Spain 2026

 We decided to come to Guardamar a little earlier this year from January 12 th until March 9th, mainly to get away from the rain and bad weather. Although we knew that Guardamar can be a cold month, the temperatures are higher and with less rainfall.

We're  now at the last day of January with a bright sky but severe winds all day, so an orange weather warning is in place. So far we have had some good days with temperatures in the low 20s but generally around 14 to 17 C in the daytime. 

I have bought a second-hand  electric cycle that allows me to keep-up with Helen and also go a little further a field. Unfortunately one of our favourite routes to La Marina is impassable because of engineering works near the harbour. We did try when we first came but got our bikes so muddied that we had to go to the car-wash to clean them.  Since then we have found another route that is longer but on farm roads and cycleways or minor roads.

A good example of the variability

in the weather is our walk yesterday in bright sunshine (highest temperature about 19 C) with no wind or later a gentle breeze that helped keep us cool whilst walking. We took the 10.20 bus to Santa Pola, coffee at the bus station there, and then walked to the road to Meleja where the gravel track on the PR-CV 061, a local sender, begins (yellow and white markers). This track continues straight to the lighthouse with plenty of waymarkers and finger posts.

The first finger post near Meleja showing the PR -CV 061.

The long track to the lighthouse and skyward.

The track is cyclable, rough in places and probably more suited for a mountain bike with wider tyres. We did meet a couple of cyclists and only about four others walking. It was a beautiful day amongst the pines and shrub vegetation. Nearer the lighthouse we saw lots of tall yellow Fennel-like flowers  but I'm not sure if they were Fennel.

Wild Fennel.

Along the track there was various information boards about the bunkers and defences used by the Republicans during the civil war, particularly to defend Alicante from aerial attacks.

The track came to the tarmac drive coming from the main Guardamar to Alicante road but it was only a few metres from the car park and the sky walkway. The walkway gave magnificent views of the coastline, the Tabarca island and the coastal road that we had cycled last October.

The walkway with a view of the lighthouse in the distance.

View to the south with Tabarca looking smaller from up here.

We were lucky to get such a "summers day" for the walk and clear sky.

For the route back, we left the PR - CV 061 sender and followed another wide pista to the northern end of Santa Pola. This meant retracting our steps a short distance to a finger post directing us to "Torre de less Escaletes" off the 061. The tower is marked as about 2 km distance and again formed part of the coastal defences and was earlier used to spot pirates that occupied Tabarca island. The English translation seems to be "the staircase tower" that I think refers to a nearby access track down the cliff.

We continued on a paved road that twisted down to the road on the north side of town and then along parallel to the shore, to gain the centre and a drink and tostsdas before getting the 16.10 bus back. In the winter, there are few buses on this route that stop in Santa Pola . In all the walking route is about 15 km with moderate inclines but over rough ground in places.

On another more local trip, we joined a guided walk in the hills inland from Guardamar, the "Ruta Punto Geodesico", that started near the cemetery and was a circular walk to the limestone kilns, the civil war trenches and a summit (100 m) giving great views of the salinos, American tower and the coastline. In all this was about 4 km but took about 1 3/4 hours including stops. This was organised by Guardamar City Council with information through the tourist office.

The starting point of the walk with a view of the hills inland.

Notice describing the walk.

The path was through scrub and pines with some flowering Asphodels at higher elevations.

The edge of the path at lower elevations.

The first stop was at the site of the limestone kilns, here just a large depression in the hillside. Further on we saw the remains of the civil war trenches, here in more rocky terrain than we saw further north last year. They were unused and abandoned when Cartagena was lost to Franco's forces. 

We stopped for a while at the summit to see brilliant views all around. It was a sunny and a warm day by the time we reached the top. 

Summit post. We did meet the occasional mountain biker but the track or path was rocky and uneven.

The track from the summit looking north.

View from the summit looking north along the coast with Guardamar in the foreground.

The walk continued on a descent to the starting point and our bikes, to then a return to town for lunch. 

