Winter Walkabout, Mediterranean coast

Sunday, 9 Feb 2025

We avoid the national road and accept some wilderness in return.

Arroyo de los Colmenarejos, a dry river that is very nice for hiking

A tributary has cut a hole through the rock. This gives us a natural bridge.

We cross small mountains to reach the next valley: Río de la Miel. There we visit Hermann, with whom I cycled from southern Germany to southern Spain in 2008 and 2009.

When we see lots of fruit on the ground in a large, unfenced finca, we can't resist. We found lots of oranges here.

We are on the Mediterranean and spend the night at Playa Alberquillas. Pascale has a good tent weighing only 600 grams. She used it on a long hike from Argentina to Peru.

There are two wild boars here that have got used to people and are no longer shy.

One wild boar comes so close to us that we can almost stroke it. But as there is nothing to eat here, they go away again voluntarily.

Monday

Some alternative people have settled on this beach and created this beautiful mandala. On previous hikes, we could easily walk around the rock at the top left of the photo. In the meantime, however, the sea has washed away so much sand that the rock protrudes into the water...

...but there is an alternative way that we are going up.

Some of the people live in tents, other in this house. They are friendly and keep the beach clean.

Sven looks like a ruler of the Mediterranean...

...and now it's Pascal's turn.

200 kilometres to Africa.

Last night was very humid. We take a siesta and dry our clothes.

We have walked up the Río Jate and are sleeping under olive trees that have been heavily pruned. The owner comes by and tells us that we can make a fire from the prunings. We enjoy it.

Tuesday

The next morning he comes round again and tells us that he wants to burn all the cuttings. So we make an even bigger fire.

I know the wood sorrel in Germany with white flowers. Here in Spain there is another species with yellow flowers. You can eat it, but only a little, as it contains oxalic acid and tastes sour.

Sometimes it turns the whole landscape yellow.

The "avocado-restaurant" of the walkabout

Avocado trees treated with herbicides on the left, organic on the right.

The "cherimpya-restaurant" of the walkabout

Near Almuñécar, we get to the Mediterranean again. We take a break to enjoy the last of the sun.

This is probably red algae clinging to the rock on the surface of the water.

Wednesday

This wild goat is no longer afraid of humans either.

I take a break in this cave. I am alone now. Pascale stoppt in La Herradura, Sven stays one day longer at a beach.

The view from the cave

Two more caves that I didn't discover yet

I pass the Playa Alberquillas again.

On the way there, we were able to walk past this rock without any problems. Now I strip naked, put my clothes in my rucksack and make it, but get a bit wet.