The tranquil fishing village of El Rompido

Down the coastal road 10kms west from Punta Umbria is the sleepy little village of El Rompido.  It sits on the Rio Piedras, a river estuary that is sheltered from the sea by a spit.  

Compared to other tourist resorts on the Costa de la Luz, it is relatively unspoilt having managed to avoid the big build of tourist apartments and hotels.  That said, there is a large golf course and hotel on the edge of El Rompido and from the voices we heard as we walked around the area, it would appear to attract a lot of Germans/Austrians and of course us Brits!

There are little tourist boats that take you around the estuary and over to the sand flats, but this time of year they didn't appear to operate.

From 1929 to 1963 a traditional technique for catching Atlantic Bluefin Tuna was used in the area, known as Almadraba.  Buildings known as the ‘Real de la Almadraba’ housed around 900 people/families during this time. 
It was a hot day so we rode to the village on the scooter - giving it its first airing of the year, and parked up by Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen.  This church was built from bricks from Real de la Almadraba, when it was destroyed.

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen

At the edge of the village you can walk across boardwalks and through a pine forest around the protected salt marshes of Rio Piedras and nature reserve (Marismas del Río y La Flecha del Rompido) - the area was given protective status in 1989. 

Crossing the marshes, with the golf course in the distance

The area has an abundance of plants and birds. but the hard part was getting any of the birds to stay still long enough to be able to snap them with the camera!

Mel decided he was going to have a go at picking some cactus fruit known as prickly pears - never a good idea without gloves on though!

Heading back to the El Rompido

It never ceases to amaze us that virtually every town/village we pass through in Spain - however remote, has free exercise facilities and even after a 10km walk, Mel couldn't resist trying them out!

For me, it was time to sit and admire the view with a nice glass of wine.  There are lots of lovely cafes and restaurants along the beach and marina but this was one was the perfect setting for watching the sun go down!

Salud!

Happy weekend to you all.

Sally x