Coastal walk, southern Spain.

[onlyMark]

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been having a bit of a walk. I have mentioned it elsewhere but not really given many details.
It was in southern Spain along the coast from Nerja to a little south of Estepona. A distance of around 160km (100miles).
It wasn’t hard. I walked, or rather ambled along, 12 - 17km a day but also had some days off, because I could. Mornings were walking, breakfast, walking, photos, mid-morning snack, walking, lunch, hotel, explore location etc etc.

Officially the route is called the Senda Litoral but very little of it is yet marked and the theory is it is a pathway joining some of the towns and villages along the coast - but disappointingly, there was too much walking at the side of the road rather than along promenades to say it is all linked up.
A number of times the route showed the only option was walking along the beach.
Very rarely was there a better route available anyway and on a number of occasions I'd cut back down from the road to the shore to see if there was anything like a footpath. Invariably there wasn't (or no more than a hundred metres or so), so it was at the side of the road, cut across a beach and as there are quite a few headlands, the walking along the side of the road thing took over.

Nevertheless, very enjoyable, all done at a relaxing pace and with lots to see.
A melange of phone photos to show you the experience.
Fortifying meal with plenty of elements/rice etc the evening before setting off. Eaten in Malaga -




Not long after setting off from Nerja, to my right, a watch tower. There are innumerable watch towers dotted around initially from the time of the Moors but adopted and adapted by the Christian reconquest. If you see a square watch tower it will always be Christian. If it is round it was from the Moors and taken over. Many round ones were adapted with a wide and curved foot and a similar construction at the top with "murder holes". Some round ones were just left as they are when the Christians swept back through. The only thing you can be sure of is that if it is square, it won't be anything other than Christian (so I've seen in information because where my house is, watch towers are ten a penny) -










This was not so much a watch tower as what was left, the keep, from some castle/fortifications -








I've forgotten where I had this -




Malaga, Plaza de Merced. Went to a Spanish language school just off the square, for what good it did me. Ask me a word to do with building something and I am good at that. Try and string a sentence together about anything else and I'm struggling -




The Roman amphitheatre and behind, the walls of the castle, in Malaga. This was after a few days when I'd walked back to Malaga after flying there, having a night, then catching a bus to Nerja to start the walk. Nerja to Malaga is something like 50km -




Still Malaga. I had a rest day here and even though I regularly visit the city, it's always good to have a walk round. No idea of the name of the church -




Small refreshment -




Still in Malaga, this photo and the next. Lovely city, full of museums and sites of interest. Massive connection with Picasso (born there) so you can't help but trip up over references to him and thus a number of art galleries etc devoted to him -






One day walk from Malaga to Torremolinos. My pack taking pride of place. A Decathlon special and when packed with out the water, just over 7kg -




This is still classed as Torremolinos but at the "Punta de Torremolinos" and looking towards the part of the area called La Carihuela - this lies between "Torre" and Benalmadena -

[mickthecactus]

Sounds excellent Mark. Some nice dishes of food.

[kerouac2]

Looks like quite a nice walk even if it does not convey your sporadic suffering. In any case, it was certainly the best season to do it instead of the middle of summer.

Those two bowls of food seem quite appealing but a bit too crowded. I hope there is not a Spanish tax on the size of serving dishes.

[onlyMark]

They were crowded because of the amount of ingredients allowed as choices. You chose a base, say rice or bulgur, to or three vitamin elements, several protein elements then dressings and toppings. You can't see the rice underneath because of that but you don't have to have all the choices allowed.
The weather was good but for some reason a lot of Spain was suffering from an unusual heatwave for most of the time I as there. On the coast is was two or three degrees above the normal average, so about 28 or 29 degrees instead of 26 or so.
More photos soon.

[casimira]

What a wonderful challenge Mark. I always enjoy your reports from places you've travelled. This one so far appears to be another one.

Those food pics are appealing. they have a quality of crispness for lack of a better word.

