Cabo de Gata unspoilt region of Almeria Southern Spain Andalucia

These are some of the almost disconcerting landscapes, with thousands of subtle variations, to be seen if you make the journey to the Parque del Cabo de Gata (a natural park around the Gata cape) in the province of Almería. This park and the Tabernas Desert are quite exceptional since man's intervention can scarcely be detected at these beautiful spots.

The way to Cabo de Gata from Granada is along the N-342 road in the direction of Guadix. After the town take the N-324 down to the city of Almería and then the N-344. Another possible route to the park takes you straight down to the coast from the city of Granada and then along the coast road. This way has the disadvantage of being longer, but it is interesting because you can see very clearly the changes in scenery as the kilometres go by: from the rich sub-tropical plantations on the Granada coast up to the stark vegetation of the Tabernas Desert, in the province of Almería.

What to see

The park, following along the Almería coastline, is rich in panoramic views. The dunes and salt flats on the coast give way to sedimentary rocks, volcanic in origin, reaching out into the sea as rocky promontories. The beaches in this area are the last virgin beaches in mainland Spain. Small restaurants are set up on these immense stretches of sand every summer. The most usual and very tasty dish is sardines barbecued over a spit.

This outing proper starts at the colony of pink flamingoes in the small village of Cabo de Gata. It is situated beside a beach of white sand, bathed in light, which, to the west, reaches as far as the city of Almería, and to the east, to the foothills of the mountains. Here, the fishermen's cottages, a row down the sides of just a couple of streets, seem to be gazing in amazement at the now well-established villas and blocks of flats for summer holiday makers.

You can get as far as the lighthouse from here, along a little track that is not even on the map. Halfway along you will come to the hamlet of Salinas de Acosta, with one solitary church at the entrance, right on the water's edge, surrounded by sand. The whole vision will transport you back to the past for a few moments.

After crossing the river bed, between dark rocks, you come to the lighthouse. It is not possible to visit it but because of its exceptional position, the views from the surroundings, both out to sea and inland, are astonishing.
Maps and leaflets of routes for walks around the area are available at the park office.

Go on to San José, not long ago a minute fishing village. Nowadays it has been transformed by tourism, but care has been taken not to spoil the environment. The mountains that end at the beach are dotted with little villas and a small marina has been incorporated into the fishing harbour. This spot is ideal for a quiet holiday in natural surroundings. It is also perfect for nautical sports, especially fishing. In these coastal waters there are good examples of grouper and squid, in addition to shellfish, especially prawns.

Then turn back along the same road and take the turning to Los Escullos, another coastal village which still retains its Arab watchtower. A few kilometres away is the beautiful Rodalquilar Cove, the largest of a whole series of similar ones, in attractive waters, packed together one after the other along this strip of coast. The village of the same name lies slightly inland. It has both maritime and mining connections.

If you have sufficient time, once outside the park you can take a trip to the Tabernas Desert. This will add 70 kilometres to the journey but it is worth it as there is no other place quite like it in the whole of Spain. Back in the 1960s the film world discovered that this spot contained all the ideal scenery for shooting Westerns. The sun shone all year round and the country people could pass for Indians. That mini Hollywood in Tabernas consisted of eight wooden towns, with their Mexican villages, saloons, ranches and prisons. Many famous directors and stars, such as Clint Eastwood stopped off in these parts.

Westerns were not the only films to be made here. People remember that some of the Indiana Jones adventures also took place in this area.
Nowadays the sets constitute a tourist attraction. You can amble down the dusty streets and gaze at the scene of a hanging. But the dream that the film studios would return to the Tabernas Desert has evaporated.

Cape Gata Salt Flats

Las Salinas del Cabo de Gata (Cape Gata Salt Flats), situated at the south-eastern end of Almería. Las Salinas del Cabo de Gata is the most relevant wetlands in western Andalucia. They stretch parallel to the coastline, and are separated from the beach by a barrier of dunes and from the Sierra de Cabo de Gata (the most important volcanic landform on the Iberian Peninsula) by a rocky piedmont. Its coastal location below sea level is the most relevant hydrographic characteristic. It allows sea water to enter directly thanks to gravity and then be blown by the prevailing westerly wind.

There are four units of vegetation distributed spatially by soil gradient (salinity, humidity and soil composition).
Due to their strategic geographic position, Las Salinas are very important for birds as a stopping-off site on the Europe-Africa route and as wintering quarters for waders and waterfowl.

