Windswept dunes

November 4, 2009

After breakfast we drove out of Tarifa, back north along the N 340 up the Costa de la Luz. I wanted to photograph some more of the dramatic kite-surfing and walk up and down the massive dunes that frame the coast here. We took a side road, the 222, and after a couple of kilometers parked the car alongside the road. Walking up onto the ridge of one dune we looked out west across to the sea and the coast of Africa.



Towards the north we could see the mountains of the Sierra de Salaviciosa highlighted by shafts of sun in the low lands and dark clouds beginning to settle over the peaks.



If you continue down along the 222 heading towards Paloma Baja and make just one false turn you'll probably have the highly unpleasant experience of nearly being shot by a trigger-happy, overly-anxious military guard. On Google Earth you can see that this section is now completely blanked out. We have horrible memories of our encounter, and even after trying to explain our error the guard was still screaming and shouting.



Several small trees had managed to put roots down in the sand. It looked a lonely life. On either side of the road pine trees had been planted, probably no more than about ten years before, I assume to hold erosion in check. And yes, I did feel guilty as I walked along the dunes. And no, there were no signs indicating that this was a crime against nature. And yes, I should have known better. But other people were doing it, so.... my weak excuse tapers off here.



We drove back onto the main road and back down south like demons possessed, going swiftly from beach to beach. First Valdevaqueros beach, where I panicked that we wouldn't have time to photograph the real kitesurfing action further down south, and then Punta de la Pena, running down onto the sand to photograph the surfers, and snatching bites to eat from the sandwiches we made. The wind can quickly freeze your hands down on Costa de le Luz - but the views of sun, sand, subtle light shades on the sea and a backdrop of Africa make the whole thing worth every shiver.



Further down the coast we could see the biggest conglomeration of kitesurfers at Playa de la Plata beach, but access from the highway was only possible on foot, and I suppose I am glad for that. We parked up opposite gas station on the motorway, and hurried down the long boardwalk path to the beach, through a Parque Natural, and onto the beach as the evening was closing in. We could see maybe 50 kite surfers In the twilight, flying across the crest of the waves in what must be dangerous proximity to each other, and wondered that people didn't get hurt. Once a large and heavy kite fell with sudden force from about 60 metres up above the beach and crashed loudly onto the sand, missing me by just a few feet. I hear that just the kite alone costs over 1,000 euros.



By coincidence we then met a young girl, maybe 14, who asked us in an urgent voice to help her carry a lot of surfing gear back to the car park - her younger brother had just broken his wrist doing a kite surf trick out on the water and had just been taken off by ambulance.



Apparently people get careless and forget just how hard the surface of the sea can be when you hit it at speed. Like smacking down onto concrete at high speed. Ouch.

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