Tag Archives: sun and sea

Exploring the Eastern Caribbean

I spent the Winter of 2022/23 sailing around the Eastern Caribbean, and discovering what this part of the world has to offer, other than the expected white sandy beaches and sapphire blue waters.

Local life and culture

The Caribbean may dream up different images to different people. Perhaps the white sandy beaches, palm trees, men in dreadlocks and lots of rum. Whilst, this part of the world does have all those things, it’s actually much more complex than just that, with a rich diversity of culture as well as differing social constructs throughout the different islands.

The different islands are grouped and governed separately, some independently and some by European powers. Many of the islands’ native tribes were wiped out by European colonisers and much of this influence still shows today. Some islands speak French because they were once French, and some such as Martinique still are a part of France. There are also islands that are spanish speaking and ones that are Dutch or British.

The influence of a European governing body, will of course affect wealth and opportunities too. Many British influenced islands, have the British legal and education systems. The French and Dutch islands also benefit from the additional European funding and the ease of movement of tourists from the mainland.

In most cases, where islands have separated themselves from their colonizing parent country, they are living in developing world status. Consistent and devastating hurricanes and natural disasters add to this reality.

The situation means that the cost of living can be very high for locals and many people have to be entrepreneurial in order to make an income. That may mean selling tours, setting up a bar, selling coconuts or even offering photos with captured monkeys. It is understandable that locals need to make the most of the incoming load of tourists arriving each year.

The people are also very relaxed and generous. Whilst they can be direct, I have always found the caribbean people to be very uplifting and kind. They follow generally one of two main religions, Christianity or Rastafarian. I never previously realised that this is an actual religion but it very much is. For example the reason for the dreadlocks is because it is considered against the religion to cut your hair as it represents your strength. It’s not just a fashion statement!

I have had some really great interactions with locals whilst working in the area. From direct business partners to a handsome rasta that broke an aloe vera plant in half and massaged me with the sap on the beach. Conversations about life, culture and family. It helps me open my eyes to new ways of living. A more relaxed lifestyle that takes each day as it comes, because in a moment everything can change.

Safe to say, keeping the drinks flowing, the music loud, and the air smelling of ganga is a part of the way of life and it certainly seems relaxing.

Nature

Outside of sandy coastlines, many of the islands I have visited have been full of nature. Especially rainforests.

I have been fortunate enough to bathe in mud pools inside an active volcano in St Lucia, discover thorn covered trees and hang from vines in the deep rainforest of St Kitts, as well as cruise past the TV set of ‘survivor’ in a jungle in Dominican Republic.

One of my favourite experiences has actually been flying over Antigua by helicopter. In that short flight I was able to see the shape of the island, the changes in the land from recent hurricanes, a good view of large coral reefs and coastal cliffs not accessible from land. During a flight, you can be lucky enough to see dolphins and whales, and you can also get a great bird eye’s view of places like Oprah’s holiday home!

I was surprised that it was not as easy as I expected to see wildlife. Whilst, iguanas and pelicans are commonplace, exotic fish, monkeys and mongoose are not as easy to track down. My best option to see the fish was by snorkelling or submarine, where i had the fun experience of seeing stingray and turtles, not always the easiest to spot when crowds of tourists are also trying to spot them..!

Of course, I can not neglect to mention the coastlines. Not every beach is like the postcard, many are on the Atlantic sea and can be choppy and unclear. But… the ones that are in the Caribbean Sea are magnificent. Antigua and Barbados won the beach lottery, but they also are bitter sweet for me, as the sea claimed two pairs of specs and a hat from me in only a few weeks!

Overall, I liked the Caribbean. It was not everything I expected but in some ways it was more. I think the people are my favourite part of the place, and I will be happy to return again next year!

Camino de Santiago: Barreda to Gijon

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Another week of walking has gone by, and this time the distances were much longer, and the terrain was more varied.

First stop was a stay in Barreda, and a visit to Santillana de Mar. A beautiful town that makes you feel as if you have gone back in time. The streets are cobbled and old stone is all around, they have lots of bars and restaurants, and a tourist information point. Also some museums. I visited the Torture Museum!

The museum was quite interesting but also very gruesome. It also made me wonder what sort of person would acquire a collection like this… The animal masks were particulary weird, apparently it was to silence the speech of women and other lowly folk at the time, and also a symbol of public humiliation.

