Thanks for reading part 2! I decided to split the blog into 2 parts as it was getting a bit large and cumbersome. Part 1 was about our two visits to Girona and part 2 is about our walks along the Camino de Ronda.
The Camino de Ronda is a walking trail that follows the Costa Brava coast from Blanes to Portbou just before the border with France. Over the course of last week we walked two small sections. As mentioned in part 1 – last week involved plenty of cycling and to get to the walks we needed to ride about 12 kms to get to the start of each section. The first walk was from our local town of Sant Feliu de Guixols around the coast to the next bay of Sant Pol.
This was a very nice walk through coastal pines with some great vistas along the way and included plenty of ascents and descents. There were a number of small, rocky coves as we went with some having steps cut into the rocks for access for swimmers. The track is extremely well made and sign posted except for a small section that goes through an area of ecological significance. It was a bit of trial and error for about 15 minutes as we tried to navigate this area but we eventually found our way to the other side and returned to the well formed path.
The view of Sant Pol was wonderful as we neared what we thought was the end of the trail however we were mistaken as the there were still plenty of coves (and ups and downs) to navigate before we made it to the beach! I refuelled with a croissant and can of the local Barcelona brew – Estrella, before we made the return journey to get the bikes at Sant Feliu and the 12km ride back home.
Later in the week we returned to Sant Pol to continue the Camino to Sa Conca beach. As we had done previously, we rode the 12 kms to the beach, locked the bikes and headed off. This section of the Camino de Ronda is family friendly – very flat with ramps for pushchairs, wheelchairs, etc. As such, it is also very popular with the local Catalans, and there were many people taking a morning walk along here.
Again, the path is extremely well made and maintained and follows the meandering coast line closely. Along this part of the coast there are many beautiful homes built on the cliffs with amazing views and the walk passes in front (or underneath) all of them. You get a front row seat in seeing how the local rich and famous live! Again, there were beautiful little coves along the way where locals could make their way down to the sea and enjoy a swim or snorkel in the crystal clear waters.
Time flew by as we strolled the camino and before we knew it we had reached our destination – Sa Conca. This is a beautiful crescent shaped, yellow sand beach with two cafe/bars built on the sand. We have visited here a few times for a bocadillo (filled crunchy bread roll) and cool drink, enjoying the ocean breeze as we look out over the Mediterranean.
On our way back to Sant Pol we were again able to admire the the magnificent cliff top homes. However, this time we could see them from the roads that took us on a more direct route back to our bikes. We mounted our trusty steeds and cycled home for a well deserved swim and siesta!!!
The Costa Brava (which roughly translated means rugged coast) is a wonderful part of Spain and we are thoroughly enjoying our time here. There are parts of the coast that are used for package holidays with high rise apartments and are full of international holiday makers. However, this particular area is primarily used by the Spanish and therefore provides a more authentic Spanish experience.
Until next week – adios….
PS – I started part 1 stating that the week could be summed up in two words – bike riding. Well, the reason was that it turned out we rode 135 kms over the course of 5 days!! I don’t think we’ll be doing that again in a hurry…..even though Jacqueline would love to!
Lambies Travels 
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