DAY 9 - SAN FERNANDO to EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA - Wednesday 1 May 2024

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It was blowing a gale and raining so we put on our wet weather gear to walk to the church of Santiago Apóstol, opposite the Cadiz cathedral, where the Camino Augusta officially begins.  

After the obligatory selfie, we walked to the station to take the train back to where we'd walked earlier, to resume our walk. We found the Camino signs and some yellow arrows that reassured us we were on the right track.  

We made a short detour to pay our respects to the grave of Camarón de la Isla, the flamenco heart throb. We walked through the city to rejoin the Camino through a marshy area alongside the train line.  

There weren't as many birds as we were expecting, but we did identify magpies - black and white like their Australian counterparts - and also found some horses later. Near the towns there were joggers and cyclists. 

At Puerto Real we had our morning coffee at a bar then resumed our walk through the streets and down along the bay. By then the sun was shining and there were lots of people out and about. 

We found the Camino signs again and followed them through the Parque Natural. The vegetation was mostly scrub, with some larger trees and nesting boxes. We crossed the river using a long wooden bridge which extended into a boardwalk.  

After the park we followed the yellow arrows - with a bit of help from our GPS - to navigate into El Puerto de Santa Maria. Our b and b host kindly found out where we could get a credential stamp so after a quick shower, we headed back out.  

The Iglesia Mayor Prioral was beautiful inside and out. There were storks nesting on the outside and from the back it looked like a ruin. Inside it was full of gold and silver. After we obtained our stamp, we wandered down to the castle then had a local Osborne sherry - medium dry - at a bar. 

We had a very nice dinner of regional specialities then finished the evening with a long chat with our friendly b and b host, ranging from politics to Spanish food.

Via Augusta kilometre 0, in Cádiz 
A wet start to the day in Cádiz 
Joining the Via Augusta at the same place as two days ago. This time we were going in the opposite direction. 
Signs for the Via Augusta in San Fernando, with snail 
Tomb of flamenco idol Camarón de la Isla, which attracts hordes of admiring fans from across the world
Happy to follow the yellow arrow out of San Fernando
Horses grazing in front of a bridge which is unfortunately forbidden to Australian long-distance walkers
Walking through Puerto Real 
A pleasant path through the Parque Natural 
Camino sign with scallop
Wooden bridge and boardwalk in the Parque Natural 
A pleasant bush track
Roundabout artwork depicting salt workers, approaching El Puerto de Santa Maria 
Roundabout replica of La Niña, one of Colombus's ships which sailed from El Puerto de Santa Maria to the New World
Entering El Puerto de Santa Maria 
Birds
El Puerto de Santa Maria - home of Osborne sherry (middle photo)
Day 9 - Map

Day:                                9
Distance:                       26.62 km
Walking time:               5 hrs 19 mins
Elevation gain:             333 metres
Cumulative distance:  151.85 km

Comments

  1. Murray and Sandra3 May 2024 at 03:34

    Possible Bird identifications: White Stork, Common (European) Magpie, hard to tell but probably a Dunlin
    Cadiz looks like a great place to visit - even if you can't walk across the bridge!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aussie Slow Travellers3 May 2024 at 06:58

      We love storks with their messy nests! Cadiz is a great place to visit, we could easily have spent longer.

      Delete

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