"The diversity of the country leaves us speechless. OK, we thought that everything would be easier. Navigation, communication, adapting to the seasons... We understand that after these first trials, our leather is already not the same as it was at the beginning of the trip."
We had no idea that Spain was such a high and mountainous country. The country also has the largest desert on the continent and the least densely populated region in Europe (less than Lapland)!
This country so close to ours, whose language we both speak, turned out to be much more unexpected and elusive than we thought. We traveled through territories that were both harsh and wonderful, crossed an interminable winter of 2018, visited isolated, sometimes abandoned villages, met austere, even distrustful people and others who opened their doors and their hearts to us in a few minutes.
The first section of our route in Spain runs along the Sierra de Gredos. This mountain range belongs to the Central System massif, which begins in Portugal and ends 700 km north of Madrid. The highest point of the massif is in the Sierra de Gredos at 2,592 meters, at Almanzor Peak. With this long and late winter 2018, we will not approach the peaks, we were not equipped for that.
It is no longer presented but it is difficult to ignore the largest desert in Europe! The Bardenas Reales represent 40 000 hectares of a lunar and arid landscape. It is crossed by tracks for the cars but on foot, the possibilities are infinite. The desert has been used as a film location for many westerns, science fiction films and even a season of Game of Thrones...
High place of the canyoning, the Sierra of Guara is classified natural park since 1990. At the bottom of its more than 70 canyons overflown by vultures, many rivers flow. This refreshing little enclave at the foot of the Pyrenees is one of our most beautiful memories of Spain.
The Mallos of the village of Riglos are these curious candles of red rocks. They are between 20 and 30 million years old. The red color is due to the oxidation of the iron materials contained in the rock. Considered "The Mecca of Pyrenean climbing", these unique formations are absolutely magnificent.
"Before we crossed the country, España meant for us fiesta and playa. For two months, our experience will be far from our preconceived ideas. These lands have nothing to envy to the great American spaces. We discover arid landscapes and snowy mountains".
Our journey through Spain began with a good surprise and a bad one. Extremadura and the Sierra de los Gredos are sublime and wild, the wildlife is numerous and varied, but in April 2018 we are neither prepared nor equipped to explore them as we would have liked. We then cross empty regions. Abandoned villages, depopulated plains, there is nobody here anymore! The massive rural exodus that started in the 1950s has continued until today, clogging up the cities more and more and leaving the countryside behind. At the foot of the Pyrenees, we notice that there is still too much snow to cross them anywhere. We make the section last in the pre-Pyrenees, there is so much to see, before looking for a passage low enough to cross the border.
