We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t fence in the countryside.” Well, in San Juan de la Arena, there could easily be a local twist: “You can’t put a door on the sea.”
I have to admit, the town itself didn’t strike me as particularly appealing. It felt very focused on the beach, one of those tourist spots that bursts to life in summer and empties out in winter. That might not be entirely fair, but it was the impression I got as I wandered through its streets. A bit disappointed, I turned to Google Maps to see if there was anything nearby worth photographing. Among several points of interest, one caught my eye: “sunken boat.” Sunken boats are always cool! So I set off to check it out.
I parked at the end of a small asphalt road, fairly close to the sea, but no boat was in sight. So I got out of the car and started exploring the coastline, which was filled with reeds and a few trees. After walking a few meters, I finally spotted it. It was in pretty bad shape, most of the hull was gone, except for part of the bow, and what remained was basically the frame. Using my 35mm lens, it wasn’t easy to compose the shot, but I managed to take a few photos.
But the real surprise came when I discovered a small dock built right over another sunken structure, without a doubt the most interesting and valuable thing I saw in the whole town. Its peculiar shape captures a sense of artistry, tradition, and maritime culture I’ve never encountered anywhere else. It immediately reminded me of those classic pirate docks you see in video games or movies. What struck me most, though, was the presence of a very distinctive door, one that connects outside to outside.
Clearly, you can’t put a door on the countryside… nor on the sea. But in San Juan de la Arena, it seems someone thought otherwise.