Thought I'd mention the state of the river (R. Segura) as there has been a lot of work over the last few years in terms of tree planting along both banks,  clearing reeds from the main channel, laying plastic sheets on the banks and also clearing branches along the side pistas. This year has been particularly wet, especially inland with the various storms. Most have not brought us rain here but we have had some high winds. The normal river crossing on a causeway has been flooded as shown in the photo, which has  meant we have to use the main road bridge to go north. 

Our normal river crossing, mostly flooded during our stay this year.

Today we cycled to Rojales after our gym session, and had winds of about 42 km/ h gusting to 60 km/ h, so quite a challenging head wind on the way there. Really nice being pushed home along the river pista in the sunshine. I spotted a large group of Glossy Ibis wading near a central  island in the river. We have seen groups several times this year.

A group of Glossy Ibis  in shallows near the centre of the river.

The reeds that were cut last autumn are now regrowing.

Not all the river looks so good as they are doing some engineering work near the harbour on the northside of the river.

Near the camping site looking to the harbour. This work should be finished by May and we'll be able to use the pista north in October when we come next.

We had visits from Bex, Sam and Esmee and enjoyed brilliant weather at the beach, cycling and tennis. Sam and Bex did some mountain biking in the nearby hills and we ended up with 13 punctures in Sam's rear tyre. We were able to cycle to Rojales and Formentera as a day out as well. We also walked to La Marina on Sunday as the workmen opened the track for the day.

We slso had friends from our coffee club, Lynsey and Peter, for a week as they rented an apartment nearby. We had one day of bad rain but otherwise it was good weather and got out a couple of days cycling;  once to La Mata and the salinos and then on the old Guardamar road to return by Eden. Nice to do some walking and get to know them better.  Also we had a day in Alicante and the market, old town and the castle.

Some shots in the old town underneath the castle. Brilliant day as again we were lucky with the good weather.

Well that's all for now as we won't return until October after our Denmark cycling trip. 

Spain in 2025, Visits to the Sun.

This is about another visit to Guardamar del Segura in February and March 2025 to escape the worst of the winter weather in Devon and to experience the warmer spring weather in May and later in October. For the winter visit we came by plane having looked into the alternative routes by train (the Plymouth ferry does not run in the winter) and found it a long and expensive trip. In the spring we did come by ferry and train and visited Granada at the end of our stay. We are well situated in Devon close to Exeter airport and also the Plymouth ferry to Santander.

The February weather was warmer than normal with temperatures in the low 20's and this worked out well for our family to visit during this warm spell. We hired cycles from "Forest Bikes" in the nearby village at La Mata so we could explore the area a little. They always give us good service and excellent cycles that appear brand new each year. They enjoyed swimming and playing in the sea at the nearby beaches and the food at various cafes in the town. We did one longer walk from Guardamar to the Raboses hill and then alongside the river to the GR92 forest track to the beach at La Marina and cafe "Candelo" on the beach. The GR92 is a long distance footpath from Portbou to Tarifa along the Mediterranean coast but is incomplete in Valencia region although it is well marked around Guardamar.. Sam found some trenches in the hill that I believe date back to the civil war but we only had time to take a brief look in them but enough to find a large animal burrow with some scat outside, may be a fox or probably more likely, a genet that are known to be in the area. The GR92 track goes through pine woodland (Stone and Aleppo Pines) on a wide track and deep sand in places as it runs between two dune hills.

GR92 through the dune field.

In the trenches, Sam disappearing.

Well established trees in the trenches that had many twists and turns. I think these were made by the Republicans in preparation to defend the town but I can't find a great deal about them. The area around Alicante was a stronghold of the Republicans until their defeat.

The total walk was about 11 miles one way, returning to Guardamar by the hourly Alsa bus service that passes through La Marina village. Another interesting find (again by Sam) was a rock on the top of Raboses (about 100 m) that clearly demonstrates that geological changes in the area.

Some fossilised shells from the top of Raboses Hill near Guardamar. 

