We usually travel on Saturdays and return on the following Sundays to make the most of our vacation time, but this time was different. We traveled on Sunday, February 11th, because Saturday was our son's birthday and he wanted a quiet day at home, with a birthday cake, a nice lunch and a ride on a Ferris wheel. His wish is my command, of course! The next day, we threw our many suitcases in the car – I was shocked – and set off on an adventure in the Spanish snow in the Sierra Nevada.

If you want to read the summary of our trip, access the link below:

Now let's get to the details!!

Day 1 – Sunday (11/02/2024)

We left late in the morning and had a lunch of boiled eggs, fruit and cookies in the car to keep things simple. The kids slept after our “super” lunch and we drove peacefully to the Aquashow Indoor Park, in the Algarve, our first attraction of this roadtrip.

We had seen the tickets online but since there were no discounts, we decided to buy them there and then. We bought the 3-hour package for 95 euros, and Ju didn't pay because she was 2 years old. 35 for adults and 25 for children over 6 years old. It's a bit expensive, yes, but it's worth every penny!

I found the entire place to be very well looked after, with a variety of toys for all ages, and best of all, the water in the pools was as warm as I wanted. The 3 hours flew by and since we had to leave on time to avoid paying a fine, we had to take the famous “cat bath”.

We left there starving, but since the restaurants in the area were closed, we drove to our hotel. Dom Jose in Quarteira and looked for a restaurant nearby. We sat at Coral and we ate really well before going to the hotel.

We were unlucky enough to get a newly renovated room with a strong smell of paint and dirty water because of the new plumbing, so it was a bit stressful upon arrival, but in the end they gave us a upgrade and they sent us to a room with a sea view. There are blessings every cloud has its place in it, right? In the middle of winter, we slept with the window slightly open to hear the delightful sound of the sea and it was wonderful!

Day 2 – Monday (12/02/2024)

We had a very complete breakfast at the hotel and then drove for 50 minutes to the first stop of this long day of travel: Royal Village of Santo Antonio.

Royal Village of Santo Antonio

This Portuguese fishing village is located on the banks of the Guadiana River and was built in 1774 to resettle fishermen from Aveiro who had been devastated by the plague. It took only 2 years to build and used ideas that would later be implemented in Lisbon, hence the similarity to the Portuguese capital. We parked the car very close to the port and set off on foot to explore the central square and the narrow streets with several Pombaline-style buildings.

We entered the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation and then we walked a little along Av da República which has a view of the river. We took the car towards ferry boat to Ayamonte and we arrived at the ticket office with 5 minutes to spare before departure. What luck! I expected a more robust ferry, but I understood that it is used more by pedestrians than by cars – we were the only ones – because the bridge that connects Portugal to Spain was right next to it. I knew this because on another trip we took we crossed that bridge (See more details here), but now with two kids, I thought they would enjoy the trip and I was right.

Ayamonte

We arrived in Ayamonte After about 20 minutes we parked our car in a private parking lot near several restaurants. To our surprise, many were closed for lunch – Carnival Monday? – and we ended up going to the first one we found open: Jabugo Mountain Range Meson. Food and service OK, but the location is good for those with children as it is in front of the La Ribera Walk, a square where they could run freely.

We hit the road with full bellies and the kids slept almost the entire way until our last stop of the day: Setenil of Las Bodegas

Setenil of Las Bodegas

This city in Andalusia built under a rock is super famous on lists of the most beautiful places in Spain and is truly charming. It was in my bucket list a while ago, especially after we went to Andalusia on another trip and we loved everything, so I was really happy to have been able to fit it into this itinerary.

I exchanged messages with the owners of the 1 bedroom apartment we rented, the El Balcon de La Roca (grade 9.4), and after driving through some very narrow streets, we arrived. The gentleman welcomed us very well, explained a few things to me and left us alone to rest. I went out to buy some Spanish delicacies at a nearby grocery store and we were able to relax in the living room while the kids watched a little TV. We considered having dinner at the apartment, but the village is so cute that we thought it would be better to just have a snack, rest and then go out at night for a walk.

We went out when it was already dark looking for a restaurant to have dinner, but almost everything was closed! Spain doesn't like tourism during Carnival...lol. We ended up going to the only restaurant that was open, D´Tapas, we ordered several delicious tapas and then walked back to our apartment. We all slept together in the same room, with a heater on next to the bed – it was very cold! – and a beautiful view of the city.

Day 3 – Tuesday (02/13/2024)

We woke up in our apartment, had the breakfast I had bought the day before and went out to see the city during the day. Even more beautiful!

After a leisurely stroll through Setenil de Las Bodegas, we packed our things in the car and set off to see the long-awaited snow. The kids were excited – and so was I, of course – so we spent the entire trip talking, singing and playing snowballs. I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE until we stopped in a traffic jam on the highway. The police officer told us it was a farmers' strike, so we had to wait for them to clear the road and manage our anxiety as best we could.

