La Rábida, Spain 🇪🇸 2019

Date: 8th September 2019

Travelled: 179 kms from Ayamonte to Seville both in the Province of Andalucía

Visited: Monastery of La Rábido

Stayed: Private aire, Seville, €13 all service. N37.41040, W05.94054

Budget: 91 days @ €71 per day

We both enjoy extra long showers at the marina in Ayamonte just because we can. There is no need to service the Hymer as we have been using the marina’s facilities.

All that aside we make for the gate just behind the Scottish couple who we shared the aire with last night. We plan on Seville tonight, but we set the GPS for La Rabida to explore the Columbus Trail.

La Rábida, Palos de la Frontera, Andalucía, Spain

Map of La Rábida, the icon on the monastery

La Rábida is not the small Franciscan Monastery we were expecting.

Christopher Columbus is to the Spanish, what John Glenn (the astronaut) is to the Americans. This seems particularly so in southern Spain. The fact that Columbus was Italian seems to make little difference. So briefly, Columbus has tried to sell his theory on a short route to China to the Italians, Portuguese and lastly the Spanish without success. He travels to La Rábida to meet Francisco Jimenéz de Cisternos, confessor to Queen Isabella of Spain. It’s the same old story, it’s not what you know but who you know. Columbus lived here in the monastery for two years before going on to fame and fortune, whilst making Spain a wealthy country as well.

The Friary was established here in 1261. The current building date to the 14th century. We pay our €3pp which included an excellent audio guide.

There are some amazing murals throughout the entry portals

From the window looking back up the entranceway, which is grand for a Monastery.

Lastly we visit the monastery chapel before handing back our audio guide. We enjoyed our visit and learnt a little about Christopher as well. Thankfully the Hymer is parked in the shade and we have a coffee before setting the GPS for Seville.

Thankfully there are no tolls in Spain (so far) so we enjoy a smooth but very hot trip across the plains of Andalucía. We roll into Seville mid-afternoon, being Sunday the traffic is light. Our weather app states 37 degrees but it only feels like 36 as we drive along.

Overnight parking in Seville is limited, so we opt for a private aire 5 kms from the centro. It’s a bit ordinary with no shade, but the air-conditioning is soon cooling the Hymer, so it will be a comfortable night.

Michael and Pam

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