To achieve an admirable sculpture, one can be energetic with a mallet and a chisel or entrust the work to the sea and the wind, even if they are noticeably slower. On a beach to the south of Mazarrón (Murcia), these two natural phenomena have been in charge of giving shape to magical creations that seem like an invention: the Clays of Bolnuevo.
Bolnuevo is a huge beach that reaches almost two kilometers in length, a flat sandy area that in summer is filled with people eager to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea and its toasty climate. The most sedentary do not even think of exploring the southern limit of the enclave. But those who enjoy walking in the surf end up arriving at a fairytale landscape that many insist on comparing with the Enchanted City of Cuenca or even with the fairy chimneys of Turkish Cappadocia. Of course, the resemblance admits of exaggeration. But it is a small and secluded corner, close to the sea but no longer lapped by the waves. Some stony mushrooms of an intense yellow color that speak of the mixture of sand with the original clays.
The pillars of the sculptures are finely polished, they are the softest part of the rock, which the wind –together with the grains of sand it carries– and the sea have left a smooth, almost industrial finish. The hats of those stone mushrooms are irregular, and look like sun hats, bristly toupees, bows with whimsical holes...
Bolnuevo's stone mushrooms are stacked very close together, as if reminding the viewer that they are fragile and should not be handled or – of course – climb over them or record the inevitable memories of “it happened here…”. In fact, their singularity has meant that they were declared a monument of natural interest, which is why they enjoy protection, even if it is nominal.
Some of the clays are up to five meters high, and since the upper material is harder than that of the base, it better withstands the ravages of erosion. There is a color change in the stone as it clings to the ground, which suggests that perhaps in the past the waves did reach this hillock.
Formed about 5 million years ago, the Clays of Bolnuevo still have some visible fossils –small, you have to look for them with patience– clinging to the mineral structure. Geologists say that the opening of the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar was what caused the movement of materials that has given rise to this spectacular landscape. The rest has been a matter of nature, a sculptor with infinite patience.
Las Clares de Bolnuevo are also a frontier. Because to the south of its location, the Murcian coast takes on a wild aspect, free of urbanizations, with secluded coves that replace the large sandbanks. A list of delicious place names begins here (Playa Amarilla, Playa de Lobos, Playa de Piedra Mala, Playa Lecho, Playa del Barranco Ancho...) and right in front of it is an islet that cannot be visited because it is a refuge for birds. This is the Cueva de Lobos island, where fragile species such as storm petrels or pale swifts settle.
Las Gredas de Bolnuevo is the coastal spur of the Sierra de las Moreras, an ideal natural space for hiking. Getting to the area of the stone mushrooms is easy from the town of Mazarrón, located 6 kilometers away, using the RM-6 highway. Or also on a nice hour-long walk along the coast from the port.
