I wouldn't normally have contemplated a journey up to the Costa Blanca just for a couple of hours of kayaking. However, Susan needed to be at Alicante airport quite early yesterday morning for a flight to the U.K. - which put me in fairly easy reach of Jávea where there is a little bay I have always liked. I've swum, snorkeled and dived there in the past, but never explored it by kayak.
So, despite a forecast of winds which might have become unfavourable for kayaking by the time I reached there, I took a chance and drove that extra hour north to revisit Portixol.
My first view of Portixol yesterday morning, with sea conditions looking favourable. The big island is 'La Isla del Portixol' and the bay I was heading to is on the mainland, opposite the right hand end (south end) of the island. Not that any of my immediate family need to be told where it is!
Portixol bay, from the sea. At the far left hand side is a bar/restaurant called 'La Barraca', which is hidden from the main beach area by a rock outcrop. The uninitiated could sit all day on that beach and not know there is a bar just round the corner!
This is the bar/restaurant 'La Barraca'. It seems to have been run by the same Spanish family for years. A basic, no frills place - you won't get much else other than seafood here.
On the shore, at the far left hand side of the previous photograph, there is this primitive looking little building. That yellow shape outside is an upturned boat, and another little boat was pulled up on the beach nearby. It didn't look inhabited - but I saw people come out later!
Just past that little building, rock cliffs tower above a narrow strip of beach.
Heading towards the gap between the mainland (on the left) and La Isla del Portixol.
It's quite shallow in places between the island and the mainland. That white water ahead is waves breaking over a reef .
Heading towards the south end of La Isla del Portixol. No doubt there is a name for that other much smaller island, but it's not shown on my map. There is good diving in lovely clear water around here, dive boats were coming and going all the time I was on the water.
And for once I wasn't the only kayak on the water. Several launched from the same beach.
Bar/restaurant 'La Barraca' again. I was starting to regret bringing a packed lunch with me!
Heading back to the beach for that packed lunch.
The owners of these little places on the beach (presumably leftovers from the days when it was a fishermen's beach) must have a communal pot of paint for doors and window shutters!
End of an exceptionally nice morning of kayaking. I didn't follow any particular route - just pootled around quite aimlessly. Did get across to La Isla del Portixol but the wind was freshening out there, so I abandoned thoughts of paddling right round it.
That's not a seal in the water. It's a spear fisherman, wearing a wet-suit, heading out to try his luck. Spearfishing is quite popular in Spain.
One of the nicest, and so far quite unspoiled, little bays I know. Just hope a halt is soon called to all the development on the hillside above.
Not bad for a morning in October! In summer this beach is packed solid - seen it!
There must be a good reason for that odd shaped blue door!
Just round the corner of that little bit of cliff at the end of the beach is the bar/restaurant.
The way into that bar just round the corner - a photo taken in 2014 on a previous visit.
The last look down on Portixol. A morning like that was well worth the long haul home.
If the weather forecast was right, then that sea got quite rough later in the day.
