Middle-aged flash packers

A minor miracle occurred overnight. Despite going to bed feeling rotten, I woke up with my sore throat gone and generally feeling much better. 

However, I wasn’t quite back to full speed so a lazy morning was had, sleeping late and reading books.

After lunch we decided to do the Dunes walk. The dunes back much of the Playa de Ingles beach. You can walk along the beach to the end and walk back through a reserve and through the dunes. It’s around 9 miles from where we parked in Calle Gloria, Playa de Burras. 

Playa De Ingles has a huge and fine looking beach, family friendly until you get to near the end where there is a nudist beach. 

We walked back through the dune reserve which was pleasant , it’s been well looked after.

On our way back, we decided to stop at a shopping centre behind the beach hoping to pick up some bread. I have to say it was horrible – down at heel and sleazy, selling all kinds of things that really shouldn’t be on show to children. 

The next day after another lazy morning, we took lunch with us and attempted a walk to the Arco de Coronadero. We chose this one because we didn’t need to drive and it gave us an opportunity to walk the promenade beside the sea in the opposite direction to our previous explorations. 

It’s very pleasant here with people of all ages enjoying the outdoors such as running along the promenade or cycling the local tracks.

Part of the hike was meant to involve crossing  a busy road but there is a pedestrian bridge and then a tunnel meaning no dodging cars.

The Canary Islands can be bleak affairs. Originally volcanoes rising from the sea bed, they can look quite unattractive with their black and brown rubbly earth and this part of Gran Canaria is no exception. It didn’t make the hike seem particularly enticing but we persevered.

Our walk took us to Presa de la Monta, a dam and presumably a reservoir at one point, now almost dry. The land around it had been divided into “fields” so we wondered if originally banana plantations had been planned. Certainly no sign of them now.

We decided not to follow the planned route which would have taken us on a scramble just above the dam. Instead we followed the bottom of the barranco , walking through prairie grasses that grew in the remnants of the reservoir.

It took a while  to reach the Arco de Coronadero and at one point we did consider abandoning ship but I’m glad we didn’t as it’s pretty spectacular. Annoyingly our photos don’t do it any justice at all as it’s difficult to get the right  perspective but basically it’s an arch that frames a terrifying drop into a gorge below. And I mean terrifying. You’d be quite silly to try and walk across it especially if it’s windy. And it was.

We hiked back along the top of the trail and overall the walk was about 8.5miles in total door to arch.

Steve has some heel issues at the moment and both of them were singing by the time we got back. Still, almost 20 miles achieved in 2 days – a reasonable amount of hobbling achieved.

Maybe a quiet day tomorrow? 

Playa de Ingles and Arco de Coronadero 

A minor miracle occurred overnight. Despite going to bed feeling rotten, I woke up with my sore throat gone and generally feeling much better. 

However, I wasn’t quite back to full speed so a lazy morning was had, sleeping late and reading books.

After lunch we decided to do the Dunes walk. The dunes back much of the Playa de Ingles beach. You can walk along the beach to the end and walk back through a reserve and through the dunes. It’s around 9 miles from where we parked in Calle Gloria, Playa de Burras. 

Playa De Ingles has a huge and fine looking beach, family friendly until you get to near the end where there is a nudist beach. 

We walked back through the dune reserve which was pleasant , it’s been well looked after.

On our way back, we decided to stop at a shopping centre behind the beach hoping to pick up some bread. I have to say it was horrible – down at heel and sleazy, selling all kinds of things that really shouldn’t be on show to children. 

The next day after another lazy morning, we took lunch with us and attempted a walk to the Arco de Coronadero. We chose this one because we didn’t need to drive and it gave us an opportunity to walk the promenade beside the sea in the opposite direction to our previous explorations. 

It’s very pleasant here with people of all ages enjoying the outdoors such as running along the promenade or cycling the local tracks.

Part of the hike was meant to involve crossing  a busy road but there is a pedestrian bridge and then a tunnel meaning no dodging cars.