At present the salt flats are exploited by the company Unión Salinera de España S.A., which has established an agreement with the Regional Environment Ministry of the Junta de Andalusia (Autonomous Regional Government) for efficient management of the natural resources, ensuring they are used appropriately and in a way that is compatible with scientific, socio-economic and educational ends.

In accordance with the aquatic birds.
The area's ornithological importance lies in its exceptional geographical location as a compulsory stopping-off point on the Africa-Europe route for numerous species of migratory birds and as a wintering site for many others. It also has suitable conditions as regards cover and feeding resources for a large group of resident species or species that arrive after winter to nest.

The species that meet the numerical criteria laid down by Ramsar in order to classify this area as a Site of International Importance are the avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) and Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) as nesters, and the avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and, in recent years, Audouin's gull (Larus audouinii) as winter visitors.

Climate

The xerothermic Mediterranean climate and ten dry months of the year give it a distinctly subdesert character. The scarce precipitation (178 mm. annual average) is distributed very irregularly with approximately 80% of rainfall occurring in the six months from October to March.

Average annual temperatures are high, but the sea's calming influence and moderate average monthly temperature ranges (approximately 8ºC) make climatic conditions milder.

Geomorphology

The volcanic Sierra del Cabo de Gata runs along the coast, giving rise to an abrupt coastline and cliffs consisting of three parallel alignments, which, for their size and complexity, represent the most important volcanic landform on the Peninsula.

The salt flats, set at the foot of the south-western end of this mountain range and in the eastern part of the bay, occupy an approximate surface area of 300 Ha. and extend over 4.500 m. parallel to the littoral on low land of Quaternary origin. They are separated from the beach by a barrier of dunes 200-400 m. wide and from the mountain range by a rocky piedmont covered in steppe vegetation. Their strategic position makes them very important for birds as a stopping-off place on the Europe-Africa route or as a wintering site for waders and waterfowl.

Main Species of Flora

In Las Salinas del Cabo de Gata it is possible to differentiate as many as four units of vegetation, distributed spatially according to the soil gradients (salinity, humidity and soil composition).

On the one hand, there are communities of halophilous plants in the salt flat areas in the strict sense of the term. They consist of thick stands of fruticosa and succulent vegetation in which there is a predominance of Sarcocornia fruticosa and Arthrocnemun macrosteahyum and other species associated species such Limonium cymuliferum, Inula crithmoides, Frankenia corimbosa and Salsola vermiculata.
On the stable sands there are species such as Ononis natrix subsp. ramossisima, Teucrium belion and Helichrysum stoechas var maritima, the most abundant being Crucianella maritima.

The talus fan of the surrounding cliff along the eastern shore is covered by typical steppe communities located in a serial form; species typical of this area are Thymelaea hirsuta, Asperagus stipularis and two endemic species from the south-east of the Peninsula, Salsola papillosa and Linaria nigricans. The areas occupied by reedbeds, a clearly characterised community in physiognomic terms, are nowadays rather degraded. The dominant species, Phragmites australis, is extremely important for nesting waterfowl, herons and egrets.

Finally, stands of juncus appear at just a few sites and are made up of Juncus maritimos and Juncus acutus associated with Cyperaceae and Gramineae, almost exclusively occupying depressions or "corrales" of terrain flanked by stable dunes.

Main Species of Fauna

Birds are the most important wildlife group on the salt flats in both qualitative and quantitative terms. Many species reach peak numbers in September-October.
On the salt flats it is possible to see birds ranging from gulls (Larus fuscus, Larus ridibundus and Larus audouinii) to waders (Recurvirostris avosetta and Himantopus himantopus, which are nesters, and Calidris alba, Calidris alpina, Limosa limosa, Limosa lapponica, etc.), as well as some waterfowl species (Tadorna tadorna, Anas penelope). Interestingly, flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber have made several attempts to nest there.

Land

Las salinas del Cabo de Gata (Salt Flats of Cape Gata) are currently in operation under the ownership of a company called Unión Salinera de España, S. A. An agreement has been reached between that company and the Environment Agency of the Junta de Andalucía with the aim of achieving efficient management to protect the natural resources. To this end, measures to guarantee suitable utilisation that is compatible with the scientific, educational and socio-economic aims regarded as optimal have been adopted.