Protected Natural Park
A volcanic gem
protected by Europe
Declared in December 1987, Cabo de Gata-Níjar was the first protected marine-terrestrial area in Andalusia. Its nearly 50,000 hectares were born from the volcanic activity of the Miocene: the landscape formed more than nine million years ago, and the lava flows, domes and fossil reefs can still be read along the coast.
The seabeds are home to posidonia meadows, groupers, dolphins and hundreds of species along some 63 km of coastline. That is why the park has earned so many distinctions: UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (1997), European Geopark (2001) and Ramsar wetland for its salt flats (1989).
Here there are no hotels at the water’s edge and no concrete promenades. The park has achieved what so many others could not: preserving nature while opening it up to everyone.
Must-see beaches
Crystal-clear waters
without the crowds
Each cove is a well-kept secret — often reached after a wild trail.
Los Muertos
In Carboneras, in the north of the park. Made of pale pebbles and gravel, which gives the water that transparent turquoise blue. One of the most famous unspoilt beaches in the province.
San Pedro
A cove with no road, reached only on foot or by boat from Las Negras. Turquoise water, a ruined watchtower and a small community that lives there all year round.
Mónsul
The most photographed beach in the cape. At its centre rises La Peineta, a large eroded lava rock, and behind it stretches a moving dune. Spielberg filmed an Indiana Jones scene here.
Los Genoveses
A bay of just over a kilometre of golden sand, with dunes and prickly pears and not a single building. Part of "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed here.
Enmedio
A small cove of golden sand, set among white volcanic tuff rocks and fossilised dunes. Reached on foot from Agua Amarga along a clifftop trail.
Las Sirenas
At the foot of the Cabo de Gata lighthouse. Not a swimming beach as such, but a reef: needles of volcanic rock, the remains of ancient chimneys, rising from the sea. There is a viewpoint and it is a good spot for snorkelling.
Marine biodiversity
A sanctuary
beneath the surface
The seabeds of Cabo de Gata are among the richest marine areas in the Mediterranean. Divers are greeted by exceptional biodiversity.
Practical information