What a coincidence!

La Herradura Bay from Punta de la Mona

 "This town is called LA HERRADURA because its bay is shaped like a horseshoe," This is what I tell everyone who comes to our beach house when I show them the views from the terrace. "Look, Punta de la Mona, on the left, and Cerro Gordo, on the right, are the two promontories that hug the sea in this La Herradura Bay like the sides of a horseshoe."

This town wasn't always called that. According to Wikipedia, the settlements in the area had other names, but these disappeared when their inhabitants moved to North Africa, and then the Castilians gave the town its current name.

La Herradura Bay from Cerro Gordo

Two weeks ago a French family came to spend a few days at our house on the beach on an exchange program. 

The first day of their arrival, I showed them the house and the views from our terrace. I also explained why this town was called La Herradura.

 Since I don't speak French, we were talking in English, and I told Julie, the mother,  that horseshoe is the English word for La Herradura and I was showing her with my arm how the bay had this 'horseshoe' shape, but she didn't quite understand me. "What do you say in French for 'horseshoe'?" I asked her, pointing to my shoe and leg as if I were a horse. She said, "Le fer a cheval?" "Exactly! That's what I meant." "Of course, now I understand," she said.

FER A CHEVAL - 'La Herradura' Soap

Later, we exchanged gifts. We had bought them some ham and some white wine, and she had brought us some Marseille soap. Suddenly, Julie looked at the bar of soap I was holding, which she had just given me, and said, "Look, Pilar, this is a fer a cheval." Exactly. The soap was that brand and had a picture of a horseshoe on the wrapper. And I said, "Of course, that's why you brought me this gift. You knew where you were coming." And she replied, "Oh, no. I didn't know anything about the name of the town."

"That's it. We're both a bit witchy." I said!

Published in April 2025