The most beautiful beaches, spots and villages of Cabo de Gata in Andalusia
Cabo de Gata-Nijar is a huge natural park in the east of the province of Almería in the region of Andalusia. The vast area consists mainly of rock formations, pristine beaches, salt lakes, deep cliffs and beautiful villages. Are you traveling to the south of Spain soon and want to discover some of the most beautiful places, villages and beaches of Andalusia? In this article you can read all about the most beautiful sights in Cabo de Gata.
About Natural Park Cabo de Gata
During a tour of Andalusia, many people choose to explore the west of the region. A pity, because also in the east you can find beautiful areas. Natural park Cabo de Gata for example, borders the lovely city of Almería and the only real desert of Europe, the Tabernas desert. The Almería region is not seen by everyone as beautiful and even has the nickname ‘Costa del Plástico’ because of the thousands of plastic greenhouses in which fruit and vegetables are grown. The working conditions seem to be quite harrowing and especially the pollution gives you food for thought. Not a pleasant sight when driving through the Costa de Almería. But fortunately Cabo de Gata – and the rest of the province – is more than that.
In 1997, the entire Cabo de Gata Natural Park was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. With an area of over 45000 hectares, this makes it the largest protected coastal area in Andalusia.
Below you will find information about the most beautiful villages, places and beaches of Cabo de Gata in Andalusia. We ourselves traveled from north to south through the region, but of course it is also possible to take the route the other way around.
The white village of Mojacar
Andalusia is known for its many beautiful white villages which are often situated in the mountains. Also in natural park Cabo de Gata you can visit some of the most beautiful white villages of Andalusia. Mojacar in the north of the natural park is one of the most beautiful villages of Cabo de Gata. In 2003 Mojacar was declared the most beautiful village of Spain and we understand that. The village is situated on a hill about 170 meters above sea level. Mojacar is relatively small and therefore a morning or afternoon is enough to plan your visit. What to do in Mojacar? Below you will find our best tips for visiting one of the most beautiful villages of Cabo de Gata.
- Good food in Mojacar? Then sit down at La Candela. The food is delicious, but the cozy terrace with stunning views over the village is super
- La Fuente Mora: This beautiful Moorish fountain with twelve water jets should not be missed during your visit to Mojacar.
- Plaza Nueva: This is the square where locals and tourists come together in the village. From the mirador you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the area
- Plaza del Parterre: The old Arabic cemetery.
- Puerta de la Ciudad: The original gateway to the village, built in the sixteenth century
Hotel tip Mojacar: Hostal el Olivar
Torre del Pirulico
South of Mojacar, just past the beautiful beach Playa el Sombrerico you will find one of the most special places in Cabo de Gata. Torre del Pirulico was built in the eighth and ninth centuries and served primarily as a lookout for danger from the sea. Today you can climb the tower for free and enjoy the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea. You can park your car near the tower, but I recommend you to take a nice walk along the coast from the parking lot at Playa del Sombrerico. Did you enjoy the beautiful view? Then walk a few meters further for a stunning rock formation you definitely want to see.
Playa de los Muertos
There is no shortage of beautiful beaches in Cabo de Gata. One of our favorite beaches in the natural park is Playa de los Muertos. The beach with its special name is one of the most popular beaches in the area and therefore it can get quite crowded in high season. We were there in April and even then one of the parking lots was quite full. Still, I recommend the walk down, but don’t forget to take a look at the mirador de la Playa de los Muertos.
Agua Amarga
There is no shortage of beautiful villages in the area, because in addition to Mojacar, you should definitely spend an afternoon in the white village of Agua Amarga. The village consists of the most beautiful white houses, restaurants and boutiques, but also the beach of Agua Amarga is great for a few hours of sunbathing. Not for nothing is the beach of Agua Amarga described by many as one of the most beautiful beaches of Cabo de Gata.
Hotel tip Agua Amarga: Boutique Hotel El Tio Kiko
Hippie village Las Negras
Is Agua Amarga just a little too neat for you and want to experience something completely different? About half an hour south of Agua Amarga you will find the hippie village of Las Negras. The atmosphere is mega relaxed, it’s bursting with cozy bars, restaurants and terraces and the views over the sea, with the colorful fishing boats make the story complete.
Hippie beach Cala de San Pedro
Through a beautiful walk that takes about an hour, or by boat, you can go from Las Negras to one of the most beautiful beaches of Cabo de Gata. Cala de San Pedro is not accessible by car and probably this is what makes the atmosphere so great. The atmosphere here is completely different from all the other beaches in the natural park
The former mining town of Rodalquilar
One of our biggest surprises during our trip is the former mining town of Rodalquilar. The gold mine has been closed for years now, but you can still visit the remains, which is super impressive. But the town itself is really worth a walk. Everywhere you look you see white, beautiful houses with the finest art woven throughout the city. The atmosphere is fantastic and therefore you should definitely visit Rodalquilar during your trip.
La Isleta del Moro
The small fishing village of La Isleta del Moro is the next stop during our route through Cabo de Gata. The views from the village are phenomenal and the bars and restaurants along the cliffs all look super cozy. The village gets its name from the small island that lies right off the coast of the village.
Playa de Mónsul
Playa de Mónsul is one of the most beautiful and famous beaches of Cabo de Gata, but you don’t get there by accident. On your way there, at some point the paved road stops and you have to follow a dirt road for about 4.5 kilometers. From the parking lot it is a short walk to the beautiful beach of Mónsul. Playa de Monsul is especially popular because of the‘petrified wave of Monsul‘. (the pictures speak for themselves).
The lighthouse of Cabo de Gata and Arrecife de las Sirenas
The last stop in Cabo de Gata – or the first if you start your trip in Almería – is the town of Cabo de Gata. The village itself we found not so special, but the road to the lighthouse of Cabo de Gata (Faro de Cabo de Gata) is more than worth it. The route leads you along the beautiful, vast beach of Cabo de Gata and ends at the lighthouse. From here you have a fantastic view over the coastline and the spectacular reef of Arrecife de las Sirenas.
How to get to Cabo de Gata
The nearest airport to Cabo de Gata is the airport of Almería. Flights to Almería can be found here. You can easily rent a car in Almería to make your trip through Andalusia complete. For renting a car in Spain, we recommend Rentalcars.com of Alamo. From Almería it is about a half hour drive to the first stop in the natural park
Unfortunately we could not admire all the places in Cabo de Gata that seem to be beautiful. Below are a few more places that are often mentioned as must visit places in the region.
- Castillo de San Pedro
- Lead Creak
- Nijar
- Cala Rajá
The map below shows all the beautiful villages, places and beaches in Cabo de Gata mentioned in the article.