A walk on the wild side
Today was our last day in Nerja, and we woke to blue skies, but a stiff (strong?) wind. We decided to explore, on foot, the coast to the west of the town, and headed off along a long beach, walking into the wind, and passing a significant number of people walking in the other direction. The sea was choppy, with waves breaking on the shore line – the weather definitely felt different from the previous few days.
However, with the blue sky above our heads, and the sun bathing us in a brilliant light, it was a pleasant, if blustery 1.5km walk along the sea front. When out of the wind, the sunshine was warm, but, on arriving at a collection of hotels and apartments at the end of the beach, it did very much have an end of season feel to the place.
A few hardy souls were braving the beach, but the space and emptiness was notable, if peaceful and relaxing. The few restaurants that we encountered had closed for the season, and it became apparent that the reason we passed so many people heading in the other direction was because they were heading towards Nerja, with its bustle and business, and cafes, restaurants and shops still open. Travelling in late October, most Med resorts will be shutting down, with all the tourists having gone home for another year, but Nerja is big enough to still be going strong on the 26th October.
We did come off the beach to explore a watch tower over looking the sea – an interesting ten minute diversion, but you couldn’t get into, or up the tower.
“The Old Tower of Macaca”
We then headed back to Nerja along the same beachfront we had walked earlier, this time, with the wind at our backs, our fleeces came off and it was warm in enough to walk in just a T-shirt. Back in “town” we had some lunch in a sea front cafe, and the coffee in a cafe in the square – this was out of the wind, and in the sun, and I took the opportunity to practise my Spanish on the waiter and by reading the paper.
I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to have a last swim, so we headed to the same beach we had visited yesterday: being a little further along the coast in the other (easterly ) direction, and being a small cove behind rocks, it was more sheltered and warm, but the sea was still rough and wavy. But it was great fun swimming out and then being swept in by the breakers and for twenty minutes I (and another couple of middle aged men) was seven years old again, enjoying the power of the sea.
In the evening we went out to eat – it was still light as we sat down, but chose a table near a wall and under a portico to afford some shelter from the wind which was still strong and cold. It was dark by the time we had finished and paid the bill, and decided on an amble to the Balcon de Eroupa to take in the vista one last time, but as we stepped out we felt a few drops – it had begun to rain. Change of plan, and a purposeful walk home, the rain was not heavy – yet – but soon after we got back it was pouring.