Diary of a Walker – Baz
Welcome to this traveller blog from Barry F (Baz), sharing his experience of a week-long walking holiday on the sun-drenched Costa de la Luz in southern Spain. Staying at the beautiful Vila Gale hotel on Isla Canela, Baz and his fellow walkers explored some of Andalusia’s most spectacular natural landscapes – from the tidal marshes of Rio Pedras and the wildlife-rich shores of La Guardiana, to the iconic flamingo lagoons of Doñana National Park and the wild-west charm of El Rocio. With temperatures soaring to 30°C, vibrant birdlife at every turn, and an expert local guide on hand throughout, this Costa de la Luz holiday proved to be a nature lover’s dream. Whether you’re planning your own trip to this stunning corner of Spain or simply love discovering hidden Andalusian gems, read on for Baz’s day-by-day account of an unforgettable week with Involved Holidays.
This is my third holiday with Involved Holidays and my second visit to Spain. My first visit to Spain was to the Sierra Nevada and the Alcadimar hotel in Lanjaron. I thought that this holiday had a lot to live up to, but it did not disappoint. This holiday appealed to my love of nature and was the main reason for wanting to book it. In our guide, I found a kindred (but younger) spirit. His knowledge of the local wildlife and environment lifted this holiday from good to great for me. From meeting him at the airport to the final morning, when he came in at 6.30am to make sure that Sue and I got away for our early flight, nothing was too much trouble for him. Muchas gracias, Jorge Garcia and Involved Holidays!!!!
Day 1: Isla Canela & Vila Gale
Following slight delays at passport controls due to the new biometric requirements, we arrived at Faro and were met by our guide for the week, Jorge Garcia. He escorted us to the taxi rank and sent us to Isla Canela and the Vila Gale hotel resort in Spain. The drive took about an hour and we arrived at the hotel early in the day. After unpacking and getting changed, we met in the lobby and walked down to the marina for lunch in the pub/restaurant Neptuna.
At 6pm, we met our fellow walkers and Jorge in the lobby before going for our first meal. The food was excellent and plentiful, some cooked to order and it stayed that way for the entire holiday.
Day 2: Alcoutim & La Guardiana
After breakfast, we were taken by minibus for our first walk around the nature reserve of Alcoutim. It was a hot day (around 30oC, which was to be the usual for every day of the holiday), but the walk was good. This was largely due to Jorge and his comprehensive knowledge of the ecology and, in particular, the bird life of the area. One great spot was Great Bustard in the distance.
After Alcoutim, we climbed into the minibus to be transported to our next stop… La Guaridana, the river that separates Spain from Portugal. La Guardiana is a tidal river and was used in the past by pirates and smugglers.The terrain was undulating and covered in mimosa, stone pines and cacti. Despite the flora, the walk itself reminded me of the lower path at Hawkstone Park Follies, a path I’ve walked many times (usually with a back-pack blower, strimmer or a shoulder full of timber).
In one of the tributaries of La Guardiana, the masts of ships could just be seen poking up through the canopy. We didn’t see much in the way of fauna, but we did see lots of Bee Eaters and were blessed with the melodious song of the Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus). One of our company, Kath, struggled a bit with the heat and the rolling country, but at the age of 86 she had every right to do so. I was walking with her at the back of the pack, making sure that she was okay. Jorge kept checking on us, but we managed it.
The beer that was waiting for us on the table when we finally caught up with the rest of the group was absolutely delicious… it barely touched the sides. No problem, as Jorge quickly supplied a second one with some tapas.
Day 3: Free Day
Being a Free Day, we were left to our own devices. We planned to hire pushbikes from outside the hotel, but other visitors beat us to them. So, Ann, June, Sue and myself opted for a walk down to the marina, taking in some of the unusual flora and not so unusual fauna along the way.
From the marina, we took a short ferry trip across the waters to Isla Christina for a walk around the village there. On the recommendation of the ferryman, Fernando, we took lunch in a small pub by the gates to the fish dock. The pub was called The Fisherman and was the haunt of the local fishermen (and Fernando’s Hideaway), being situated right outside the dock gates. The food was good and so cheap. After lunch, we had to leg it at bit to catch the ferry back before stopping off at a marina café for a glass of wine and to take in the sea and the sky. Not a bad day at all.
