Day 2 - Walking along the coast of the Alcúdia peninsula
As soon as we woke up, we realised it was going to be a hot day. We had packed water for the walk home (I had packed it in my suitcase and my mum had bought it at the airport) as our welcome meeting started at 9am and we couldn't find a supermarket beforehand. This also meant that we had packed snacks from home. So when we arrived at the reception at 9am, we were ready to go. After the welcome meeting, we were driven straight to the start of the trail. We were dropped off at a car park where our driver, Ricardo, sent us in the right direction up into the mountains.
Already within the first kilometre, it is possible to take the first option on the trail. A short walk to Mirado Penya des Migdia, where an old cannon stands in the foreground of an impressive view. However, it's also a walk you shouldn't do if you're afraid of heights, as there are very narrow paths and steep slopes down to the sea. We decided not to go out there and instead walk down to Coll Baix beach later on the route.
Before we started walking, Ricardo had informed us that today would be the toughest day of the trip. You had to get your legs going and stuff, he said. The walk was indeed tough, with a lot of up and down on uneven paths and several places where I had to sit down in order to climb carefully. It wasn't a problem, but it made me really appreciate my hiking boots. On the other hand, you are also constantly rewarded with stunning views of the mountains and coastline.
The drive down to Coll Baix beach is tough. Very hard, as you are warned in your roadbook. When we were almost all the way down to the beach, we came to a section with rocks that you had to climb over. Here, unfortunately, we chose to stop that part of the trip and go back again. Partly because my mum was unsure and partly because, with my short legs (a height of 159cm), I was simply nervous that I would not be able to climb up again when we had to go back. This is something to consider if you want to go down there. The hike back up was tough - especially with the intense heat approaching 36 degrees centigrade.
The hike was SO beautiful with the raw, reddish mountains, the blue, blue water and the winding paths. But it was also hard, and as we approached the hotel, a shower and a dip in the pool, we both agreed that Ricardo had been right. The legs needed to get going, and they did.