White Villages, Beach Clubs, and the Perfect Spanish Finale

Part 3: The coast, the chaos, the luxury, and why we were googling "how to move to Spain" before our flight home

Main square in Vejer de la Frontera - Pre Dinner Rush Hour

The final chapter of our Spanish adventure - where narrow roads test your faith, parking becomes an extreme sport, and we discover that sometimes the journey really is the destination.

We reluctantly peeled ourselves away from Seville and pointed the car toward the coast. I’d been dreaming about visiting one of those impossibly picturesque whitewashed villages perched high in the hills, gazing down at the distant water like they’re too cool to touch it. Not exactly a rare find on Spain’s sunny coast, but we chose Vejer de la Frontera—a beautiful, small-ish town that sits atop a hill like a crown.

The Drive That Required Faith (And Closed Eyes)

I was behind the wheel, seriously tempted to close my eyes and hope for the best as we wound our way up roads that, in my American brain, should absolutely have been one-way. But in Spain? Anything goes, baby.

Here’s what I learned: the beauty of driving in Spain is the complete lack of road rage. There’s this relaxed vibe about getting where you need to go—like, we’ll all get there eventually, so why stress? Turns out, Spaniards don’t get too stirred up about things that are ultimately unimportant. Revolutionary concept. Very refreshing.

Parking: An Extreme Sport

Before pulling into the parking garage (which came with our Airbnb—a massive perk in a town that’s tiny, winding, and seriously short on parking), I stopped at the office to ask for guidance. Look, our host had sent excellent, detailed instructions, but I’d eyeballed that garage and was not convinced I could execute the plan as indicated.

The man in the booth assured me I should enter through the “out” door and go up one floor—the wrong way—as that would be easiest. “No problem,” he said with a shrug.

Yikes.

I did as instructed and discovered what might be the tiniest parking space in all of Europe. It took three attempts to wedge our rental into the spot, with the backend still sort of hanging out into the garage area like an apologetic guest at a crowded party.

I sent a photo to our host: “Is this okay?”

Her response: “Of course, Carter, that is life in a small hill town in Southern Spain.”

I immediately vowed not to move the car again until departure day. With relief, I hauled our bags out and headed off to find our Airbnb in the walled tower. Here’s our Airbnb listing for anyone interested—it was absolutely fantastic for a couple.

Easy Living In Vejer de la Frontera

The Art of Doing Nothing (Beautifully)

Vejer de la Frontera is charming, picturesque, and completely relaxing in that way that makes you wonder why you’re always in such a rush back home. There are options for activities if that’s your thing—local tours, historic sites, and we heard from a local that the Marimantas Vejer is an excellent and fun way to learn about the town’s history. Singing nuns. That’s all I’m going to say. (I’m sorry we missed it, but clearly, I need a reason to return.)

You can take a trip down to the beach and spend the day lounging by the Mediterranean. Full disclosure: I was too traumatized by the parking experience to move the car again, and we were heading to Marbella’s beaches the next day anyway, so I decided to call it strategic planning rather than cowardice.

Where We Ate, Drank, and Lived Our Best Lives

There’s some adorable shopping scattered throughout the village and endless opportunities for sitting and drinking Tinto de Verano (YUM) or any number of fantastic Spanish wines while watching the world go by at a delightfully slow pace.

Our favorite spots:

La Piccolina - Charming and delicious, the kind of place where you linger longer than planned

Califa Tapas - Our go-to for dinner, never disappointing

La Casa Del Vino - For wine (obviously) and prime people-watching real estate

The Singular Coffee - Both mornings we climbed up for the amazing view, excellent coffee, and healthy breakfast options that made us feel virtuous before diving into tapas later

The Perfect Pause

Vejer de la Frontera was the perfect pause in our Spanish adventure—a place that reminded us that sometimes the best travel moments come from slowing down, embracing the chaos of impossible parking situations, and learning that most things we stress about really don’t matter that much.

After two days enjoying our tower apartment (the views were spectacular, and the clothesline to the turret was a fabulous—if slightly medieval—way to dry our laundry after we decided this halfway point was the perfect time to wash everything in our suitcases), we headed to our next destination.

Loveliest clothes line ever!

Marbella: Where Luxury Meets the Mediterranean

I’m not sure what I expected from Marbella, but “sleepy fancy beach town” was not it. This place is a giant fancy beach town—think Miami Beach meets Beverly Hills meets St. Tropez, all rolled into one sun-drenched, glamorous package.

