The Emptied Spain
Away from the coasts, but not necessarily that far from the big cities, lies La España Vaciada; the Emptied Spain. The term ‘España Vaciada’ isn’t one that I have made up on the hoof; it has become a political movement in recent times, as well as...
It isn’t just about the olives
The alternative headline for this piece is ‘underneath the arches’; with the emphasis on the plural because there are a lot of arches to walk under in this historic town in the north-east of Aragón region. Anyone arriving in Calaceite and seeing the fields...
Iberian village visit from Calaceite
The hilltop was first occupied by the Iberians in the 5th century BC. They built rectangular stone houses along a central street, protected by walls and towers. Then in the 3rd century BC the settlement was expanded when terraces were constructed on the hillside....
The Coast of Death
It sounds grim, but you only have to look at the photos to see that on many days of the year the Costa da Morte is a spectacularly beautiful coastline with some of the best beaches on the planet. But, when Atlantic storms sweep in, it becomes easier to understand how...
Coast of Death – Day 1
The Camiño dos Faros (Lighthouse Way) walk starts in Malpica’s port. The official route for the first day goes to Niñons beach (Praia de Niñons) and is 21.3km in length. Due to the lack of accommodation available for single travellers in Niñons I opted to do a...
Storage in stone
One of the ever-present sights in the Galician landscape is the hórreo; a type of granary traditionally used to store cereals and others crops. They can be seen in almost every village and in some hamlets every home has its own ‘hórreo’. They stand on...
Coast of Death – Day 2 (part 1)
This is a long day, which could be split into two stages if a bed can be gleaned in Niñons (see explanation at the start of day 1). I walked from Barizo to Ponteceso, which is 34.5km and took nearly 12 hours. Around 1km can be shaved off and time saved with a shortcut...
Coast of Death – Day 2 (part 2)
It’s 27km from Praia de Niñons to Ponteceso and there is plenty of up and down along the way. At the beach sign, walk onto the sand, noticing the green dots on the rocks on the left.The dots show that the route rounds the rock, then heads out of the back of...
Coast of Death – Day 2 (part 3)
You will need a rest and some sustenance in Corme before starting the final 11km of the day’s stage to Ponteceso. Be warned; you need to arrive before 3.30pm (15.30) to have any chance of a meal. I arrived at around 15.45 and the only place still open was...
Coast of Death – Day 3 (part 1)
Some walkers will have had a marathon trek on day 2 and will be nursing tired legs. For those who are suffering, the good news is that this stage from Ponteceso to Laxe has an inland section which can be avoided. The full day’s walking, which includes a...
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