Benidorm - Travelling back up the coast

Benidorm still under construction

Look closely the contrast of sunbathers & people in coats n scarfs

Benidorm (day 106)

  The trip to Benidorm today was about 80km and we decided to take the N332 Rd North.  As we approached Benidorm the towering hotels and apartments appeared from behind the mountains, they look so imposing against the landscape.  We drove along the back of the town and entered on the North side, arriving at Benisol Camping located just next to the Cisne Rastro (flea market), which we visited a couple of times on Sunday and you could sit with a racion of Paella, a couple of Pincho’s (meat kebabs) and a jug of Sangria while listening to a live artist singing.  On Saturday afternoon they had Flamenco dancing, which we unfortunately missed, maybe next time. The campsite was very busy with a lot of long stayers (people staying over the winter months).  It was well equipped with good hot showers and a great restaurant with a log fire roaring away,which we huddled around in the evenings while sampling the food and drink again purely for research purposes.

Pan pipes spectacular

  While we were in Benidorm a special day arrived; Valentines Day and we visited the old town the previous day to investigate the possible eateries for this special occasion. We were told about a particular road in the old district called “ Sante Domindo Calle “ where the tapas bars are concentrated and we found a popular bar and edged our way in, viewing the various tapa’s while we waited for a couple of stools at the bar and soaked up the atmosphere soon we were seated.  I ordered drinks of Rosé Cava and made our selection of Pincho’s (kebab) Tortilla (potato based omelette ) Habas con Jamon (beans & ham) and Carne (meat stew).  This came with fresh bread and Alioli (mayonnaise with fresh garlic), a very enjoyable Valentines afternoon.

Cisne Rastro (flea market)

Our camping spot in Benidorm

This is not an N332 girl



This isn't either



Big Guns at Cabo Tinoso -Traveling back up the coast



Si and his big gun



Puerto De Mazarrόn (day 104) The Big Guns of Cabo Tinoso

 We travelled further up the coast to Mazarron and camped wild on an unfinished urbanisation, we had stayed here before and knew it would be ok.  In the morning we made our way to Cabo Tinoso right on the tip of the peninsular, too a turn of the century gun emplacement; we had been told about by another traveller.  The guns were installed to defend the harbour of Cartagena against invaders, the road is very narrow but there are places to pass, so we made it to the National Parc and parked outside the car park, because it was too tight to get unless you own a Smart car ??? (amazing what European funding can do).  The journey was well worth the drive up those scary roads. On arrival we were presented with an impressive sight of these great 15 inch guns pointing menacingly out to sea, they were manufactured at Vickers of Barrow in Furness around 1918, and were last fired in 1973. Definitely worth the crazy drive.

Travelling back up the coast - La Garrucha, Calabordina and Calnegre

La Garrucha fishing port

La Garrucha Fishing Port (day 101)

We stopped off in La Garrucha to camp wild in the fishing port car park, while we were there we visited the fish market to see the fish being landed and then sold in the auction. The car park felt very secure, although we were disturbed by the local line fishermen turning up at 5.00am to make an early start.

La Garrucha fish market

Calabardina & Calnegre near Canâda de Gallego. (day 102-103)

We stopped at a couple of wild camping spots between Aguilas and Cartagena, we found a huge community of wild campers along this stretch of coastline, some we had met before and also we found a whole town not even on the map,” well not ours ” called  Canâda de Gallego nestled between all the plastic greenhouses, the local BP fuel station had a waste disposal round the back an you could buy 60 litres of drinking water for €0.50, bargain.

 

Sun rise at Calnegre



Wild in Calabordina

The pretty town of Calabordina

Aquillas beach

Travelling back up the coast - Cabo de Gata - Rodalquiler Goldmine and St Isleta



Abandon Goldmine of Rodalquilar



Cabo De Gata again (day 99)

 We liked it so much at Cabo De Gata we decided to go back – well we are meeting our parents in Alicante mid-February, so we have a chance to visit the places we missed on the way down.  First we visited a small Spainsh fishing village; La Isleta a short drive from San José, a beautiful whitewashed town with cleanswept streets and small café bars. Seemingly untouched by tourism, that mightbe because it is winter and also siesta time, we always arrive at siesta time we can’t get used to the meal times, it was very quiet. Jo spotted a wall mounted “Indalo Man”. We walked into village, it was very windy and the temperature was dropping. Back at the van, we had lunch while trying to decide if we could stay for the night (we were parked in a parc natural) we voted to move onto San Jose, just a few kilometres up the road, where we knew we could park for the night and have a few beers & tapas in the local bar, in the main square which seemed to be the best bar in town.



Indalo Man

In the region of Almería around about  60 years ago paintings were discovered in caves of Valez Blanco dating back 4500 years. It is said to be a man holding a rainbow and is said to bring good luck and ward off evil. The town of Mojacar in South West Spain is said to be it’s adopted home.  As a consequence of the discovery of the cave paintings Mojacar’s fortunes changed in the 1950’s from a virtual ghost town to a very prosperous pueblo with new beaches and hotels, which at the time of our visit was having a new underground car park being built in the centre of this historic hillside old town….durrrr??? We did stop at the Fuente (natural spring) to fill up with drinking water which tastes great (we’ve become connoisseurs of water since we started this trip, the water in Spain is good but some places it is a little strong on the chlorine & some is  desalinated).

We woke today with icicles hanging off our nose; it was seriously cold last night (-4ᵒ), we set off for Rodalquiler without ,we just wanted to put the van heater on, about 20km to the gold mine we parked up in the Eco Centre car park and had a breakfast of tortilla & toast with coffee (a typical Spanish breakfast obviously without the wine or the brandy which seems to be the norm). We then wrapped up against the cold, but bright & sunny day and set off for the goldmine, keeping our eyes to the ground just in case they'd missed one.  The abandoned goldmings are a fascinating and extremely atmospheric spot, the mines experienced a minor gold fever in the 1880's. and they reopened for a briefly in 1989, before finally closing a year later.

 

Si's really let himself go!!



A converted windmill on Cabo de Gato