Wild pristine beaches, many small coves, crystal clear Mediterranean waters, nature almost untouched by human hands, breathtaking views from countless viewpoints, charming small villages, old fortresses, relaxed vibe… All of that, and more, is waiting for you in Cabo de Gata Natural Park, one of the most unspoiled corners of Europe. Believe us, this place and its beautiful postcard-like scenery will enchant you from the first moments! Keep reading and discover ideas perfect for a day trip from Almeria to Cabo de Gata. Vamos!
Note. We’ll show you places we visited, and places we wanted to see but we didn’t have more time and energy. Feel free to choose those that appeal to you most to prepare for your perfect trip to Cabo de Gata. If you want to see all of the mentioned places, or even more, we suggest you stay in the area for at least 3 days.
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About Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park (es. Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Níjar) is a protected natural area located near Almeria City in Andalusia. It was founded in 1987, which makes it Andalucia’s first Maritime-Terrestrial protected park. In 1997 the area was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and in 2015 UNESCO World Geopark. It’s the largest protected coastal area in Andalucia, where all development is strongly regulated, guaranteeing the maximum preservation of the area.
In Cabo de Gata you’ll find only a few small remote villages and not many roads. Because of that, you’ll find there countless intact and non-touristy places to explore. It’s also a place with some of the best beaches in Spain, marvelous rock formations, calm sea waters perfect for swimming or scuba diving, and unique flora and fauna. Cabo de Gata can also offer you dozens of hiking trails and peaceful places where you can just sit, relax and admire the views.
If you’re wondering if Cabo de Gata is worth visiting then the answer is YES. It’s the perfect destination if you want to connect with nature, explore off-beaten places, or just spend your holidays in remote and peaceful surroundings without the loud nightclubs in sight or thousands of other tourists.
Interesting fact. Cabo de Gata landscapes served to create backdrops for some movies! Most famous include: “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, or “For a Few Dollars More”!
Ideas for a day trip from Almeria to Cabo De Gata
There are many amazing places to explore in Cabo De Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Let’s start with the ones we’ve seen. We started our trip in Carboneras village and finished at Playa de Monsul.
Playa de los Muertos
Playa de los Muertos (eng. Los Muertos Beach, Beach of the Dead) is the most iconic beach in Cabo De Gata. Many consider it to be one of the best beaches in Spain and we also think that no day trip from Almeria to Cabo de Gata is complete without visiting this magnificent place.
Playa de los Muertos is a 1.2km long pristine beach, mostly filled with small pebbles, featuring a huge standalone rock formation (in our opinion resembling a reptile’s face, some kind of turtle or lizard). Crystal-clear water has a beautiful light blue shade and is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving.
On Playa de los Muerto you won’t find any amenities – there are no bathrooms, no restaurants or shops, no lifeguards. So be sure to bring everything you need with you.
How to get to Playa de los Muertos? The beach is located under a cliff and access to it isn’t very easy. From the parking lot, you need to walk down for about 15 minutes and you can choose between two paths. The main path starts near the information point and is the easiest one, although also the longest. The second path starts at the end of the parking area and is steeper, and shorter. If you have mobility issues, unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to go down to the beach.
Also, before heading down to the beach we suggest you admire it from the viewpoint located near the parking lot, Mirador de la Playa de los Muertos. In our opinion, the beach looks most impressive from it!
Interesting fact. Why does such a beautiful beach have such a gloomy name (reminder: Playa de los Muertos = Beach of the Dead)? Its name comes after numerous dead bodies from shipwrecks that the sea currents dragged to this beach!
Book now: Sunset Sailing Tour with Cava in Cabo de Gata
Carboneras town
Carboneras is a charming and vibrant town located only 6km from Playa de los Muertos. It’s one of the biggest towns in the area full of hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and small shops. Technically, it’s not a part of Cabo de Gata but it’s surrounded by it on all sides. Thanks to that, you’ll spot quite a large industrial area there.
Once it was a small fishing village, and now is a town that can be proud of its beautiful beaches, a long promenade with magnificent sea views, and a pleasant old town. Definitely worth seeing!
In Carboneras you’ll find points of interest like San Andres Castle which served a defensive purpose during pirate attacks, Carboneras historic mill, beach promenade, and 17km of beautiful beaches. If you look for a beach with amenities like toilets, showers, or lifeguards you’ll find them only in the ones closest to the town center, like Playa de Carboneras or Playa de Los Cocones.