2km down the road is also the world heritage site, the Caves of Altamira. The caves were discovered in the 1800s and have a collection of pretholific paintings inside, and a system of spaces for different uses. The caves were so popular to visit that they began to become damaged, and had to be closed to the public. Now, only five people per week are selected to visit the original cave. The museum has painstakingly created an exact replica for the general public though.

I visited the replica, it was still underground and very dark but certain areas of importance were highlighted. There were many paintings of animals, that were surprisingly detailed, and a pressed in hand print. This whole experience was a lot better than expected and only cost €4! I was also able to wonder down to the outside of the original caves.

Whilst walking the camino to the next stop in Comillas, the seaside views and sites of farms became very familiar, and I also went hunting for more caves!

Nearby to the path, I had seen on the map that there was a cave in a woodland that had been discovered to have ancient paintings again, and you could have this one all to yourself. La cueva de aguas was about 20-30 minutes off the track, and was very exciting!

In this small cave, deep in the woods, I had to ditch my backpack outside, and crouch to get in. It is completely pitch black, and I could hear the loud sound of water. When i finally got my torch going (I had resisted, as I was afraid of bats), I realised there was water gushing around my feet, and a waterfall running through the cave!

It was really amazing to find, and I could just make out the higher level in the cave, where the cave people would have made home. This cave was on the route of the miners, and another small cave can also be seen on the path, but is inaccessible.

After the excitement of the cave, I had fallen behind schedule, on this very long stretch. I walked as quickly as I could through more roads, woodland, and past a gorgeous beach, trying to get to town before sunset.

I spent the last few hours frantically calling pensions and hotels in town to try to find a room. I kept coming up against the same response, ‘we are closed for winter’. Forty minutes walk away, and already night time by now, I sat in a bus shelter, and seriously considered sleeping there. It looked like quite a well built shelter, but I didn’t like the idea of being 40 minutes behind on tomorrow’s walk. In a final attempt, I phoned a golf club in the town, and managed to rent a 3 bedroom apartment for one night, for 85 euros. So with no food, and sore feet, I dragged myself there and managed to get a bed for the night. Bright side – it had a washing machine!

The next day, I left late, got my stamp from the tourism office, and headed out for a shorter walk to San Vincente. The day began with a lot of rain, and going uphill. After the stressful night before, and being hammered by rain, my will power was running low. Then all of a sudden, I was at a beautiful nature reserve, the sky cleared, and a rainbow appeared, and everything was better again.

San Vincente was a big town with a beautiful old church on the hill, (that used to serve as a hospital for pilgrims), a castle, and then a pleasant restaurant and bar scene below. I met a fellow traveller over dinner, and we talked about our trips and exchanged stories. It was great to have a good conversation, it had been a few days, since I had spoken to anyone.

Next, I crossed the river into Asturias region, the third of four in the walk. I could immediately see the differences in the area from Cantabria. Many of the buildings were brightly coloured and beatifully built in the 1800s. They were built by ‘indianos’, spanish people that went to South America, made their fortune, then returned and built beautiful lavish homes for themselves.

I stayed in Llanes for the night, in the train station albergue, and the influence was clear here. It also had a gorgeous ancient quarter of the town, as well as a port once famous for whaling. There are quite a few shops here but it is on the pricey side.

Next day, was the 20 mile hike to Ribadesella. The day before I had to cut my walk short, as my foot was so sore it had started bleeding. I was worried about making the hike but feeling determined.

The walk was very varied, with the Picos de Europa mountain range on the left and beaches to the right, woodlands and farmland. It was really enjoyable and had amazing scenery. It was only in the final two of eight hours I began to be just dragging myself along to the end!

Ribadesella is another coastal town, with a harbour, and another gorgeous beach. I hiked to the viewpoint and did some sketching, and just chilled. There are some more caves near this area, but on this day I decided to keep them as a mystery. It always gives me a reason to return!

The next walk to Colunga, was still full of beautiful beaches, but also some other things that I have noticed only in Asturias. Gateways with a weird style of layered tiles that I can only assume is decorative, a unique way of pouring cider that has maximum splash impact, (it turns out Asturias is famous for its cider)… and these unstable looking sheds… called horreos or paneras.

