We set off early on today's stage. 23 kilometres of paddling lie ahead, almost 13 miles in which we will discover our third natural park of the Costa Blanca, the Serra Gelada. In addition, we will explore the whole bay of Benidorm, the Finestrat cove and the coves and beaches of La Vila Joiosa.
So, get paddling!
Today our boarding point is the Racó beach in L'Albir and we will have our sights set on Cabo del Faro.
The first section of the trip, with low cliffs and clear, shallow waters, will allow us to get closer to the Punta de l'Esparralló, which we will navigate under the attentive gaze of the walkers on the lighthouse path, just above our heads.
Going round the small cape we will reach Racó del Pallarès, a small cove difficult access from land, great for underwater sports and where we can see the remains of the old ochre mines.
We will continue our journey close to the cliffs of the natural park and enjoying a part of its 4,920 hectares of sea.
Punta Bol and Punta Bombarda will be our next two targets. Once we have managed both, we will find ourselves on the eastern side of the park. 6.5 kilometres of cliffs await us, many of them over 300 metres high, sculpted by winds and whipped by the sea. It is impressive to enjoy the strange rock formations that have been created.
The first large bay that we reach already warns us that we will always be at the mercy of the wind and the sea. It is important to understand that there is no chance of escaping the park until you reach Benidorm.
We will continue as close as possible to the cliffs to continue enjoying the beautiful and unique formations. During this section of the journey we will find the cueva del Parque: a water cave with an entrance and exit.
Once we have covered 2/3 of the park and the pass between l'Illeta Penyes de l'Arabí (on the left) and Morret Negret (on the right), we can see the remains of the Torre de les Caletes, which announces our arrival in Benidorm and its beautiful coves.
After navigating the Punta de L'Escaleta, and at about 700 metres, we will arrive at the Tío Ximo cove, a small cove providing the opportunity for a peaceful stop before tackling the long bay of Benidorm. We could also continue and stop at the next cove, Almadraba, which is just as nice, but bigger and more affluent.
Bordering the Punta del Pinet we reach the stunning beaches of the tourist capital of the Costa Blanca, Levante and Poniente, separated by the Balcony of the Mediterranean, a picturesque viewpoint nestled on a rocky ledge.
Before arriving at Poniente beach, and between the Balcony of the Mediterranean and the Benidorm Sailing Club, we reach the small beach cove of Mal Pas, 120 metres long, with golden sand, offering us an peaceful atmosphere.
Opposite the beach is l'Illa de Benidorm that shelters a submerged platform known as La Llosa, an important reserve with excellent sea beds that are a paradise for scuba divers.
Looking at the land and we will see the incredible Puig Campana, one of the highest mountains in Alicante. We will see the almost perfect cut-out in its southern part and we will recall some of the legends that have been told about this geographical formation. Legend has it that the missing piece of rock is from l'Illa de Benidorm and others tell stories of love and a furious giant.
At the end of Poniente beach we find the Tossal de la Cala, which shelters the small and unique Finestrat cove. A few metres away we see another of the watchtowers on our coast, Torre El Aguiló, a defence built in the sixteenth century and that welcomes us to the municipality of La Vila Joiosa.
Past this small cliff and already in Vilero territory, we find the Racó del Conill pebbly and sandy cove, suitable for naturism and with small mountains that give us protection from the easterly winds.
We will continue our trip surrounded by rocky and whitish cliffs. We arrive at Cala Fonda and we will continue paddling to the Torres beach, with its main feature, the Torre de Sant Josep, the largest of the three best preserved Roman funeral towers in Spain.
Then, we will reach three impressive coves almost one after the other: Tío Roig, los Estudiantes y Varadero, and just after this trio of beaches we will arrive at the port of La Vila Joiosa and its Sailing Club. Once we are past both, we will disembark at Centre Beach, an urban beach in the centre of La Vila Joiosa.