An interesting find of fossilised Great White Shark teeth, dating from the early Pliocene, has been reported in the scientific literature from a sandstone site very close to where this rock was found (N.Jb. Geol. Palaont. Abh, 256/1, 7-15 (2009)) so perhaps other hidden secrets in the area.

This year brings many changes to the centre of Guardamar along the Calle Major and seems to be work in progress that started on our last visit in October 2024. Hopefully by May, this will be completed.

Remaking the square outside our market day cafe.

Almost finished with extra paving.

This week (first week in March) we have had a lot of rain and wind with storms passing through. The river is high and our usual river crossing in Guardamar is flooded. After the main storm we rode to Rojales alongside the river where they have been planting trees at the top of the river bank. We saw more birds than usual including cormorants, egrets and glossy ibis with some pied wagtails as well.

River at a high after storms this week.

One of the many trees that have been planted this year alongside the river track to Rojales.

Following this and with a change in weather, we did some longer cycle rides to Quesada and alongside the salinas at la Mata and another ride to Dolores going by Daya Vieja and Daya Nueva and returning by la Marina urbanisation, both about 25 miles. The roads around Quesada are difficult dual carriage ways but  we did find a nice cycleway going south. Quesada is a very urban area that I think is dominated by northern Europeans homes.

Blue scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) seen on route through the salinas reserve near la Mata.

On another outing we found some of the rare Field Eryngo (Eryngium campestre) in the dune field south of Guardamar near the remains of a Roman settlement but inland a couple of hundred metres. They appear localised to this spot as we couldn't see them elsewhere on walking through the area, and they looked quite different to the Sea Holly nearer the shore.

The area where the Field Eryngo were found looking towards the beach.

We've also found some Eryngo at El Recorral  on the hills above Rojales. We have tried some new routes to this park, one involving rough tracks past the hydro station and another through the Quesada urbanisation. The latter seems the easiest route as the incline up to Quesada is less steep and more gradual for most of the route.

Our visit in May was straightforward and just after the countrywide blackout that happened in Spain. We had a pleasant ferry crossing and two nights in Santander with temperatures below normal and lower than Devon. We took the early morning train across Spain without changing in Madrid and arrived in Guardamar before 7 pm in time to do some shopping as 1st May is a holiday here. We have been cycling most days with the exception of a couple of afternoons of rain. We returned to the Recorral reserve for a picnic and noticed how the Field Ergno had developed since we saw them last in March. 

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Field Erygno found at Recorral reserve near Rojales.

We have repeated the cycle ride to Algorfa that goes by Rojales and further along the river track "Corredor Verde del Rio Segura" passing a water wheel near Formentera. This lifts the water from the river into two irrigation channels that feed 950 plots.

Water wheel lifting water from a river channel to two channels, one on each side of the wheel

We found the best cycle route is to go on the track from Rojales to Formentera on the north bank of the river and then cross the river on the footbridge at Formentera thus avoiding traffic and roads on the south side.

Track on the south side of the river going to Argofa. This is on 16th May with temperatures of 25 C

A Mulberry tree besides the track near the water wheel. This tree had black berries. Also noticed some had been recently planted at Reccoral Reserve in a picnic area.

At the end of our visit, we  left by Alsa bus to Granada starting in Alicante and taking over 6 hours so we were pleased to find our hotel (Turria) situated not far from the railway station and a 25 minute walk to the Alhambre. The first day we had booked a guided walk around the Alhambre starting at 10 am as the temperatures were up in the 30s. As it was Sunday, the area was very busy but we did see many gardens and palaces over the 3 hours walk and returned to the Plaza de Santa Ana for a late lunch. By now it was 37 C so we retired to the hotel and went out in the evening to Aylin Art Cuisine (excellent food). The following day we had breakfast at Casa Ysla just a short distance into the city and then got the hop-on/ hop-off bus in Plaza Nueva to see the views of the Alhambre from the north side. We had lunch by the river at Ras cafe bar and had intended to get the bus back around the city but noticed dense smoke from the area of Plaza Nueva and later found the road had been blocked. We then walked the short distance back to the centre and looked around some of the narrow market streets. We had visited Granada over 25years ago at Easter time when it was still cold but far less busy with tourists. I can't recall all the parks and open areas last time or the trams linking the different areas. The railway station was new but we recognised the front of the old station adjoining.