They seem to be dotted all along the rural villages. They are all wooden huts, sitting on top of stacked stones. I would be very nervous to go inside these, as they look so wobbly. Traditionally they were used to stock dry grains away from rodents (I have seen rats climb though…) Now, people continue to use them to store firewood, hay, and I even saw some people living in them! Planning permission must be a breeze here… they are everywhere!

Gijon

After a rainy day and night in the pretty town of Villaviciosa, I finally arrived in the city of Gijon. I stayed in a hostel right on the beach.

The city has countless cider houses, and whilst I did not spot a cathedral, it has several churches and a basilica. This was my last opportunity to stock up on supplies before I arrive in Santiago de Compostela in another two weeks or so. I hit the supermarket for more plasters, high protein snacks etc. Hopefully, I will be okay!

With only a day in Gijon, I had to be picky about what to see. Gijon has a set of roman ruins that I was tempted by, but the pull to find out more about those wooden sheds I had seen, was much stronger. So, I walked to the edge of the city, to the Museum of the people of Asturias.

The museum was way better than I expected. For a start, it was free! YAY! I thought that it would be just a few boards with photos and objects, but the museum was actually mostly outside. The biggest part of the site is devoted to the actual traditional buildings of the region. These buildings such as horreos, shepherd refuges, and country houses, have all been actually dismantled from their original location and reassembled at the site. Pretty impressive. You can enter many of the buildings and see how it would have looked. For example, the peasant house has the rooms and fireplace set out as it would have looked, and there is a cider press with huge equipment and barrels in place.

The museum also had temporary exhibitions, and a bagpipes museum! Apparently bagpipes are big in Asturias tradition! As well, as some very odd looking bagpipes, there are a variety of other traditional instruments on show, and details about how they are made.

If you want to make the walk extra worthwhile, the museum is also next to another museum, the football stadium, sports centre and a lovely park.

Overall, I think whilst I am now becoming physically exhausted from all the walking, the Camino continues to prove itself as totally worth it. The walk this past week was colourful and varied, and I really liked Gijon. Time to follow those yellow arrows… see

To mark the end of the first half of the walk, I have made a little video..

Camino de Santiago: Portugalete to Santander

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In my second week of walking, I have done some of the largest distances so far and had some more rest days. The journey has had more flat terrain than the first week, and lots of walking on roads. It has been closer to the sea though, and very beautiful.

Starting in Portugalete, which is just on the outskirts of Bilbao, I walked along highways and resurfaced walkways along the coastline. There was an option to add an extra 14km to the journey by going into the mountain. I decided against that, as I was still recovering from the previous week’s mountains, and the road had great views. There was pedestrian access on the roads (lines painted on the floor) but I did have to take care, and it is not an option I would have been happy with if it had been a darker day.

Whilst walking the route, I left the Basque Country behind, and entered Cantabria. I kept looking behind me at the scenery, and thinking, I cannot believe I walked all this way so far!

On approach to Castro Urdiales, I went through an old mining area. This offered the very cool experience of being able to walk the old mining track, and go through the tunnels! This cut off loads of extra walking, that google maps would have tried to make me do, as it goes through the mountain rather than over or round. Buen Camino app is awesome!

On the other side of a five minute tunnel was Castro Urdiales. It was beautiful! Apparently, this is where the wealthy people that live in Bilbao, come at the weekends. I can see why!

Cantabria’s first official coastal town, Castro Urdiales has a gorgeous harbour area, two beaches, an impressive church, castle, many lookout points, a spectacular cemetery and a natural swimming pool! I wanted to take a dip, but I was too scared of getting in and slipping over or not being able to get out without a travel buddy. Plus it was about 11’c, and I have no swimming costume…

After leaving Castro Urdiales, I walked for about seven hours to Laredo. The walk had a lot of lovely views of the sea, but was mostly road walking. I met a lovely belgium man that was also walking along my way, so we trekked most of the way together, and split the jug of sangria at the end!

