Back to Embalse de Negratin

  In spite of a severe storm, which tracked down the east coast of Spain last week, leaving flooding and destruction (even a few fatalities) in its wake, Monday of this week looked a good day to take a kayak to Embalse de Negratín. 

   Here are a few photos from that trip.  It was a repeat of the area of the reservoir that I covered on June 11th. [Blog post 12/06/19]  .......  Playa de Freila to the Torre de Maruq (Moorish watchtower), nipping into all the inlets on the way, and a direct paddle back again.  However, it did all look very different this time, as the water level was even lower; the lowest I've ever seen it.  Shame that the storm didn't get far enough inland to help top up the reservoir.  As usual I was on the water early in the morning.

Many more tree stumps and roots had now been exposed along the edge of the reservoir.  Here are some  examples of the more sculptural looking ones:

This was a coffee break stop at the limit of my trip - on the same headland as the Torre de Maruq.  So far it had been perfect kayaking weather but strong winds were forecast for the afternoon.  So time to turn back.

This inlet is where the Barranco de los Hornos runs into the reservoir. A Barranco being gully or ravine, generally with a watercourse in the bottom.  The watercourse will be dry most of the year, but wet weather can change that.

Just after I got back on the water I heard the mellow sound of bells and a herd of goats appeared.  Goats are inquisitive animals and large numbers lined up on a ridge to look down on me.  Some came down to the water for a drink. They didn't all wear bells, so I guess it is only the 'lead goats' who have that privilege.  I didn't see the goat-man or goat-women, but I've no doubt that he or she saw me.  Even in the most remote of places you never know who may be watching you!

As I headed back to Playa de Freila I I saw this part submerged tree.  Over the last couple of years I have passed this way several times without seeing it.  It just shows how much the water level has dropped - and is a reminder of what can be lurking just below the water.  I couldn't resist moving in for a close look,  That is Jabalcón mountain in the distance.






I got back to the Playa at about 1:15pm.  Time on the water was nearly 4 hours and the total distance paddled, at a leisurely pace, and with a couple of coffee breaks ashore, was 6 kilometres.  If the wind that was forecast for the afternoon did come, it was much later in the afternoon, after I had packed up and gone.

Another Good Day on Embalse de Negratin

   Last Thursday looked a good day for another paddle on Embalse de Negratin.  A forecast of very little wind and 0% chance of rain was a brief kayaking friendly window in a period of iffy weather.  Plan for the day was to launch as usual from Playa de Freila, head down to the dam, and delve into a large inlet close to the southern end of it.  This inlet was one of the few places, at that end of the reservoir, I hadn't reached on previous visits.  If time allowed, and it did, there was a couple of other largish inlets on the opposite shore still to visit.

9:45 am. Thursday May 31st.  Kayak loaded up and ready to trundle down to the water.

I was soon passing the Torre del Maruq (see blog post 21/05/17), the remains of a watch tower from the time when this area was occupied by the Moors, on my left hand side ....... ...........

.......... and what I call 'the badlands' on my right hand side.

That's a little island dead ahead.  It wasn't there the last time (May  2017) I passed this way.  After the winter rain the water level is higher now, so it must be all that remains at the end of a spit of land.  The water was  certainly very shallow between it and the mainland.

Getting closer to that inlet.

Nearly there - have to turn left just past that big rocky outcrop near centre picture.

Going in, to what turned out be one of the largest inlets I'd delved into.  It was getting quite hot on the water now - being able to pause in the shade of the cliffs was pleasant.

This is as far as I could go.  Traffic noise from the road on the skyline disturbed the tranquility.  Apart from the road over the dam this is the only place where a main road passes anywhere near the water.

Many little bays and sub-inlets made this inlet interesting.

Heading back out towards into open water.

That little island again.  By this time I had looked into two more largish inlets and was looking for somewhere I could land, stretch my legs and have some lunch.  All the inlets I had been in were steep sided and places to land were very limited.

Stopped here for lunch.  Sizable fish were cruising the shallows - but weren't interested in bits of cold pizza.  But they would come up and take little beetley things which were scooting about on the surface of the water.  Earlier I had seen one fish come well out of the water to snatch something edible off the shore.  I've never seen a fish do that before.

Fed and watered and heading back towards Playa de Freila.  Clouds were now forming in the distance and reflections were getting interesting.  The clouds were  heralding a change in the weather.  It deteriorated again the following day.










   And so another nice quiet paddle on Embalse de Negratin came to an end.  Time on the water was approx. 3½ hrs.  Distance paddled, according to my Garmin GPS thingy, was 10½ kilometres.


   

A Blue-Sky Morning on Embalse de Negratin.

   Friday May 19th.  A beautiful morning, not a cloud inn the sky and hardly a breath of wind.  Launched from Playa de Freila at about 10:15 am with the intention of being back ashore before the day got too hot to be messing around on the water. The target this time was to reach the dam, paddling straight to it and then delving into any inlets, not delved into on previous visits, on my way back.

   I nearly got sidetracked when I spotted a tower on a headland.  The presence of a noticeboard indicated that it could be something of historical interest and worth a closer look - but I passed on, for now.

Looks interesting.

     Nearly got sidetracked again when passing a nice clean looking, gently shelving, little bit of a beach.  Was thinking about a stretch legs stop - then wondered what sort of big critters might live in those holes!  So, gave it a miss and passed on again.

Holes for big critters?

As I rounded another headland the dam came into view in the distance :-

Still a long way to go - the clarity of the air makes distances deceiving.

Getting closer.

   The little white building to the right of the dam is a pleasant bar/restaurant.  Some years back Susan and I stopped there for a drink and tapas.

And close enough.

   If that slipway to the right of the bar/restaurant is for public use, then I might just have found another good launching place.

Those badlands again.

   Delving deep into one of the larger inlets on my way back, I could see a humble looking little property.  In that location, and with some imagination, it has the potential to become a des res :-

Nice spot for a des res.

That potential des res again.

Parked up for a run ashore.

   I parked here to scramble and push my way through brush and undergrowth up to that tower I had seen on a headland earlier.  Emerging near the tower I saw numerous spent shotgun cartridges scattered around on the ground.  This is obviously a popular spot for hunters.  Note to self:  In future, in such wild areas, make a lot of noise (whistle or sing, maybe) and wear some high viz. clothing when pushing through scrubland.  Could be a hunter in a hide somewhere, just waiting for something to move!  Wouldn't like to be mistaken for a wild boar!

Torre del Maruq.

Torre del Maruq

   According to the nearby noticeboard, the tower is known as Torre de Maruq and it is a watchtower of Arab origin.  Little else seems to be known about it.  Anyone on the tower, back in the days of the occupation by the Moors, would have been able to keep a watch on much of the river valley which became the reservoir after the building of the dam in 1984.  These are the present views from alongside the tower :-

View to the left.

View further round to the left.

View to the right,.

   The adjacent headland, seen in this last photograph, is the one where I landed on my last trip to have lunch in the shade.  I have since discovered that it is called Playa de Majuelos.  However, I can't imagine that this beach gets much use by the public, as access, via a dirt track from the main road, is tricky - as I discovered when I tried it that afternoon.  The track was fine for our trusty little Citroën C15 van, but anything with less ground clearance might just get into trouble.

   It was just getting uncomfortably warm on the water when I got back to the beach at Playa de Freila around 1:45 pm (and still not a cloud in the sky) after an enjoyable morning of quiet paddling.