September marked our first anniversary as a married couple – and I wanted to surprise Javi with a weekend getaway to someplace new. It was also necessary for me to find a place where we could bring Pumba, our 40 kilo chocolate labrador. You might recall that we did a photoshoot for Glamping Hub’s pet-friendly website this past June, so naturally it was the first site that came to mind for finding pet-friendly accommodation in Cadiz!
Exploring Pinar de La Breña nature reserve near our campsite
After searching on the site I came across a listing featuring pet-friendly Mongolian yurts; the accommodation looked very unique and the location was great – close to several beaches along the Costa de la Luz. It seemed to be the perfect option to enjoy our last few weeks of beach weather and a fun way to celebrate our anniversary weekend…so I booked our yurt and we headed out with Pumba in tow!
Mongolian Yurts – our first glamping experience
I’ll be honest with you…I’m not a big outdoorsy kind of person if I don’t have a shower and comfy bed to crash on at night. That’s why glamping is a good option for nature lovers who aren’t keen on “roughing it”. Our glamping site was located on farmland out in the middle of nowhere, but it had a super comfortable bed, electricity, a heater, and even WiFi!
Our first night glamping!
There were community bathrooms that we shared with other glampers (there were 4 yurts on site) as well as a community kitchen equipped with all the necessities to prepare your own meals. We also decided to reserve the organic breakfast for 6€ both mornings and it was fabulous – definitely reserve the breakfast if you stay here!
Pumba had no problem taking a siesta in our yurt!
Playa Mangueta – a beatufiul beach with lots of naked people…and dogs!
If you’ve been to the Costa de la Luz you’ve probably heard of El Palmar; it’s the surf capital of Andalusia featuring big beautiful beaches, lots of bars, clubs and restaurants and it’s the place to be during the months of July and August. But the problem with Palmar is bringing a dog…the beaches are packed this time of year and although Pumba is very friendly, he’s quite rude (i.e. he has no problem stealing people’s food out of their coolers or running over their towels on the beach)…apart from the fact that Pumba is hard to control, dogs generally aren’t allowed at the beaches year round, but especially during tourist season.
That being said, there are some equally beautiful and not-so-famous beaches you can go to with your furry friend and avoid the risk of getting a multa (ticket) from the police. This is where Playa Mangueta comes in!
Doing what he does best…digging holes in the sand and swimming!
This beach is literally across the road from our glamping site – it’s a bit far to walk, but with a bike or car you’d have no problem getting there. Be warned – the roads are rough and it’s possible to get your car stuck in the sand so watch out! Playa Mangueta (like most beaches in the area from what I’ve seen) is a nudist beach…so try not to look too shocked when a 60 year-old naked german man jogs by you as you’re lounging in the sun. I don’t think this beach allows dogs officially, but because it’s difficult to get to the police don’t go there. Most of the people at the beach had dogs with them so Pumba had friends to play with – and it wasn’t very crowded so we were able to make sure he didn’t bother any of the other beach goers around us. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway to the Costa de la Luz consider visiting El Palmar and Playa Mangueta – you won’t regret it!
One night we headed to Palmar for dinner & drinks – and that fabulous sunset!
Anniversary weekend getaway = success!
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