Whilst I was in Laredo, I stayed at the convent of Trinitarian nuns. Whilst it was a very cold stay with no radiators and little hot water, my room was very cute, and I had a lovely view over the town. I also had the room to myself, and was invited to join the mass. The nuns played guitar and sang beautifully during the service! The only thing that was disappointing, was that I didn’t get much one to one time with the nuns. I wanted to ask them about it all, as I have often wondered if I would like to be a nun… 🙂 perhaps I could do interpretive dancing in the band?

Laredo is another gorgeous town, and very big. It takes an hour to walk from one end of the beach, to the other! The old town where the convent is, is picturesque, and I even hiked over it to a viewpoint. (I couldn’t stop hiking!) There is also a harbour here and you can take boat excursions, and I took the water taxi across the bay to Santona to keep walking!

The next day, the walk from Laredo was pretty gruelling. After a five minute boat ride, it was 30km of hard road. There were many villages to move through, and lots of rolling hills with farms.

It was all about me and the animals that day. I saw baby donkeys, goats, horses, cows, chickens, a group of kittens, a very angry little dog, and best of all, a Spanish Imperial Eagle! It started following me for a bit. It was the second bird of prey that has circled above me on this journey. I am starting to think that I might be the prey….

In the final hour of the day, my good knee started hurting, and I had to hobble to my pension in Guemas. A very pretty but small village.

The journey has certainly been taking its toll on my joints, and I am trying to be more clever about my walks and preparation. I have problems with my right leg so have fully strapped up this week. The K tape is really helpful at keeping me balanced.

The last 16km to Santander, I got up early and benefited from some crisp morning views of the village. I then walked to the next village, with my knee still hurting from the day before. I had to make a decision, to stay on the road and shortcut through for a shorter journey, or add 4km and walk up to the cliffs and along the ocean. I was sick of the asphalt by now and everyone has said the views of the sea are great, so I went for the long path.

The path was hilly, but also muddy, which was actually a welcomed relief. I walked past farms, and saw beaches and rocky cliff sides. I also met a man who has walked all the way to Rome on pilgrimage. Very impressive! Eventually, the path led to the town and I wondered onto Somo and caught the twenty minute boat ride to Santander.

Santander

I stayed in the pilgrim hostel whilst in Santander for only 12 euros per night. My experience of the hostel is a story of its own!

I arrived at the hostel which is ran by volunteers, and no one was there. I phoned the number and spoke to a man in broken spanish about how to get in. He said no one would be there until later, but I could pick up the keys at the bar down the street. I went to the bar and explained to the bartender I was looking for keys (in spanish). She understood, (I must be improving). I then let myself in, chose my own bed and went to sleep. Later the volunteer came, checked me in, and told me two more guests should be coming that night. He was leaving though, and I was now in charge of the hostel!

He asked me (in spanish) to check them in on arrival, take their passport details and give them their keys! I couldn’t believe it! And then I was alone again. And there laid an opportunity… I finally had a washing machine and dryer all to myself. First order of business, was to check for cameras, then strip down to naked, and wash everything I have! I sat there in a blanket for two hours, and then I finally had all clean clothes for the first time in a month. Wonderful! 😍

Later, when I was dressed again, the man called and said the guests weren’t coming anymore, and I had the whole hostel of 50 bed spaces, to myself! Crazy!

Anyway… back to the actual city. Santander is the capital of Cantabria, and is a coastal city. It has a port which includes bringing visitors over on ferry from Plymouth, it also has a few beaches, a palace, and lots of hills covered in shops, plazas and restaurants.

My rest day in Santander was a rainy one so I decided to stay in the busiest part of the city, close to the hostel. I stocked up more supplies, mainly medical ones, but also some nuts and fruit from the Mercado de Esperanza (market of hope). I got quite a lot of nuts and dried fruit for two euros. I always love to visit the local markets. It seems there are a few different ones in Santander. Another is the Mercado de Este (east market), this has a tourist information point, and lots of little artisan stalls and bars.

Interestingly, below the market is probably one of the best museums that I have ever visited, the Musuem of prehistoric and archeology of Cantabria. This underground museum is reasonably small, but packed with archeological finds from the region. Including human and animal skulls, ancient tools, artwork, and pottery.

I know that can all sound a little boring on its own, but this museum absolutely brings it to life. They have structured the rooms to make you feel as if you are in a cave network, created visual, audible, and touch displays. They have lots of information in different languages, and really make you interact with the exhibits, I thought it was brilliant! And only €4! 😀

My personal favourite was the museum’s use of tech to turn actual skulls into real faces!

