We had set ourselves the goal to swim in the Mediterranean before we left Spain, and a day trip by bus to San Pedro de Alacántara looked like our best chance.

We were able to buy RETURN tickets to San Pedro as we used a different bus company than all our other trips so far. The tickets were still oddly priced at €5.06 each way. This company did not provide a ‘mate’ for the driver either, but on our return trip we wished it had!

We travelled on the A397 and the trip was spectacular. This road is a dream for motorbike riders and I’ve included a link from YouTube if you’re interested, as my photos again were not much good, taken from a moving bus.

The bus trip alone would have been enough to make for a great day, but we arrived on time just after 11am in the small coastal town of San Pedro de Alacántara – supposedly the most typical Spanish town left on the Costa del Sol, with the sun shining and people bustling, and we were excited. We had decided to come here as the town has less than 30,000 people and perhaps we could cope without a map and not get lost even!

It certainly looked set up for tourists and we heard loads of English accents and spotted a few sunburnt bodies. Mick was pleased to observe some of the bathing beauties, even some ‘white pointers’. The sun is obviously not as harsh as in Australia.

We watched the beach for about 15 minutes and noted that no one was swimming. This aroused our suspicions. Eventually I stopped an English-speaking couple who were strolling by and asked if it was possible to swim in the water. But, they had no idea! So we thought we must give it a try.

While posing for this photo as proof of my dip in the Mediterranean, I noticed hundreds of small jellyfish and then understood why others were only sun bathing and enjoying sand modelling.

I wish I had read this article that detailed why the beaches on the Costa del Sol were closed and how hundreds of swimmers had been stung.

As we walked back towards the town for some window shopping and some lunch, Mick decided it was definitely a shirts-off opportunity.

Before we stumbled on the touristy part of town, we found a local restaurant and enjoyed a toasted sandwich each.

The main part of town was very cute and quite busy with lots of people seeking a cool place to enjoy their lunch.

This was the main square built around the Church.

Heading back to catch the bus, Mick spotted this bookshop that sold only English books, and as we had finished those we had brought with us, we were thrilled to make a purchase. But just how this guy knew what books he had is beyond me.

Now, why did we wish there was a second driver on our way back to Ronda? Well this driver…

…only liked to drive with one hand. He was sorting his change out with his other hand in this shot, while negotiating some pretty hairy bends.

But, as you can see we made it safely home. Another great day in Andalucia.