An acquaintance says that the best beaches are those that you can't get to by car. A philosophy that we adopt to leave the known world behind, discover the secrets of nature and let yourself be enveloped by a silence only interrupted by the waves. And there are many ways to feel the five elements between the sea, the mountains, the sky and the earth, especially in a country with as many dreamy beaches as iconic mountains.
The following coastal hiking routes in Spain offer a new (and original) way to take that desired dip.
The Costa Blanca, in the province of Alicante, offers such fascinating options as this Route of the Cliffs, which starts from the famous Moraig cove to cross the steep coast of Benitatxell between exceptional places, such as the Cova dels Arcs or the Falla del Riu Blanc, an impressive natural display of ancient rocks. Along the way you will also discover old stone ovens, shelters, and caves used by fishermen and farmers, and a final destination, Llebeig cove, which evokes the image of old surveillance barracks next to a dreamy Mediterranean.
Caminos de ronda are known as coastal paths set up in the province of Girona and used to control contraband in the 20th century. The passage of history still whispers between coves of superlative blue and cultural jewels that reinvent a first approach to the Costa Brava. Our proposal begins in Palamós to reach Calella de Palafrugell and discover various jewels along the way: from the set of colorful shacks in Cala S'Alguer to Cala Castell, surrounded by reed beds where pareos and surfboards rest.
Considered one of the last hippie communes in Europe, Cala San Pedro is a community that took advantage of the remains of an old Arab minaret and the privileged position of this Cabo de Gata beach to promote a new philosophy of life. Those who seek to be part of it for a day (or several camping), can start from the small town of Las Negras and walk for an hour between volcanic cliffs, armies of pitas, and cane huts built between the rocks, until they reach paradise. fiance. Option B to get to Cala San Pedro consists of renting a boat from Las Negras, but of course…
The Route of the Lighthouses of A Coruña covers 200 km, so we can conceive it as a long-term adventure. However, this iconic trail to the end of the world is divided into different stages that we can choose from. One of the most recommended is found in the fifth stage, linking the towns of Arou and Camariñas through attractions such as the Monte Branco dune or the Cabo Vilán lighthouse. All of this, without forgetting a swim –somewhat colder, yes– on the beaches of Reira, with strong waves and fine sand.
The island of Tenerife encompasses coastal paradises that range from the arid south to the exuberant north, with classics such as Punta de Anaga, ideal to reach if you stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This circular route starts from the town of Chamorga and crosses the Anaga massif between old rural houses, curious palm trees, and the traces of witches who used to end their rituals with a bath in the Atlantic. A mystical aura that will accompany you after crossing the Roque Bermejo ravine and reaching an ocean on whose shores you will feel like the first person on Earth.
The green Asturias is best discovered on foot, and through paths that overlook beautiful wild beaches, until the definitive one is chosen. This coastal route begins at the Arenal de Morís beach to advance between green meadows, eucalyptus trees and beaches such as El Barrigón or La Isla. The final section goes from the town of San Xuan to La Griega beach, famous for its tapestry of colours, the natural pools that form at low tide or, especially, the ancient dinosaur footprints recorded to the east of the cove.
The coast of Cádiz is one of the most beautiful in Spain, especially when we talk about its beaches, sometimes hyper blue and other times sunset orange. History floats among sites such as Baelo Claudia, and bohemian life can be seen in the surfing bars and coastal routes such as the one that runs along the cliffs of the La Breña and Marismas del Barbate natural park, in the town of the same name. We set off from Hierbabuena beach towards Cape Trafalgar, crossing the Tagus tower, the perfect viewpoint of the park; beaches like La Cortina or an unexpected turn to the original point by Punta Paloma.
The Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar Regional Park is a wetland that covers up to 856 hectares, and from which 90,000 tons of salt are extracted per year. An orchard where flamingos perform their pink dances, the reedbeds hide orchestras of a thousand natural sounds and a hiking trail invites you to take a look at its bubblegum-pink salt pools.
A good option is to start from the tourist area of Lo Pagan, in the town of San Pedro del Pinatar, and follow the asphalt path that surrounds the main salt pans until you reach the port. Nothing better than a beer before deciding whether to continue the bird trail to the south of the park or stay on the nearby Torre Derribada beach.
The Mallorcan coast includes several hiking trails ideal for succumbing to the beauty of the Balearic island. One of them is the Camí del Pintors, which runs between the cove of Deià, or "village of the artists of Mallorca", and Alconàser, passing by the hippie beach of Canyaret or the magical village of Llucalcari camouflaged with the colors of the saw An ideal path to spy on the sea between pine clouds and succumb to Mediterranean nature.
This route covers a section of the spectacular Quebrada de Cantabria coast through islets, fairytale meadows and beaches camouflaged between the famous geological folds that hug this millennial coastline. We start from Miengo to look out over the Mogro estuary –the mouth of the Pas river–, and cross the Liencres dunes until we reach Cuchía beach. To return, we can walk part of the Camino de Santiago del Norte until we return to the original starting point.
