38:31.937N 00:06.860W Benidorm

Ariel of Hamble
Jim and Valerie SHURVELL
Mon 14 Sep 2009 10:22

38:31.937N  00:06.860W  Benidorm

 

12.9.2009.     24miles sailed.

 

We left Alicante after midday and sailed close hauled and long tacked in a light breeze along the coast, past the mountains and rugged headlands.  Some beautiful scenery if you ignore what mans developments has done.  Along the coast we watched a thunder storm develop and then the rain and lightning descended on the land.  After the rain we could smell the odour of the eucalyptus trees.  We actually had our first spots of rain on Ariel in over 3 months.

What man has done to the landscape can be no more true than the skyline of Benidorm.  The skyscraper blocks of hotels and apartments and perhaps some offices, can be seen for miles before you arrive.  They even have a skyscraper block that looks like the Empire State building in New York.  We anchored at the North end of the bay at the far end of Benidorm and sat and watched the practice water skiing circuit machine where customers are towed around a circular circuit on wires.  At sun down they went home and the lights of Benidorm came on and you could hear the town start to come to life. 

Just off Benidorm is the very small Isla de Benidorm locally known as Peacock Island where pleasure boats take day trippers. Hikers can follow the island trails, others swim to view the colourful underwater life or stop at the café and view the aviary where the peacocks are kept.



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