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Cabo de Gata"One of the most beautiful places in the World"
Parque Natural Cabo de Gata: In 1987 nearly 50,000 hectares of land, sea, volcanoes, dunes, cliffs and a wide range of aquatic life, flora and fauna was declared by (1) UNESCO as a biosphere reserve; 12,000 of which are in the sea between zone and 60 metres depth. The Cabo de Gata landscape is seen nowhere else in Europe and enjoys many environmental and geological resources which are now being enjoyed by an increasing number on tourists. The area is populated by less than 5,000 inhabitants but welcomes more than 500,000 tourists every year.
The Faro de Cabo (lighthouse) stands at the tip of the peninsula known as Cabo de Gata and is the start of a beautiful coastline that stretches 60 kilometres north to the Playa de Los Muertos, near Carboneras. Located on the south eastern corner of Spain, the Cabo de Gata coastline has some of the most tranquil and pristine waters in Spain. It is composed of sand dunes and salt pans and edged by a chain of Desert Mountains which fall sharply into the sea, creating wonderful hidden bays and sandy covers that are perfect places for exploring, swimming, sunbathing, picnicking or just relaxing. The coastal villages of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata, San Jose, Las Negras, Los Escullos, La Isleta del Moro, Agua Amarga, all offer magnificent un-crowded beaches and great places to visit and explore.
The inland parts of this natural park are arid and desert-like, while the mountains range of Cabo de Gata has a distinctly volcanic appearance with sharp peaks and crags. This is an ideal area for hiking, climbing, horse riding, and mountain biking and off-road land vehicle excursions.
The Marine: The crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean is an perfect setting for underwater photographic, snorkelling and SCUBA diving as well as sailing and windsurfing. The reserve extends one nautical mile into the sea to protect the underwater flora and sea life from commercial fishing. The waters have a fantastic variety of fish and the visibility is normally excellent for SCUBA diving. Expect to see; snappers, pollacks, grouper, ocean sunfish, barracudas, eagle rays, morays, brown meagres, moray eels, conger eels, white breams, and many red sea fish. The reserve has large areas of sea grass beds which are refuge to the endangered monk seal which is presently being reintroduced into the area.
Bird watch: The reserve is also one of Europe's most important areas for breeding and over wintering birds and an important stopping-off point for migrating birds on the Africa-Europe route. Bird lovers must visit the 'Salinas de Cabo de Gata' saltwater lagoons, located between San Miguel and the Cabo de Gata headland. The lagoons are working salt pans which run parallel to the coast and separated by a 400m-wide sand bar. Bird watching can be enjoyed year round with more than 80 different species, including Greater Flamingos, Herons, Waders, Egrets, The Duponts Lark, Ospreys, Storks, Eagles and especially the Pink Flamingo, with over 2,000 breeding pairs.
Tourist Information Centre: More information about the park can be obtained from the Park's Tourist Information Centre located in Las Amoladeras. The office is open 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm from mid July to mid September, and 10am to 3pm mid September to mid July. Telephone No. 950 160 435
1. UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