The Canary Islands can be bleak affairs. Originally volcanoes rising from the sea bed, they can look quite unattractive with their black and brown rubbly earth and this part of Gran Canaria is no exception. It didn’t make the hike seem particularly enticing but we persevered.

Our walk took us to Presa de la Monta, a dam and presumably a reservoir at one point, now almost dry. The land around it had been divided into “fields” so we wondered if originally banana plantations had been planned. Certainly no sign of them now.

We decided not to follow the planned route which would have taken us on a scramble just above the dam. Instead we followed the bottom of the barranco , walking through prairie grasses that grew in the remnants of the reservoir.

It took a while  to reach the Arco de Coronadero and at one point we did consider abandoning ship but I’m glad we didn’t as it’s pretty spectacular. Annoyingly our photos don’t do it any justice at all as it’s difficult to get the right  perspective but basically it’s an arch that frames a terrifying drop into a gorge below. And I mean terrifying. You’d be quite silly to try and walk across it especially if it’s windy. And it was.

We hiked back along the top of the trail and overall the walk was about 8.5miles in total door to arch.

Steve has some heel issues at the moment and both of them were singing by the time we got back. Still, almost 20 miles achieved in 2 days – a reasonable amount of hobbling achieved.

Maybe a quiet day tomorrow? 

Gran Canaria -Isle of Dogs

Playa de Ingles and Arco de Coronadero 

A minor miracle occurred overnight. Despite going to bed feeling rotten, I woke up with my sore throat gone and generally feeling much better. 

However, I wasn’t quite back to full speed so a lazy morning was had, sleeping late and reading books.

After lunch we decided to do the Dunes walk. The dunes back much of the Playa de Ingles beach. You can walk along the beach to the end and walk back through a reserve and through the dunes. It’s around 9 miles from where we parked in Calle Gloria, Playa de Burras. 

Playa De Ingles has a huge and fine looking beach, family friendly until you get to near the end where there is a nudist beach. 

We walked back through the dune reserve which was pleasant , it’s been well looked after.

On our way back, we decided to stop at a shopping centre behind the beach hoping to pick up some bread. I have to say it was horrible – down at heel and sleazy, selling all kinds of things that really shouldn’t be on show to children. 

The next day after another lazy morning, we took lunch with us and attempted a walk to the Arco de Coronadero. We chose this one because we didn’t need to drive and it gave us an opportunity to walk the promenade beside the sea in the opposite direction to our previous explorations. 

It’s very pleasant here with people of all ages enjoying the outdoors such as running along the promenade or cycling the local tracks.

Part of the hike was meant to involve crossing  a busy road but there is a pedestrian bridge and then a tunnel meaning no dodging cars.

The Canary Islands can be bleak affairs. Originally volcanoes rising from the sea bed, they can look quite unattractive with their black and brown rubbly earth and this part of Gran Canaria is no exception. It didn’t make the hike seem particularly enticing but we persevered.

Our walk took us to Presa de la Monta, a dam and presumably a reservoir at one point, now almost dry. The land around it had been divided into “fields” so we wondered if originally banana plantations had been planned. Certainly no sign of them now.

We decided not to follow the planned route which would have taken us on a scramble just above the dam. Instead we followed the bottom of the barranco , walking through prairie grasses that grew in the remnants of the reservoir.

It took a while  to reach the Arco de Coronadero and at one point we did consider abandoning ship but I’m glad we didn’t as it’s pretty spectacular. Annoyingly our photos don’t do it any justice at all as it’s difficult to get the right  perspective but basically it’s an arch that frames a terrifying drop into a gorge below. And I mean terrifying. You’d be quite silly to try and walk across it especially if it’s windy. And it was.

We hiked back along the top of the trail and overall the walk was about 8.5miles in total door to arch.

Steve has some heel issues at the moment and both of them were singing by the time we got back. Still, almost 20 miles achieved in 2 days – a reasonable amount of hobbling achieved.

Maybe a quiet day tomorrow?