Although I have an undying love for Northern Spain, the beaches and capes of Southern Spain must be appreciated.

Here are my favorite beaches and villages in the municipality of Almería:

Cabo de Gata Natural Park

When I moved to Murcia, one of my Spanish friends would constantly tell me about the beaches of Cabo de Gata and how I had to visit there. He even helped me plan a road trip which I took with two friends in June. We rented a car and went along the coast, stopping in villages and checking out hidden coves and capes.

Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is the largest coastal protected area in the Southern region of Andalusia. This area hosts the Sierra del Cabo de Gata mountain range which form Spain’s largest volcanic rock formation. It’s a great park and has less tourists than other Spanish beaches. When we went in June, there was hardly anyone there.

Beaches

Playa de Los Muertos

This beautiful beach has a slightly sinister history. The name Beach of the Dead comes from the bodies of shipwrecked sailors who washed up on its shore. It’s fairly easy to access by a car with a short hike to the beach below. Most of the shore is made of pebbles, and the water is cool and clear.

Playa Monsul 

This beach was made famous in the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” It’s also near another great beach Genoveses, and you can climb the massive sand dunes to take in the impressive views.

Playazo de Rodalquilar

This beach is near hidden coves and a castle. It was my second favorite place we visited and offers tons of areas to explore.

Coves

Cala de Enmedio

You have to hike for a bit from Agua Amarga to reach the cove. It is definitely worth the hike and my favorite place we went on our trip.

Cala de Castillo de Rodalquilar

Near the Playazo de Rodalquilar, this cove is right by the castle. It was incredibly peaceful with areas for swimming.

Villages, towns and cities

Las Negras

This lively seaside village featured great local music with people singing and dancing in the streets. It has a small beach with colorful boats in the harbor.

Agua Amarga

This is the town you drive to in order to access Cala de Enmedio and other coves and beaches. It also has its own beach with whiteashed buildings and seaside restaurants.

Carboneras

A smaller town near San José, we stayed here on our way to larger beaches. It was a calm village with a sea of whitewashed homes.

San José

A fun seaside town with great restaurants and a family atmosphere. We visited here for dinner and tried local craft beer.

Roquetas de Mar

I went here to do a magazine interview for an article I wrote. It was a great little town close to Almería with a small lighthouse and some museums.

Almería

The capital city of the area, Almería, has a large harbor and is known for its Alcazaba. The word alcazaba, from the Arabic word al–qasbah, means a walled-fortification in a city. It was closed when I visited, but I was able to hike a hidden side-trail and take in the spectacular views of the city. 

Here’s the road trip we took. It doesn’t include Almería or Roquetas de Mar, which are also worth a visit if you have more time.