Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
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I love the sun and hot weather conditions. It is why I moved to Spain.
However, the summer months, especially in the south of Spain can get rather hot!
Enjoying outdoor adventures can become difficult, if you don’t stay cool.
Some people choose to avoid the heat altogether, and stay cool by spending the summer elsewhere, or relaxing instead of taking part in outdoor activities.
I, however, cannot bear to leave my beloved mountains and the Valencian countryside.
Like many people, my routine and outdoor activities tend to change with the seasons…
Cool weather outdoor adventures, such as: Climbing, Via Ferratas, Dry Canyoning and big mountain hikes are put temporarily on hold.
Instead, I mainly want to stay cool by being in water, enjoying hot weather outdoor adventures, such as:
You can read all about the places I visited to stay cool in 2025 here.
Below are 15 tips to help stay cool. If you keep yourself and your things cool, so that you can still play out in the heat.
These tips don’t just apply to summer either, since Spain is fairly warm for most of the year!
You can apply them to your outdoor adventures in Spring and Autumn too.
These tips are based on problems that I have encountered – and solved or improved – during my outdoor adventures.
My summer trips usually involve driving to different hidden gems where I can stay cool, enjoying a variety of outdoor adventures and activities, while camping in between, over the course of 3-10 days.
It’s all about preparation. So, let’s get ready for your next hot weather outdoor adventure…
If you use a water bladder, freeze it overnight. In the morning, rinse the straw, to defrost it.
This will keep your water to stay cool, as well as your back, during your hike.
It is perfectly fine to freeze bladders. In fact, it keeps them free of bacteria.
However, I tried to freeze my cycling water bottles, but it deformed the plastic, so take care!
I buy 1.5L bottles of water from the supermarket, for longer term cold water.
Buy screw top bottles (not bottles with flip cap lids), so that they seal properly.
Before freezing, open the bottle, drink/empty a little, squeeze it, and close the lid while still squeezed.
This will remove the air, and allow room for the water to expand while freezing.
If you don’t, the plastic might crack while freezing, then leak as it defrosts.
To ensure efficient freezing: turn your freezer temperature to the lowest setting, and freeze over two nights in advance.
Bigger bottles (2L) will also stay cool for longer.
This will give you icy water for 2-3 days, and cold water for 4-5 days – as long as you store it efficiently in your car.
Lots of foods can be frozen (e.g. in silicone bags) to increase the shelf life in the heat, and stay cool for longer, without affecting the quality/taste.
This includes snacks, and food to be heated/cooked while camping, such as:
You can also freeze food items that don’t actually need to be, to act as extra cool blocks, such as:
Or you could buy dedicated cool blocks.
Anything else, I usually refrigerate (because it helps other food items to stay cool when stored together), such as:
It is useful to have two cool boxes/bags to help your food/drinks stay cool:
1. A cool box, for longer term
Use this mainly for frozen water and more perishable food, or food you want to eat after a few days.
Do not open this until absolutely necessary – for maximum cooling!
2. A cool bag, for shorter term
In here, store: frozen water bottles + frozen food acting as cool blocks + fresh food you plan to eat sooner.
You will open this more frequently, so it will get warm sooner.
You can also get cool backpacks, to carry with you more easily.
In the cool boxes/bags, pack the food close together, and fill any gaps with additional items. This will minimize air gaps, which can easily become warm.
In the car, it is better to store the cool boxes/bags as low down as possible (because heat rises), not in direct sunlight, and with extra insulation.
The best place I have found for them to stay cool longer, is behind the driver’s seat.
I cover the cool boxes/bags with a layer of aluminium thermal insulation, then a couple of beach towels…and maybe even a bodyboard or camping mattress, that I keep in my car all summer!
I experimented keeping the cool boxes/bags in the boot (covered up), but constantly opening it let too much warm air and direct sunlight in!
Look for a natural spring (not a treated water tap).
This water is usually cold, and if the locals drink it, it is safe!
I ran out of water while in Cortes de Pallas, but found a natural spring, so I was able to stock up on fresh cold water between adventures.
Refill your bottles, pack them together in your cool box/bag, and they will stay cool longer than on the seat of your car.
As a last resort, you may be able to buy ice.
Trying to chill big warm bottles of water is a waste of time!
However, I do keep plastic cups in my car, so that I can chill some water to drink while driving to my next destination.
To chill cans effectively:
You could place them into a cool box, which is waterproof and will help the cans to stay cool.
While on the road, I created the DIY container below, so that I could chill some cans bought from the supermarket shelf…
It is an old 8L water bottle with a rectangle cut out of the top. It is the perfect size to place 10 cans inside, with a sealed bag of ice placed between them.
