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Guardamar is a small town. And by small I mean 17,000 people kind of small. When I first arrived in Guardamar in early June, I was surprised by how quiet it is. It seemed to me that the average inhabitant was over the age of 65 and most of them linger around the pension bar. The streets were so quiet at night at 10pm that you can hear crickets chirping. Being a lover of big cities, I didn’t know how I would survive two months here. 

However as time went by, I discovered the little joys that make this a special place. The beach at Guardamar is truly a gem. Never have I ever lived so close to the beach so I didn’t realize how great it is. So great that I’d give up siesta time to soak up the sun and to float in the sea so that says a lot. 

Although I have mentioned this before but the bolognese at the pension is so amazing that I didn’t mind eating it several days in a row. Another little joy is the Guardamar Castle. Yes, it was an uphill climb up but the view at the top was all worth it. I had to go multiple times for site studies but I would get lost in the beautiful sunset. Grabbing a drink at Savannah’s at the end of the day with everyone was so relaxing.

Towards the end of July, Guardamar transformed into a different town. The advent of young tourists and families turned the town into a lively place. The artisan market and the street where Savannah is were always full of people. The beach got very packed and the mercadillo become difficult to navigate through.

Things got especially crazy when the “Moros y Chrisitanos” festivals begin. During nightfall, people dressed up in black, hooded clothes and fired EXTREMELY loud shots of “fireworks” into the sky. It was quite frightening but it surely kept me up to do work. After that people lined the streets waiting for the parade, which went on for hours and hours. AND after that are the after parties that went until sunrise. It was amazing to watch this transformation. Guardamar became a special place.

After two months there, it felt like home. Even though I am no longer in Guardamar, it will always be a place that I can proudly say I’ve lived. 

Jenny