Life in Spain: A Sea Cave and a World Cup.

Hello and welcome back to Life in Spain. Thank you to everyone reading along each week, and if you just joined, welcome. You can always browse past issues to catch up on life over here. Let’s dive straight in.

This week in Spain

Last issue I told you I was hoping to write about a victory, and I’m happy to report that this is that issue. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, with the winner coming in extra time, and the country hasn’t stopped celebrating since.

I watched the match on a projection screen in Parque Huelin here in Málaga, surrounded by hundreds of people holding their breath together. When the goal finally came, the park erupted, and the celebrations spilled into the streets and carried on until four, five, even six in the morning. I made it until almost 4am myself, and I’m glad I did, because this was one of those nights I know I will never forget.

I’m not Spanish, and I never will be. But standing in that park, singing and celebrating with everyone around me, I got to share in that pride and joy, and for one night I felt a little of what it feels like to be Spanish. That alone was worth staying up for.

And here’s the part that’s crazy to think about: in four years, the World Cup comes home. Spain hosts in 2030 alongside Morocco and Portugal. Málaga itself won’t be a host city, the stadium situation didn’t work out, but several host cities will be within easy reach, and I have a feeling the energy here will be just as electric.

Behind the Video: Rincón de la Victoria

My latest video took me to Rincón de la Victoria, a coastal community just east of Málaga.

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Here’s the honest truth about why I went. Rincón doesn’t have any big tourist attractions. It’s mostly a residential town where people simply live their lives by the sea. But that was kind of the point. When you live in a city, you get so caught up in your own routine that you overlook the everyday places sitting right next to you. So I took the short trip down the coast, walked the beachfront promenade, and got to see a quieter side of the Mediterranean than the one I know from the city.

I want to do more of this, showing you the corners of Andalusia around Málaga that most people, and especially tourists, will never think to visit. Some of the best parts of Spain aren’t on any list at all.

The other reason I went to Rincón is the Cueva del Tesoro, the Treasure Cave, and it earns this week’s history corner. The cave sits in the cliffs above town, and it’s the only cave in Europe formed by the sea. Only three caves of marine origin are known in the entire world, and the other two are in Asia and Central America, which is a crazy thing for a quiet residential town to be holding. Walking through it, you can see the smooth, rounded chambers the ocean carved out over millions of years.

And then there’s the name. Legend says the treasure of five Almoravid kings was hidden inside and the entrance sealed. For centuries people searched and found nothing, until the cave’s twentieth-century owner uncovered a ceramic lamp holding six Almoravid gold coins. The full treasure has never turned up, but those coins are enough to keep the legend alive. People lived around these caves tens of thousands of years ago, and prehistoric art and remains have been found throughout them, so between the geology and the history, it’s a lot of story packed into a town most visitors drive straight past.

Coming soon: Ronda

Last weekend I finally got out of the city for an overnight adventure to Ronda, one of the most dramatic towns in Andalusia, and the full video goes live later today.

I have found myself with a bit more time to travel lately, and I plan to use it. More overnight trips, more corners of Spain, and eventually maybe beyond. But for now the focus stays on Spain, because there is more here than I could cover in years, and I want to share as much of it with you as I can.

A Meeting I Won’t Forget

One last story before I go. Recently I met two people who watch the channel, Karen and Barry, who just moved from the United States and are now living in Ronda. We got to chat for a while, and hearing their story was a real pleasure and honestly a humbling experience. It’s one thing to see numbers on a screen, and another to meet the actual people building their lives here.

So if you ever spot me out on the street, please stop me and say hello. It leads to some excellent conversations.

Before you go

Thanks for reading this week! If there’s a corner of Spain you want me to explore, or something about life over here you’re curious about, hit reply, email me at hello@evanthewayfarer.com, or leave a comment on a video.

Until Next Week!

Evan the Wayfarer