The only thing on my must do list in Spain was drive down the coast. This past Sunday, the weather was perfect, sunny with a touch of wind and bright blue skies, so we loaded up a picnic and hopped in our little SUV.

We drove from our house, through the desert landscape of Huércal-Overa and down to Vera.

We wanted to drive all the way over to Playa de los Muertos, then drive slowly back. This route put us well into Cabo de Gata Níjar Natural Park. (See more here.)

We made it to Playa de los Muertos, parked, and realized there was a hike down to the beach.

Problem was, we were both wearing basic flip flops. This hike wasn’t hard in theory, but in flip flops it was not easy or fun! (If you go, make sure to wear tennies!)

Once you get down there, you’ll see lots of naked Spaniards with tans to die for! We got our fill of the beach, we hiked back up (actually easier than going down) and headed to the observation deck.

From there, we drove back down the coast by the glittering water through towns washed in white.

We made it to Mojácar, which honestly, I didn’t even know existed but is mega cute. Restaurants by the ocean mix with palm trees, cacti bunches and huge agave plants.

Around every bend was another scenic overlook or cute town. We stopped ALOT for photos.

I love the coast of Italy and France just as much as anyone, but in the future, I won’t rule out this part of Spain for my Mediterranean adventures!