I am looking forward to following you on this journey. despite my anticipated envy that I know will happen as I so love walking by the seaside.

I'm curious. Are you taking breaks to go swimming?


 

[onlyMark]

Past tense Casi, I'm home now. I wasn't taking breaks to swim mainly because the places I would swim would have been away from the main tourist beaches, in one of the several secluded coves, but that would have left the problem of then having to spend probably a few more hours all salty and sticky from it. Various bits of me would have been quite uncomfortable and chaffing when I continued walking.

[bixaorellana]

This is lovely, Mark! For those of us not already on the path to full or semi-vegetarianism, you are a great force for conversion with those gorgeous food pictures.

The pictures are great, but I am putting in a request for some captions, please, so I don't have to scroll back & forth to ask questions such as:

1. Is the watchtower in Nerja & watching over your starting point?

2. You write: Officially the route is called the Senda Litoral but very little of it is yet marked and the theory is it is a pathway joining some of the towns and villages along the coast - but disappointingly, there was too much walking at the side of the road rather than along promenades to say it is all linked up.
Does that mean that you followed it regardless, or did you find a more congenial parallel route part of the time?

3. Right below the picture with all the jacarandas, are those Roman-era bleachers & what are the buildings behind? (super photo!!)

4. BIG church w/interesting ruined portion ~ where?

5. Two-tone bldg followed by a church ~ where & where?

6. The last two pictures, with a city scene & a beach scene ~ the same place?

Looking forward to more of your walk.

[onlyMark]

Ah yes, of course, let me put something back in the original post to explain. Give me a minute.

[onlyMark]

Just read back, there is more info now.

[onlyMark]

All the way along the front of Benalmadena is a promenade, several kilometres long and away from the road. This is the last bit that rises back up to walking on the pavement at the side of the road -




These are some random shots between Benalmadena and Fuengirola. Pavement walking -









This is outside the Holiday World Beach Club and named the "Manada de Elefantes". Nice little diversion to look at and still officially in the township of Benalmadena, but only just -




Coming in to Fuengirola, the nice way they decorated the bridge was very appealing -




Had to. Just had to. In Fuengirola. A little 'plaice' I know down a side street called Dory's Chippy -




I had a walk round and several later shots will be of Fuengirola -




Getting hot in the afternoons. Not bothered about ice cream. This is my preference every time -

[mickthecactus]

I take it you went through La Cala?

[bixaorellana]

Jun 2, 2022 17:37:46 GMT onlyMark said:

Just read back, there is more info now.

See how good you are?!

Jun 2, 2022 17:57:58 GMT onlyMark said:

A little 'plaice' I know

The elephants must have given you a turn for a moment!

I know it was hot part of the time, but you sure picked a good time for flowers & great pictures.

[onlyMark]

Jun 2, 2022 19:24:30 GMT mickthecactus said:

I take it you went through La Cala?

Yep, that's how come I had a recent photo of that restaurant.

Bixa, your wish is my command.
There is a period of time in Spain, a little after Easter when the weather warms up, when the poppies come out. Everywhere I go I see these patches of red at the side of the road an in fields. Really attractive. Don't last that long though as the sun soon gets too strong.

[onlyMark]

I've realised I don't actually have any photos of Fuengirola even though I thought I had. The reason being I think is that it's not the prettiest of towns anyway, and the next few I have are from Marbella. Between Fuengirola and where Mick knows, La Cala de Mijas, I think about 9 or 10 km, it was side of the road walking because of the small cliffs making there to be little space on the shore line.
From Cala de Mijas to Marbella is over 20km so from Fuengirola to Marbella I took two days. But, so far I've walked and stayed where I stopped. This time I didn't as there was no suitable hotel. I walked past Cala de Mijas to about the halfway point and jumped on a bus and stayed in Marbella. The next morning I returned to the same point on a bus and continued - but left my pack in the hotel as I was returning to it for the next couple of nights. There was a couple of short sections of walkway but nothing too much of note.

