"If you want to translate its name directly, Guardamar del Segura literally can mean "sea guard of the safe river"...well, that's appropriate for my favourite place to relax and get away from it all by the sea."
I've been quiet on the blog front lately BUT part of the reason for that is that I have finally been travelling a bit again and that can only mean one thing: new photographs!
If you've been reading my blogs for a while, you'll know that I've rarely mentioned or shown you photos from Spain, but that has largely been down to the pandemic keeping me from travelling there 😊 For the first time in three years, I was able to get back to Guardamar del Segura, a place I've been visiting for over 20 years and that almost feels like home.
For those that don't know, Spain and Spanish language and culture are a lifelong passion of mine, so the chance to capture Spain in my photos always makes me very happy indeed!
Guardamar is a Spanish town on the Alicante coast; the furthest southern point where Catalan (or to be more precise, Valencian dialect Catalan) is still spoken. Dunes, pines and Phoenician and Moorish history stretch along a white coastline overlooking the little island of Tabarca, a short distance out in the sea. Traditionally, it's a holiday destination of people from Madrid, especially during Easter and August, and its Moors and Christians summer festival is well known in this region. Here, Spanish tradition meets multiculturalism, as international tourists enjoy the beaches whilst the town remains as firmly Spanish as it ever was (and may that long continue).
The river Segura flows into the Mediterranean here. If you want to translate its name directly, Guardamar del Segura literally can mean "sea guard of the safe river"...well, that's appropriate for my favourite place to relax and get away from it all by the sea.
A few years ago, I discovered a wooden walkway, newly built through the dusty dunes and cactus plants, linking residential areas to a quiet, underpopulated area of beach. When I was still learning to use my camera, I came here to take photos. Now, several years later, I wanted to go back to this beautiful place to capture some new (and better) shots!
It was late morning on a hot July day...arguably a challenging time of day to get out in the hot sun, especially for a pale-skinned Brit! But there's nothing that can stand in the way of a good photo opportunity and I was determined to quickly get those shots before melting completely 😀
Getting to the wooden path (the 'pasarela') required walking over a footbridge that crossed the busy CV-90 road, down a concrete slope and onto the walkway at the beginning of the pine forest. With the hot sun beating down, the shade from the pines was very welcome. Every once in a while, beachgoers would quietly pass by in each direction, carrying their towels and beach chairs, providing promise that the sand and cool water was not too far away. The sounds of the road soon faded as I followed the winding wooden-planked path towards the sea.
And where was that sea? After a while of walking, the blue sea came into view. Capturing this image with my camera, I wondered how much further the path went and at what point it would reach the beach. What could be around that bend ahead? To go and cool down in that sea was so appealing but the shade of the pines made me reluctant to keep walking.
The busy world seemed a long way away. Insects, the distant sound of softly rolling waves and the creak of the wooden planks beneath my feet were the only disturbances in this dusty, dry wilderness. So peaceful!
What do you think the end of the path would look like? This picture, as well as others from my recent trip to Spain, will be on the website soon!
Don't forget you can buy this image in print or other items directly from my galleries 😊