I placed it inside of a cool bag while I was busy enjoying
If you open the bag of ice, the separate cubes melt quickly, and become warm water sooner. Whereas a full bag, with the cubes close together will stay cool longer.
I have heard that mixing salt with iced water can help to keep the ice cubes frozen for longer, but I haven’t tried it because I’m happy with my method.
These cool blocks are useful for specifically cooling cans. They will stay cool for a 1 or 2-day adventure.
Use a spray bottle, and use it to spray water onto your face/body.
You could also use a wet facecloth instead of a spray bottle to stay cool.
Then if you wave/point a fan towards your face/body, the breeze on your damp skin will help you feel cooler.
This is particularly useful in a hot tent at night!
I also do this at home, to keep cool while working or lying in bed on a hot summer night.
At home I refrigerate the full water spray bottle first, and use an electrical fan!
If you prefer to remain hands-free, you could also get a funky new rechargeable neck fan, or waist fan.
When hiking (even when you are not planning on swimming), you may come across water source that you can use to stay cool (e.g. Natural springs, taps, water channels, a stream, etc).
To take advantage of this, you could…
(as well as a small microfibre towel , so you can dry your feet before putting your dry footwear back on).
If you visit a river/natural pool/waterfall/etc, or pass a water source, and then you have to hike…you could get wet fully clothed!
It may sound silly, but you will stay cool while wet, and your clothing will soon dry off.
This works best with technical outdoor clothing made from materials such as polyester, polypropylene or nylon (e.g. 100% polyester t-shirts for men, or 90% polyester t-shirts for women).
I visited a 65-metre waterfall at Millares in July, which is deep down in a canyon.
To return to my car, I had to scramble up a steep scree path, ascend steps and steep paths.
So, I got into the water fully clothed at the bottom of the route, and I was dry by the time I reached the top!
Mobile phones can get too hot and may not work properly, so you need to make sure they stay cool in the heat.
Some mobile phone functions may become limited, or it could stop working altogether!
Other electrical items and batteries should also stay cool.
I have a dedicated foam cool box in my car, which I only use to store:
A solar charger is also really useful (mine is quite big, so I store it under my passenger seat).
Summer 2025 was the first time I filled my gas for the air-conditioning in my car!
It was not only to help stay cool myself, but also to keep my phone cool…
My phone will not charge when it overheats, which can be a problem if I need it for navigation!
I previously tried to cool my phone with ice – but water damage is a risk.
I also made a sunshade over my in-car mobile phone folder – but the temperature inside of the car was the problem.
When you go to a garage, insist that they fill the gas 100%, so that it works efficiently for a longer period.
It is better to prevent your car from getting too hot, than trying to cool a hot car.
Air-conditioning will help you to stay cool when you are driving, but it does not help your food/drinks/personal items to stay cool, which are stored inside.
To make sure your car stays cool:
You can cover all four side windows with this a set of magnetic reflective sunshades, and you could cover the rear windscreen with a regular windscreen sunshade (the new umbrella style sunshades are great, because they don´t fall off)
This is especially useful for tinted windows, which absorb the heat even more!
I keep a parasol in my car all summer (and I don’t go to the beach!)
You can use them to create shade while camping, preparing your gear, or relaxing.
I have even used it to create shade while belaying my rock-climbing friends!
You can attach it to a car, fence, tree, etc (using its own case, or you could take some extra string especially for this purpose).
Heat causes air/gases to expand, which could result in a big bang!
This includes:
Keep it cool by leaving it in the water or in the shade, and release some air when not in use (e.g. when transporting or storing inflated)
Keep them in the shade, and release some air when not in use
I store these items in a dedicated cool box in my car with my electricals
– Remove the lids before they expand!
These 15 tips don’t just apply to summer either, since Spain is fairly warm for most of the year!
Why not treat me to a coffee, and keep the adventures coming your way!
Are you looking for some fresh, cold mountain water, to stay cool in?
This summer I have visited: Natural pools, rivers, waterfalls, water routes, aquatic routes, reservoirs, and campsites with water in which you can stay cool.
Below are just some of the places I have visited in summer 2025…
I have discovered many more places to stay cool in 2025 but I am too busy enjoying summer to write about them all right now!
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If you are looking for a unique way to explore Alicante´s hidden corners, then I recommend trying an outdoor adventure challenge: “Adventure Hunt”.
Or you browse the hidden gems of the Costa Blanca on an interactive map…
Wild Child Costa Blanca
