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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3072
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25th February 2017
Hiking - Walking: Cabo Cope Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny and warm Max Speed: Distance Covered: 3.5 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Saturday 25th February – Hike ***** Cabo Cope – sunny and warm:) –
Out 3 hours 40 mins covering 3 ½ miles
Very quiet night perched on the edge high above the Med. Parque Regional
Cabo Cope and woke to a nice sunrise too:) Managed our exercises even if a
little chilly with a bit of a breeze blowing through the Coll so after
porridge we headed down the windy road to the coast. We followed a group
of cyclists to Cope past a small beach with about 20 white elephants (thats
our code for big white campervans) crammed in stopping at the lovely Cope.
When we reached the car park for the Cope proper it consisted of two
villas, a flowery shrine, a fort, famous for repelling pirates, and
fossilized sand dunes which are very special and protected. Part of the
reason this has become a National Park. There is an amazing rocky range of
hills out into the sea making up Cabo Cope. There was lots of notice boards
telling you about fauna and flora, also showing a circular walk from Cope
to Calabardina the small town just around the corner featuring a couple of
trips up the hill to view points. As it was a really nice day, much better
on the coast than inland up in the hills which were shrouded in cloud we
decided to pack a picnic, switch on the gps and head for the hills!
The walk started off up the road to the little shrine/hermitage turning
left past the villas and over a small park to the start of the rocky
scramble up to the first vantage point, we followed white and yellow
markers passing several more information boards telling us there were
Bonelli’s Eagles and Tortoises! We thought pull the other one as this
seemed the most unluckily spot to see a wild tortoise!!! We soon reached
the first panoramic peak, sitting to watch three fishermen on the rocks far
below trying their luck in the crystal clear blue water with great views of
the fort and up to where we spent last night. This seemed a dead end and
for the walk we had set out on you had to go back the way we came and go on
a boring path at the foot of the hills. The path heading up the steep hill
which looked likely had a cross mark on it meaning don’t go that way. We
were going to go down when four Spanish walkers turned up lead by a man in
blue who was nearly running up. While his three mates took five, taking off
jumpers and embarrassingly going for a wee (!) the leader was halfway up
the steep path! Then as the others followed we thought well why not live
dangerously and follow them! Although the path was very steep to start with
it was a well-used route being marked by rows of rocks and small cairns
with the views just getting better and better as we got higher and higher:)
We took our time taking several short rests and taking in the scenery. Our
sweatshirts were long gone as it got warmer and so were the four Spanish
hikers we were following! We just went up and down from peak to peak as the
path followed the ridge, watching the Crested larks flit about surrounded
by the most beautiful wild flowers all in bloom. Then on our third or
fourth peak Mag screams out TORTOISE!!!!! we couldn’t believe it!! It
was one of the most amazing wild things we have ever seen as the little
black and green tortoise came out onto the path between us. It was only six
inches long but boy could it move as it tried it’s best to get away from
us. It kept taking its head and legs in and out with a sigh every time!
We left it to its own devices, not touching it, but I did get some nice
pics:) That really made our day :)
Getting a little hungry now we looked for a spot for lunch, by this time we
could see around the corner with the small town of Calabardina spread out
below us. No high-rise and a nice sandy beach with a few boats bobbing in
the bay – very nice it looked and just no one about! We came to the
second path up, the one we would have come up on if we had taken the boring
route. Then, marked by a concrete post on the next peak, the viewing point
overlooking the town. Making it to the top we stopped for a great picnic in
the warm sunshine with stunning views, it doesn’t get much better than
this:) Refreshed we began the walk down past loads of caves in the red
rock. Back on the flat at the bottom we were treated to a Bonelli’s
Eagle soaring high above us – huge he was too!! Deciding we were too
knackered to walk to Calabardina we walked back to the van and drove there.
We tried to find somewhere to stop for a cuppa and stay the night. There
were a couple of great spots just down the coast but for the first time
here in Spain there was a no campervan sign:( So we returned to where we
had seen all the old duffer campers parked this morning but the quiet spot
on the edge of them had gone. We then we spied a little camper on a higher
track heading down the coast. So, for the third time today we followed the
Spanish who lead us to a remote spot and we parked on the edge of a little
sandy bay. We set up for the night and after a cuppa and cake Mag decided
she wanted a paddle so we both walked the length of the bay as the surfy
waves broke cold water over our toes collecting the multi-coloured stones.
Back to the van for chicken escallops and potatoes with a cool sunset and
the waves picking up splashing on the rocks just below the van – top
day:)
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