We have all heard of Cabo de Gata, an Eldorado for beach tourism. Cabo de Gata is more than this, it is the first protected maritime-terrestrial space in Andalusia. Due to the contrasts between the marine, coastal and terrestrial environment, the numerous exclusive species that harbor and the characteristics of one of the driest ecosystems in Europe, this space is also internationally recognized as a Biosphere Reserve and Geopark .

Much of the ecological and scenic peculiarity of the park has its origin in the absence of climatic winter and its geological diversity.

Cabo de Gata-Níjar has an impressive coastline with steep cliffs that are followed by urban beaches such as San José and Aguamarga; magnificent natural beaches such as Mónsul and Los Genoveses; hidden and almost inaccessible coves like Carnaje and de Enmedio; and spectacular volcanic cliffs and reefs such as Punta de los Muertos and Mesa Roldán.

The poor and poorly developed soils, due to the lack of rain, harbor one of the most unique sets of flora on the European continent, with more than 1,000 exclusive species, which climb the steep volcanic slopes. Dense esparto and rosemary formations cover the plains or, in the early spring, thousands of sea daisies turn the sea cliffs yellow.

Extensive meadows of Posidonea oceanica develop on its seabed. The proliferation of this plant species, similar to a green algae, constitutes authentic submerged forests in which a great variety of underwater fauna lives: crabs, octopuses and fishes. Buried in the sand and mud plains beats a rich and varied fauna that, although small, is essential for the optimal development of the ecosystem.

Echo diving in these clean and transparent waters is a difficult experience to forget. Also walking along the surface of the water with glasses, a tube and fins (snorkel), above the Posidonia meadows with its disturbing movement is simply positively shocking.

The Cabo de Gata salt flats concentrate a large part of the park's birdlife. A multitude of birds such as avocets, stilts or plovers find food in these coastal waters. The presence of flamingos is also frequent. Throughout the year it is possible to observe more than 80 species of birds.

Places of interest in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park:

• Playa de los Muertos (Dead people Beach), read more
• Playa de los Genoveses, read more
• Playa del Mónsul, read more
• La Fabriquilla, read more
• The Sirens Reef, read more

We all know the Desert of Tabernas, although we do not know it, we know it because we have seen it in dozens of advertisements and movies, from Indiana Jones to Game of Thrones, passing through a multitude of spots and photos for magazines, fashion, cars, drinks among other. The film and advertising industry finds here the most unusual backgrounds in the European geography.

The Tabernas Desert is located in the north of the city of Almería, between the Sierras de los Filabres and Alhamilla.

Gullies, slopes, streams and boulevards. Desert and desolation. Landscape transported from the rich seabed of the Mediterranean is considered to be the only proper desert area of the entire European continent.

The flora presents a high number of endemisms exclusive to the area and rare species worldwide, which only appear here and in other places of identical characterization.

Due to the richness of its birdlife, this area was declared a Birds Special Protection Area. These can be seen especially in the courses of the boulevards or on the walls, where they refuge and nest.

Also in this singular place there live the reptiles like the red lizard, stair snake or the ocean lizard; and mammals such as the fox, rabbit, the famous dormouse and the two species of Spanish hedgehogs, the moorish and the common.

Under the landscape hides a natural museum, on a real scale, alive and unique in the European context for its interest in the study of erosive and geological processes. It is possible to observe micro craters caused by the impact of raindrops, fairy chimneys, furrows, gullies, sismites and fossil reefs.

The Karst en Yesos de Sorbas is located in the eastern Andalusia, at the eastern end of the Tabernas-Sorbas sub-desert corridor, the driest area in Europe.

In an apparent wasteland and arid landscape hides one of the most impressive beauties of Andalusia. It is an underground world carved by the ancient action of rainwater on a powerful plaster rock.

More than 1,000 cavities, most part of them are interconnected, a spectacular and diverse universe of crystalline formations: stalactites, stalagmites, columns and corals, its enormous didactic and scientific value and its great speleological interest have made it one of the karst in plaster more important in the world. One of the geological jewels of the planet.

Karst's geological history dates back six million years, when the Mediterranean Sea invaded the Sorbas basin. When the sea withdrew, the plasters and other sediments remained on the surface, exposed to the slow, but implacable action of rainwater, giving rise to this karst landscape of unusual beauty.

Rainwater is capable of slowly dissolving gypsum rock, generating abundant closed depressions on the surface. The water, which penetrates through these windows, continues its erosive and moderating action, defining the largest underground system in Spain and the second in the world explored in plaster: the Cueva del Agua (Water Cave) system, almost 8,500 meters long.

