Banalbufar
To start off September, I went to visit a village on the West coast of the island, called Banalbufar. It was originally a Moorish settlement, and its name means "founded by the sea." It is a very small village with less than 600 inhabitants, and its main focus is agriculture. I chose Banalbufar because it was rumored to be incredibly beautiful, and the rumors are true.
I hopped on a bus on a Saturday afternoon to get to Banalbufar. The village is in the mountains, and I was very impressed by our bus driver's skillful driving. We went up some very tight curves as we climbed up the mountain in a city bus. When I arrived, I headed straight for the water. the walk down the hill was very steep, and the further I walked, the more I dreaded climbing back up to town.
Walking down the street to the cove, I passed tiny vineyards, irrigation pools cut into the mountain, people actively farming. The homes I passed were simple but beautiful. There were people on their porches enjoying each other's company and I even met a cute little dog on my walk. As I finally got closer to the water, I could see how clear it really was. Even from up on the hill, I could see individual stones in the water.
I finally reached the end of the road and found myself at more stairs. I couldn't catch a break from stairs that week. I climbed down the stone steps with just a wooden guardrail between me and the sea below. The view of the water was beautiful. I didn't get in the water since I didn't want to sit on the bus for an hour in a soggy swimsuit, but seeing the water was enough for me. The different shades of blue against the rocky terrain was breathtaking.
I sat and ate the tuna empanada that I'd packed for lunch and soaked up the scenery. Then, when I'd regained my strength, I started my trek back up the stairs and the steep street that led back into town. I won't lie to y'all.. I had to stop and catch my breath several times. Fortunately, I could play it off like I was just stopping to look at the sea.
There isn't a lot to do in Banalbufar, but the little streets and old buildings were fun to explore, and I even got to watch the sun begin to set behind the hills while I waited for my bus home. I came home exhausted and covered in mosquito bites (I failed to think about the possibility of mosquitoes), but it was well worth it.
I hopped on a bus on a Saturday afternoon to get to Banalbufar. The village is in the mountains, and I was very impressed by our bus driver's skillful driving. We went up some very tight curves as we climbed up the mountain in a city bus. When I arrived, I headed straight for the water. the walk down the hill was very steep, and the further I walked, the more I dreaded climbing back up to town.
Walking down the street to the cove, I passed tiny vineyards, irrigation pools cut into the mountain, people actively farming. The homes I passed were simple but beautiful. There were people on their porches enjoying each other's company and I even met a cute little dog on my walk. As I finally got closer to the water, I could see how clear it really was. Even from up on the hill, I could see individual stones in the water.
I finally reached the end of the road and found myself at more stairs. I couldn't catch a break from stairs that week. I climbed down the stone steps with just a wooden guardrail between me and the sea below. The view of the water was beautiful. I didn't get in the water since I didn't want to sit on the bus for an hour in a soggy swimsuit, but seeing the water was enough for me. The different shades of blue against the rocky terrain was breathtaking.
I sat and ate the tuna empanada that I'd packed for lunch and soaked up the scenery. Then, when I'd regained my strength, I started my trek back up the stairs and the steep street that led back into town. I won't lie to y'all.. I had to stop and catch my breath several times. Fortunately, I could play it off like I was just stopping to look at the sea.
There isn't a lot to do in Banalbufar, but the little streets and old buildings were fun to explore, and I even got to watch the sun begin to set behind the hills while I waited for my bus home. I came home exhausted and covered in mosquito bites (I failed to think about the possibility of mosquitoes), but it was well worth it.
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