Sunflower Books: Landscapes of the COSTA BLANCA: WALKS AND CAR TOURS

Costa Blanca, 4th ed (2009), updated 02/05/2011

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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in the Costa Blanca region given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

Guadalest: Below is information about a new museum that has opened in Guadalest, Costa
Blanca, which may be of use when you update your guide book. Guadalest is the second most visited tourist destination in Spain, after the Prado Museum in Madrid. Salt & Pepper Museum: Opened in May 2010, this is the only museum of its kind in Spain, and one of only two in the world, with 20,000 pairs of salt and pepper shakers on display. As we wander around the museum I find it hard to believe that the twenty-thousand pair display of fat chefs, ruby red tomatoes, guardsmen in bear skins, The Beatles, Santaís feet sticking out of a chimney, pistols and potatoes, a copy of the salt and pepper shaker cufflinks that Lady Diana wore, (which, fortunately, are sealed, or their contents would have sprayed everywhere when she shook hands), have any other reason for coming together than simply being someoneís idea of being collectable - but they do.î (From an article in the Costa Blanca News, 16 July, 2010) Museo de Saleros y Pimenteros (Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers), Avenida de Alicante 2, Guadalest, Alicante. (Next to the Tourist Office), Open daily 10.30am-7.30pm. Entrance 3 euros, children under 12 free. (User, 8/10)

Walk 2a: At the moment the first section of this walk is difficult and in places very narrow & not easy to negotiate, as there has been a landslide round the corner by the Nautical Club. (User, 3/10)

Walk 6: We did this excellent walk a few days ago. I took along my GPS receiver (which many walkers are using these days), and thought that GPS waypoints would be a useful addition to the route. Here are the GPS waypoints for the Serpis Gorge walk (User 2006):

Parking (0min):         N38°51.015, W000°19.424
Ruin (9min):             N38°51.141, W000°18.929
Tunnel #1 (30min):       N38°51.563, W000°18.077
Dam #1 (46min):          N38°51.793, W000°17.771
Track (1h14min):         N38°52.085, W000°17.114
Ruined bridge (1h23min): N38°52.426, W000°16.907
Tunnel #2 (1h28min):     N38°52.414, W000°16.702
Dam #2 (1h38min):        N38°52.507, W000°16.291
Tunnel #3 (1h41min):     N38°52.565, W000°16.234
Bridge (1h49min):        N38°52.738, W000°16.034
Tunnel #4 (1h55min):     N38°52.814, W000°15.783
Tunnel #5 (2h05min);     N38°52.693, W000°15.530
End (2h30min):           N38°52.941, W000°14.699

Walk 9: At the time of writing, there is a bus service from Denia to Alcoy via Pego and Planes (Subus M42). This provides access to Walk 9 (and walk 8). It runs Monday to Friday - once in each direction - and leaves Denia at 7.25am. The return service leaves Alcoy at 3pm and doesn't get back to L'Atzubia until after 4pm so there is more than enough time to do an extension to walk 9. Instead of turning left at 2hr 23min, continue on the road towards Pego and, in less than 2km, there is a path off to the left signed "Pego per La Coma" (it's marked on the map as a black dotted line). This narrow path leaves the road, passing by some beehives, and is clear to follow - marked white and yellow occasionally - and is very pleasant. It ends at a concrete track but the way continues downhill, on concrete by citrus groves, to the end of a tarmac road. Follow this all the way to Pego, from where the M42 bus to Denia can be taken. (User, 5/11, who was using the 3rd edition of the book)

Walk 12 and alternative 1: You approach a "little house beautifully sited on a spur" at the 1h33min-point. TAKE EXTREME CARE walking past this property. We passed the fenced-in goats and without warning 2 very large vicious Spanish Mastiffs appeared - one was on a very heavy chain (not that that made us feel any safer as it was a long chain and the path here was not overly wide and has a drop on one side) the other was NOT chained. We proceeded with extreme caution and I can say without exaggeration that our walking sticks saved us from being mauled. Once past the drive to the house (which wasn't exactly close to where the dogs appeared) we were left alone. This is the worst experience that we have had with dogs anywhere. (User, 5/10) [This user does not mention having a Dog Dazer, which may have helped.]