The two days in Orpesa have been really good for us. We stood really nice with a view of the sea and had the sound of the sea in our ears. The beach section with the small parks was great. Since the parking lot was quite small, we were alone there. Cars came during the day, but after a walk they were gone again. So really calm. When you're in that position, you have to reckon with people who will talk to you. But that's what makes Vanlife, always being in contact. Sometimes really nice conversations happen.
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Cullera - port entrance with heavy traffic
After 2 days in Orpesa we continued. Actually, we had Valencia on the plan, but there was no parking space in the city either. Basti had found out on the Internet whether there were monitored parking spaces, but none. Cars were even broken into in a museum parking lot. So for us no option to drive into the city. So we left them and drove on. We then found a place to stay in Cullera. Before that we did some shopping and refueled.
We stood on a side strip at the port entrance and had a view across the canal to Cullera Castle. There were already some mobile homes there and the road was well traveled. Let's see how we can sleep. First we went running. It was still fairly early and light, so we walked along the canal towards the sea. Some fishing boats/cutters came back from the sea and headed up the canal. From the end of the pier you had a great view of the sea.
The sky was very cloudy, but in between a ray of sun came out. We were able to take incredibly great pictures, with the clouds it was very impressive. The fishermen came back late in the evening and there was a lot going on on the water. There were also a few anglers at the edge of the canal who, with a lot of patience, also caught a decent amount.
In the evening, the city and the castle were beautifully illuminated and the streets became quieter. We slept well that night. The first WoMo's were gone again. The fishing boats all went out again and Basti said he heard some going out quite early. The weather was fantastic, clear blue skies and pleasantly warm.
You can find more information about the travel destination Cullera here.
Les Fonts de l'Algar - dinosaurs as alarm clocks
Since the weather was so great and we had some vantage points on the way, today it was: drive and run.... The first goal was that Torre del Gerro, a tower on a mountain on the coast from which one should have a beautiful view. Through a small town and narrow streets we went to the coast. Here was a small turning circle with parking spaces as a dead end. We don't have a big bus, but parking was tight even for us. Next to it was a restaurant and the visitors also parked here, so it was also full. We didn't get to the tower, we would have had to drive up a steep road and didn't know if you could park there.
At the coast there was a small stretch of beach with some rocks in the water. Looking along the coast reminded us a bit of Lofoten. Here, too, at some point there were only mountains down to the water and you couldn't see a house anymore. Basti then took a few photos from the beach while I was waiting with Finja. She wasn't allowed to go to the beach. We then saw the tower from below. After a lunch break we drove on. The next stop was Mirador Cap Negre. Here we were able to park quite far in front, although there were no real parking spaces and it was right in a residential area. But the houses seem to be mostly used in the summer as all were locked.
We walked a short distance from the car to the viewpoint and had a great view of the sea with a few small islands. And on to the next point, Faro Cabo de la Nao (Cap de la Nao lighthouse). It was easy to park here, right next to a restaurant that is closed in winter. You can't get to the lighthouse itself, it was fenced off. But you could advance to the cliffs and then had a beautiful panoramic view. The way there was super exciting for Finja, there were cats lying in the sun everywhere along the way. But she fought bravely and the cats also stayed calm.
Finja slowly didn't want to get in the car anymore, it was a bit too often to stop, walk and drive on. Now the search for a parking space began and that day it wasn't supposed to be easy and our mood kept getting worse, which of course our partner got. Since we still had a few points along the coast that we wanted to check out, the site shouldn't be too far either. The first place was on a marina, but was so crooked that we couldn't even have leveled with wedges. The second was behind a hotel and was already well attended. Since the place was surrounded by olive trees, Basti first checked whether we could still get there.
Unfortunately, we misjudged and now we have our first major scratch, but on the roof side. In the meantime it was getting late and we were already yelling at each other because we were hungry and still didn't have a pitch. In the mountains there was a landscape protection area with small waterfalls and pools, which we would have wanted to see the next day, Fonts de l'Algar. You can also swim in the pools and pay an entrance fee as it is a fenced area. So we looked for a place nearby and ended up in the parking lot of the dinosaur park. The approach was super steep and narrow, a car should not have come towards us.
On the way up we saw that the landscape park was closed, but we wanted to take a closer look the next day, as it was already dark. The parking lot was empty and we parked in the back corner. The Dinopark was already closed and would open at 9am the next day, the last day of the year. After a quick meal and a little chat with Finja we went to sleep. Since it was already dark when we arrived, we couldn't really look at the surroundings. But the lights of the villages promised a great view.
In fact, the next day there were a few visitors in the park and the dinosaurs made their noises while drinking coffee. We were surprised that there were so many people in the park because it was really windy. But since it was the last day of the year, everyone wants to go again. And the view was really great. Behind us were the plantations on mountain terraces and in front of us the view to the sea.
We then drove past the park with the falls on the way and found that it has also closed its doors for the year. We will probably do this more often now that it is winter and even if the temperatures are not up to par, such attractions will be closed.
Cala d'Dor - small beach car park
Since the park with the beautiful waterfalls was closed, we went on to the Natural Park de la Serra Gelada driven. After a lunch break in the large parking lot there, we walked to the Mirador del Camino del Faro lighthouse. The one-way route was about 2.5 km and was a well-developed road. The hike was really nice, the weather was clear and sunny and we were walking in t-shirts. There were various vantage points where we stopped for photos. The incline wasn't that bad either and stretched all the way to the lighthouse. The view of the sea and offshore islands was just beautiful.
Halfway up there was a way to get to a little stretch of beach. After a short deliberation and appraisal of the path, we decided against it. We could have come down, but up and then with the dog would have been real work. The path was quite steep and passed between the mountains. Shortly before the lighthouse there was another way down to the water. Halfway down to the water you could still see the ruins of an ocher mine. Again steep paths and since we still wanted to go up, we didn't walk down.
Arrived at the lighthouse we had a fantastic panoramic view. It's really unbelievable for us to be standing by the sea in a t-shirt in the middle of November. We hadn't experienced that before. After 2 ½ hours and 5 km back at the bus we were a bit exhausted. Constantly stopped for pictures, drinking breaks and enjoying the view. The search for a parking space began. The first thing we thought of was a reservoir nearby, but the comments said it wasn't allowed to stay overnight. Then we had chosen a pitch between orange groves. There were 2 in quick succession, but both were fully occupied. So we drove back towards the sea.
In Cala d'Dor we found a small parking lot on the beach in a residential area. Since there were already 3 other mobile homes here, there was probably no problem staying here. It was only a small stretch of beach, but the sound of the sea in your ears while sleeping is just beautiful. In the late evening the sky was overcast and a few drops of rain fell. But the clouds disappeared quickly and it didn't really pour, which was nice. Our "neighbors" were also very nice and had long conversations.
You can see Alicante from the beach and as always we would love to see the city. But the well-known problem with parking spaces. We stayed 2 nights and on the 2nd day we worked a bit, made phone calls and made ourselves comfortable. The rounds with Finja in the village were also relatively lonely. There seem to be mostly holiday homes and apartments here, since almost everything was dark in the evening. Only isolated lights could be seen and that is probably why it is tolerated in the winter time if you stand there. In summer the square is crowded with cars. After 2 nights we drove on.
You can find more pictures in the Photo gallery Spain.