After this, I wondered over to the cathedral. It seemed that I had arrived, and I went through a door, but I was in a smaller church. It turned out that I had wondered into the Iglesia del Santismo Cristo. This church is actually underneath the cathedral itself. It has a warm atmosphere, beautiful arches, and two severed heads! These are relics of roman soldiers that were martyrs. Before I knew it, the door was shut behind me and I was in the mass. I just sat down and enjoyed it.

When it was over, I exited the church, climbed further up and found the official cathedral above where I had been. The cathedral interior is quite simple in comparison, and full of charming, light gothic architecture.

After all that, I returned to my lonely hostel, had a sandwich and took a nice long siesta, before heading out for dinner, and to enjoy some live music.

Overall, I think the jury is still out for me on Santander, because I wasn’t able to explore the beaches and palace, and I think the city probably has more of a rounded package in Summer. I did like the city though, and the museum really was a highlight.

I have walked a third of the Camino del Norte now, and my next and last city before Santiago de Conpostela is one week away. I hope my body can keep going! 🤞

Camino de Santiago: Irun to San Sebastian

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So, this week, I started my long journey to Santiago de Compostela (over 800km) from Irun. I will be walking for as many days as I physically can, and enjoying rest days in cities and some towns a long the way.

The journey to Irun from Zaragoza took a few hours on the train with a change in a town that I could not even pronounce. Most people go to Pamplona for a day first, as it is an easier transport connection and I think in hindsight, perhaps I should have. I had already booked my accommodation and train though, so I didn’t want to alter it. I also just wanted to get started on the walk before the weather turned, and I think it was the right decision, as I had three days of sunshine.

Most people attempt to do the journey from Irun to San Sebastian in one day, but this is about 25km and includes a mountain hike. I decided to start gradually, and split my first stage over two days, with an overnight stay just outside of Lezo.

This was definitely the right decision. The hike was very steep and a shock to the system, after several days sightseeing on flat terrain.

The walk took me up the mountain, with views of the sea and nearby beaches, coupled with traditional small farms, and picturesque houses.

After the lovely views of the mountain and the gruelling walk down, I realised something unfortunate.. The hostel that I booked on the outside of Lezo, was on a major highway. I came to a busy roundabout with no crossing, and was perplexed at what to do. My options were few:

To climb back up the mountain and find another path to town, and then doubleback on myself..
To attempt to cross the highway and potentially be hit by a car at 80kmph.
Hitch-hike and hope someone took pity on me.

I considered my options carefully, and decided the best thing to do was wave someone down, and beg for a lift in my broken spanish.

I waited about 40 minutes and asked three drivers before I found someone that would take me across the motorway. A lady with her teenage daughter and a horse trailer on the back of her truck felt sorry for me and agreed. This was a blessing. I ended up talking in Spanish with them the whole journey to the hostel, and they were very chatty. I also felt like this was a great opportunity to get over any ‘stranger danger’ fears I had.

Once I was at the hostel, I met several men that I was sharing a room with, including many Spaniards and a frenchman that spoke great English too. They were very friendly and the frenchman offered to drive me into the town the next morning, which again was super useful as the motorway was too dangerous to walk. I must make it clear that the motorway is not part of the route, and was a poorly planned detour by me.

So the walk continued on! I had some beautiful towns to wonder through as well as a cute little boat taxi crossing for 90 cents.

On the other side, there was a steep climb through a town when I came across the most craziest and beautiful thing… a set of escalators in the street! I felt a pang of guilt and then I got over it… this took me up three streets and I just thought it was part of the fun really! I have now discovered that many of the large towns and cities in this mountainous area have escalators and elevators to take you up to other streets higher up. There are even elevators that go underground to take you to disguised car parking and public toilets areas. The mountain people know how to live! 😀

More hills, and mountains, and what felt like never ending ascents, and I began to come out through forests. The Autumn colours are in full swing now (late October), and this was really beautiful. There were even historic bridges, and forts hidden in the woods, between the foliage.

By the time I got to the bottom, I really wanted to be there by now. It had been over six hours and my legs hurt. The views could no longer take the pain away… and then I saw it. SAN SEBASTIAN! HALLELUJAH!

