Our days in Manilva have flown by but we have thoroughly enjoyed a little down time. On the fun side we enjoyed catching up with friends who live in the area. We walked and biked along the beach front boardwalk, stopping for refreshments at one of the many cafes or chiringuito (beach bars) along the way. We also caught up on chores, housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, haircuts etc. The weather has been warm but gets quite cool once the sun goes down but we were as happy as clams in our cozy Tigín. 

Manilva has a different vibe to other places we have been on this trip. This whole area at this time of year is full of Northern Europeans who have come to escape the cold and damp weather and short days of Winter. It is block after block of smart looking apartments stretching from the beach front right back up into the surrounding hillsides. The villages cater for the tourists with restaurants, cafes and bars a plenty. There are clubs and excursions, boat hire and fishing trips, available for all to enjoy. But behind the touristy areas are quieter squares and community gathering places where local people come to spend their down time and they are full of local charm and history.

We found a beautiful camp site, more like a resort, with all the amenities under a canopy of shady trees and a gate access to the boardwalk and the beach. This trip has been a bit of a fact finding mission for when we might like to settle down in one location for a few weeks or a month at a time and I have a feeling we’ll be back here again. There is a reason this area is so popular with tourists.