In the arid shallow steppe of the karst, plant communities have had to adapt to harsh environmental conditions and have developed ingenious strategies to find and retain water. Exclusive and endemic plants of this place live on the plaster, together with one of the most emblematic animal species in the south-east of the peninsula: the black tortoise. The rocky cliffs and slopes, that are very characteristic of this territory, become the ideal habitat for the eagle owl and Bonelli's eagle and the holes in the large gypsum blocks are the refuge of foxes, badgers, weasels and genets.

Karst works like a large sponge that collects and stores all the rainwater and later goes outside through the springs. The most abundant is that of the Mills, which is born in the canyon of the Aguas river. The constant presence of water in this arid environment produces an oasis effect that generates a wetland of great ecological importance.

The town of Sorbas, hanging over the sickle of the Aguas rive,r is located two kilometers from the Natural Park and presents a typically Arab urban structure, with a network of slopes and alleys. Its work in clay, of artisan tradition, and a rich and varied local gastronomy undoubtedly delight the visitor.

Located in the municipality of Carboneras, it owes its name to the frequency with which, in the past, the corpses of shipwrecked or navigators reached its coasts, dragged by the marine currents that converge on this site.

It is one of the best known and most appreciated beaches in the entire Spanish coast, being frequent its appearance in the popularity lists made in recent years by different media.

It is difficult to access on foot but it is possible to walk through two steep trails, from the guarded parkings available on both sides of the road that connects Carboneras with Agua Amarga. This small difficulty means that despite its recognition, the influx of bathers is moderate.

This beach located in the San José district, about 3 km from the center of this neighborhood, is one of the best known and appreciated on the Almería coast. Numerous film and television shoots have taken place on the dunes of this beach.

Their appearance has also been frequent in the popularity lists made in recent years by different media.

The origin of the name comes from the presence of a combined Christian army led by the Republic of Genoa, which landed in this bay in 1147 to support Alfonso VII in his fight against the Muslims. Since then the flag of the capital (Almería) is the same as that of the Genoese state.

Beach classified as Zone B3 in the 2008 PORN.

The beach is located in the San José district, about 4 km from the center of the town. It is one of the best known and most appreciated beaches on the Almería coast.

The beach is characterized by its Peineta, a rocky cliff in the shape of a wave crest, of volcanic origin, created millions of years ago and also by its fine sand dune.

It has filmed scenes from well-known movies such as: Indiana Jones and the last crusade with the mythical scene in which Sean Connery destroys a Nazi plane scaring the seagulls with an umbrella, The endless story, Bwana, Talk to her, ads advertising by the Andalusian Government, as well as the first video clip of David Bisbal Ave María or Tourner la page by singer Zaho.

Playa del Mónsul is accessed by a dirt track, passable throughout the year for all types of vehicles, which leads us to the parking located next to the beach. In the summer season, the City Council provides a bus service to the beach to avoid crowds.

La Fabriquilla is a small town located in the surroundings of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park in Almería, belonging to the municipality of Níjar. The name of this small town is related to its origin, formerly there was a lead foundry at the end of the 19th century, which gave its name to this place.

With time and the closure of the mines, it focused its economic activity on fishing, being a small neighborhood of fishermen. Currently it is a summer town and has become one of the most visited areas of the park for various reasons.

In the eastern part of this beach the practice of diving with a breathing tube (snorkel) is highly appreciated because at its bottom there is a set of stone slabs that serve as a habitat for many small fish.

The people of Almería know that this beach is ideal when the east wind blows, given that the rock formation where the Gata Lighthouse is located serves as a refuge, therefore the bath is very pleasant.

We also have the Salinas del Cabo de Gata area, where salt extraction is currently continuing using seawater and natural evaporation in its giant rafts. They have become an area of ​​high ecological value where many species live, including the pink flamingo.

Located near the Cabo de Gata cliff, it is one of the most emblematic places in the Natural Park. The vertical forms that are observed are remains of volcanic rocks, which originated after the crystallization of magma inside the volcano, more than 12 million years ago in the Tertiary period.

The Sirens Reef is therefore the rest of an old volcanic chimney that was subjected to a process of differential erosion.

It probably receives this name due to the presence of a monk seal colony that fishermen in the area called mermaids or sea lions. These seals inhabited the entire coast of Cabo de Gata until the middle of the 20th century. Currently they are critically endangered throughout the Mediterranean.