I had two nights in San Sebastion, so that I could rest after my first stage. This city is gorgeous, I think this with each new city that I go to, they just get better!

San Sebastian / Donastia

This city on the water, is really huge, and my hostel turned out to be 30 minutes from the seafront 😢 but the atmosphere at the accommodation was good so I got over it.

The city seems to have several elements; a beachfront and promenade, a harbour, busy centre, old town, a castle on a hill, and then outskirts of communities and work places.

I visited the Cathedral and collected my stamp in my special pilgrim passport, and wondered around the city’s edge and old town. The old town is very pretty but quite touristy, and if you venture a little further along to where the market is, it is a little nicer. You can also walk all around the sea walls and what seems to be the old city walls. I would really recommend doing this walk, there are plenty of nice views and benches to sit and just enjoy it.

I had to remind myself that I was supposed to be resting, so after my little stroll, I sat down.. I ate a lovely chocolate brownie, definitely breaking my set budget, and then laid for several hours on the beach. It was the last day of 22’c and sunny, so I am so glad I did this.. even if I had to sit on my laid out trousers as I had nothing else.

In the evening, I decided to become part of the local scenery and continue sitting. So, I took myself to the local cinema, and I watched the new James Bond movie in Spanish. It was an excellent evening.

I really loved San Sebastian, and the pretty towns I went through to get there. It is nice to start slowing down for once, and just enjoy my surroundings.

Portugal: Europe’s South Western edge

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Before my journey to spain, I took a week in a little Portuguese corner of Europe

This week, I took a short break in Portugal in the Algarve’s South Western region.

I stayed in a villa near Budens which is near to Sagres. Staying in a villa on your own is a rather strange thing to do and I wouldn’t visit this way if it weren’t for the fact that I could stay here for free through family. It does however have a benefit of a washing machine and my own kitchen which keeps my costs down, when I need to eat, I can just cook up a storm.

Maybe buying a kilo of shellfish was over optimistic… the kitchen stunk of fish for days 😝🦐🦐

I have previously stayed down the road in Portimao on another holiday, and something that I have found in both vacations is that the Algarve can be quite a tricky place to navigate, if you do not have a hire car. I needed to rely on public transport and this can either be expensive through the use of taxis or it can be unreliable through buses that only run every 2 – 4 hours until 8pm… This is definitely a place to come if you are simply looking to wine, dine and unwind. It is fine if you are happy to stay in just one place, or to visit several beaches and enjoy some tourist shopping experiences.

For me, I like to have a little adventure and culture so i needed to look a little harder here . I decided to venture to nearby smaller villages to look at what was on offer and managed to identify key places to visit that would interest me. I also discovered that the area benefits from a nationally recognised walking trail along the coast.

Lagos

Whilst the landscape in Portugal is very dry and barron there is a certain beauty to the sand and rocky cliffs that overhang the coast. When visiting Lagos, (which was a 40 minute bus drive) I took the hop on hop off train tour to the lighthouse area, and wondered part of the long coast line path laid out for visitors. Whilst there, you can see the powerful waves crashing beneath you.

This path is a part of the Rota Vicenta, which i was keen to explore as part of my training for the Camino de Santiago.

Lagos also offers long stretches of sandy beaches and warm sea waters . Multiple shopping experiences including their municipal market selling fresh produce to visitors and locals. There is also a pleasant marina area with several popular restaurant chains along with local options. I also spotted that they have their very own Madame Tussauds in Lagos, I spotted signs for this wax museum but did not have the time to explore it .

There was also an ancient fort complex that I would like to have the opportunity to see again. It would also be great to be able to go on a kayaking tour the next time I am in town.

Rota Vicenta – Vila do Bispo to Sagres

The section of the walking route that I decided to walk was one of the final stages of the historical way and ran from Vila do Bispo to Cabo de Vincente. The destination was a lighthouse stationed at the most South Westernly point in Europe. Due to this, I was recommended by a local to make my visit there at sunset, but because I was walking alone I was forced to make the safer choice of doing my walk there in the early morning, to avoid the dark of night, and the midday heat. This was a good decision as the temperature on the day was over 25’c, and I still got to enjoy the sunrise.

