Cabo de Gata between salt pans, beaches and volcanic landscapes

Cabo de Gata is defined by a coastline shaped by cliffs, coves and beaches within the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar. The Sierra de Cabo de Gata is of volcanic origin and features, among other things, volcanic vents, dykes, calderas, ledges and domes.

Nature

The Salinas de Cabo de Gata are a wetland designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1990 and located within the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar. More than 80 bird species occur there; at the same time, the salt pans are a strategic stopover for migratory birds between Europe and Africa. In the immediate vicinity, the Arrecife de las Sirenas is the remnant of an old volcanic vent.

Trails

The circular trail at the Salinas de Cabo de Gata runs along the edge of the salt pans and includes both the reserve area and the industrial complex. It starts at a viewing area on the road from Almería to Cabo de Gata, about 300 metres before Cabo de Gata, and runs parallel to the beach beside the salt pans' fence.

Several publicly accessible birdwatching hides are available at the salt pans; the Playa Amoladeras–La Fabriquilla hiking trail connects with the salt-pan trail and passes several of these hides. It runs along the Paseo Marítimo de Cabo de Gata and ends at the Torre de San Miguel, a former watchtower and later Guardia Civil quarters.

Beaches

Playa de San Miguel, also known as Playa de Cabo de Gata, is a 2,500-metre-long sandy beach on the Paseo Marítimo. Playa de Las Salinas is more than five kilometres long and forms a straight beach with fine natural sand and clear water.

Playa de San Miguel offers the facilities of an urban beach, including step-free access, showers and a children's play area. Playa de Las Salinas has neither showers nor step-free access. Different lengths, beach characteristics and facilities can be compared separately for day planning.

Culture

In the immediate vicinity, the Faro de Cabo de Gata was built in 1863 on the grounds of the Castillo San Francisco de Paula. The information point and viewpoint at the Faro de Cabo de Gata can be reached from the immediate vicinity of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata via the AL-3115 road; on the way, you pass La Almadraba and La Fabriquilla.

In the immediate vicinity, the Aula del Mar El Corralete provides information about the area's protected marine ecosystems. The Iglesia de las Salinas was inaugurated in 1907 and is one of the area's best-known landmarks.

If you would like to find a holiday apartment in Cabo de Gata, you can compare travel dates, accommodation types and cancellation policies on the listing pages and weigh this information against your own planning between salt pans, trails, beaches and cultural sites.

Other places in the same local context are Retamar and El Alquián.

For the higher-level travel overview: Almería.