One of my biggest challenges when planning our travels–whether it be a weekend trip somewhere domestic or a several week international excursion–is that I try to squeeze in too much.

My husband, as well as friends, will tell you I pack the itinerary to a painful point in order to make sure we miss nothing.

I have and continue to improve upon this flaw in my character, and I think I’ve come a long way. Anymore I plan out everything I want to do and then literally try to cut the list in half so we end up with something much more reasonable.

My husband would be content just staying at home, but he’s become my favorite travel companion and usually goes along with whatever crazy adventure I book. He also prefers not moving to a new city every day and having some downtime in between tours, etc.

His perspective has helped me slow down and enjoy things more.

All of that said, I was especially proud of my decision to plan a day trip to southern Spain as part of our whirlwind tour through Morocco and Portugal. We ended up having quite the adventure making our way through Morocco, and although I loved the experience, it was anything but relaxing. We had to be on our game at all times, we were constantly on the move and we were trying to fend off people trying to take us somewhere, sell us something or make some money off our ignorance. A bit exhausting.

Ferry Ride from Tangier to Tarifa

Our last day in Tangier we hopped on a boat and set off across the Mediterranean to Tarifa, Spain. From what I read it was a pretty simple coastal town specializing in small beaches and water activities like wind surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and whale watching.

As it turned out, it was one of our favorite days of the vacation. Our ship took it’s time traveling to Spain, but it was a gorgeous day and we sat on the back deck enjoying the wind and water on our trip to mainland Europe. We spent our time exploring the small town, eating one of the BEST meals of our trip, and witnessing our first nude beach! We also got to stand on the southernmost point of Europe!

If you have the chance and just want a day to relax amid whatever adventure you have underway, I highly recommend a stop in Tarifa. A little touristy, but a great day away from reality.