The walk started wierdly with a Jehovah’s Witness approaching me in the street at 7am with his bathrobe on. After that, I didn’t see another person for hours, just cattle, migrating birds and intriguing behaviour from ants and snails. I am never normally up so early, so it was nice to appreciare nature. I saw huge lines of ants marching along, and snails huddled together on top of succulents.

It was really well signposted throughout, and the volunteers had even got creative by painting rocks and random pieces of buildings to help walkers along.

I am still getting used to these walks and had a brand new water bladder to try out. This is basically a sack of water inside your backpack, that connects to a tube running out to your mouth. I am teased by my friends for how little water I drink and so it was deemed necessary to walk along with water constantly running into me.. this did mean dropping my trousers in the middle of nowhere to emergency wee four times though! Who wees four times in three hours..?! it concerns me.

After about two and a half hours I could see the lighthouse in the distance! Truly impressed with myself, as the total walk is supposed to take four hours. Naively thinking of myself as an expert hiker now, I decided to switch course and get closer to the sea cliffs and small beaches on ‘Fisherman’s Walk’. BIG MISTAKE! This led to a dramatic slow down in pace as I had to carefully scurry over rocks and literally a boulder filled path… how I longed to be back on the nice flat path I’d been skipping along and had so foolishly abandoned.

The lighthouse kept bobbing in and out of view as I went up and down in elevation. I realised that I was probably losing my patience too much, when a Jack Russell dog passed me jumping happily over the rocks without fear. I felt bitter towards that damn dog. I was carefully planning my every step to avoid injury!

Eventually after three and a half hours, I reached the lighthouse…. and found the nearest ice cream man and comfy chair! The lighthouse has a few vendors, gift shop, cafe and viewing telescopes. You can see some remaining building work from when it was previously a monastery, and there is plenty of parking as most people drive.

I then ‘decided’ (the next bus was 1.5 hours away) to walk another 6km to Sagres, the next big town. This passed a fort and then there is another fort complex and lighthouse. I focused on getting to Tonel beach and then collapsed against a rock and laid my feet in the sea. I had nothing left in the tank, and I was out of water. It was time to resign, after 21km, and non stop walking since dawn.

Once the shoes were off, there was no going back.

Overall, the towns and villages I visited during my stay, were sweet and cultured, and were quite good for just enjoying a nata and a natter (see what i did there.😉)

The walk was great and it was lovely to start so early, I wish I had known how uneven the ground was before I changed course though. I would also say that when visiting one of the lesser known beaches you are taking your life into your hands. Literally… there are signs telling you to enter at your own risk 😖 safety measures could be better, but I suppose that I say that as an English woman that comes from a country with intense health and safety focus. If the beaches had handrails and man made steps everywhere, perhaps they would not be as special anymore for their unkept natural beauty.

Next stop… Seville, Spain

Alcazabas and flamingos in Almeria & Granada

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In 2019, before the world fell into Covid chaos, I holidayed in the province of Almeria, in the Andalusian region, south of the Iberian Peninsular in Spain. This two week trip was full of relaxation, culture and of course lots of opportunities to practise my spanish!

Andalusia is in the South of Spain and is well known for its Moorish architecture, hot climate, and dry landscapes. We found a brilliant apartment to stay in within the Almeria province, in Las Marinas near Roquetas de Mar. The town had plenty to enjoy, including shopping areas, a beautiful beach, and a bull ring (though we didn’t go inside the bull fighting complex). We found our apartment on AirBnB, and spent much of our days chilling by the pool and the evenings singing karaoke on the balcony.

Whilst staying in Las Marinas we hired some bikes (which I negotiated for in espanol – and got compliments for it… just saying..) and enjoyed cycling up and down the coast on the bike lanes available along the promenade. We also went off road into the Paraje Natural de Punta Entinas – Sabinar, a nearby nature reserve at the end of the beach. The reserve had several salt lakes which attracted wild flamingos. It was great to see the birds in their natural environment. The reserve is patrolled so you cannot get too close to the birds or go too far off the tracks, but you can still see everything wonderfully.

