Spain's Southern Coast
A trip to Spain’s southern coast is one that I will never forget. One of my absolute favorite vacations was our trip to Barcelona in 2011. That city has a feel to it, a vibrancy. Not to mention the food and wine. If you know, you know.
Oh, Spain
I always knew we’d return to Spain. The question was: Where do people from Barcelona, Madrid, and other cities go on vacation?
The Southern coast, of course. One could argue that this is true in most countries in the Northern Hemisphere. The US certainly has an expansive Southern coast with many destinations we could have chosen.
So why come all the way to Spain? It sure as shit was not easy to get here. And I must say that jet lag hurts a whole lot more at 48 than I remember from my younger years.
The Answer
The answer is simple. This is a place that allows for a truly slow life and deep rest. This is a place where I feel removed from the element of overstimulation.
To be honest, there’s actually not much to do here. There’s an amazing beach, but it’s simply that—a beach. No one walks around selling shit, which is nice. You can be perfectly content to stare at the water all day and enjoy the sky and the mountains that surround you. The landscape is damn near perfect.
The hotel we’re at has a very nice pool. And while there is an ‘animation’ team that leads organized sports, you can easily tune it out if you wish. People here seem to be genuinely relaxed. There’s no loud music blaring and, for the most part, no loud people.
The Food
Of course, a highlight of Spain is the food… and the wine. Like any other place, there are some restaurants that are better than others, but their common thread is simple: extremely fresh food served out in the open air at a pace that would feel painfully slow to most Americans, until they acclimate.
It feels like the juice is squeezed fully out of every glorious day here. The siesta is a real thing, and you learn quickly to shift your timing around this. It’s very unlikely you’d be able to get dinner in a restaurant before 8 PM. The nighttime entertainment at the hotel starts at 10 PM, assuming that even the early birds would still be at dinner.
FOMO
For those who suffer from FOMO, this is a place to let that shit go. This is a place where you realize that the only thing you’ve been missing out on is rest.
I still will always love a good city vacation. The cultural elements, famous landmarks, and of course the food can’t be beat. But after this experience, I’d hesitate to call that a vacation. An educational exploration, perhaps. Because there is so much pressure to do all the things.
What I have learned is that I’d be doubtful to take a vacation to an overstimulating venue ever again. This includes casinos, theme parks, or anything that keeps you captive. For those places, FOMO is the oxygen that sucks us deeper into capitalism—do this, buy this, consume this, you’re going to miss the show, and here’s a picture of all of it that you can buy…you can even get it framed for…
You get the idea
My intention is not to sound judgy. But I’ve learned what serves me. So for your next vacation, think about a place…
Where there’s ‘nothing to do’ — you may just find that your best ideas and most creative insights come from ‘boredom.’
That operates on a different timeline than you’re used to — this can help us break out of habitual patterns and support us in questioning whether the way we’ve always done something is the right way.
JOMO
Where JOMO, rather than FOMO, is the norm — you may just accept that it’s perfectly okay to take a nap.
That has weather that suits you — Southern Spain may not be for everyone. In September during my visit, it was hot in the daytime—high 80s. The midday sun is strong, and it’s essential to have good sunscreen. I say this as a GenXer who used to douse herself in baby oil.
With food and wine that you can savor — enough said.
Where JOMO, rather than FOMO, is the norm — you may just accept that it’s perfectly okay to take a nap.
That has weather that suits you — Southern Spain may not be for everyone. In September during my visit, it was hot in the daytime—high 80s. The midday sun is strong, and it’s essential to have good sunscreen. I say this as a GenXer who used to douse herself in baby oil.
With food and wine that you can savor — enough said.
Watch this short video to dive deeper into Spain’s Southern Coast.
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