Discover Cabo De Gata

Salt flats teeming with birdlife, long beaches and hiking trails define the different sides of Cabo De Gata. The area also features geological formations of volcanic origin and historic buildings. If you’re looking for a hotel for your trip, you can start by deciding whether to focus on nature watching, the coast or the trails.

Salt flats and birdwatching

The Salinas de Cabo de Gata are a wetland of international importance and have been designated a Ramsar site since 1990. They lie within the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar. More than 80 bird species can be found in the salt flats, which are also a strategic stopover for migratory birds travelling between Europe and Africa. Several publicly accessible birdwatching hides offer a specific place to visit for anyone interested in birdlife.

The circular route through the Salinas follows the edge of the salt flats and includes both the reserve area and the industrial complex. It runs parallel to the beach and alongside the salt flats’ fence. The starting point is a viewing area on the road from Almería to Cabo de Gata, about 300 metres before Cabo de Gata. This route description links directions to the starting point with the different areas covered by the circular route.

Coast and volcanic landscape

The coast of the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar is characterised by cliffs, coves and beaches. The Sierra de Cabo de Gata also reveals the volcanic origins of the landscape: its geological formations include volcanic vents, dykes, calderas, ledges and domes. Nearby, the Arrecife de las Sirenas is the remnant of an ancient volcanic vent. The coastline and these geological features offer different points of interest: the shore shaped by coves and beaches, and the formations of the Sierra.

Nearby, the Faro de Cabo de Gata was built in 1863 on the grounds of Castillo San Francisco de Paula. From San Miguel de Cabo de Gata, you can reach the information point and viewpoint at the lighthouse via the AL-3115 road, passing La Almadraba and La Fabriquilla. Also nearby, the Aula del Mar El Corralete provides information about the area’s protected marine ecosystems.

Compare beaches and trails

Playa de San Miguel, also known as Playa de Cabo de Gata, is a 2,500-metre-long sandy beach along the Paseo Marítimo. Playa de Las Salinas is more than five kilometres long and forms a straight stretch of beach; it has fine natural sand and clear water. Their different lengths give you a specific point of comparison between the two stretches of beach.

There is also an important difference in facilities: Playa de San Miguel offers the facilities of an urban beach, including step-free access, showers and a children’s play area. These services may vary by season. Playa de Las Salinas has neither showers nor step-free access. Check the conditions before your trip if these facilities are important to your plans.

For walks, in addition to the circular route through the Salinas, there is the Playa Amoladeras–La Fabriquilla trail. It follows the Paseo Marítimo de Cabo de Gata and ends at the Torre de San Miguel, a former watchtower that later served as a Guardia Civil barracks. The trail connects with the salt flats route and passes several birdwatching hides. This makes it easy to identify the promenade, the tower and the hides as features of this trail, without confusing its route with the circular route through the Salinas.

A local landmark

The Iglesia de las Salinas was inaugurated in 1907 and is one of the area’s best-known landmarks. Together with the salt flats, beaches and trails, it shows that planning a trip to Cabo De Gata can bring together different interests: nature watching, time on the coast, hiking trails and a distinctive building. Use these points of interest to decide which side of the destination you want to make the focus of your stay.

Discover more destinations: El Alquián, Retamar.

Return to the regional travel overview: Almería.