Trekking to the bay of Albarca

Lost on the north coast, an ancient path bears witness to the simple life of yesteryear

In the previous article I told of the surprise in admiring the bay of Albarca with its extravagant shapes exposed to the force of the elements. There are no beaches here, just rocks and cliffs overlooking the sea.

My curiosity, however, does not end in front of the magnificent stone bridge, but pushes me to explore its entire coastline. So I decide to make my way between the rocks and the few shrubs to reach and skirt them where the sea breaks its waves on the rocks.

Trekking between rocks

With careful eye and caution I go down making my way among the stones of various sizes, some really impressive!

I walk calmly enjoying the landscape. A small path can be seen. Shy footsteps creep between the steep walls on my left and the waves of the sea that brutally make their way through splashes and roars to my right.

Among the stones I see signs of past activity. A container made with bricks for collecting water, an iron rod and the remains of wooden planks testify the presence of the famous “embarcaderos”. The small houses where the fishermen kept the typical boats after a hard day of fishing. There is nothing here today. Maybe a landslide or the brute force of the sea has destroyed everything, leaving only slight clues.

Go up!

I almost reach the other side of the bay but the path, now very clear even if narrow, deviates for a steep wall. I am not allowed to continue and I almost have to climb among shrubs and branches following the path barely marked.

As I continue I still see bare stone retaining walls and even an abandoned stone house. A humble and small structure. Whose was it? Who lived in this remote and isolated place? But the surprises don’t end as I climb the slope.

I approach a wall of white rock that overlooks menacingly. Thinking about how difficult it will be to climb up to the highest point, suddenly I am faced with the solution to the problem. An image that is difficult to believe is true, if it weren’t for the fact that it is made of hard and solid stone.

A stairway made up of well-massed rocks guarantee access to the last part of the path. I hesitate a little, evaluating the solidity of the noteworthy work. There is no other way than to go up the steps. In the end it turns out to be a fairly simple step as long as I don’t look down while I’m halfway through.

The vegetation does not make the progression easy, but at the same time I continue to observe walls and stairways carved into the rock. Definitive proof that once upon a time man came down here not only to admire the panorama but to live there daily.

A hostile but rich bay

The cool wind becomes softer, the heat takes its place making me sweat a lot despite the shade offered by the pines trees. With scarred ankles I finally reach the top of the cliff. The head stops scanning the sky and the path vertically. I rest a little, reflecting on the journey just finished.

The trekking to the bay of Albarca turned out to be wild, almost prehistoric. At the same time, however, the signs and traces left by humans suggest that even here man adapted to the conditions of the landscape and the sea, drawing a humble sustenance from it by now.

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Marco Pachiega