Hiking – Page 2 – Judy and Valerie On the Road

Orgiva – the Alpujarras

Hurrah, back in Orgiva in the Alpujarras after an absence of several years.

Lovely walks around the beautiful hills and villages. Four walks in six days is pretty good for us! On one walk we decided to try to walk back on the GR-7 path but kept losing the waymarks finally realised there was far too far to go and we needed to catch the last bus down the mountain this involved us climbing over a barbed wire fence and sliding down a steep bank to get to the road where we were able to wave down the bus!

Also went to a yoga class in Orgiva

And now off to Extremadura where we’ve not been before but has been recommended to us by people we’ve met on the campsite.

Cabo de Gata

Cabo de Gata is Europe’s only desert. It’s a Nature Reserve and people say that this is what the coast of Spain used to be like. Of course it’s a little sanctuary in the corner of the ‘garden’ of Spain, so you have to drive through wall-to-wall ‘plasticos’ before you reach it. But once there, wow it’s beautiful.

We visited a few years ago but it was in late June and it was much too hot, but early May is a good time. Lots of walking routes, temperature low to mid 20s with a lovely breeze. 12 miles the first day, 7 the second and another 12 miles the third. The campsites there are all fairly large but at this time of the year there are not many people and the facilities are good.

Plenty of windmills as it’s a pretty windy place

For our last night we stayed on a camperstop – the car park by the beach of a fishing village, intending to buy some fish in the morning. But they were all much too big for us!!!

Trek into the Forest

Went on a 16km trek in the forest. It was very hot with a very steep ascent. On the way we saw …

and

Walk to Cape Tainaro

A wonderful walk to the second most southerly point of mainland Europe. Parked the van on a lay by and set off following our walking book. A good day for walking – a bit cloudy. We set off early to do the walk in the morning and then drive on to Monemvasia in the afternoon (more of that in another post).

Guess who with lighthouse of Cape Tainaro

Walk from Sotiranika to Kardamyli

Went on a great walk yesterday. We got the early bus to Sotiranika from Stoupa then walked across the gorge ate our sandwiches in Kambos under a shady tree in the plateia and then followed tracks back down to Kardamyli where Valerie had a swim. Didn’t go wrong too many times but it always takes us twice as long as the book says

On the old stone bridge across the gorge

Found a little Gem near Stoupa

Spending a few days in the campsite at Stoupa ( the only campsite down this coast – fortunately it’s fine) and went for a walk in the hills today. In the village of Kastania found an amazingly beautiful 1000 year old Byzantine church – Agios Petros.

And inside it was stunning. The first amazing thing was that it was unlocked and then it was covered in beautiful frescos!

It’s amazing to realise that this is how all these churches would have been