June 5, 2024
Denia
Our stay in Calpe has satisfied us on many levels. We had a very nice room with a balcony overlooking the harbour not far from the beach, the hotel offered a huge breakfast buffet, we made it to the summit of Col de Rates and we were passed by a pro cyclist on the way home, we had lunch at Velosol, there are oodles of incredible restaurants to choose from, the temperatures were warm and agreeable and we had an opportunity to ride unloaded which is like a form of rest, even if it includes climbing a col.
Honestly, it just never ends here on the Costa Blanca. Such a variety of things to do and perfect sunny weather. And, the food. There are so many talented chefs and servers and just a heck of a lot of very nice people in the restaurant industry. We are so impressed.
Today’s ride took us northeast, over a large hill and down the other side to yet another gorgeous town, Denia. We loaded up the bikes after consuming as much fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, coffee, fresh squeezed OJ, pastries, toast and scrambled eggs as we could. Then we headed out along the coastal road.
Before leaving town, we had to make a stop at the Salinas de Calpe to visit the flamingoes. Formerly (as in, Roman times), the salinas was a salt farm although it has not been active since 1988. Salt continues to be in demand for the culinary industry and in Roman times, each soldier was given his ration of salt for his own supply. Curiously, that is also the origin of the word, salary. We were smitten to watch this young flamingo emulating its mother.
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There were hundreds of flamingos in the Salinas. As we were watching the mom and babe near the shore, two of the birds decided to move to another feeding spot about 100m away. One took flight and the other ran across the water, dipping its toes in the water with each stride. The one in flight looked like a skinny 10’ long pole with gorgeous pink and black wings flapping slowly as it glided to its new feeding spot. It happened so fast we didn’t capture it, but what a thrill it was to see their wings all spread out.
As we moved along the coast, we could see the large form of the Calpe rock take on a new look. It is actually a triangular shape with its flat end facing towards Calpe. There is a hiking trail leading up to the top, for anyone so inclined. Make sure you have good shoes though. We were told you have to pre-book the descent.
The coastal road reminded us of the pine-shaded Mediterranean coastlines we cycled many decades ago. They are fun to ride, constantly twisting with gentle ups and downs as they meander between the small beach towns. The ups and downs turned into climbs with some 8% grades (and more) after Teluda.
We passed through Xabia on our way to the Parque Natural del Montgo which covers a good part of the massive headland separating Xabia from Denia. Xabia’s streets were steep, narrow and uncomfortable to cycle. The surface was reasonably new but instead of pavement, they used bricks. Car tires made a racket, so we were glad to find smoother pavement as we exited town and started the ascent that would land us in Denia. By now, the temperature had risen to almost 30 degrees. Spain is warming up! We stopped on the way up for this photo over Xabia but we enjoyed the cooling breeze too much to stop on our way down the long hill to Denia.
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We stopped at a waterfront cafe for a light lunch and cold drinks before checking in to our hotel. Denia’s harbour, adjacent to the old town, is home to the ferry to Mallorca, a collection of very expensive-looking super-yachts, racing boats and a wide assortment of pleasure craft. The Balearia ferry takes 5 hours to travel to Palma de Mallorca.
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Our hotel, Maison Marinetta was beautiful. Raoul checked us in and then held up a sign saying that it was mandatory that we had a good time during our stay. OK, Raoul, we will! Then he said, if you need aaannny-thing, just call out, Ra-ooouuull! He really meant it. What an accommodation guy. I headed up to the rooftop terrace for a cold beer while David stretched out for a snooze in the room.
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Here’s the video of today’s ride.
We found a small plaza nearby for dinner. The entire plaza was filled with tables, chairs and umbrellas for diners at the five restaurants. We chose an Italian restaurant and ordered pasta. The young people serving were at the top of their game and doing an amazing job to keep the customers happy.
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Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 1,021 km (634 miles)
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