Spanish Trip 6 - Cabo de Gata to Delta de l'Ebre

21 - 25 October

Take the long way home

On arrival in the Cabo de Gata area we dutifully followed the helpful signs to our chosen campsite. We had just taken the last turning when a lady in a car flagged us down and told us the campsite was closed. We found out later that this was due to the horrendous weather they had in south east Spain in September. So we diverted to an alternative site, which was just a bit further from where we had planned to be.

John and I had a short walk to the "beach" in the late afternoon. This is a former volcanic area and the landscape looked rather lunar. In fact, this location has been used for numerous film sets.

Next day we drove back to the Cabo de Gata lighthouse, which is supposed to be good to photograph but we didn't think it was especially wonderful.

However, we did stop at a bird hide near the salt pans and saw a large number of flamingos in the distance wading at a great pace through the water as they fed.  You will need to zoom in!!!

Next morning we woke to heavy rain, as forecast, and set off towards Valencia. The landscape in the Cabo de Gata area is at times obliterated by huge plastic tunnels and greenhouses, making it look really unattractive, but we aren't sure exactly what is grown in them.

Approaching Valencia the regional crop became oranges, or probably clementines. This led me to do a bit of googling and I quote

“Blessed with fertile soil and a sunny Mediterranean climate, the plains around the city, stretching up to the aptly named Costa de Azahar or orange blossom coast in Castellon, produce tons of citrus fruits every year.  From November, when the first clementines appear, to the late navel harvests in May, Valencia is a true orange feast!”

The site we had chosen was actually on the edge of the Albufera Natural Park where infrastructure has been removed to reclaim the land for a nature reserve. Good weather had resumed and we had a pleasant walk to the beach next morning 

and later did a short bike ride on an excellent cycle track through the pine forest, which actually goes right into Valencia 12 miles away. Valencia would definitely warrant a return visit, as it has some amazing modern architecture as well as an old town and in the Albufera Natural Park you can take a trip on old fishing boats on the lagoon from El Palmar.

Then north through the edge of a rather busy Valencia (was that really the best route, satnav?) along the coast (Costa del Azahar) past some areas of densely packed high-rise hotels to the aire at Delta de Lebre.  After a quick lunch in the van we went off on our bikes, using the cycle lanes between the now-flooded rice fields.

This is not the best time to see lots of different birds but with guidance from the experts, Barbara and Clive, we spotted grey heron, great white egret, cattle egret, little egret, glossy black ibis, marsh harrier, swamp hen, sandpiper, as well as assorted ducks and gulls and the turquoise flash of two kingfishers. The mosquitoes came out in force from early evening so we stayed holed up in the 'van out of their reach. This was our last night in Spain and next morning we set off north towards the French border. It was a beautiful clear morning and the mountains stood out against the sky like cardboard cut outs.