12.8 km today.
151.9 km this trip.
1694.2 km from start.
1 metres minimum height.
196 metres maximum height.
206 metres ascent.
252 metres descent.
Track Log: Logged.
Travel: Bus, Train.
Download ...
2008-03-30-000-Xabia-to-Denia.kml
2008-03-30-000-Xabia-to-Denia.gpx
Quiet lanes, mountain paths, coastal path, short urban stretch.
We took the bus from Altea to Xàbia. This walk was nicer than expected. The short stretch through Xàbia was pleasant. About 1km from the town centre we found a sign to Walking Route 2. This seemed to be a silly place for it because you'd need to know the route to find the sign! The route soon changed to a narrow cistus lined path. This lead all the way from Xàbia to the north coast near Dénia. The path goes past a clay pigeon shooting range. It was slightly un-nerving to have spent shot raining out of the sky. At the north coast there was a well-used path almost all the way to Dénia. The port area and the road to the station were as nice as such routes can be.
We returned to Altea by train. A large number of cubs, brownies, guides and scouts with camping gear got onto the train. They must have had a hard and interesting itinerary because they were sleeping in heaps! Picture a large disorganised pile of ruc-sacs and children filling every space in an entire railway carriage. Perhaps this is how to keep children off the streets.
Again because we are nervous we go to Altea. The bus does pick up at Garganes so we can pick it up there next time we need it. We are glad the clocks have changed and that our bus goes at 8.25. This means that we get up at exactly the same time as usual. On our way to the bus stop a black cat crosses our path and at the Rio Guadalest bridge a small white egret is feeding. These are two good omens.
We climb up out of Jávea and join up with road signed with walkers on it saying Ruta 2. We are excited. We carry on up. It is warm and we take off our hellys and lergs. Our route is taking us nearer the sea than I had imagined. I was looking forward to going round the contour of Montgó which I had had to cut short last time. Then we get to a sign which says Montgó left and a cove straight on. Neil's woo is straight on. We are only going on the foothills of Montgó and the rest is lower down near the sea. We head across garden country. Actually Montgó couldn't be nicer than this. It's just the biggest mountain in the area and I wanted to go on it. We find we are going too close to the sea and have to turn back but turning back here is a pleasure. We see pale gladiolas, muscari and what I call bellvardia but is actually diaper or something. It is an orangey brown hyacinth.
We pass a house where there are Czech cars outside. We entertain ourselves by trying recall as much Czech as we can and some of the more entertaining English as spoken by Czech people. "Nail! You are good cock. Later they corrected this to "Nail! You are good cooker". In order not to go to the cove we turn left. We had heard a lot of shooting and now find ourselves crossing the Peligro Zona de Tirar zone. Well we headshots being fired and pellets landing but not at or on us. Our route takes us across the tureen and then down past an abandoned building project to the sea. Lots of Spanish people are having mariscos or walking along the marine parade which extends all the way to the harbour. We see a great big ship come in probably from Eivissa.
We wonder if this would be a nice place to come with Mini but it isn't because the marine parade stops at the harbour and the station is still some distance away. Likewise at Little Venice in Jávea. We get to the station at 3.00 and there is a train at 3.50. Just time for a healthy bar and a chance to get cool. We go one or two stops and are then joined by a party of scouts coming back from camp. They had backpacks bigger than themselves and sleeping rolls so they had obviously been to camp. Many were so tired they fell asleep on the train as we did. Iit was hot, airless and soporific. Then at Calp, everybody out to get in the buses. There was an extra bus for the children. Just as well because we wouldn’t have all fitted in the other one. The pulsing button was broken so we got out in Altea and walked back. I got s cheap shower curtain to go with my other curtains and Neil made spaghetti Bolognese for supper. Tomorrow I am making quails (out of a tin).
Website problems: Please mail Neil.
© C N Bauers: 2003 to 2024