The name, however, is evocative and romantic and transports us instantly to scenarios of great adventures and fantastic trips.

Recommended season: All year round, although the route cannot be done on extremely hot days.

Length of the trail: 6.3 km.

Means of locomotion: Walking.

Difficulty level: Low.

Recommendations: The recommended footwear are hiking boots and clothing suitable for the weather, and of course it is advisable to bring a camera.

The route is 6.3 km long. It starts next to the Green Track (although it can be started from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, taking its first section of the route through the town, where the Church of Nuestra Señora de Montesión stands out) and passes through the old mines and the calcination ovens. 8 large ovens show how important mining activity was in this municipality since 1894. Passing them, the route continues through the town, along with a laundry and trough, still in use, that lead to the source of the Marchal laundry. Then it continues through the "Huertos" area where you can see among the cotteges some centuries-old carob trees, and ends again in the Green Track, which is the one that transported the mineral extracted from Lucainena to Aguamarga.

Recommended season: All year round, although it is not advisable to do the route on extremely hot days.

Length of the route: 5 km.

Means of locomotion: Walking or cycling.

Difficulty level: Low.

Recommendations: The recommended footwear are hiking boots and clothing appropriate to the weather, and of course it is advisable to bring a camera.

The Greenway aims to recall the municipality's mining past, recovering the layout of the old railway to turn it into a place of leisure and recreation, where you can walk and enjoy the landscapes offered by this beautiful environment. It begins in Lucainena de las Torres, from the old mining company building (current school) and ends at the Puente del Saltador in Rambla Honda. The Green Track is 5.5km long and is suitable for walkers, cyclists and people with reduced mobility. There is the possibility of extending the route along the road from Rambla Honda to Polopos 7km more.

Recommended season: All year round, although it is not advisable to do the route on extremely hot days.

Length of the route: 13 km.

Means of locomotion: Walking.

Difficulty level: Medium-Low.

Recommendations: The recommended footwear are hiking boots and clothing appropriate to the weather, and of course it is advisable to bring a camera.

The first section of the route runs through the Green Truck completely, the second passes through Rambla Honda, Rambla de los Morales and ascends towards the Paraje de los Morales. During the ascent you can see El Peñon de Lucainena on one side, the Paraje de Marchal and Vega de Lucainena de las Torres on the other. The route ends with a walk through the streets of Lucainena de las Torres.

The uniqueness of walking through a desert in which any resource is appreciated, a little water, a little shade, helps us to value everything we have in life, making this walk an unforgettable recall for us and our family.

Distance: 14 km. (short version: 9 km.).

Unevenness: Route with hardly any unevenness (the unevenness is about 150 m.) 250-300 m. altitude.

Duration: 5 hours. (short: 3 hours) IGN Map: 1030-3 (Tabernas).

Type of road: dry riverbed and trail.

Difficulty: low

The Tabernas Desert has been a Protected Natural Area since 1989 due to the special beauty of an arid landscape and ecological interest.

With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and few rains (200-250 mm. a year), it has minimum temperatures of -5ºC in winter and maximum of 48ºC in summer.

The route starts in the Mini-Hollywood movie stage and crosses the other, abandoned one, that simulates a Mexican town.

The Desert Trail (PR-A 269) is practically flat and allows us to visit this natural area walking through the dry riverbed  wich crosses the Tabernas desert. This landscape was also a place where many western movies were shot.

The calcination ovens in Lucainena de las Torres represent one of the most important architectural remains of the times when this town had great relevance within the provincial economy. It was a very important mining enclave from which iron was supplied to the High Ovens of Vizcaya, in Bilbao. The ore was evacuated by rail through the Agua Amarga, in Níjar.

To be able to do this, the old Sierra Alhamilla Mining Company began building new calcination ovens in 1900, in a place close to the Lucainena railway station. A year later the company decided to build another six ovens next to the previous two, given the absolute supremacy of carbonates in the production of the mines.

The wagons dumped the ore in a deposit and after undergoing a slight manual selection, the useful part was loaded into side-loading wagons that took it to the top of the ovens, which they accessed from platforms.

Each oven was about 20 meters high and its capacity was 50 tons of calcined ore per oven, per day. Once the ore was calcined, it was loaded into wagons that transported it to the Lucainena station from where the train left for Agua Amarga.

