Sunday morning showed itself full of imperfections and flaws. The attack of questions and uncomfortable feelings wanted to dominate my mind and take over the positivity that I try not to lose. The red lights immediately signalized and they are not to be ignored. The balance had to be achieved again and it didn't take me more than a minute to make the decision that the afternoon will be spent somewhere outdoors. Somewhere where the thoughts would cool down completely.
What happened is that my thoughts cooled down faster than I thought they would hahaha. It was funny and grotesque, me being pissed off and ranting about the happenings, so it brought laughter and the good mood back. But anyway, the idea of going out for the afternoon was good so we prepared an early lunch and went to a lake called Amadorio.
When you arrive the views that are waiting for you from the parking lot are those you see in the first photo. Wide. Blue. Stunning.
After leaving your vehicle in the place predestined for that you can stay by the fence and enjoy that first view, but it is advisable to start walking as the hiking route is long. A small walking area and you are supposed to be closer to the real path, crossing two tunnels and a dam.
But... arriving at the end of this little area we realized that we actually had to go back to the car, pass the road from where we came and then we would arrive at the tunnel and the dam. Still, someone wanted to take the more adventurous approach and find the way down through the steep area. Getting down from here in freestyle? 😬
No thanks, I turned back and found some stairs, that led me not exactly to the established route but it was easier to get down and be closer to the lake and the tunnel we had to cross.
So, this is the dam that is responsible for the existence of this lake - a water reservoir. It was just a river Amadorio that was flowing this way, but a dam was built (in 1957) to stop the river and provide water for the surrounding settlements. More information can be seen on the board placed close to the tunnel, although it is in Spanish and the drawings just peeled off because of the sun.
Info board:
So, the "famous" tunnel is here, it has some graffiti on its walls (I took some shots of them when we were coming back) but the interesting thing is that it was closed. On the other side, there was a sign that it is forbidden to pass through it. Even for pedestrians.
Oh, well, sometimes we have to break the rules if we want to enjoy nature :D
One part of the dam looked perfect and nothing to worry about...
Even some nice views towards the city of Villajoyosa can be enjoyed, with the Mediterranean sea in the background...
But a few steps further and the "road works", well, "dam works" in this case is what we came across. It is clear that the tunnel was also closed because of this, but to be honest, it can be passed, no real danger here. As it was Sunday, the works were on pause, we really couldn't bother the workers with our presence.
But let's see the hole from this angle. Maybe now it looks a bit dangerous...?
It was ok to pass this zone, I didn't go closer to that hole, as sometimes I have the fear of heights. It is not fear, but a feeling in my legs, they just froze down. Even now watching this photo above :D
On the other end of the dam, a new, longer tunnel has to be conquered. I tried out my vocal cords, luckily no one else walked there. It would be a bit uncomfortable for me if others would hear those creative sounds lol
This longer tunnel had two side openings, like windows.
This was the view from the second side opening. We see the dam and two barrages that were open. When there is a lot of water but it has to be saved for the dry season, they are closed so the water from this reservoir doesn't leak away. However, when there is a lot of pressure, or they need to fix something, or just need water for the nearby towns, the barrages are open. The water from there is directed toward the towns that need it.
This part of the route was a road through the forest that led to other villages. Now, the major part of this road is closed to vehicles, especially that part that is close to the tunnel and dam. The asphalt is also old, but for pedestrians, it is more than good. I would not even need asphalt here, would be nice just to walk on the rocky ground.
We were surrounded by stones and woods, shrubs and Mediterranean type of plants. I saw a few berries but no other colourful flowers. I guess too dry area for them?
I saw some small arrows to confirm the route, and that we were not lost :)
Anyway, it would be very difficult to get lost on the road, in the end, we would arrive at the next village in the mountain, but we decided not to go until there. We would need the same time to get back, or even more if we would take the other side of the lake, and until then the sun would set. It would not be funny to walk in the dark through the forest.
As I mentioned, the road was closed. Not for those using the feet as "vehicle" :D
During our walk, we were lucky to see some beautiful views. When the path led us closer to the lake, lovely landscapes gave us a lot of enjoyment. Blue water surface, surrounded by mountains.
And these were the parts when we could approach the shore of the lake. There are people who go finishing here, but it is forbidden to take the fish home, you have to leave it back to the lake.
We were getting more inside the forest, but we had to think about getting back to the parking lot where we left our car. It would get dark around 6 p.m. so at one point we turned back. I found some ruins of a small old house, explored a bit around and took the direction back to the dam.
Seeing the dam again I knew our Sunday afternoon hiking time was about to finish soon. I loved every moment of it, so I am grateful that the morning started in the way it did, as it served as a trigger to spend the rest of the day outside, in nature.
I am sure that those who made it until the end of this post would agree with that. Was it worth coming here? Absolutely 😍