The next day we had a long journey to Santander with a change of stations in Madrid and a long lunch break outside the Chamartin station. We arrived in Santander at Abba Hotel just after midnight and a welcome sleep. The following day was wet with temperatures below 20 C, so quite a shock to our systems but the afternoon was clear, We took the opportunity to do a bus tour around the city and stopped at the Magdalena Peninsula to see the palace building, expedition boats/raft and view across the harbour. We knew some of the area through cycling from a camp site north of the city when we came to Santander with a camper many years ago. The cycleways around the city were impressive and well used including by new electric scooters.

After this, the following day we caught the ferry home to Plymouth with calm seas and a family welcome in the sunshine.

Our next visit was in October for 5 weeks with temperatures mostly in the mid twenties but with a few storms (Alice being the last one) that did lead to a Red Alert for two days but didn't impact us very much as most of the rain fell at night and the storms seemed to go further north or to the south. 

We arrived at Santander by ferry but it was very similar weather to Plymouth with cool temperatures and rain. We got the early train next day, a direct train to Alicante and then bus to Guardamar. We were both tired and not feeling so great so that we took it easy for a few days before cycling far. It has been great visiting our usual places here and to the local villages. We have found some new cycle routes and have now done a few longer ones of about 50 km. The causeway over the river has been flooded but we have figured a way over the road bridge using the slip-ways. We've also had our first cycle tyre puncture for some years and we found that our repair patches were of no use as the glue failed because if age. The traffic on the Santa Pola road wasn't as much as we noticed in May so we did  cycle over there and to the north of Santa Pola, a bit further than we usually go. 

View from the road going along the shoreline north of Santa Pola towards Alicante with the lighthouse  at the top of the cliff and walking route.

I have logged some of the rides on the RideGps App. amounting to approximately 300 km.

We have noticed they have laid more black plastic on the banks to impede the growth of  vegetation in the river. Most of the trees they set in May have survived so far.

Today at the beach near the harbour, I saw a large group of Kentish Plovers that looked like juveniles or non-breeding. We've noticed that the authorities are fencing off some of the dune areas, e.g. at la Marina beach front, from the first restaurant "la Candela" northwards they were installing posts for ropes to try and restrict access to the dunes where I think the plovers nest on the sand dunes.

Foraging on the beach near Guardamar.

Kentish Plover, known here as Chorlitejo Patinnegro, are endangered in Spain but occur right along this coast line. This is a photo of a sign on the beach informing visitors of their conservation in the area.

The beach at la Mata has been protected for some years. We have noticed groups of them running along the shoreline right from our first visit but didn't know they are an endangered species with their numbers declining in Spain. They breed in the warmer months from April until late in the summer with some having two clutches each year.

The cottages on the sea-front in Guardamar are still there but several are struggling to survive because of coastal erosion and threats of demolition by the local council.

I think this is 2025.

An example of the wall displays on the sea-front cottages, Babilonia

"Save the houses" in Catalan/Valencian

Our family Bex, Tony, Sam and Esmee visited us for a week at their school half-term to enjoy the beach, water and sunshine. The end of their trip also coincided with Halloween and visits to certain shops for trick-treat.

Stamps from all the 15 shops where they got a treat before a dinner later in the evening. The town was buzzing with life and groups enjoying the "summer" evening.

We did another cycle ride on 1 st November with a maximum temperature of 27 C and then back home to mild weather 15 C but with rain!.

 

October in Spain , 2024

 This is the first time we've been in Guardamar  or Spain at large, in October. The temperatures are now dropping in England as autumn begins. We have just finished the "Castles and Coast, North" cycle ride and got it pretty rain free but the temperatures did drop before the end.

