Everyone talks about sunset. And sunset here is glorious, we will not pretend otherwise — routes here. But sunrise has something sunset does not: the sea is genuinely flat.

Why the sea is better first thing

Overnight the land cools and the wind, if there is any, drifts gently off the land. The sea breeze — the one that raises the afternoon chop — has not started yet, because it needs the sun to heat the coast for a few hours.

The result: between dawn and ten in the morning you get the flattest window of the day, almost every day. That is when the long routes get done, like the Island or the cliffs of Serra Gelada.

What time is sunrise

In October the sun rises between 7:45 and 8:15 am, so no heroics required: be on the beach at 7:30 and you are early. In summer you have to get up considerably earlier (around 7 am), which is another point for autumn.

The good part starts before the sun appears: the twenty minutes of blue light beforehand are the best of it.

The route we recommend

Launch from Levante towards Rincón de Loix and follow the shore to the foot of Serra Gelada. It is a comfortable half hour of easy paddling and you arrive just as the sun clears the ridge, with the cliffs lighting up orange in front of you.

Note: the sun rises behind Serra Gelada, so from the water you see it appear over the wall. If you would rather watch it come up over the sea horizon, launch from Cala de Finestrat or Villajoyosa, which face more to the east.

Back around 9:30, the city is just waking up and you have already had the best plan of the day.

What to bring at dawn

  • A windproof or hoodie for the first few minutes. It is cool at that hour, especially wet.
  • A head torch or red rear light if you launch before sunrise. It is required in low visibility and it means boats see you.
  • Coffee. Seriously.
  • And the rest as usual: the checklist.

The awkward part, solved

The problem with early starts is that nobody wants to inflate a kayak at seven in the morning. Since we deliver it inflated and assembled at the agreed spot and collect it afterwards, your only job is turning up with a coffee in your hand.

Tell us which day you fancy the early alarm on the rental page.