When you live just an hour from the beach, to reach the second half of July without seeing it may seem a barbarity–I know–but that is what happened this summer. To be completely fair, I don’t go crazy for the beach like some people do, but I still like to go several times during the summer.

To remedy our discretion, my partner and I decided to go to Cullera, where we like to go every summer at least once. Many people say that Cullera is a very crowded venue in summer and maybe they are right. Still, it is a nice place to go swimming and, besides, is where my family used to vacation during my childhood.

There is a campground called Santa Marta where you can enjoy the shadow of the pines a few minutes walk from the beach. My family used to spend a few days here in the summer. It perfectly combines the forest with the atmosphere of the beach.

Friday night, we attended a Jorge Drexler performance in Buñol, a town close to Requena, but we promised ourselves that the next morning at eight o’clock we would be awake to go to the beach. We couldn’t delay this outing another second, we were in the second fortnight of July!

As you arrive in Cullera, the first thing that draws your attention is a big mountain with the name of this coastal city in very big letters, similar to the Hollywood sign but with letters painted on the rock.

There are several beaches in Cullera and we decided to spend the morning in one called Cap Blanc, near the lighthouse. When we arrived, it was not yet full of people and we were able to park the car and find a place on the beach without any problems. The weather was warm and the sea was clean. In fact, the beaches of Cullera have a blue flag, which attests to the quality of both the water and the beaches.

Our thought was to stay at the beach for a while and then go to lunch at a restaurant we know of that specializes in rice. There, you can enjoy feast on really good rice, more than 20 different kinds. But as we approached, we realized that the restaurant was full of people and that we’d maybe have to change our plans. Eventually, we found a restaurant where we could not try the famous rice from Cullera, but did get to enjoy a few yummy local seafood dishes.

For me, the best time to be at the beach is early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, when there are fewer people and you can sit quietly reading, sunbathing, or walking along the shore, so we decided to stay longer and enjoy the calm until almost dinner time. Finally, we took a short walk by the seafront in to get an ice cream. I’m still wondering why we took so long to hit the beach. Next year, we won’t leave Cullera for late July!