CAVE LIFESTYLE . . . DRIVING IN SPAIN

Driving in Rural Spain

If you enjoy being behind the wheel then driving in rural Andalucia will not disappoint. One of the first things you will notice about the roads as soon as you drive a few kilometres from the airport is the lack of traffic. Compared to the UK the roads can sometimes seem deserted. The main airports nearest to the most popular cave dwelling areas are Malaga, Granada, San Javier (Murcia) and Alicante, the latter being the easiest to get to and from.

Roads are also of very good quality even in the rural cave areas; motorways are highly marked with modern high tech signs and although there are speed cameras these are very few and far between. Driving on the right can take some getting used to but by the time you reach your destination this should not pose a problem.

There are certain things you need to carry in your vehicle when driving in Spain, these are:

• Fire extinguisher
• First aid kit
• Spare bulb kit
• Fluorescent jacket
• Warning triangles x 2

If you are stopped by the Guardia Civil (police) they may well want to check that these safety items are present in the vehicle. Roadside fines are common practice in Spain, a fine for speeding may warrant a 90 euro fine but you will also be given the option to pay on the spot for around 60 euros instead. The Gaurdia Civil tend to put the "frighteners" on us foreigners due their stern looks and "terminator" sunglasses but we have found them to be very helpful. Last winter they even popped by to see if we needed any supplies while we were snowed in and even filled out some forms when were in the process of changing our car number plates over to Spanish.

Bringing a UK car can have its advantages although this all depends on the individual. Second hand cars in the area (and Spain in general) are very expensive, a typical family saloon that you would not pay more than £1000 for in the UK may well be over 3000 euros in Spain. Cars tend to be lower mileages and certainly have less rust and of course they are left hand drive. Changing the number plates on a UK car is a complicated subject which we will not venture into here (the laws and process as well as opinions on the subject change regularly). As a guide we paid 540 euros to get our car converted to being legally Spanish, this included the full process, ITV / Trafico and gestor bill.

This can be a more economical way of driving a car in Spain so long as being in a right hand drive vehicle doesn't bother you. However, the down side is that even with Spanish number plates your UK car may well be worth nothing in the second hand car market - no Spaniard will buy a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side so you will be pretty much limited to the expatriate market most of which will have cars already.

Spanish cars on the other hand have good resale potential and hold their value extraordinarily well, although initially more expensive they are arguably safer, for example an over taking manoeuvre is easier in a left hand drive car basically because you can see past what your going to overtake! In a right hand drive car you will find yourself leaning over the car to see past, this problem can arise on the approach to narrow one way streets which almost every village has an abundance of.

Ultimately the choice is up to the individual, UK cars can attract attention from the Guardia Civil, changing the number plates will eradicate this problem. A UK car may the cheaper option but may also present driving problems depending on the person behind the wheel.

Like us, if you own a classic car that you plan to bring to Spain driving in the fine weather along very well maintained back roads can be an absolute pleasure. Simply take in the mountain views, enjoy the sun and enjoy the ride . . .

Caution in the Campo

There are a few things to be cautious about when driving in rural Andalucia. Night time driving can throw up a few surprises that you wouldn't find in the UK. The first is a wild boar - hit one of these and you will be ringing the insurance company the next day. The wild boar is a substantial hog that can weigh in excess of 100 kilo's and create all manner of damage to a vehicle. It's the same as hitting a two hundred weight sack full of rocks at 60mph.

The Fox: The fox can be regularly seen in rural areas, unlike in the UK where they have the confidence to venture into urban areas; the fox in Spain is a slightly larger animal and very timid remaining in the campo. See the eyes through the headlights and slow down, once startled the fox can dart in any direction and like the wild boar can cause some serious damage.

The Roads: The minor tarmac roads in the rural countryside are subject to all manner of vehicles and animals. By their very nature the roads are relatively quiet and some people do drive fast. This results in rubber deposits from car tyres being left on the dry tarmac, when the rain comes (see weather section) and the water falls on top of the sun melted rubber the roads can adopt a greasy consistency. Rear wheel drive vehicles can fall fowl of this condition especially on corners but no matter which vehicle you drive take care in the wet, some roads can turn into skating rinks after a typical heavy rainfall.

Snakes: The snake is common in the summer especially in rural areas. These reptiles vary in length and some can be up to 3ft in length, although harmless they don't like being run over and can on occasion be "whipped" up into the engine bay on older cars by the front wheel. Obviously less than happy by being run over the snake will be quite aggressive - careful opening the bonnet. (A rare occurrence but it does happen).

Birds: Following an animal being hit by a car Mother Nature will decide to clean up the mess by deploying the vultures. The Spanish vulture regularly seen in the campo is a very large bird (in fact it is enormous with a wing span nearing the breadth of a small car) many country roads have a ditch or depression either side of the tarmac and if the vultures are feeding in there and become startled they can run out onto the road. With a body mass equal to a fox these too can cause damage. Do they not just take off? No. The bird is so big it needs 20 yards to run before it creates the speed and "lift" it needs to fly. Unlike the common garden sparrow . . .