What motivates me most when I go hiking in the hills or in a forest park is reaching the highest points and being surprised by the views they offer, the various viewpoints, but also what I come across along the way, exploring new areas and what I might spot amongst the vegetation.
There are so many forest parks and gardens to visit, and they cover such a vast area that I can always choose to explore a new trail. Right now, I’m thinking about the new paths I spotted on the map for a forest park that surrounds one of the city’s castles, and just thinking about it always fills me with excitement.
But today I’m here to tell you about a path that may not be amongst the most important or popular in the Hacienda Clavero Forest Park, but which nonetheless led me to a beautiful viewpoint; and although there was a lot of vegetation in the way, I was still able to catch glimpses of the sea.
When I arrived, I looked down and realised there were even more paths; I don’t think these are marked on the map at the entrance, and I reckon they’ll be the subject of a future exploration.
The hot days here in the city have been exhausting; this year has been very unusual, with intense heat and, above all, high humidity, which has left my blood pressure very low, to the point where I’ve felt quite dizzy. But I think those days are behind me now, and I’ll be able to resume my walks, naturally, without leaving home without my bottle of ice-cold water and, often, a mixture I make containing salts and minerals.
Fortunately, I did this walk on a day when it wasn’t quite so hot. The first time I visited the place, I read on the sign at the entrance that there are two of them, two entrances, but I haven’t yet managed to find the second one; I’ll have to keep exploring and try not to get lost inside the park. The park covers an area of 11 hectares, and each section features vegetation dominated by pine and carob trees, as well as smaller shrubs.
The trees are so tall that in most places you can’t see through them, but in the spots where you can, I get different views of the city, though I always like to reach the very top; that always motivates me.
A sunny day with just a few clouds, truly ideal for spending hours walking. Above all, I like visiting this sort of place in the early afternoon, when there are no people around; I can stop whenever I like, take photos where only nature features, sit on a tree stump, rest and carry on with my walk.
Hiking on my own is brilliant, and I’m not saying I don’t like company, but when there’s solitude and silence, you enjoy the moment in a different way. The sound of the birds, of some animal scurrying about, I suppose they’re squirrels because they run so fast and don’t let me take a photo of them, and even the sound of the leaves on the trees rustling against one another when there’s a breeze. The breeze grew stronger as I climbed higher. There’s always much more oxygen and fresh air at the top.
But in the meantime, I could walk and fill my lungs with fresh air. This forest park is surrounded by neighbourhoods and serves as a vast green lung for the area. The eastern part of the city is characterised by this: there are plenty of green spaces, and they’ve been reforested to protect the city.
In fact, whilst I was taking a break, I saw a man arrive to water some very small trees that had recently been planted. That speaks volumes about the locals’ awareness and how much they value these places. Luckily for me, they’re not very busy, except around sunset when people walk their dogs or children head to the specially designated play areas.
And as I walked, looking ahead, up, behind me, constantly and in all directions, and with my visual memory helping me find my way back more easily, I found myself, without realising it, in a clearing where, in the distance, there were gaps through which, on one side, I could see the city to the west, where there were a few clouds, but to the south I could just make out the beautiful Mediterranean Sea through the vegetation.
The clouds were moving from west to east, but very slowly, and although there were many shades of grey, they didn’t look as though they’d bring rain. Despite this, they cast a shadow, so I decided to get back on the path, as I’d have to take two buses to get home afterwards.
But on my way back, I spotted a cave in the distance, amongst the trees. At first I thought there might be an animal in there; then I thought of snakes, but as I got closer and looked inside, I realised it was empty. I love finding places like that and exploring them.
The return journey was easy, mostly downhill, but I had to watch out for the tiny stones scattered all along the path, which could cause you to slip. I hope to return soon to explore those paths I saw further down. I’ve no idea how to get to them, but I’ll manage it.
It’s been a wonderful experience where nature spoke to me all the time through its sounds, and that’s the most marvellous thing, being attuned to them and enjoying them. Thank you very much for joining me today; I send you my warmest regards. See you soon. Amonet.
All photographs are my own. Separators created by me in Photoshop. Used translator Deepl.com free version. //:# (!worldmappin 36.730132 lat -4.394458 long Hiking along a new trail to a relaxing viewpoint – Forest Park 📷 Málaga – Spain d3scr)
