20.4 km today.
20.4 km this trip.
864.7 km from start.
0 metres minimum height.
23 metres maximum height.
34 metres ascent.
37 metres descent.
Track Log: Logged.
Travel: Bus.
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2006-12-21-Malaga-to-Rincon-de-la-Victoria.gpx
2006-12-21-Malaga-to-Rincon-de-la-Victoria.kml
Beach, road and golden mile.
We caught the early bus from Rincón de la Victoria to Málaga. It was still dark. At Málaga, we started walking at 08:45 local time. The sun had not yet risen and it was quite cold. We headed east, dropping in on the railway station looking for a possible day out for Mini. The trains to Álora looked promising.
As we escaped from the busy city centre, the sun rose. It warmed up nicely and we took to the beaches and golden miles. On our right was the sea. On our left were coastal villages and suburbs with mountains in the distance. The Goliat cement factory is a major landmark with its tall processing tower and chimney.
Neil and I both wake up at 5am starving and with a headache. I can smell toast but none materialises so I go in the kitchen and make some together with a large strong fierce (undecaffeinated) coffee. This with an almogran sets me up for the day.
I read Death in Holy Orders, not a religious book but a crimi by P.D. James until it is time to leave. Once at the bus stop, we see lots of buses go by but none stops. They are directo, escolars and universidads. Eventually at 7.45 a stopping bus arrives and we get on. It is 1 euro 20 each - nearly a pound for a journey which takes over half an hour!
Once in Málaga I go to the Alsina Graells kiosk to get timetables and see a telebanco (cash machine) just beyond them. I go and get some more euros so we are again solvent. Then we get some timetables for our next leg before heading off to the vlak (railway) station where we have to go through a security check like at a hairyport (airport) to get on to the platform to find out times. There is a train at 12.15 to Alora which we could go on for a day out with Mini.
Now at last, we can start the walk. It is now 9.00 hours. The station is called Vialia Maria Zambrano Station. We have passed a Macdonald's on our way to the sea. Some of the traffic lights have got green men who walk along and then start running when the light is about to change. As a country bumpkin, I find this very amusing.
The station is very new and has a shopping mall. The old station had a lot more character. We had hoped to go through a park to go along this stretch but it has obras (roadworks) in it and we have to go round it and circumvent the port. We carry on until we get to the far side of the port, and then have our first break. We have done 3.3 km and have a reindeer's ball.
We then continue along the coast. Most of the time there is a firm unmade up track at the top of the beach and this is what we use. After 6.6km we have our first lunch. It is only 11am but, having had breakfast at 5am, we are hungry. The walk gets nicer and nicer as we go. We keep seeing Varaderos. These are places where men draw boats up the beach. You are not recommended to swim there.
At 12.30 we have our second lunch after 9.9km.
Neil sees some algarves (agaves) algarving (throwing up a shoot) on a sunny cliffside.
At 12.12km we have our tea - half a geobar. Neil's fizzy drink has given him hips (Hiccoughs).
We get through the cliffs by using a series of tunnels. Just outside Málaga we passed through an archaeological site called. We thought they were the caves of the treasure - actually, these caves were unnamed and the caves of the treasure were a little further along.
We didn't see any treasure (now we know why) but some horticulture students were creating a lovely garden on the access road.
At 15.15 km we have a chocolate santa - our last break. We arrive home at 4pm. The walk was 20.4 km. It was a cool 10 degrees first thing and warmed to a pleasant 20 degrees in the afternoon.