Antequera

We lost some time on this and when they finally cleared the road, we were already hungry. We made a strategic stop at Antequera and we went to lunch at a very well rated place, the Adarve Meson. Simple restaurant, with a menu only on the walls, good service and delicious dishes. We ate very, very well.

We went to the parking lot to pick up the car and discovered that the building had a top floor with a view of the city, so we went to take a look. Look what a pleasant surprise:

If we weren't so anxious about the snow, I would have suggested we just go for a walk in the city, but that didn't happen. We got back in the car excited and finally headed to Sierra Nevada.

Sierra Nevada

At the end of the afternoon, we were finally climbing the mountain with the children sleeping in the car. The first impression was “it was bad”, because we didn’t see much snow at the top of the mountain and absolutely none on the road. I was sad to have created expectations in the children and possibly disappoint them, but fortunately, as we got to the top, we saw more and more snow and the excitement grew.

We parked the car near a cable car at the top, where we knew we could touch and play in the snow a little, even without wearing the right clothes for it, and woke the kids up. It was a party that made it all worth it! Planning the itinerary, packing the bags, organizing the car, the many hours on the road, spending on hotels and meals, and even the hardships of the entire journey. We let them enjoy themselves for a little while and then went back to our hotel – Hotel Sulayr (note 8.9) – to rest early for the next day which would be promising.

Our hotel was in the middle of the road and was quite cozy in the reception area, but I found the room to be a bit small for us. It had a double bed and a bunk bed with no side protection on the beds, so we had to leave the children's two mattresses on the floor and there was barely any space left to walk around. Unfortunately, our shower head had a broken bracket and we had to hold the shower head every time we showered, so I didn't like that either.

The kids played a little in the playroom near reception and we got ready for dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was downstairs. We ordered pizza, pasta and salad and went to bed excited about the next day.

Day 4 – Wednesday (02/14/2024)

We got ready with our newly purchased snow clothes and went to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The breakfast was simple, but very tasty. We grabbed everything we needed and set off to explore the snow!

Sierra Nevada – Pradollano

We drove for about 15 minutes until Pradollano, where is the ski resort, and went straight to a giant covered parking lot where all the cars were going. We spent another 15 minutes finishing getting dressed to go out and play in the snow and I was amazed at the number of African street vendors walking around the parking lot with ski equipment, clothes and other products around their arms and necks.

We finally left ready to play and once in the city we saw a pile of snow that had probably been put there to make the little ones happy. What a beautiful moment! They were able to play without worrying about their clothes and we were very happy for them.

We then went to a place called White Mirlo, who had recommended that we go with the kids. We went straight to the roller coaster, but since Juju couldn't go on, only Celo and Paddy bought tickets and went. We met them at the exit and they loved it!

Then we went to the place with tubes and sleds and bought tickets for 30 minutes of fun. We went down the hill a few times with the kids and it was a lot of fun. By the end, we were exhausted lol. There was no one controlling the time we were there, but I have the impression that we stayed longer than we should have. Oops.

We left the park and went to have lunch/rest at the restaurant Aunt Mary, which had a beautiful view of the mountain and lots of tables in the sun. It was a nice sunny day and all we wanted to do was eat burgers outside, with the sun warming us.

Then we went to buy the cable car tickets and we went up with the kids to play in the snow until it was time to come down. The route up the mountain is wonderful and it was a real party! We got up there super excited and played in the snow, playing war and making snowmen, while people walked around with their ski and snowboard equipment. We wanted to ski too, but we had already asked Paddy if he wanted to take lessons and he said no, so we didn't insist too much. On our next trip we'll try to ski all together!

When it was time to go down, we were sad to say goodbye but also happy to get out of the wind that was starting to blow. We sat down to have some hot chocolate with a view and then went back to the hotel, where we ate some hot food and then went to sleep completely exhausted from just playing in the snow. Imagine if we had skied… lol

Day 5 – Thursday (02/15/2024)

We had breakfast at the hotel and went to explore other places in the Sierra Nevada that had snow so we could play with the children.

Sierra Nevada – Hoya de La Mora

I had read about an ideal place for skiing at 2500m altitude called Hoya de la Mora So off we went. Luckily the road up there was not snowy so we were able to go with our car without chains, but this is not always the case so pay attention to the signs on the road.

When we got to the top, it was a bit of a disappointment at first. All the food and play stalls were closed and the weather was cloudy and windy, but at least there was snow and a beautiful view to enjoy.

We ended up giving in to the street vendors and bought a shovel that the children could sit on and slide in the snow, and that's what we did for about 2 hours. We left when it started to rain.

We drove down to have lunch at a restaurant in the city, the La Cariguela, and it was great to warm up and recharge our batteries. We thought about going to play in the snow again, but we were tired and went straight to the hotel. There the children played in the playroom with other children and we chatted with their mother, a very nice Russian woman. Paddy even played chess with one of the 11-year-old boys and the result was a draw! I was very proud of him 🙂

We then had dinner together at the hotel restaurant and went to bed early to make the most of the next day.

