Carboneras to Sopalmo: The tunnel

What a magnificent day! The trail was full of variety with the highlight being a 400 meter water pipe tunnel that took us through a hill rather than over it. I had worried a bit about the tunnel ahead of time, wondering if my mild claustrophobia would make it impossible for me to walk through. It turned out to be no problem. In fact, it was a pleasure because it was shady and cool inside. You can literally see the light at the end of the tunnel when you enter, and it’s about ten feet wide and ten feet high. No earthquake occurred while we were walking through, and we didn’t get buried in any rubble, so none of my fears came true!

The rest of the track offers lovely views, lots of variety, and if you are as lucky as we were, sightings of wild ibex leaping from crag to crag. We went by the site of the infamous Algarrobico Hotel, under construction for more than 20 years at a cost of over €70 million, and now slated for demolition. It was built within the boundaries of the Natural Park, and has been the subject of years of opposing court decisions regarding its legality. It sits on the same pristine beach where a replica of the Jordanian village of Aqaba was built in 1962 to film scenes from Lawrence of Arabia.

We are now resting happily (my foot is especially pleased) at Venta El Molino just outside Sopalmo. Their lunch menu del día was perfect for hungry walkers.

Link to today’s Wikiloc track: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/carbonera…Læs mere