Discover: Accommodation options in Carboneras
Playa Los Escullos
Playa Los Escullos (eng. Los Escullos Beach) is a nice and wide beach that mostly stands out thanks to the fossil sand dune and unique arc formation. From the beach, you can admire great views over the Sierra del Cabo de Gata mountain range. Among the mountains, there is El Fraile, the highest peak in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park of volcanic origin. In the area, you’ll also find Saint Philip Castle, two restaurants, and a hotel.
Viewpoint: Mirador de La Amatista
Mirador de La Amatista (eng. Viewpoint of La Amatista) offers one of the best views in Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. From it, you can admire beautiful views over the coast, cliffs, the small seaside town of Isleta del Moro, and El Fraile, the highest mountain in the park. Viewpoint was built on the site of the former watchtower.
Playa de los Genoveses
Playa de los Genoveses (eng. Genoveses Beach) is one of the most popular beaches in Andalucia that definitely shouldn’t be missed during your day trip from Almeria to Cabo de Gata. It’s a wide 1.2km long beach with no amenities filled with dark golden sand, calm shallow waters, and pristine landscapes completely untouched by men.
Interesting fact. The beach is named after the Genovese fleet that in 1147 took shelter there, before supporting Spanish troops reconquering Almeria.
How to get to Playa de los Genoveses? The beach is located only about 3km from San Jose town, and to get there you need to follow a gravel road. You can do that by car, by bike, or on foot which takes about 40 minutes. During high season you can also reach the beach by bus, which runs every 30min from 9am to 9pm.
If you travel by car, keep in mind that during high season, access to the beach is limited and as soon as the parking is full, the road is closed and after that, the only way to get to the beach is by foot, bike or bus. Parking is located about 150m from the beach and is paid during high season – €6/day (August 2024), and is free the rest of the year.
Book now: Yacht Tour to the 5 Best Beaches in Cabo de Gata
Playa de Monsul
Playa de Monsul (eng. Monsul Beach) is one more amazing beach in Cabo de Gata, located only 4km further from Playa de los Genoveses. It’s relatively small, only about 300m long, and filled with dark sand. Standalone rock, crystal blue waters, cliffs, massive sand dunes, and mountains in the background create an impressive view.
Playa de Monsul is one more pristine beach with no amenities, ideal for sunbathing, snorkeling, swimming, and scuba diving.
How to get to Playa de Monsul? The beach is located further on the same unpaved road that Playa de los Genoveses, about 5km from Sam Jose town. The parking lot is located about 300 meters from the beach and it’s paid during the high season (€6/day in August 2024). Entry rules work exactly the same as for Genoveses Beach, so please read them above.
Interesting fact. Some scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie were shot there!
Book now: Guided Snorkeling Tour in Cabo de Gata
San Jose town
San Jose is a small beach town located in Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, right at the entrance to the road leading to the famous Playa de Monsul and Playa de los Genoveses. Many travelers choose this city as a base for discovering the area.
What is there to do in San Jose? Not much to be honest – wandering among whitewashed houses, eating in one of many restaurants, shopping, sunbathing on the beaches, or swimming in the sea.
The main town’s beach, Playa de San Jose, is nice but definitely not as spectacular as others in Cabo de Gata. It’s about 250m long, filled with nice golden sand and with many amenities around. There’s also an access for people with reduced mobility. Disadvantage? It can get very crowded during the high season!
Discover: Accommodation options in San Jose
Explore local attractions
Other things to do in Cabo de Gata
There are many more stunning beaches, bays, viewpoints, and small villages in Cabo de Gata that we didn’t manage to visit. We miscalculated how much time we’ll spend in each spot and the ones mentioned above took us much longer than we expected and we simply had to skip some others. You’ll find them below.
Cabo de Gata lighthouse & Mermaids Viewpoint
In the western part of the Cabo de Gata, you’ll find Cabo de Gata lighthouse (es. Faro de Cabo de Gata) and Mermaids Viewpoint (es. Mirador de las Sirenas), two very spectacular places located close to each other.