Day 6 – Friday (02/16/2024)

We had our last breakfast at the hotel, packed our things and when we were doing checkout, Ju fell in the playroom and split her jaw open. We went straight to the health center in Pradollano – which I already knew where it was because we passed by it on Wednesday – and thanks to our IATI travel insurance, Ju was treated very well and for free.

** We always take out travel insurance and I suggest you do too to avoid headaches. Use the our link to hire your ideal person and we earn a symbolic commission 😉 **

The Spanish doctor applied some glue to the open wound and we continued on our way to the next stop on the trip: a cute village called Frigiliana.

Frigiliana

We parked the car in the city center, in the space where the restaurant owner La Vina Nueva Roaster gave in to us and of course we went there for lunch. Considered the best restaurant in the city, with excellent service and delicious dishes, it was definitely a good choice on this trip. We had a fried eggplant starter that was so good, so good, that it made me question why I spent so many years of my life saying that I didn't like this purple vegetable. I highly recommend this place!

After our bellies were full, we went for a walk, took pictures, had ice cream and rode the tourist train, which looked cool. The ride would have been super enjoyable if Ju had helped by staying quiet, but the sugar rush from the ice cream hit us hard and we had to take turns controlling the train. We got off the train and went straight to the car to hit the road to Nerja.

Nerja

In this Spanish coastal city, there is the Balcony of Europe, a viewpoint with a spectacular view of the mountains and beaches, and some Caves with the oldest drawings in the world, but unfortunately we cannot see these.

We parked the car in an underground parking lot in the historic center and walked to the Balcony of Europe to enjoy the view and the musicians who were there, making the place even more enchanting. The children danced, ran around and soon we got back in the car to hit the road again.

I really liked the little town center and I wanted to explore more, but I didn't get to. Maybe next time. 🙂

Hotel in Estepona

We arrived at our hotel in Estepona, the Ona Valle Romano, early in the evening and was shocked at the size of the place. It took us a while to be served at check-in because of the line and then we got a little lost trying to find our apartment, but when we got in and saw that it was comfortable with its 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for only 68 euros, we were very happy! We put the kids to watch TV, I went to the little supermarket inside the resort to buy pasta for dinner and we spent the whole night resting and enjoying the place. We slept really well.

Day 7 – Saturday (02/17/2024)

We woke up without rushing, had a rich breakfast at the hotel restaurant and packed our things to hit the road to Gibraltar.

This ended up being the hardest day on the road for us and the most frustrating, for sure. I'll tell you why.

Almost Gibraltar

On the way there, we realized that we hadn't brought my passport, only my AR (residence permit) and after reading about it on the internet, we thought they wouldn't let us in. The children and Celo are Portuguese and only had their citizen's card and could enter, but since I'm only Brazilian, I needed to have my passport. That's exactly what happened. We were stopped at the border between Spain and Gibraltar and I don't even need to say how frustrated I was, right... Lesson learned.

Cadiz

We then headed to Cádiz without much planning and we were in trouble because there was a big carnival party going on in the city center and there was a huge traffic jam. After an hour in the car stuck in the city, we decided to go have lunch at The English Court which was a little out of the center and easy to park.

To our surprise, there weren't as many restaurants as the ECI in Lisbon, so we had to make do with what was there. We ordered OK food after waiting for a table, but at least we were able to let the kids play in an indoor playground for half an hour and had some quiet time.

Zafra

We hit the road towards the last hotel of the trip in Zafra and luckily the two little ones slept the whole way. When we arrived at our hotel at the end of the day, The Wall, We just put our bags in the room and sat down at the hotel restaurant for dinner. We were not feeling up to walking around the city in the cold weather, so it was a very quiet night. I really liked the hotel and thought our room was quite large for the price we paid (75 euros). One of the advantages of being in a city that is not very touristy.

Day 8 – Sunday (02/18/2024)

We woke up without rushing, went down to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant and was surprised not to see a buffet with food available. We asked the waitress for what we wanted and in no time we were eating.

We packed our things in the car and set off on the last day of the trip, happy knowing that we would arrive home at the end of the day.

Alqueva

We drove to Mourão, already in Portugal, and we went down to see its castle and the church right next to it. What a beautiful view!

Afterwards we went to Praia Fluvial de Monsaraz and spent a good amount of time throwing pebbles into the water and playing in the playground. A very nice place for families, for sure.

We tried to go to a well-rated restaurant in Monsaraz for lunch, but unfortunately it was full. We ended up going to a restaurant with a good rating in another city and whose atmosphere I found quite strange, but the food was delicious. Juju finally got to eat soup!!! 🙂

We then headed straight to Cascais, with the children sleeping the whole way and us counting down the hours until we could rest in our beloved little corner.

A nice trip, but very tiring. Was it worth it? My answer is ALWAYS! 🙂