Unfortunately the weather did change abruptly with a major storm from the Atlantic hitting the UK on the day our ferry was to leave Plymouth  on 30 th September. They couldn't dock in Plymouth because of the waves and wind so they told us to go the Portsmouth. The trains to Portsmouth had also been cancelled but after some indecision, Brittany Ferries decided to be done with us all ( we had formed a little group in the same situation) and taxi us to Portsmouth, a four hour drive in atrocious weather. The crossing was very rough and took 31 hours and two nights on board. I am not very good in rough seas so spent most of the time in our cabin lying flat listening to Podcasts.

We landed in Santander at 8 am in time for a quick breakfast and then a short walk to the bus station to connect to Bilboa. The Alsa service was on time and we found our hotel, "Sercotel" with a short taxi ride (7 euros). After a break, we walked on passing the railway station and further to the river to get lunch at " Larruzz" (excellent and tasty food). The "Guggenheim Museo" is a short walk along the river with a cycle lane and tram passing alongside but not crowded. I've walked passed the museum before in 2004 when I started walking the Pyrenees on the GR11. Also we had planned to visit it in 2020 when Covid started and had to cancel everything. 

The museum is a collection of modern art and music but the 2nd floor was closed. The approach to the building is amazing, the sheer scale of the architecture. 

Puppy Floral in front of the museum.

Inside I was less impressed with some of the modern art and use of the large spaces. Also we were both jaded from the ferry crossing so that may have had something to do with it.

A room full of steel.

Part of the exhibition of Yoshitomo Nara.

It was interesting to sit by the river and watch Bilbao life, the tour groups, cyclists and the occasional passing of trams along a wide grass verge.

Tram leaving and behind our lunch spot in the square with fountains.

Sculptures by Dora Salazal, "Las Sirgueras" depicting the women who towed boats along the estuary as they were cheaper than oxen.

From  Bilboa we had an early start to catch the 7 am train to Madrid (4 1/2  hours) and  then changing to Alicante on the high speed train ( 2 1/2 hours reaching over 300 kmph). The station in Madrid, Chamartin, was very busy and overcrowded but we did get a bocadilla de jamon before departing in a rush of people keen to get luggage space. Unlike some trains we've encountered elsewhere and in the UK, the overhead racks are deep enough for even quite big suitcase. 

Finally we were in Alicante, feeling at home as we knew our way around but not expecting a temperature of 30 C. The bus station is 15 minutes walk away so after a meal break, we caught the 6 pm bus directly to Guardamar. 

Guardamar was much as we left it in late May except the shop cabins on the forest road and fair had finished.

Guardamar's main beach ( October 4th) in the autumn sunshine that felt to us  like summer.

Did a short walk on the top of the dunes next to the apartment in the afternoon and noticed how many the pines were dying on the top ridge. Some of the larger ones seem to be green and largely OK but there was a definite ridge line on either side that are being affected as shown in the photo below. The trees get their water from groundwater sources and so I suspect the younger trees, little more than 6 foot high, don't have deep enough roots to sustain them.

Along the dune ridge with some trees in a stressed state. See the white tower I'm the distance. 

This region of the coast has an interesting history and a series of man-made blunders that have severely affected the ecology and geography of the dunes and coastal erosion. I have touched on this previously in posts from here but just to recap, the trees were originally planted in the dunes because the natural forests had been felled by locals, including fishermen. The dunes then moved inland to envelope the town and then the solution was to plant a new forest. This took time and alot of hard work as the trees had to be watered at the start.

Today we have coastal erosion as a major threat especially to the beaches and houses on the sea front. A scientific paper by Oliva, Olcina and Ollero from the Universities of Alicante and Zaragoza, recently examined historical data from 1930's to date, and concluded that the erosion is being caused by several factors. These include the reducing flows from the Segura river catchment, reductions in suspended sediment loads delivered to Guardamar estuary because of numerous dams in the catchment, the influence of climate change on sea levels and also frequency of major storms in the Mediterranean, the incorrect building of an inverted sea defence that restricts sediment movement in the coastal area where there is naturally a North to South flow. The barrage has restricted sediments moving south to compensate for wave erosion. Other developments have also influenced the redistribution of sediments and the authors cite the building of houses on the sea front that interfere with the natural movements of the shoreline. Since the 1930's, the beach to the north of the town has been reduced by almost 100 m and is set to continue. There is no doubt that the situation will worsen unless some remedial action is taken although halting long-term climate change seems to be beyond all of us.

