The Birthday Diary

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Wednesday 27th June 2018

Guess who ended up completely missing a day and now the diary isn’t in chronological order? This girl.

I guess I was just too excited to post Cartagena and the pink waters.

Wednesday was like my birthday over again, for a number of reasons. Wednesday was the day I had my birthday cake and when I got my presents from Alex. Almost like a boxing day, if you will.

Wednesday didn’t come with ‘stops’, more a ‘destination’.

The Only Stop – Polop

Polop, or Polop de la Marina, is truly a beautiful municipality. I know across these diary posts I’ve been referring to a lot of towns and villages as beautiful, but they truly are. This perfect palindromic place, ok not palindromic if you refer to it as Polop de la Marina, is a stunning little place located just 20 minutes from Benidorm via the CV-70.

Pulling into Polop, it’s evident that the source of income is agriculture, from almond and olives to orange and lemons, there are plenty of trees and crops to see.

The town itself was so relaxing to walk around, people were all too happy to say ‘hola‘ and ‘buenas tardes’ which is always a good sign about an area!

We didn’t spend too long in Polop, with it being after work. But, I’d definitely like to return and spend a little more time there, perhaps on a Wednesday when the market is on.

We arrived just before sunset, we strolled around the narrow and winding streets before heading up the rather steep hill to the castle.

The walk up to the castle is a definite must, walking along the cobbles provide stunning views, which just get better, the higher you go. We were lucky to go on a rather clear day, so we were rewarded with views of Altea, Albir and Callosa. You can also see the sleeping lion mountain.

Polop, unspoiled by high-rise buildings, is a complete contrast to the concrete jungle that Benidorm centre can sometimes feel like. At the top of the hill, you find what’s left of a ruined castle and the cemetery.

Things to Do in Polop

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If you’re looking for things to do in Polop, then give some of these a try:

• Casa Museo Gabriel Miró  (The Museum of Gabriel Miró) – The Spanish modernist writer Gabriel Miro, once described this beautiful town as ‘an oasis on the Costa Blanca’. Although he never lived in Polop, this author had his house in Polop and visited every summer for a number of years. In 2012, his house was restored and re-opened as a museum where the entry is free!
• Plaza de Los Chorros – This square is home to the natural fonts. They also have coats of arms for different areas, such as Benidorm and Alcoy.
• Market – The market can be found at Polop on Wednesdays.

You can reach Polop by taking the Alsa coach, which comes very regularly, costing 1.50€. You can get your tickets from the driver on the coach.

I loved visiting the little village of Polop and it’s definitely recommended if you’re considering it!

Have you been to Polop?

Hasta luego,