22.3 km today.
127.7 km this trip.
972 km from start.
0 metres minimum height.
117 metres maximum height.
233 metres ascent.
175 metres descent.
Track Log: Logged.
Travel: Bus.
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2006-12-29-Almunecar-to-Motril.gpx
2006-12-29-Almunecar-to-Motril.kml
Busy mountain coast road with occasional beach and bypasses.
It's not possible to get an early bus from Rincón to Almuñecar so we took an early taxi to Torre del Mar bus station. From there we caught the first bus to Almuñecar. We left the Almuñecar bus station just before sun rise. This walk included long stretches on the main road. The hilly terrain and ravines ensured that there were few escapes. The approach to Motril was especially unpleasant. The road was built on a raised causway from which there was no escape. The route was through a region we have coined "Google Void". Google Earth has low resolution images so advance planning and main road avoidance is much less easy. In spite of this, there were fine mountain and sea views including the Sierra Nevada looming in the east. We were in a hurry too because we wanted to catch an earlier bus. This was to avoid a cold long wait at Motril bus station. Salobreña was interesting. There was a tall fortress hill where the town had been built up the hillside.
The route involved some climbing away from sea level making the walk more interesting.
Today we took Antonio's taxi to Torre del Mar and got there much too early. We had 30 minutes wait and neither the duck shop nor Eroski was open. Our bus came in eventually and we went all the way to Almuñecar. Yesterday we were on the Almería Seville bus. Today we are on the Málaga Almería bus. We arrive at Almuñecar at 8.45. The driver seemed surprised that we wanted to go there and checked that that really was our destination but it was. Luckily, it was less cold in Torre this morning - no wind.
We head for the sea. It is cold and we go fast, making good time to the at end of the beach. Here we have a quick break as it is still chilly. Neil is sitting in my sun but he says I am sitting in his shade. Well I did sit down first but yes his bag was located near where he sat down.
Yesterday because we had a lot of heavy shopping, we decided to try an earlier bus stop to see if it was nearer. It wasn't. It's nice to walk further if you have heavy shopping. Once past the torre, we leave the beach and head uphill to the fierce.
Once on the fierce we keep going on the verge where possible, on the old road where it is still there. The traffic is appalling today. I can't imagine what it must be like in the summer.
We have elevenses at what Neil called cucumber tower, similar to its real name which I forget. There is a telephone mast uphill and a stunning view over the valley and coast. We are now at Salobreña. There is a lovely track on our right which, if we could have gone on it, would have been nice. Once we get round the tureen (ravine) we go down into Salobreña. There is a fenced eucalyptus grove on the right. Finding a place for lunch is proving problematic. Eventually beyond the town, we head uphill towards a 13th century Moorish castle. We have lunch in a children's playground.
We pass a lettuce field with a stream running alongside it. We get wet felties (feet). It is hot now and we take off our legs. There are some more heart's desire convolvulus type flowers. Neil fails to photograph them again. We see several nogs.
We use the Granada Ausfahrt (exit) to get across the fierce. There is so much traffic on it, I don't know how you could cross it otherwise. Our next leg is in flatter country and I am hoping the route will be less on roads or at least less on trunk roads.
We enter Motril at 3.00 and make our way through it. Once in the centre, we find a sign to the bus station but the direction is ambivalent so we ask where the bus station is. It is arriba arriba. We go arriba arriba and I check again. It is still arriba arriba (uphill uphill). We go arriba arriba again and I ask yet again. It is still arriba arriba. At last we see buses turning off the road. We've arrived.
I get tickets for the 3.45 bus which is already waiting for us. I don't have time to get spedunculers (information) for La Rábita but we can get them next time. We are on the same bus as yesterday but get an earlier connection in Torre. We pick up some drinks in Las Gaviotas and get home by six. Tomorrow will be a rest day. Nice. We are going to get a pollo asado and eat it on the beach.
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