Abartello

When I first moved to the Valinco area, Abartello was one of my favourite beaches, I think because it’s easy to find and there is nearly always somewhere to park close by, even in the height of summer.

What I particularly like about this stretch of coastline is the combination of coarse grain sand and amazingly jagged rocky outcrops, and I am fascinated by how the beach seems to change each year.

I am never sure whether it is the strength of the current washing new rocks up onto the shore, or whether it is washing the sand away to expose the underlying granite. This is a more pronounced phenomenon here than anywhere else I have noticed in the Valinco, so you are never sure what you might find!

This time, a series of narrow channels seem to have opened up where previously it was impossible to get the water except with the aid of seriously grippy rock shoes! Today I managed even with my trusty flipflops.

The other amazing thing today was the colour of the water. You would imagine that sand on the sea bed would actually give the most vivid green tint to the water, but actually it is the ochre coloured rock plates that give an almost emerald hue. Absolutely stunning...