Hiking

Fonts de l’Algar (2020)

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In the middle of the mountains near the city of Benidorm the Rio Algar has its source. For about five decades now, the water-bearing part of the river has been used for tourism. A large number of restaurants, an open-air dinosaur museum and a public pool, better known to many under the name Fonts de l’Algar (the springs of the Algar), have been built. The bath is located on several levels in the middle of a gorge. On the lowest level there is a rather high waterfall in a picturesque setting, but the real highlight is in a currently closed-off area on the upper levels of the bath – but proper footwear and some climbing skills are required.

Due to Covid-19 there was a one-way street system this year, which all bathers followed. As a result, the main entrance at the waterfall had to be started at the main entrance, because the side entrance, where the free parking spaces are located, was blocked this year – as well as the parking spaces… Well, so we parked at one of the numerous restaurants.

As the opening hours were split up into intervals, we waited for about 40 minutes at the entrance before we went into the pool. However, this meant that we were among the first bathers, which meant that we were mostly on our own for the time being. In the course of time, however, it became relatively crowded, whereby the safety distance was always given – indeed, the Spanish are very cautious.

After we cooled down under the waterfall in the icy cold water of the Rio Algar we went straight to the higher levels of the Fonts de l’Algar where the river is a bit wider and quite shallow. If you follow the river further up from here you will reach the most beautiful part of the river after a few minutes. In a breathtaking gorge you can let yourself drift and relax. The brave ones can dive under a rock if the water level is high enough – although I personally advise against it. In July, at least, you could easily pass through the passage and follow the river further; but this was hardly worth it, because shortly after that the river is gone and you only walk over rocks.

The Fonts de l’Algar at least are a must for every Costa Blanca tourist and therefore always worth a visit!

 

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Alicante

Brighton Beach and the Dandenong Ranges

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To shorten the waiting time until the late evening opening of Luna Park Melbourne, we started our day at Brighton Beach, which is mainly known for its colourful beach huts. Instead of some fun on the beach, however, an immensely high number of freshly hatched flies awaited us, which is why we only stayed here for a short time and headed back to the car as quickly as possible. It took a while until we could get rid of the last fly. With the window open and a bit of driving, it finally worked.

Our second stop took us to the Dandenong Ranges National Park. We parked at Grant’s Picnic Ground, where the first Rosella parakeets were already waiting for us. At a small feeding station you can also feed cockatoos here, which can of course be found in larger numbers.

Meanwhile, we were drawn to the rainforest. We first followed the Coles Ridge Track in the direction of Belgrave. On the way, we decided to have a look at Sherbrooke Falls, so we first changed to the Tregellas Track and then to the Bleakley Track. After crossing the Monbulk Road at the Micawber Tavern, things got really interesting. On the Hillclimb Track, we followed Sherbrooke Creek up the mountain, which gave us a sense of adventure due to the dense vegetation.

The Sherbrooke Falls were a little less impressive, but this did not detract from the trip. Via the O’Donohue Track we reached the O’Donohue Picnic Ground quite leisurely. Here we were finally able to catch a glimpse of the birds that had so loudly accompanied our hike – unfortunately you can hardly see the colourful birds hidden in the trees.

The way back to Grant’s Picnic Ground led us first into a residential area. After a few metres on Sherbrooke Lodge Road, we joined the Clematis Track, which took us back to our car, always going downhill. On the way back to Melbourne, we took advantage of a short petrol stop in Lysterfield to have something to eat at Nando’s.

Pictures Brighton Beach and Dandenong Ranges

 

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Click here for the next report of the Hell Yeah, Schabelteah! Tour

Hell Yeah, Schnabelteah Day 6 to 8 / Victoria

Wandering around the Palo Duro Canyon

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I did not think my journey would start like this. The Palo Duro Canyon, however, was the most interesting way to somehow bridge the time until the opening of the Wonderland Amusement Park in the evening.

I’m not a philistine, I visit cities, museums and other sightseeing attractions and I always enjoy going to the theatre – but on a roller coaster tour it can be quite difficult to accommodate all of these and rushing through a city is not really my thing. Daniel’s reports about his adventures away from the usual paths of a roller coaster enthusiast always made me curious, which is why I had to visit a State or a National Park during my holiday. Luckily, the second largest canyon in the USA was just on my way.

Excited, I reached the entrance to the Palo Duro Canyon State Park around noon. After paying the small entrance fee and provided with a map, I started my discovery tour through the canyon. After a few miles, the canyon showed itself and I was immediately impressed by the beauty of the canyon. This landscape is just breathtaking.

Of course I did not want to sit in the car all the time. The flagship of the State Park is the Lighthouse Rock, which can be reached via the Lighthouse Trail (2.7 mi one way) or a combination of Givens, Spicer, Lowry Trail and Lighthouse Trail (4.2 mi in total one way). Since I did not want to hike any of the routes back and forth and did not want to hike from parking lot to parking lot via the Paseo del Rio Trail, I decided to not have a look on the Lighthouse Rock.

Instead, I started on the Pioneer Nature Trail with its length of 0.5 miles, before I moved onto the 1.4-mile Kiowa Trail, where I was spelled by the nature’s colourful beauty. Since the weather was pleasantly warm and the UV exposure was low, you could walk here without any hurry and without any great safety precautions. In summer I imagine the hike should be way more exhausting.

For the way back, I hiked the Upper Comanche Trail. This trail turned out to be a pure adventure with steep gorges, narrow paths and oncoming traffic by mountain bikers. The view was always breathtaking and every meter of this 3.4-mile trail is a really great experience, which should not be missed.

I never thought that my tour would start with such a highlight. The Palo Duro Canyon State Park was just a great experience, which I would like to repeat at some point. There are still many more paths to explore and the Lighthouse Rock is still waiting for me. There is also an amphitheater in the middle of the State Park, where the musical Texas has been played for over 50 years. Although I doubt that I would like the patriotic spectacle; a visit to the canyon is just awesome.

What is your opinion about the Palo Duro Canyon State Park nearby Amarillo, TX?  Just write it in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

          

Click here for the next report of the Texas Round-Up Tour

Texas / Texas Round-Up Day 1