Sun, Sand and Surprises: Caravan Adventure to Morocco (part 1)

Hey barefoot walkers!

We will embark on a two-week caravan trip starting in Faro, Portugal, heading to Morocco. Many adventures will happen, stories to tell, so get ready and make yourself comfortable because the caravan will start (if we can get it running after 7 months stopped).

Day 1

The caravan started up and the next step was to fill the water tank, inflate the tires and go to the supermarket to buy food.

We did just that and took the opportunity to tidy up a bit before putting the groceries inside. Everything feels surreal, Lisa and I can't believe we are in the caravan heading to Morocco.

Once everything was ready, we looked for a spot on Park4night by the sea in the Algarve.

We drove on dirt roads but when we arrived, what a beautiful it was. A beach just for us, with a lagoon created by the sea - simply spectacular.

Our spot

The day was already long, as we woke up at 1:30 AM but we still had the energy to inflate the stand-up paddle board and explore the lagoon. We crossed to the other side, which was covered with vegetation, got off the board and walked until we reached the sea.

 It felt like paradise, very relaxed and stunning. The water was a bit cold but I couldn't resist taking a dip.

Back at the caravan, it was around 7 PM, we only had the energy to make dinner, eat and go to bed.

What a great start to the trip.

Day 2

We woke up to the sound of the waves and birds singing.

The breakfast was on the beach, it felt amazing after sleeping in the caravan in such a beautiful place next to the person you love. After, we took a walk on the beach, was full of crabs. I think it's because of all the surrounding vegetation, I've never seen so many crabs.

Lisa eating breakfast

After the walk, back at the caravan, we worked a bit (we need to reserve some time for work every day), filled our bellies and prepared the caravan to head towards the port of Algeciras.

We had a ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta the next day at 8:30 AM, so the idea was to sleep near the port so we could quickly get there in the morning.

Just a quick note: if you want to take the caravan or car to Morocco, it's much cheaper to go from Algeciras to Ceuta and cross the border in Ceuta (super easy, read Day 4). To have an idea, we saved €120 compared to going from Algeciras to Tangier.

So, we drove for about 3.5 hours and slept by a lake, nothing special.

Despite being by a road, it was a relaxing night and we had many ducks as neighbors. It was a relaxed day to face the adventures in Morocco.

Day 3

We woke up at 6 AM, wanting to be early so we wouldn't miss the ferry. It was dark and the caravan's rear lights didn't want to work. I thought I had fixed them the day before but apparently not. We had no choice, even without rear lights, we started driving. It was only 15 minutes and suddenly the lights started working (sometimes old cars have personality, they work when they want to).

We arrived at the port, everything seemed like a maze, we weren't sure where to go but kept asking. We showed our reservation and the lady asked if we wanted to take the 7 AM ferry (it was 6:50 AM). We said yes, why not?

The caravan boarding the ferry was exciting because there was a huge ramp and we had to reverse the caravan in the end everything worked out. The ferry was almost empty, maybe because it wasn't peak season.

It was comfortable with all the amenities. The trip took 1 hour, super fast and when we left the ferry, despite being in Africa, we were still in Spain. Strange, right?

We were very hungry and went to a beach to have breakfast. On the way, the police stopped us and asked:

(Police) Are you going to Morocco?

(Us) Yes.

(Police) Morocco is in the other direction.

(Us) We are going to the beach for breakfast and then heading to Morocco.

A conversation with some language difficulty but they were very friendly, we understood each other. Our goal was to buy a SIM card in Ceuta to have internet in Morocco but at the store the girl informed us that it was cheaper and easier to find in Morocco (it will be a challenge to get internet in Morocco).

Caravan in the ferry

Everything ready, we finally crossed the border into Morocco. The process is simple: first, we had to show our passports and then the caravan documents. Two men came, asked if we had drugs or weapons and inspected the caravan inside and out (they opened some bags but nothing major). I read online that insurance is necessary but no one asked for anything. We didn't get any insurance and had no issues (maybe not the correct way but that's what happened with us).

Finally, we are in Morocco (Yupiii!).

The first mission was to get internet. It was easy to find someone selling SIM cards but we didn't understand what the person was trying to explain to activate the internet. We bought the SIM card and for a moment, we had internet.

The day was already long. We looked for a spot to spend the night and ended up by a lake surrounded by mountains, very peaceful.

We only had time to have dinner by the lake and go to sleep.

Many adventures will happen during this trip, keep following the next blog articles and be surprised by our trip.

I advise you to start thinking about to do something similar, the feeling of being alive and freedom are indescribable.

Don´t forget:

Walk barefoot.

Carlos