Coast of Southern Spain

Fishermen

After a few days in La Linea we again started to sail the southern coast of Spain (the Andalusia region) on our way to Cartagena - our winter home.  The landscape is like none I have seen before - arid and barren.  Home to mountains and tumbleweed!  Turns out is was the ideal location for filming all those "spaghetti westerns" of the 60s and 70s.  Some of the sets are still there but have now been turned into amusement parks.  Sadly, we did not make it to Tabernas where many of these sets still exist.  We will have to make a point of visiting on the way back out!  

South Coast of Spain

 There seems to be a permanent haze all along the coast - air pollution.  You don't notice it so much when you are off the boat albeit it is very noticeable when sailing along the coast. 

Beach at Cabo de Gata

Our first stop past La Linea we decided to go to a marina.  What a mistake - the harbour master was a complete curmudgeon and the marineros did not assist at all with the med mooring.  As we were novices to this type of mooring we could have used a little assistance!  After that we tried to anchor when possible and were much happier.  At this one little beach there was a fellow running a little business making mojitos for the sailors at anchor.  A mobile "bar" in a dinghy!  He was pretty proud of his mojitos but they were indeed very tasty.  Enterprising fellow!  

 The other noticeable feature of this region of Spain is what many refer to as a "sea of plastic".  The town of Almeria (as well as the whole area) is the site of the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world!  As barren as the area is you would think nothing would grow.  As it turns out the area supplies the vast majority of winter vegies and fruit to the rest of Europe.  The hills are alive with all these polyethelene sheets that make up the greenhouses allowing them to grow vegetables year round.  

Almeria Greenhouses

 And what goes well with fresh vegetables - fresh fish, of course.  The fish are not just caught but farmed.  Lots of folks to feed!

Commercial Fish Farm

A different landscape for sure - other worldly.  It looks pretty inhospitable but then you come across these great towns and cities - suddenly you see the beauty. 

Building right out the hills

One of my favorite sites was seeing how they just carved these buildings right out of the hills.  So amazing how folks adapt to their environment!