Mermaids viewpoint offers spectacular views over unique spiky rock formations reaching out of the sea. Where did its name come from? Thanks to monk seals that used to live here and whose calls were mistaken by the sailors for mermaids’ songs. Next to it, you’ll find the 18m high lighthouse, built in 1863. It’s still in use but isn’t open to visitors.
Cabo de Gata salt flats
Cabo de Gata salt flats (es. Las Salinas de Cabo de Gata) are the only ones still active in the region, producing about 40,000 tons of salt per year. The area is also inhabited by a wide variety of birds, both local and migratory. Thanks to it became a popular bird-watching spot. Do you like flamingos? You’ll be glad to know that there you might be able to spot hundreds of them! Just don’t forget your binoculars.
Las Negras town
Las Negras is a small seaside town located in Cabo de Gata. It’s full of charming white houses, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Its main beach, Playa Las Negra, is about 650m long, filled with dark sand and volcanic stones. Various facilities are provided.
Book now: Cabo de Gata Natural Park Kayak and Snorkel Tour
Torreon De Mesa Roldan tower
Torreon De Mesa Roldan is an 18th-century tower located only 5km from Agua Amarga town, and 2 km from Playa de los Muertos beach. It stands 200m a.s.l and offers amazing views over the surroundings. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan you definitely should visit this place as the tower was used in 6th season!
Nijar town
Nijar has been named one of the most beautiful villages in Spain by the association of Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España. This beautiful village is located inland, about 25km from the coast. It’s most famous for its long tradition of textiles and ceramics, especially colorful rugs known as jarapas. While there, take a long nice walk among its narrow whitewashed streets and visit one or two ateliers. You can also explore a butterfly garden – Mariposario de Nijar, and a botanical garden – Cactus Nijar.
Hiking in Cabo de Gata
In addition to a road trip across Cabo de Gata you can go on a hike. There are many hiking trails available inside the park with different difficulty and lengths, but all with stunning views. Check out alltrails.com or komoot.com and find the perfect ones for yourself.
Water activities in Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park is also a perfect place to enjoy water activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, or paddleboarding. The best time for such activities is from May to October when the water is warmest. In the towns in the park, you’ll find water sports centers in which you can rent needed equipment or even buy a trip.
Book now: 4x4 Tour of Cabo de Gata from Almeria
How to get to Cabo de Gata from Almeria?
Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park is located close to Almeria City – its most western parts are only about 35km from it, and the furthest is about 70km.
To Cabo de Gata by car
Without a doubt, the best way to explore all the nooks and crooks of Cabo de Gata is by car. So if you’re not traveling by one, we recommend you rent one in Almeria.
Buses in Cabo de Gata
There are also some buses that drive throughout the park, but mostly between its towns so they won’t take you to all the amazing spots in the park. Also, they aren’t very frequent – you can check them out on cabogataalmeria.com website or rome2rio.com.
To Cabo de Gata with an organized tour
If you don’t want to put too much effort into planning, you can always take advantage of the guided tours and let someone else take care of all the details. For a wide selection and well-reviewed tour options visit GetYourGuide and Viator websites.
Cabo de Gata campings
If you’re traveling by camper, campings like Camping Cabo de Gata, Camping Los Escullos, Camping Albergue Tau, Camping Sopalmo, or Camping El Quinto might interest you. All of them are located inside the Cabo de Gata borders. While driving we also spotted a few campers parked in “wild spots”.
Explore local attractions
Day trip from Almeria to Cabo de Gata – Summing up
As you’ve probably already noticed, Cabo de Gata is an amazing day trip idea from Almeria. But not only! It’s also an amazing place for holidays or a 2-3 day trip. Everyone who is looking for a getaway from bustling cities to chill among nature will be pleased. There are countless amazing places in the area, and we hope our post got you closer to choosing the ones you might like most!
Our video from Cabo de Gata
Our opinion about Cabo de Gata
We wish we could spend more time in Cabo de Gata, as even during our day trip from Almeria we fell in love with this area. But at least we have a reason to come back someday in the future, right?
We visited Cabo de Gata in the low season, in April, and back then there were only a few other travelers in the area. It was so peaceful and tranquil… Simply amazing. And the weather was amazing too – not too hot with a lot of sun!
Our favorite places? Playa de los Muertos and Playa de los Genoveses beaches won our hearts.
Book now: Guided kayak and snorkel route through coves of Cabo de Gata
