Cabo de Gata-Níjar Parque Natural (Natural Park), in Almeria province is Andalucia's largest coastal protected area. It is a wild and isolated area with an ancient landscape. Some of the geological features are the oldest in Europe. Officially classified as a desert (Köppen climate classification) it is really a semi-arid zone due to the high humidity. Even so, the area is unique in Europe, being the driest in Europe with rainfall below 160 mm per year and average temperatures over 19 Centigrade.
The highest peak in the park, El Fraille, is Spain's largest volcanic rock formation. Its sharp, red and ochre peaks fall steeply to the Mediterranean sea where erosion has created 100 metre high cliffs with narrow gullies leading to white sandy beaches.
Offshore there are dozens of rocky isles and coral reefs teeming with marine life. In 1997 the Cabo de Gata was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In 2001 the area was included among the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance.
Cabo de Gata-Níjar Parque Natural is the last semi arid zone in Europe, a spectacular volcanic landscape ... >>>
El Pozo de Los Frailes (Well of the Friars) is a small village in Nijar municipality, in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar in Almeria provin ... >>>
The Volcano Learning Museum at Rodalquilar is the first Centre for Geotourism and Geodiversity of Andalucia. It offers an excepti ... >>>
In 1864, prospectors found gold in the caldera of a long extinct volcano in the Cabo de Gata in Almeria province. The gold rush t ... >>>
El Albardinal Botanic Garden is part of the Botanic Garden Network in Andalucia. It is in the Cabo de Gata at Rodalquilar, Nijar ... >>>
The discovery of gold at Rodalquilar in 1883 led to a goldrush that attracted miners from all over Europe and mining companies fr ... >>>
Walk from Presillas Bajas up a dry rambla and into the caldera of a long extinct volcano in the Cabo de Gata ... >>>
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