Dénia (Costa Blanca), Comunidad Valenciana

For my recent weekend escapade, I decided to check out the beaches of the coastal port town of Dénia (4.5hrs drive from Madrid) located between Valencia and Alicante.

Truth be told, there are certainly other beaches in Spain that can easily surpass Dénia's in terms of quality & beauty. Yet, within its 20km coastline, there are lots of charming spots to beguile you.

The waterfront along the town center of Dénia is defined by the busy beaches of Les Marines, Punta del Raset, the Port and La Marineta Casiana. This stretch of beach is fairly sandy and popular for all sorts of beach activity. Whichever beach you choose to go to, you'll have the magnificent Mount Montgó (a natural park) in the background.


Above: The Les Marines beach.

Above: A panorama of the beach front with Mount Montgó behind.

Above: The beach at Punta del Raset.

Above: Some kite surfing action near the northern breakwater of Punta del Raset.

Above: A canoeing competition happening at the beach.

The center of the town is dominated by a small hill topped by a Castle with Muslim origins. Surrounding the hill, the town is made up of old districts filled with plazas, churches, restaurants and shops.

Above: The Castle of Dénia, a historical monument built on a hill in the heart of the city, overlooking the sea.

Above: The tunnel that cuts through the hill under the Castle which leads to Plaza del Consell. This was constructed in the late 1930s and apparently used as a bomb shelter during the Spanish Civil War.

Above & below: Plaza del Consell.




Above: A giant paella in the making.

Above: A string of restaurants line the road of Bellavista, across from the maritime walk. Food is fantastic in Dénia and cheaper than in Madrid!

Above: The Port.


Above: The open air market operates daily during summer along Explanada Cervantes, running parallel to a line of alfreco bars and cafés.

Above: Plaza Convento.

Above: Calle Marqués de Campo, a street filled with shops, cafés and restaurants.

A little further down south of the coastline away from the busy beaches and maritime promenade is the calmer, undisturbed Les Rotes area. Les Rotes is within the protected zone of the 'Cape Antonio Marine Reserve' and diving is the only activity allowed here.


Above: Pulpo seco in the making. Headless octopuses hung out to dry like laundry, outside a restaurant at the Punta Negra part of Les Rotes.

Above: The Cape of Sant Antoni at the far end, with a 160m high vertical cliff. The Torre del Gerro (Tower of Gerro) is also visible here on top of the mountain. It was used as a watch tower for coastal defense against pirates' incursions.


Above: Some of the many luxurious houses perched on the slopes of the Montgó Mountain with superb views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Many may not agree with me, but I actually have an aesthetic appreciation of the rocky, rugged Arenetes area of Les Rotes beach, further south of Dénia. It is quiet, peaceful, and the water is crystal clear.

Above: Part of the sea bed now exposed. I can only imagine how beautiful it is under the sea as this area is known to have an assemblage of posidonia (underwater meadows!).

This fascinating coastline has several coves and hidden caves further down from Les Rotes which I have yet to explore. Something tells me I might just head back there again...


Above: El Pegoli restaurant located by the coastline of Les Rotes.

Above: Les Rotes Arenetes area by night.

Just when I thought I’ve seen them all – bull fights and bull runs, Dénia surprises with another wacky version of man vs. bull spectacle known as ‘Bous a la Mar’ or Bulls to the Sea.

A temporary secured arena is set up by the harbourfront, with spectators on one side and the sea on the other. A young bull is then released and the usual human participants will be the local teenage boys who'll come up with all sorts of antics in their attempt to draw the animal into the waters. Don't worry, the bull will be rescued. Phew!

This bizarre event happens typically in the 1st fortnight of July, in conjunction with the Fiesta of 'Our Lord's Holy Blood'. Go catch this intriguing 'National Tourist Interest' activity next month if you're curious!

For more information on Dénia, click here.

Off to the beach!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid

The weather’s been fantastic lately and I found a great place for enjoying lunch alfresco, located approximately 50km Northwest of Madrid. The place is called San Lorenzo de El Escorial. But of course though, lunch wasn’t exactly the highlight here.

At the foothills of the mountains of Guadarrama, a massive granite complex stands. Here's yet another of Spain’s treasures in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.

Constructed in the 16th century by the order of King Philip II, the Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial was built for two main reasons. It was to be the royal burial place for his beloved father, Charles V, and it was also built in honour of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence), a martyr whose church was destroyed during the battle of San Quentin in France.

The main parts that make up this sturdy building are the Palace, the Royal Pantheon & Mausoleum, a church, a monastery, an art museum, as well as a library which boasts of an impressive collection of literature.

Based on a legend, the layout of the simple rectangular building was made to resemble a gridiron, in rememberance of how San Lorenzo was supposedly 'roasted' alive on one. Others believed that it was merely based on the floorplan of Solomon's Temple. Whatever the case, King Philip II had specifically wanted the architecture to be austere and unadorned.



To give an idea of how massive this building is, it occupies a surface area of more than 33,000 square meters, it has 16 patios, 88 fountains, 15 cloisters, 9 towers, 1,200 doors and 2,673 windows.






Above: The view from Calle Capilla.

Across from the Monastery is a maze of small roads and several plazas filled with lots of restaurants.


Above: Plaza de la Constitución.


Above: House of the Columns.

Driving out of the town center after lunch, we decided to head up to the mountains to catch a better view of the Monastery in its entirety.


Above: View of the town from higher up the mountains.


Above: The building looking much like a scale model from afar.


Above: Grazing animals scattered all over the mountains.


Above: Sorry for interrupting...I'd be gone long before your horns start to grow.
Nice earrings by the way ; )

Check here for more information.

The Enchanted City, Cuenca Province

I’ve marvelled at the architectural oddity of the Hanging Houses of Cuenca.
I’ve walked the grounds of the Monastery of Uclés in awe.
I was lured by the Devil to the Ventano del Diablo and beheld a wicked view from its den.
I day dreamed of spending a tranquil afternoon exploring Uña.

After all that, I finally made it to La Ciudad Encantada (The Enchanted City).
Yes, finally!

La Ciudad Encantada is an unusual & fascinating geological landscape which consists of a group of phenomenal rock formations resembling humans, animals and various objects (or whatever your imagination tells you). These are actually limestone rocks that are sculpted into strange forms by wind and water erosion over time, thousands of years ago. I can only imagine what this ‘City’ actually looked like back then.


Above: Upon entry, the first rock you'll see is this iconic top heavy, 'Tormo Alto'.




Above: One of the 'Mushrooms'.


Above: The 'Roman Bridge'.




Above left: Walking in between the stone walls.
Above right: The 'Convent'.


Above: The 'Crocodile and Elephant'.


Above: This one seems pretty obvious to me. It's 'The Bear'.


Above: The side profile of a pair of 'Lovers'.





Entrance to the park costs 3euros and if you follow the marked signposts and path, you’re likely to complete it in under 2 hours (the route is estimated to be 3km long).

I had an absolutely enchanting experience indeed. Thank you, Mother Nature!