Day 4: Rio Pedras & El Rompido
Today’s adventures took us to the marshlands of the Rio Pedras and the fishing village of El Rompido.
The walk was flat and the paths were good, the only downside was the mosquitoes were peckish! Cue the insect repellent. From the paths we had good views across the brackish, tidal flats and the birds that graced them. Unfortunately, my camera didn’t have the range for really good shots, but some came out okay.
We saw Azure-winged Magpies, Wood Chat Shrike and Hoopoes.. There were also a lot of Sardinian Warblers, but they were too small and fast to see properly. The vegetation was dominated by Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), also called the Umbrella pine because of its shape in mid-maturity and it is pruned to maintain this shape. Once again, a big thanks to Jorge and his comprehensive knowledge of this area.
From Rio Pedras we drove to El Rompido. This is a lovely, blue and white fishing village with a church dedicated to Saint Carmen, who looks after fishermen.
Day 5: Seville
Today was the optional excursion to Seville. After discussions between the group and Jorge, we agreed to pay 10EU each to employ a professional, certified guide to take us around the city. The city was beautiful! There is no other word for it. Our guide was Christina who we met at the Plaza de Espana, a magnificent building designed and built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. The façade of the building includes tiled panels representing each of the districts of Spain.
From Plaza de Espana, we made our way across the city to the Royal Tobacco Factory, giving a wave to El Cid along the way. The Royal Tobacco Factory goes back to the times when the King of Spain held the monopoly on tobacco imports from the Americas. The tobacco was processed here from 1758 by local
women and turned into snuff. It was of huge economic benefit for the King and country. It must have been the most ornately constructed factories in the world. As the centuries passed and the monopoly was lost, it dwindled in importance and since 1950 has been the seat of the rectorate of the University of Seville.
Next stop was the cathedral and its tower, a former minaret from its days as a mosque. It was here that realised just how small the people of Seville are! Along the way we took in a rest stop in small plaza and the variety and splendour of the buildings and, in contrast the modernity of the tram system that runs alongside the traditional horse and carriages.
Seville, the most beautiful of cities.
Day 6: El Rocio and Doñana National Park
Today was the day that I had been looking forward to the most, so after breakfast we set
out for El Rocio and the Doñana National Park. El Rocio has one tarmac road that runs through it; all other roads are made of sand. Why sand? Well, this town is more like a town of the Spanish wild west and everybody (well almost) rides horses. Bars have rails to hitch your ride to, set beneath raised flat logs that act as tables, so that you don’t have to dismount to drink your beer and eat your tapas! I almost expected to see Californian noblemen chasing Zorro through the streets. And, just like any respectable wild west town of the Spanish colonies, a magnificent church with more gold inside than Fort Knox. Amazing.
El Rocio lies at the edge of a very large lagoon, known as the Mother of the Marshes because when it overflows it floods the Las Marismas, the Guadalquivir Marshes. The lagoon is a haven for waterfowl; flocks of flamingos sift through the silt whilst Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and Black-winged Stilts paddle amongst them. Overhead, black kites soar and wheel, completely ignored by the waders below. We had a bit of rain today, but it was quite enjoyable. After the main lagoon we moved inland to the overgrown lagoons of Las Marismas, before returning to Vila Gale. Tomorrow would be our final full day at the resort.
Day 7: Free Day at the Resort
Today was our last day here in Andalusia, but we hadn’t finished exploring yet. Ann, Sue and I finally got to hire the bikes and went for a tour through the resort and the estuarine marshes. Along the way, we passed a fishing boat that seemed to have suffered a malfunction with her navigational computer.
After the ride, we walked to the marina for a final spot of lunch and glass of wine. Sort of finishing off were we started! It’s been a great holiday, fantastic hotel and wonderful group. The icing on the cake was, of course, Jorge, who made the guided walks exceptional. Here are some photos from our final day and the Vila Gale hotel. Thank you, Involved Holidays.
Clockwise from me:
Sue, Anthea, Martin, Janice, Philippa, Kath, Barbara, Mary, Mike, Helen, June, Sue, Ann,
Margaret.
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