Marbella, Alameda Park. First made around 1761 -








Just below that park is a series of sculptures by Dali.
This one is Perseus beheading Medusa -




No idea what this one is -

[mossie]

Many thanks for taking us along on your little stroll.

[mickthecactus]

Marbella is a funny old place that I’m never sure whether I like it or not.

You’re right about Fuengirola but it’s infinitely better than when I first went to Spain, some 38 years ago.

[onlyMark]

You're welcome Mossie.
38 years ago? You must have just been a nipper.
Yes, Fuengirola is not exactly a town full of cultural buildings and so on but it is attractive as a tourist on holiday and I enjoy going there as it's busy and full of people even this time of year. Lots of things happening and plenty of good restaurants, when you avoid the tourist cafes.
Marbella does have an old town as you know, but it looks a bit artificial, as though it was actually built in the 1980's to represent what an old town should look like.

One thing about prices - I often compared something like what an average cup of coffee would cost or a breakfast tostada (called pitufo I think in the south) and a menu of the day, Menu del Dia.
For every one euro in Nerja, it would also cost the same in Malaga. In Torremolinos/Benalmadena it'd be about one euro twenty. In Fuengirola it'd be back to one euro, probably because of the amount of competition. In Marbella it'd be at least one euro fifty and just a little further in Puerto Banus, anything up to two euros. Obviously the prices follow the wealth of the town, but it did confirm what I thought it would be like.

[mickthecactus]

Some of the best meals I have had in Spain were in Fuengirola.

[tod2]

Lovely pics Mark! I can see why the Brits just love that part of Spain. Everything is so meticulous and clean besides being super beautiful with the petunias and other flowers showing off against the white buildings.

[onlyMark]

I'd like to see how long the flowers last into the summer. I hope they water them regularly.

[casimira]

As predicted in an earlier post I am sick with envy. From the pictures of the seaside, the food, the various types of architecture, this is the kind of adventure I picture myself doing.
I also love the idea of doing this solo. While I enjoy travelling with my husband I much prefer being on my own. (T. takes his time in waking up and dawdles too much as opposed to my being an early riser).

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to vicariously experience myself going on an adventure such as this Mark.

_{As an aside, I imagine that all those plants have a watering system in place. Most municipalities do.}

[onlyMark]

Yes, there are water pipes you can see 5th photo up from the bottom, the area of red flowers.

Mrs M and I fortunately have roughly the same rhythm, though I'm a bit earlier getting up but there is a solution for you for something like this and Mrs M wouldn't object to this at all. You both know where you are going to end up, usually a hotel. So you start off early, he either catches you up en route or if not, you just meet at the hotel later on or at a specific time. There's no real reason at all for you to walk together so you both can just go at our own pace.

[bixaorellana]

Such a beautiful walk. That is admirable that you caught up with yourself, so to speak, by catching the bus back to where you left off the walk.

[you wrote:] There is a period of time in Spain, a little after Easter when the weather warms up, when the poppies come out.
That brings back such a strong & pleasant memory for me. When I was a child & my family lived in Madrid, my brother & I used to go to the movies on Saturdays. We'd cut through a wheat field on the way there & the memory of that bright green young wheat and the intensely red poppies all throughout it is stuck in my head forever.

One of those first photos of the Alameda park in Marbella almost looks as though you suddenly found yourself back in a couple of the places you visited in Colombia. I can see where Marbella is sleekened and sanitized for the tourist trade, but I can also see its charm. It is very pretty!

The only thing I can't take is seeing those high-rise apartments & hotels. I remember Torremolinos so well back in the '50s, when it was a sleepy little low-rise place with only its own charm -- nothing grafted on. Should I ask if you'll be going through there, or wait & be surprised?

It's nice you gave yourself that very English treat, which I imagine in that Brit tourist mecca was quite well made.
I'll bet you fell quite gratefully into bed every night!

