Dazzling Malpica. St Ives in the sun.

After Finisterre we found ourselves heading north to meet up with some friends in Malpica. So far Galicia had been good to us, but here it showed a real generosity of spirit. The sun shone and the weather stayed beautiful, despite morning fog and more mosquitoes than we’d have liked. With no campsite in the middle of the town we had to stay at the Camping Sasargas a few kilometres inland.
As campsites go it was one of our favourites, with generous pitches, pine trees, spotlessly clean toilets (like all Spanish sites) and a salt water pool that the kids absolutely adored. The location meant that we had to get in the van to go to the beach (we have usually tried to stay within walking or cycling distance from the beach), but instead of being a pain in the neck, it turned out to be a blessing. As such we saw lots of a small area, chasing down lanes to beaches we’d seen on the map, slipping down narrow streets to pick up fresh fish from the harbour and following our noses to out of the way strands. It paid off. Malpica is a pretty town with a town beach that gets busy and a thriving harbour. It reminded me of St Ives, a place I lived for a while and love with all my heart. Narrow streets, tourists, impossibly blue seas and blinding light all help the illusion of sameness. As with the real St Ives, Malpica also has outlying beaches. Just finding them has to be a highlight of our trip. The picture is of Maggie at a beach we found one Saturday. I couldn't say where it was because I doubt if I'd find it again. That says a lot about the quality of the beaches in this part of Galicia. The picture tells it all. It had white sand, blue seas and just a handful of people. You could say it was perfect. The water was warm enough to snorkel, there were a few waves and the sun hot. It was dazzling, like a little St Ives in the sun.