Isla Cristina: Camping Giralda

October 28, 2017

I left the hotel early after a snack in my room. I didn't stop for breakfast, but did spot a churroreria and stopped to watch. I bought the minimum order of 100 grams of churros for 1 euro, and managed to snack on them all morning. They were just the deep fried dough, no sugar or cinnamon or anything else, and I was surprised to see that they were made in a big spiral and then cut into smaller strips.

Leaving Huelva there is a long bridge. I think that white hill is a pile of salt from the salt marsh.

I opted to take some smaller roads today, knowing that they would take me off pavement. I went through a national park, and followed some canals (with paved service roads!) and got really bogged down in sand before heading back to the main road. Given some good maps and perhaps an unloaded bike, it would be fun to ride in that area.

I stopped in the town of Lepe and tried to get some lunch. I found a place that had just one item available, couscous, and worried that it was leftover, I ended up with just coffee. In Islantilla, I stopped at the tourist office and asked about campsites. There are three that I'm aware of in the area, but I was concerned that on a weekend there wouldn't be any availability. I was told that Camping Giraldi was the only one to consider, and the woman at the tourist office called to confirm they had space.

So I pedaled on, and checked in at the campground. It is by far the largest campground I've ever visited, and it is packed. There are few people with tents only, so there is plenty of space for me. The restaurant and the pool have closed for the season, but there is a bar and a convenience store. The Wi-Fi is only available at reception, which is also where the bar is and where I found a charging point for my phone. The beach is across the other side of the road, and looks pretty quiet. I walked into town for a meal, and the beach there is much busier. Neither location has chairs or umbrellas available, so I'm unlikely to hang out at the beach.

It's quieting down here as the sun is setting, except for someone with a tv blaring, and except for dogs barking. Mosquitoes are coming out, so I'll be diving into my tent soon. I may take a day off here tomorrow so I can do some planning.

The canals were very tidy and had good pavement along side.

The long bridge leaving Huelva had dedicated bike lanes, and there were a lot of cyclists out in full kit.

Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles)
Total: 493 km (306 miles)

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