There are a number of geographic features around this region of Spain: small mountains, terraced hillsides (manmade) and huge rock formations along the coast. Like any good tourist I wanted to climb Calpe's. It wasn't too bad. I call this post 'tower of Babel' because hiking up the rock I heard Spanish, French, German and English to name a few.
This is the Pinon (as in my o-
pinion) de Ifach.
Mon and the boys hiked up to the visitor's center.
Lots of seagulls and native plants. We went swimming at this beach later in the week.
First part of the hike was pretty effortless. 14 switchbacks. Calpe received a grant from the EU to help improve the trail.
One tunnel cut through the shoulder of the Pinon. Good reason for the rope. You're blind from being in the sun and the well worn rock is really slippery.
On the other end of the tunnel a lot of the path looked like this: chards of rock.
The first picture of the panoramic from the top. In the distance is the town Benidorm, inhabited by a large British population.
There is a German enclave in Calpe. Much of this neighborhood is German transplants.
Behind Calpe is a salt lake used in previous times to harvest sea salt. Now it's used as a rest stop for flamingoes. Morfar treated us to paella at a restaurant along the beach.
Some other hikers actually from Spain. Calpe below.
The concrete post is the highest point.
Far right.
Camel 'back' of the Pinon. Most of the hike is a zig zag near vertical crawl up this. 'Trail' optional at times.
Top of the Pinon. This picture was taken by a French couple who I took a picture of with their camera. It was a good hike but definitely not Everest. Still, probably do it again next time. From here morfar's house is about 10 o'clock over my right shoulder on the hillside.
This is the Pinon (as in my o-pinion) de Ifach.
Mon and the boys hiked up to the visitor's center.
Lots of seagulls and native plants. We went swimming at this beach later in the week.
First part of the hike was pretty effortless. 14 switchbacks. Calpe received a grant from the EU to help improve the trail.
One tunnel cut through the shoulder of the Pinon. Good reason for the rope. You're blind from being in the sun and the well worn rock is really slippery.
On the other end of the tunnel a lot of the path looked like this: chards of rock.
The first picture of the panoramic from the top. In the distance is the town Benidorm, inhabited by a large British population.
There is a German enclave in Calpe. Much of this neighborhood is German transplants.
Behind Calpe is a salt lake used in previous times to harvest sea salt. Now it's used as a rest stop for flamingoes. Morfar treated us to paella at a restaurant along the beach.
Some other hikers actually from Spain. Calpe below.
The concrete post is the highest point.
Far right.
Camel 'back' of the Pinon. Most of the hike is a zig zag near vertical crawl up this. 'Trail' optional at times.
Top of the Pinon. This picture was taken by a French couple who I took a picture of with their camera. It was a good hike but definitely not Everest. Still, probably do it again next time. From here morfar's house is about 10 o'clock over my right shoulder on the hillside.
2 comments:
Wow...great pics John! Thanks for sharing your travels...they are places I know I will never see but in pics!
Looks like the hike was worth it!
Margaret
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