In one of the ovens (the first one we found after arriving at the facilities), its original structure has been recovered. The rehabilitated one is equipped with a staircase through which the upper part can be accessed. From there a wide panoramic view, of both the other ovens and the Lucainena valley, can be seen. The place has been conditioned and equipped with a parking.

Nowadays its function runs on the tourist plane. For the public that is curious to know more about the history of the towns of the interior of Almería and for its position linked to mining tourism, to that of the Green Track, it is a logical tourist complement for those who want to do the hiking.

Visiting the Sorbas caves is a unique and unforgettable experience. It is completely different from any other cave that we have seen before and this is because it is an undeveloped cave, without cement corridors or lighting of dubious taste to highlight the figures that form the mineral.

The visit is with a specialized guide and before entering they deliver a helmet and a flashlight. The feeling inside is magnificent and surprising, for both children and adults. The basic route is suitable for anyone with normal mobility.

Basic route

It is a route of low difficulty and an adequate duration for the first experience in a natural cave. It can be done by everyone, from very young children to the elderly with agility.

Combined route

It is a route of medium difficulty and an adequate duration for those who make the route to practice the sport of caving while enjoying an exceptional underground landscape.

Technical route

It is a route of high difficulty and an adequate duration so that whoever makes the route feels the adventure of a cave with risky steps while enjoying its beautiful galleries.

The Sorbas Caves are located in the Natural Park "Karst en Yesos de Sorbas" wich is a protected area according to the law 2/1989, of July 18.

Trekking.

We detail all the necessary information about the most interesting routes in the area.

Routes in Lucainena de las Torres, Sierra Alhamilla.

SL A 62 - Mining trail
Green Path of Lucainena de las Torres
PR A 331 - Los Marchales

Routes in Tabernas Desert

Route PR-A 269 desert track.

Visit to the Caves in Sorbas

The Caves of Sorbas are in the Natural Park calles "Karst in Yesos de Sorbas" where there are more than 1.000 cavities, with amount of stalactites and stalagmites, and kilometers of galleries dug in the plaster rock. 

Horse trails

Riding routes through the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.

Sailing excursions in Cabo de Gata

On board the sailboat of 11 meters length you will visit some spectacular beaches of the coast of the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata- Nijar.

Oasys MiniHollywood

This was Hollywood's cinematic paradise for two intense decades.

Butterflies in Níjar

Beautiful and flowery garden in Níjar where about 300 exotic butterflies live.

In Tabernas, the only desert in Europe, are the authentic westerns scenarios, turned into the most original Mediterranean Theme Park.

Oasys MiniHollywood features live shows that recreate a classic western sequence with fights and horse chases. It is a huge zoological reserve with more than 800 animals of 200 different species, pool areas and a large range of restaurants.

This was the Hollywood film paradise for two intense decades, the 60’s and 70’s. For its scenes have walked illustrious actors such as Clint Eastwood, Brigitte Bardot, Anthony Quinn, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Sean Connery, Raquel Welch, Orson Welles… The Tabernas desert has unique, beautiful and enigmatic landscapes that recreate scenes from legendary movies of the cinema history, such as Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, The good, the bad and the ugly, Death had a price or Indiana Jones and the last crusade.

Inaugurated in June 1997, this zoo was created with over 800 animals of 200 different species, located in the heart of the Tabernas desert but with vegetation that houses more than 4000 trees. Oasys MiniHollywood Zoological Reserve belongs from the beginning to the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AIZA), where are the most outstanding zoos in Spain and Portugal, whose aim is that zoos become into centers of recovery and environmental education. At the same time is part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), which represents and unites more than 300 institutions members in 35 countries.

Themed pools area is composed of a bathing pool, one with slides for children and a jacuzzi for adults. The pools are free for visitors to the park.

The Theme Park is located 25 km from the Cortijo 4 Elementos.

A beautiful and flowery garden with about 300 exotic butterflies that live and fly in freedom. Here you can watch and enjoy a wonderful spectacle: the birth and flight of butterflies.

A place for people who love nature and for those who appreciate the subtle beauty of these animals that fly amidst hundreds of flowers, plants, trees, paths and fountains.

Open to the public since the last days of April, to discover the fascinating metamorphosis of lepidoptera.

Through a short guided tour of approximately 20 minutes, you will be able to discover the keys so that you can be seduced by the magic and beauty of such a fragile and spectacular ecosystem.

Upon arrival at the butterfly farm, the guide provides some brief but necessary knowledge about the life cycle of these insects. Then you can freely stroll through the garden and recreate yourself in its surroundings.