Seas, lakes and rivers

Seas, Lakes, and Rivers

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View of the Penon de Ifach from Morro del Toix

This photograph shows the Penon de Ifach at Calpe, which is the famous landmark of the Costa Blanca. Visit the Spanish Roads page for a great biking road.

You can climb up to the top (over 1000ft) and see magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, from Moraira to Altea. Climb from the bottom by following the well-worn footpath and walk through a tunnel which takes you to the east side of the rock. It is very dangerous here because the narrow path is very slippery and there is no barrier - there isn't even a handrail. I recommend that you don't progress beyond the tunnel. Superb views are available from the tunnel entrance so there is really no need to go further. The mountains behind Calpe also have fabulous views and rise to over 4000 feet. If you are going for walks in the summer then take plenty of liquid; this is hot countryside and there are no bars once you get away from the roads. Visit the Costa Blanca Gallery for more photographs.

Moraira, Costa Blanca (S)

This is one of the lovely small bays that you get in this region of the Costa Blanca, if you know where to look.

On the right of the photograph you have the bay of El Portet, which is where the local Spaniards go on a Sunday for a spot of swimming. It is south facing and sheltered so it is warm in winter and very hot in summer. The yacht harbour of Moraira is shown on the left. This photo shows early Spanish planning at its worst. Here is a naturally beautiful bay, with pleasant low-rise buildings around it. So what do they do; they build two high-rise apartment blocks on the top of the cliffs which spoil the view for miles around. Still, they've improved their planning rules recently.

Pyrenees

Santuario de Torreciudad, on the Embalse de el Gardo

The Embalse de el Gardo at Barbastro on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. Visit the Spanish Roads page for information on great biking roads in the region.

This is one of the many reservoirs that can be found on both sides of the mountain range. The Spanish side tends to be rather barren because of the lower rainfall and high temperatures of the area, whereas the reservoirs on the French side are often hidden by trees. On a sunny summers day the Spanish side can be hot and dry, and the French side will be hot and humid - or more probably raining.

The French side of the Pyrennes is wetter and hence the countryside has many more trees.

This photograph of a reservoir on the French side of the Pyrenees, on the Somport pass, can be compared with the Spanish photograph above to show the difference in the terrain. Visit the Spanish Gallery for another photograph.

Avignon (F)

Fishing on the Rhone river at Avignon.

This is a famous ruined bridge at Avignon, which is near the end of the Autoroute du Soleil in southern France.

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