us and our one-year-old. Whilst I was worried about him dealing with the heat, we did really well and he devoured the different dishes available to him including eating as much paella as his belly could hold!
We spent a lot of time at my father’s villa, having a dip in the pool to cool off and taking in the wonderful views that Los Romanes has to offer – whilst hearing stories of the local area, the people and the community that it is made up of. We enjoyed fresh and tasty food on the terrace – never tiring of the view of the reservoir and La Maroma in the distance.
Until next time!