We spent two days enjoying the actual town of Almeria. The city is on the coast, and is popular as a cruising destination, and you can see lots of cruise ships rolling into the port. Whilst we were there we also visited the Almeria Cathedral, built in 1524. The cathedral’s original purpose was to be able to serve as a cathedral-fortress, because it was built for both religious worship and to shelter the population from attacks by Barbary pirates. The architectural decoration outside is really intricate and there are large spaces around the building to show off its magnitude. You can also access self guided tour information.

A must see monument, that we visited was the Alcazaba in Almeria, which is a Moorish fort. This would have been of extreme importance to the Muslim conquerors in the area at the time of building in 955. Whilst there are several remaining alcazabas left in the peninsular today, Almeria’s is the largest Muslim citadel in the country. When visiting you can see detail in the sculpting, simple gardens, and most interestingly the use of water flowing throughout the passages of the area. You can also rely on getting some great views from this structure, on the top of the hill.

Interesting fact… when we were visiting we felt like there was something familiar about one of the gardens. It turned out that we were right! The spot is used in one of our favourite TV series – Game of Thrones! It poses as part of the House Martell.

Spot for Game of Thrones scene at Alcazaba in Almeria

Wider Almeria

During our stay we decided to go further afield to take in some of the wider landscape of the region and took a coach tour. This region is actually the driest part of Europe, and you can really see that in the landscape, which is covered in rocks, deserts and vast spaces. Whilst travelling along the roads, you will also notice thousands of plastic structures across wide areas, these are actually greenhouses, where tomatoes, peppers and other fruit is being grown commercially. I think it does spoil some of the landscape’s beauty, but I suppose this is the way of doing agriculture in this region.

The area’s Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park conserves most of the coastline and has special geological qualities linked to a volcanic setting. The park hosts remains of some historic buildings and also interesting locations such as Los Escullos. Los Escullos is a famous natural location because it is an area of fossilised sand dunes! So wierd! The area of Cabo de Gata was also used for many of the dry desert scenes within Game of Thrones and other TV & film productions.

Granada & the Alhambra

Two and a half hours from Las Marinas is the beautiful city of Granada. We decided to take a day trip here, but I will definitely be returning to explore more of the city. On travelling to Granada, the landscape changes as you climb to new altitudes and pass the Sierra Nevada mountain range. We travelled by coach as a large group and then spent the first few hours enjoying lunch in this pretty city with beautiful fountains and plazas all around.

I had desperately wanted to visit the famous Alhambra complex in Granada, but tickets need to be booked quite far in advance, and there is no ‘buy at the door’ option. I decided to try my luck, and using my skills in espanol, I managed to secure us with tickets from our tour guide. There was a catch though… the security restrictions at the complex are so strict that he could only sell me six tickets that were already in the name of other tourists that had not shown up. So we all became a group of Germans temporarily, and had to keep our fingers crossed that we wouldn’t get found out on their spot checks on IDs. We got away with it, and it was so worth it!

The Alhambra is another alcazaba and also a palace complex, and is extremely well preserved. It was the final stronghold of the Moorish rule in Spain, before Catholics reconquered the country. The Muslim designs are created to provide tranquillity and contemplation, and also happen to be amazing works of art! When looking at some of the ceilings, you would be forgiven for thinking that your eyes had gone funny, because of the impressive 3D sculpting. Using faces goes against the Muslim tradition, and so many walls have beautiful Arabic passages carved into them, with examples including:
“And the peninsula was conquered with the sword” and “There is no victor but God.”

There is also of course some amazing fountains, pools and rose gardens, which will make you feel like you are in a little piece of heaven. We were told in the tour that the layout and movement of the sun was carefully considered in the design of these gardens by the Sultan and for the benefit of his wives and court, to carefully consider water, light and shade. Apparently, the sultan’s wives would have separate areas to enjoy away from the gentleman’s sections of the palace. It seems that the use of water features has an especially important part to play in Moorish architecture, and this may be because it was so precious to them, in such a dry part of the world.

The complex is huge, and there is quite a lot of walking involved. It is also important to make sure you are well hydrated beforehand. They are extremely strict and so do not allow visitors to drink within the buildings section of the tour (which is the first part). We were boiling and I was forced to dunk my head under a water fountain as soon as we moved into the gardens.

This is an amazing place to visit and I will definitely return. I love the culture, language and architecture of this region, and I am already planning a road trip around wider Andalusia, for when the world opens up again! In the meantime, “hasta luego”!