Parque Natural Cabo de Gata road trip
Along the coast line from Almeria Airport via San Jose to Agua Amarga runs a part of the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata and the adjacent dunes and wetland areas attract breeding and migrant birds.
There are also many fairly unspoilt small villages and the inland areas that feature the dramatic dark volcanic Sierra de Gata mountains.
La Isleta Moro
Small part of the main beach Playa de Peñon Blanco, steps from village and car parking
La Isleta Moro is a small fishing village, 11km east of San Jose. It is well worth the 500m detour off the AL-4200 road between San Jose to Las Negras coast road.
Follow the road to the village and just before the village entrance you will find Playa de Peñon Blanco, a long curved beach of sand on your right side. The smaller beach is Playa de Isleta del Moro, located next to the village sea front.
Thank you Canal Andalucia Turismo for Rodalquilar y La Isleta del Moro. Almería
Mirador La Amatista
Driving from La Isleta Moro, for a short journey of approximately 3km one finds the excellent viewing point of Mirador La Amatista overlooking the coast at an old Guardia Civil lookout post on the Al-4200 coast road towards Rodalquilar.
The view point offers views along the Cabo de Gata coastline to Los Esculleros coastal village and inland to Pico de los Frailes, at 500m the highest peak of the coastal mountain range.
After the viewing I head inland to the old mining village of Rodalquilar, a smallish sprawling village located in a green and pleasant valley.
Road to Rodalquilar village
Rodalquilar
Rodalquilar is a village just off the Cabo de Gata coast road AL-4200 between San José and Las Negras. A memorial in the village poetically describes Rodalquilar:
"Rodalquilar is a village of mining origin located in a closed valley and surrounded by mountains rich in gold. In 1930 the extraction of gold began. During the early days the population reached a thousand. In the 1960's the village was abandoned, being a silent witness to the past”.
The old mines at Rodalquilar
All the mining ironwork was removed for scrap, however, the concrete structure of the processing plant still remains. Today around 200 people live here.
If you decide to use Rodalquilar as a base to discover more of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata, there is good accommodation available. Rural houses at La Posidonia.
On the outskirts of Rodalquilar towards Las Negras Hotel Oro y Luz is located close to the turning point for El Playazo Beach.
El Playazo Beach
Image by Sofía Cos, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
at around 4.5km from Rodalquilar village, is located mostly on a country track with parking available near the beach.
El Playazo is a popular, nice sandy beach roughly 400 meters long. No service. Dramatic and colourful scenery with mountains, cliffs, small coves and the old Castillo de San Ramon, (can be used as a wedding venue, more info here) against the blue sea backdrop.
Continue on the main road for 5-6km on the Al-4200, pass the outskirts of Las Hortichuelas village which is more or less half way before our final destination Las Negras.
Las Negras
The village is surrounded by hills on either side, in the east the Cerro Negro with its dark stone cliff of volcanic origin.
Las Negras is a small fishing village and an ideal place for resting, relaxation and beach time. Explore the area on foot and enjoy the bars and restaurants
The main beach of Las Negras combines pebble stones (dark and coloured) and sand, crystal clear water and during the daytime a part of the beach is shared with small fishing boats who are stranded during the day and in the evening they will return to the sea.
A varied type of accommodation is available in and around the village.
Hotel Cala Chica a 3-star hotel is located in the middle of Las Negras.
Along the seafront Las Barcas cafe, bar and restaurant, is a good choice for fresh fish and seafood, or enjoy their paella. La Sal restaurante and Coctail bar great views over the sea and Cerro Negro dark cliff
Cala de Cuervo beach is less than 15 minutes walk from Las Negras towards Camping La Caleta. It has access for vehicles by a small promenade which is accessed at the entrance of the campsite.
Cala San Pedro Beach
Image Cala San Pedro Beach by AllTrails
Accessed by walking between 60-90 minutes, trainers or good walking shoes are advised, bring plenty of water, or you can travel by boat from Las Negras.
On the Cerro Negro side, on an inland road, drive on a dust track to a parking area and walk from there. The walk is on a track, a bit narrow in places, on a mountain side with the blue sea below.
Walkers, Ramblers, Trakkers here is a link to the excellent website AllTrails
Photogenic sandy beach, subtropical flora, elevated position with old ruins, a castle “Castillo de San Pedro” in the sixteenth century a defensive tower was built here.
A "hippie" community that lives all year in Cala San Pedro and it is not uncommon to see the boats or canoes of the “hippie” colony coming into Las Negras for supplies or other services.
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Road Trip Map from - to Almeria Airport.
From Almeria Airport - 35 km to La Isleta del Moro - 5 km to Rodalquilar - 4.5 km to Playazo de Rodalquilar - 6.5 km to Las Negras - Return 50 km to Almeria Airport.
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