Más costa del sol, por favor!

[onlyMark]

Bixa, the last two photos of the first post are Torremolinos. It's not an attractive place so naturally I wasn't particular inclined to linger and take more. It is, as expected, a town of high rises, cheap tat souvenirs but a nice but artificial looking harbour. How you would remember it is completely different. The 'worst' and most ruined place on the coast of Spain is Benidorm. Torremolinos comes second.
Yes, Alameda Park did to me ring bells sort of and though small, was pleasant to cut through.

As for English food, apart from a cheddar cheese and Branston pickle sandwich I had in Fuengirola, which was very, very, nice, I did have fish and chips just once, but in Torremolinos is a Carvery (you know what they are?) restaurant and had that one time as well. That was all.
I had a lot of fish otherwise for lunch or dinner, one time a veg fried rice and one evening when I wasn't particularly anywhere I called at a supermarket and had a picnic in my room. I did though have a late breakfast/brunch that was advertised as a Moroccan breakfast (photo soon) but not quite sure as to its authenticity.

[onlyMark]

The walk continued. From Marbella to a little past San Pedro, via Puerto Banus, is all walkway/promenade. Roughly 12km.




Two walking paths met, a major one and the one I was on, the Senda Litoral. At the bottom of the post it mentions it and was about the only marker post I saw on the whole walk -




The promenade continued for quite some length, though unpaved, but that wasn't a problem -




This was just a pleasant diversion back to the main road and not part of the path -








There had been over time some work done to link places up, this bridge being one of them. It did cut out a longish diversion whereby you'd have had to walk back to the main road, cut over a road bridge and return back down the other side -
 





Approaching Puerto Banus from Marbella it was again paved -




Puerto Banus is one of the most expensive places I'd ever come across. It was a convenient point to have a break that day but I didn't stop to grab anything other than walking inland as far away from the front as possible and calling at a supermarket, which as still quite expensive, for a can of pop, a sit down watching the traffic pass whilst munching on a bread roll. Yes, I can/could afford a better snack, but I just begrudge paying their exorbitant prices.

Nice to see my old yacht was still being kept well -






Following the coast, this is about where, a few km's after Puerto Banus, I had to revert back to cutting in and out, past the hotels and back along mostly the road. Rich people like to fence off their property and not let the peasants pass by -

[mickthecactus]

How did you get from Fuengirola to La Cala de Mijas?

[tod2]

More loveliness - I wish I could read the name on that Super Yacht - I see its not Lady M or Lady Anastasia but I bet you anything is a Russian owned yacht hiding from being seized.

[kerouac2]

Both the Spanish and the French Mediterranean coasts (and probably the Italian coast as well) are remarkable places where the super rich and more ordinary people can intersect without interacting. Of course, that is also true in big cities like Paris and London.

[onlyMark]

Mick, from the harbour in Fuengirola is two or three km south to where the promenade ends and the main road curves back around to follow the coast.
From there it is walking along the side of the road, there are a couple or three small sections with a bit of car parking where there is a beach that can take you away from the road but it was only that, i.e. following the A7 road to, if you know it, Olivia's which is right on the north east corner of the town/village. The main road swings around La Cala and you can walk on the footpath/pavement through there.

This lasts for about 4(?)km, somewhat further than I expected, until you are about 3km from Cabopino. Cabopino is where I stopped for the day, my cousin had a bar there for many years, and on the main road by there is a well known camping place. This has a bus stop virtually outside and I caught the bus into Marbella, returning to the camping site the next morning to continue back into Marbella.

Tod, it's called the Lady Haya. Owned by the Saudi Royal Family (Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz). Was owned by British beauty queen. It is 65m long and there is info on the internet about it if you fancy buying it.

K2, as with many, the super rich hold no attraction for me though I bet there are many around there who just have an ambition to rub shoulders with them.

[htmb]

Enjoying reading about your walk, Mark. Did you book lodging ahead of time at your stops along the way?