Having now settled into life here, we've restarted our local cycling going to local towns and beaches including Rojales, La Mata, La Marina and inland to Doleres amounting to about 90 miles in the last 10 days. The cycling conditions have been ideal with temperatures over 25 C and with only a little wind. Today it was an afternoon ride to Rojales and back by different routes. Our favourite return way is besides the river on a wide gravel track. We spotted some late flowering Jacaranda trees on the opposite bank and unusually, passed a goat herd with the goat-herder and his dog. The herder was sat under a bridge in the shade and was shouting instructions to his dog to turn the flock around as they were moving away from him down the river. There has been a little rain overnight but not enough to impact the river although we've heard on the news they've had a lot of rain to the south and other parts of Spain. I also noticed the white egrets among the goats having a mobile feast.

Goat herd grazing on the Rio Segura river bed. Can you spot the Egrets?

At the La Marina reserve, there was some activity on the salt-flats that we haven't seen in the winter months. One man was checking the salt using a really old vehicle to get between the pans and another was levelling the salt with a tractor and large bucket.

Las Salinas from the bird watching tower in the La Marina reserve. Two of the pans were dry. The salt is generally harvested in September and October.

We later visited the "Museo de la Sal y Centro de Interpretación  del Parque Salinas de Santa Pola" in Santa Pola. This is situated about 15 minutes walk from the bus station and makes an interesting visit describing the history of salt production in this area and more generally in Spain and elsewhere in the world. I found it useful as it also described the methods that are used from taking in seawater in the lagoons, to it's concentration by 8 times to produce salt crystals that are then harvested by a cutter controlled by a laser to get the right depth without removing bottom sediments. The cut salt is than conveyed by trucks and conveyor belts to be washed in brine and than piled in large conical heaps that you can see from the road. The final stage is to bag the salt for transporting. The salt is mainly exported to Northern Europe for use on roads in the winter. Some is used for cooking but is generally made manually to keep better control of the salt's composition.

On another cycle ride to Rojales, we had a Scottish breakfast at the "Stagger Inn" and found another mural to add to the previous visits collection.

Another mural in Rojales.

The river at the bridge was very low reflecting the poor rainfall this autumn.

Segura water levels at the bridge in Rojales ( October 19th, 2024).

Well this is likely to change with a large storm this morning, 23 rd October, but sunny again after 1 pm. We'd had a weather warning so yesterday we did a longer cycle ride to the urbanisation (steep hill up!) and then to the most southern beach at La Marina for a laze, Helen had a swim and I did a loop from the beach and then a lunch of paella.  Just as well as a weather system they call Dana hit on Monday and gave us thunder and lightening overnight but only wind on Tuesday. Since then we have had further rain and thunder but nothing on the scale of the storms further north around and in Valencia where over 200 people have died in the sudden floods that swept through the region.

Segura river crossing at Guardamar after the Dana event of the last few days especially the night of 28 th October.

We are now in our last week after a visit from Bex, Sam (10 years) and Esmee (7 years). They had more variable weather but good enough for several days at the beach and enjoying the warmish sea without wetsuits. They also had the Halloween night collecting sweets from some of the shops and having a late meal in the centre. The cycles rented from "Forest Bikes" in La  Mata, helped them to get around the forest and town as both Sam and Esmee are confident cyclists now.

With the recent storms, the Segura did rise by about a metre but not causing any flooding. Today we cycled along the side of the river from Rojales and saw lots of white egrets and water where I'd previously took a photo of the goat herd (see above photo).

Lovely shaded spot opposite "The Stagger Inn" in Rojales. All the Pink Trumpet Vine flowers (top of photo) are in bloom here and on the side of the river (4th November).

We had a further week of good weather with temperatures reaching 25 C later in the day although mornings are noticeably cooler.