Granada & Alhambra

The no wind forecast for the following few days and general ming-pit of La Manga meant after a day we decided to bail and head for Tarifa via Granada. The campsite we were staying in was nice enough but the fact it had a pet washing parlour didn’t really fit in with the kitesurfing scene we were looking for. Setting out from La Manga down to Cartegena Ste was ecstatic to find not only a proper hypermarket but also a Decathalon to browse through. He’d been suffering from a lack of purchasing opportunity and once inside the shops was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff for sale. A month without constant internet browsing had definitely taken its toll and we escaped without acquiring anything else to clog up the van. There had only been the briefest of flirtations with the suggestion of buying a fishing rod or an aluminium picnic table and none of the stuff we “definitely needed” to optimise our van lifestyle was found.

Onwards through Cartegena there was some concern about whether the road we had chosen to take, against the advice of the sat nav, actually existed. On the map it had said it was due to be completed in early 2007 but there was no evidence from the signposting that it had actually opened. Luckily for us the Spaniards were just a bit behind on the signage and the road was indeed open, not only that but it was empty as well. If anyone ever buys a Ferrari then we would definitely recommend the AP7 down from Cartegena for a speed run, it even beats the M1 early on Christmas day, it was just a shame our top speed was 60mph.

The mountain scenery on the drive inland was spectacular and made a change from the coastal vistas we’d gotten used to. The last bit on the decent into Granada was particularly beautiful and we did wonder whether we should have spent some time checking out the national park. The drive round Granada itself didn’t really make the city appeal, we found ourselves in the first traffic jam for some weeks and started to wonder whether it had been a good idea to stop there. Despite being close to the city the campsite was really lovely. Nice pitches and a lovely old terrace with a pool and views of the mountain. We had a refreshing swim to cool down after the drive and then drank a fair bit of wine which had been on offer in the campsite supermarket before passing out.
The night before we had managed to arrange afternoon tickets to visit the Alhambra the following day. We got up slowly and caught the bus into town. The morning we spent wandering aimlessly round the town and despite not having a map we managed to see almost all the churches, mosques and the old Islamic quarter. Following a good Morrocan lunch we wandered up to the Alhambra where we spent a good 4 or 5 hours looking at all the old buildings and gardens. It is bloody impressive (SD: but dull, even my incessant photo taking didn’t annoy Sarah enough) and well worth a visit as is the city itself. Once it got dark we caught the bus back to the campsite for a wholesome meal of frankfurters.

The drive out of Granada on the Sunday morning was nice and easy and it wasn’t long before we hit the coast. The Costa del Sol was as disgusting as expected. The whole stretch west from Malaga is just a wreck of concrete and golf courses. Once clear of Algeciras it starts to open out, and by the time you get near Tarifa it is much greener. We drove through Tarifa but most of the town was closed as it was Sunday so we went to find a campsite and check out the beach. After looking at a couple we settled on one opposite Valdevaqueros. The wind was picking up so we went straight to the beach to see what the score was. Soon the place was rammed with kiters, pretty much the same as Wallop on the sea. The standard of kiting was really good and we both felt a bit daunted about heading out so we decided to sit it out and see if it was quieter on the Monday.

The next day saw quite a few people leaving the campsite and it was definitely quieter. There was no wind in the morning so we cycled into town to see what it was like and look at a couple of the campsites further in. The old town is really nice with numerous cafes and restaurants, the strip with all the kite shops on is a bit tacky but still alright and although there is some evidence of building there is some hope that the developers won’t ruin this bit of coast. Once we got back from lugging the shopping in we headed down to the beach to find the wind had picked-up to a decent amount. We got our kit and went out for our first session on Valdevaqueros. The wind was a bit gusty as it was coming from the east but good enough and we both had a good session. That night we tried to bike to a wifi lounge but after 10 minutes or so decided the road was too dangerous in the dark so went for a Mexican at the hotel down the road.