Day Tripping

For a change of pace we popped on a bus and took a day trip out to the Artola sand dunes the other day. Our weather app informed us the high winds we’ve been experiencing were supposed to disappear and while the day was to be cool, it was at least going to be sunny. It was mostly sunny. It was even pleasant when the wind died down, because the app wasn’t quite correct on that detail.

The Dunes

The Dunas de Artola encompass a small nature preserve along the coast of Artola, an area between the towns of Marbella and Fuengirola. The 220 bus from Fuengirola will take you as far as Leila Playa for a nominal fee on your green Malaga bus card. To travel further you’ll need to purchase a ticket from the bus station. From the Leila Playa stop it’s a brief walk to the dunes.

Naturally there’s a Torre at the dunes. It’s a relatively well preserved one and makes for a great photo op. A series of boardwalks will take you throughout the dunes. Walking outside of the boardwalk is prohibited, though we certainly saw people disregarding the signage. Dogs are allowed but are supposed to be on a leash. There were fewer loose dogs roaming about freely than there were people. I suspect the dunes are regularly walked through judging by the many obvious trails we saw. All this is an attempt to protect the area and wildlife, which I can appreciate. We saw loads of birds and a few rabbits.

The boardwalks consist of an outer ring, where there seems to be a divide on where one can roam freely. Inland is fair game, seaside is a no go. There are some rather impressive tree’s through here, though not much for views of the dunes. We chose the outer route first and walked to the end, which plopped us out on the westernmost side of the Dunes beach. The end is marked by a wall with an amusing bare bunned painting on it. Beach walking is fully permitted.

The western side of the beach notably has more rocks and shells of all types. I found many of the stones quite beautiful with colors ranging from pinks, whites, reds, marbled rocks, grays and blues. Doug loved finding shells. There were all sorts to be seen, though scallops were the predominant shell to be found. As we headed east, the beach shifted to predominantly sand and had more people present. Dogs were out enjoying their run on the beach, all were polite and well mannered down here. A few boardwalks trek down to the beach, though we chose to walk the length of the beach before turning inland and walking the “inner” path of boardwalk.

This inner path gives you a better perspective of the dunes. I’d describe them as quaint with quite a bit of vegetation. Wind ever changes the landscape of dunes and these were no exception. Part of the pathways were obscured by sand and you actually got to climb over the hill of sand to continue the boardwalk journey.

On this section of boardwalk, benches are conveniently placed off and on. We selected one to stop for lunch with two criteria. One: in the sun (it was a cold day). Two: minimal to no wind (because we were tired of freezing). We did find an adequate bench and the breeze did settle for long enough that we almost warmed up. Almost. Lunch consisted of roast chicken sandwiches with slivered red bell pepper. Pretty tolerable sandwich. Gotta love leftovers from a roast chicken! Once the wind picked back up a chill settled in and it was time to move once again.

Senda Litoral

The Senda Litoral is a path that is partially paved, part boardwalk and a brief walk through sand (eww) where the boardwalk disappears. The path will take you from the dunes to Playa de la Cala. I believe you may continue on further toward Fuengirola, but the path is right next to the main highway past here and seemed much less scenic with cars zipping past.

Strolling along the path will bring you through the Marina de Cabopino. There are quite a few restaurants lining the marina. Tempting smells wafting through the air will surely entice you if you haven’t already eaten. Boats of all sorts are tied up and waiting to be used. There’s boat rentals for those so inclined.

Further on there’s a small marker on the path. One side marks the Marbella side (toward the dunes). The other is the Mijas side. Their signs do not acknowledge the opposing side and would make it seem as if the trail stops. It does not. I found it humorous.

Ambling along, you’ll pass plenty of beaches with names such as Playa de la Butibamba and Calahonda. I can’t tell you the best, all seemed rather serene. Though it was a chilly day outside of the main tourist season.

There are relatively frequent beach clubs where one can stop for a drink or bite to eat. If one desires something beyond the typical beach fare offerings, signs pointing inland direct you to everything from BBQ to Indian food.

The path will pass through residential areas where you may see locals enjoying the sun on their terraces or going for a stroll. Local fishing boats line the beach off and on. And always, there are the intermittent Torre. These Torres were built at intervals along the coast as watchtowers to protect against attacks by North African pirates back in the 16th to 18th century. Turns out these attacks were a major problem back in the day and the Torre’s used to have a small staff and had cannons. Nowadays they are classified under a cultural interest in monuments in Spain. And to my knowledge there are no cannons.

Making our way to La Cala de Mijas, we headed inland to bring an end to our chilly beach venture and catch the bus back home. We walked past multiple cafe’s, full of patrons seated outside soaking up the sun. It’s a cute section of town with lovely little shops, restaurants and bakery’s. And of course, a Torre. Though this one is remarkably complete and you can actually go the inside for the whopping cost of €1 if you’re interested in seeing how these watchtowers operated. When it’s open of course.

A Good Day

While the Dunas de Artol are nothing like the massive sand dunes I’m familiar with running through back home, they offer a pleasant and relaxed option for a day trip. Combine this with the beach stroll along the Senda Litoral and you will have yourself a lovely outing. Granted, picking a slightly warmer or less windy day might be preferred. Or bundling up even more than we were with our multiple layers and beanies.

---