We navigated the city to return our rental car (hallelujah, no more parking anxiety!), then took a taxi to our hotel in old town Marbella. Let me start by saying: this hotel was a splurge, and I do not regret one single dime. We actually used Amex points plus a couple of other perks that came with booking through American Express (highly recommend doing that, by the way).

La Fonda Heritage Hotel did not disappoint in any way. The service was exceptional, the room was lovely, and it was tucked into a charming, quieter corner of old town Marbella—the perfect base for exploring this playground of the rich and famous.

Marbella

Celebrity Adjacent (Sort Of)

Local lore has it that Alice Walton’s yacht is too big for Marbella’s fancy port and has to be parked down the beach in Malaga. She joins other luminaries like Eva Longoria, Antonio Banderas, and Simon Cowell who call this place home (at least part-time). Mabel has friends who spend half the year here, so we were excited to check it out. No celebrity sightings, unfortunately—but we were probably too busy enjoying ourselves to notice.

We spent an amazing day with Mabel’s friends at The Dune Beach Club, complete with fancy beach loungers, umbrellas, and people delivering drinks and snacks directly to us like we were actual VIPs. The lunch was also excellent—color me stunned. If you want a day of sun with the full beach club experience, The Dune was amazing. Just make a reservation to secure your lounger. I’ve heard other clubs come alive at night with great music and dancing—we didn’t have time, but it’s definitely on the list for next time.

Shopping, Flamenco, and Food

If you’re a shopper, you will love Marbella. It has everything from local charming boutiques to ultra-swanky high-end brands, with tons of options for food and drinks sprinkled between—make a leisurely day of it. Being tourists (and facing dangerously full suitcases), we hit the shops just a tiny bit. The prices in Marbella are, shall we say, a little steep.

We also did a very touristy thing and thoroughly enjoyed it: a flamenco show at Tablao Flamenco Marbella. Short, fun, and exactly what we wanted after weeks of saying “we should see flamenco!”

Where we ate:

El Bordon in old town - Recommended by a local, and despite my skepticism about touristy areas, the food was great and the service couldn’t have been nicer.

La Fonda Heritage Hotel restaurant - We had a late dinner one night. The ambiance was fantastic, the service impeccable, but the food was just okay. However, the included breakfast every day was fabulous, and the rooftop bar was a delightful respite in the sky—comfortable, serene, with great views. Perfect for before dinner, afternoon breaks, or nightcaps.

Madrid: The Grand Finale

When it was time to leave Marbella, I happily requested a car service through the hotel to take us to Malaga train station—no more driving, thank you very much. Our lovely driver wound us up the coast so we could enjoy the scenery and dropped us off with detailed instructions on how to navigate the station and what to eat on the train (which we obediently followed). Let me tell you, that train station was super nice.

We were off to Madrid for our last two nights in Spain.

We booked a great Airbnb in a perfect location—ideal for a couple and walkable to everything. I’d never been to Madrid, and while it was a quick stop, we found we could traverse the city on foot pretty easily.

Don’t get me wrong—Madrid feels like a big city, and it was a bit of a rude awakening after our peaceful hillside and beach days. But we walked and looked and soaked it all in, already mentally preparing for our next visit when we can stay longer and have more city energy.

We had one fantastic lunch that I was initially skeptical about—tourist area and all—but a friend had recommended it. Aarde was definitely pretentious, but the food was absolutely amazing. We happily whiled away the afternoon eating, drinking, and reminiscing about our incredible journey. It was the most expensive meal we had in Spain, but as our last big meal before heading home? Worth every euro.

We ate a lot of pork in Spain 😋

Hasta Luego, Spain

We packed our bags, sat on them to zip them closed (a universal travel experience), and said goodbye to Spain.

What an amazing country. The food, the people, the ability to get spectacularly lost and still find magic around every corner. The shopping that tested our luggage limits, the rooftop bars that appeared at exactly the right moment, and the reminder that sometimes the best way to travel is to follow your charm and see where it leads.

Spain taught us to embrace 10pm dinners, trust sarcastic parking attendants, and appreciate that life’s best moments often come from saying yes to the unexpected. From Barcelona’s energy to Seville’s enchantment, from Vejer’s serenity to Marbella’s glamour, and Madrid’s grand finale—every stop had its own magic.

Vejer Castle

And I already have a long list of new towns to explore next time. Because there will definitely be a next time.

Have you fallen under Spain’s spell? What destinations should be on my return list? Let me know in the comments!