| One
of the Mediterranean's final unspoiled regions, the Andalucian
province of Almería basks in the hot sun, its coastline
dotted with white fishing villages that sparkle in the sunlight.
Its landscapes reminiscent more of North Africa than of Europe,
the Cabo de Gata (Cape Gata) Natural Park is an area of bare,
desert-like hills descending to a spectacular coastline of
cliffs, sand dunes, salt flats, wild bays and virgin beaches.
Over much of the area vegetation is sparse,
consisting mainly of clumps of sisal, esparto grass, dwarf
fan palms and the cactus-like Agave Americana, making the
small oases appear all the more striking. The Park, much of
which is only accessible on foot, shelters numerous species
of bird, among them Bonelli's eagles, storks, crested hoopoes,
avocets and many other types of wader. Along the coast, gannets,
puffins and razorbills are common, while the salt flats attract
large numbers of flamingos. The walking is leisurely, allowing
lots of opportunities to cool off with a swim in the clear
blue waters.
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This sunny southern region enjoys long, hot
summers and mild winters, making for a long walking season.
Even the sea temperature, the warmest of mainland Spain, remains
pleasantly warm, with an average of 18°C. (But note that
hotel swimming pools are not open all year.) The Cabo de Gata
Natural Park is the driest place in Europe, with 3,000 hours
of sunshine and never more than 30 days of rain each year.
Las Calas (2*), Agua Amarga. This comfortable,
family-run hotel has the perfect location right by the beach.
For most of the season, you dine in the hotel's open air restaurant,
and can be lulled to sleep by the sound of waves lapping on
the beach.
You start by walking to a small oasis dotted
with palm trees, from which you head to the Cala del Plomo
cove, a good spot for swimming as the density of salt provides
good buoyancy. After a well-earned rest - this day involves
a long, steady ascent - you follow a path that rises above
the sea and follows the cliff-top.
Enjoy fine views over the sea as you walk
to the lovely cove at San Pedro, once a pirate stronghold,
and guarded by a fortress. The final part of the walk follows
a dry riverbed before leading along the beach to Las Negras.
For those who do not have a head for heights, an alternative,
longer route (14km) leads inland along a series of ramblas,
or dry riverbeds.
In the second day a short and much easier
walk that takes you along the coast past the castles at Playazo
and Rodalquilar, leaving you the afternoon free to visit Rodalquilar's
abandoned gold mine and miners' settlement - now something
of a ghost town - or to relax by the pool.
You can sleep at Jardín de los Sueños,
Rodalquilar. Set amid palm trees and olive groves, against
a backdrop of reddish hills, the hotel's name aptly means
the 'Garden of Dreams'. The six comfortable rooms are converted
from various farm buildings, and there is a panoramic pool.
You dine at one of the restaurants in the village (pay locally).
Our first suggested circular walk rises gradually
to an 18th-century watchtower for magnificent views along
almost all of the coastline you explore on the holiday, then
descends to a secluded pebbly cove, ideal for a swim before
retracing your steps back to Rodalquilar.
In the fifth day the route stays close to
the coast, passing some fine viewpoints, the picturesque Cala
de los Toros cove and the 18th-century fort of San Felipe.
For the last part of the walk you follow a wide track that
passes beneath El Fraile, at 493 metres the highest peak in
the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
Accommodation: Cortijo el Sotillo (4*), San
José. Converted from an 18th-century hacienda (country
estate) just outside San José, this elegant hotel is
decorated in traditional Andalucian style, and each room has
its own terrace opening onto the gardens. There is much to
do here, with a heated outdoor pool, tennis court, stables
and facilities for archery.
Day 6: you are collected from the hotel for
the short journey westwards through the salt pans of Las Salinas
(which attract numerous seabirds and flamingos) to the Cape
Gata lighthouse. After admiring the fantastic views from the
lighthouse, you walk back to San José along the cliffs
via the beautiful beaches of Mónsul and Los Genoveses.
With its strange volcanic rock formations and massive, wind-rippled
sand-dunes, the former was the setting of the film Lawrence
of Arabia.
Trail
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Guajares, Granada, Spain |
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