7 Feb 2009 - Granadella Recce Walk

David and Rosemary invited Jan and I to accompany them on a recce to find an easier route from Colbre del Sol to Granadella beach. In particular David wanted to avoid the long walk along the baranco (dry river bed)

The walk starts from the riding stables at Combre del Sol and we had to find a path down to the beach at Granadella.

We found the path ok, and were soon on the pebble strewn beach. We had the beach to ourselves, apart from this hungry little cat

I expect he makes a fuss of all the visitors, and gets handouts as his reward

This cat obviously knows just how to get his way with David and Jan

Although bright and sunny, it was still cold enough on the beach for coats

Last treat for puss

This shot looks more like UK than Spain

We left the beach and climbed the long, winding road to the view point above

Granadella beach from the viewpoint

Then its along the coastal path, with lovely views out to sea

The old Spanish fort destroyed by a British ship during the Napoleonic Wars was to be our lunch picnic spot

This has always been my favourite part of the whole walk

There is a comfortable wall to sit on and enjoy the quiet

The views are some of the best along the whole coast

Rosemary, Jan and I trying to keep smiling while David takes the photo

This is a very sheltered spot, and Jan is soon warm enough to remove her coat

None of us were in a great hurry to leave this lovely spot

After lunch it is straight up the hill. The path is not very clear and we had to search to find it

Once found the path is quite easy to follow

Its quite a steep climb, so we stop for a drink stop

Its a narrow path on the top which makes Jan a little nervous

At the far end of the ridge we come to this mirador (view point)

We have David to thank for this nice photo

David and Rosemary enjoy the break

The weather improved during the walk, and it was now quite warm

There used to be a wooden roof on this mirador, but a storm blew it off

Jan gets ready for the last stretch

From the Mirador its a level walk on good paths back to the car

We all agreed that this route was a great improvement on the usual walk, but we decided to try it in reverse to avoid the horrible hill climb on the road after the beach.