Day out in Calvi on the north east coast of Corsica…on the way over we stopped at the mountain village of Sant Antonino
Peter Bargh
Sights & SoundsArchive for the ‘Travel’ Category
A week in North Corsica with friends Nigel and Jean. Flight on Flybe from Birmingham to Bastia
Stayed in Maison les Calanches, a superb property on the edge of Speloncato which was apparently previously owned by author Ian Rankin. (very bottom left house of village – in centre of photo above) This overlooked the valley towards the sea. Each day red kites flew gracefully over our heads. Also saw martins, woodpeckers, various brown things, blackcaps, and on the wildlife front a pair of boars passed by on out last night.
End of the Mallorca jaunt. I caught the 211 bus from Port Soller to Palma and then the no1 from Palma to the airport. And a flight back to Birmingham.
A nice easy day after yesterday’s length hike. I followed route three on the free tourist map from Soller tourist info. This was a short one going north from the port. It took me to Torre Picada, and then Punta Curta, and finally on a long windy road through Olive trees to a dead end at Illeta de Con Garda.
Dinner was a bit better tonight (still decidedly average) – vegetable soup, followed by a mince meat stuffed aubergine slice with a tomato sauce topping and chips, and custard to follow, with a soggy biscuit on top and some cinnamon to flavour it.
I booked another two nights at Hotel Marina in Puerto de Soller as the buffet food was ok. Turned out the next two nights there were not enough guests paying for half board to make buffet worth the hotel’s while so the few dining got a fixed meal. Tonight was tuna salad followed by pork chops (dreadful taste) with potato bravas (no sauce) and for desert, a piece of chocolate roll with ice cream.
But before that I’d been for the longest walk of the holiday. From Port Soller, via Mirador de ses Barques to Fortnalutx, then a steep climb to Puig De Verger and down the valley with Serre de Torrelles on the left and Serra de Cuber on the right. This path brought me to the MA-10 main road and I thought I could walk around and climb the highest mountain, Puig Major, but it is fenced off as a military base. So I followed the road around to Embassament de Cuber, and joined the GR221 walk back to Biniaraix through the Barranc (gorge) de Biniaraix. At the top I was greeted with some amazing views with clouds below the mountain tops. And the route down was equally spectacular. The photo below is of Els Cornador on the ascent to Biniaraix from Embassament de Cuber.
I caught a bus to Valldemossa with a plan to walk the GR221 back to Port Soller. I first walked around the village before locating the trail. It wasn’t as easy as I’d thought. I spotted five Spanish guys and asked if the track that was blocked with a private no entry sign was ok to pass, as I’d seen two walkers go up earlier. They said yes and were also heading for Deia, but going a more interesting route than the GR 221, so I followed.
We soon arrived at an information hut with a guy explaining about the routes. It all seemed complicated…some walks blocked, some only allowing restricted numbers, all volunteer based, book in advance weirdness. So I chickened out and left them to find the GR221. This took me on the usual paved and well marked route up the hill passing many casual walkers who were struggling with the steep gradient.
I arrived at a junction where the path was taking me what appeared to be back around to Valldemossa and not ahead to Deia, and a right turn that appeared to be going in slightly wrong direction too, although certainly better than the other route, so I turned and followed three Spanish women (Later found I was on Serra des Cairats). I overtook and arrived at a style with the top gated and locked and lots of no entry / private signs . One of the women said it’s private but ok to pass. So I continued and after a while came to a cross road in the path and took the right one heading up to the top of a mountain which I later found out was Puig des Teix.
At the top was a trig point. Three Spanish guys headed over to another ridge so I followed assuming there would be a path down to Deia at the edge. There wasn’t and it didn’t look right. I asked the guys who said I was in the wrong direction and had to go back. It turns out the path I thought was wrong earlier was actually correct.
When back on what was supposed to be the correct path, it still didn’t seem right. I could see Deia way below to my right, however the path was taking me away towards Valldemossa. And no signs anywhere to indicate I was on the correct route. After asking twice along the way I came to a peak (I think Puig des Caragolí )…and a marker. Faintly reading Deia down. So I took what was a long and often quite hazardous path down the mountain side. I could see why I’d been mistaken. If I’d gone what I thought would have been a natural route, I’d have ended up at the top of a very steep cliff side. The only way down was round where I’d gone.
After breakfast I caught a bus from Port de Pollenca to Palma, and bus from Palma to Port Soller. On the Pollenca bus I sat near a young mother with her child who had a bad case of chicken pox. I’ve already had it so no fear of catching, but I still felt contaminated! It wasn’t air conditioned and the ride seemed to take forever.
After unpacking I walked around the Port anti-clockwise to Cap Gros Lighthouse near Muleta, then saw a path following the cliff edge around Cap Gros and followed this to what appeared to be a dead end. A German women was ahead so I asked her the route. She didn’t seem to know and we came to another dead end. I spotted a local resting and asked him. He said it was not possible to walk the coast and I should go back to the main path. I however had a map from the tourist office that showed a path, so decided to recheck.
After looking I found a faint red arrow on one of the rocks. I pointed this out to the German women but she was clearly not impressed. So I headed off alone down a rugged path with little sign of previous walkers. But the signs were there occasional cairns helped me guide through the terrain. It took me up and down in a wiggly course, along the cliff tops and some superb views of the coastline.
Eventually I came to a point where the path appeared to end again. It was getting late and time was running out. After a while I managed to find the way again…and ended up on the end of a residential cul de sac. Following this out brought me back to the GR 221 and an hour later I was safely back at the port.
I booked to stay another night as the hotel Sis Pins was really good. Continental breakfast was self service with a good choice of meats and cereals, and a full English on offer delivered to the table by friendly staff. Everyone in this hotel seemed happy, so it made it perfect to stay in. It wasn’t great weather so the seating was inside the restaurant area but the window tables had a good view of the sea front. The room was good too and had tea/coffee, decent shower and balcony overlooking a side street.
In the evening I had Chinese buffet for 9.95euro which included chicken noodle soup, followed by sweet and sour chicken and finished with coffee.
I booked a night B&B in Hotel Sis Pins in Port de Pollenca, so decided to walk the GR221 from Lluc with my baggage on my back. This takes you through the woodland, and slowly down the mountains into Pollenca, followed by riverside walk most of way to Port de Pollenca. It too five hours and my leg was playing up on the last stretch.
When I’d unloaded my baggage I walked along the coast. Quite a calm relaxing place, but the weather was dull, and rain in the air. I wandered around to Placa Miguel Capllonch and had dinner there.
I walked stage 5 of the GR222 between Lluc and Caimari. The highlight of this route is reaching the Sa Bretxa Vella, view when you reach a cleft with rock pinnacle on left and The Puig Caragoler mountain to the right. When passing through here and turning the corner, you are greeted with a lovely view of the Serra de Llevant plains. I then walked down the stone path to Caimari.