The Cabo de Gata in Spain

Boats on the beach at San Jose

It's finally gone cold properly. Nice as it is throwing logs onto the fire and settling down in front of the TV, our thoughts have turned to the next bit of decent sunshine we might see. For us this usually means Spain, and it usually means getting as far south as possible. 

One of our favourite areas is the Cabo de Gata which is on the southern most coast on the Costa Almeria. I checked the temperature there today and it's still 18 degrees even though we are half way through November. According to the temperature charts, it is normal for it to stay in the high teens throughout the winter period.


We last went at the beginning of April. Our friends in the UK were texting us about the sleet and cold temperatures, so we text back a photo of us in an outdoor pool with the temperature gauge just topping 25 degrees.

The coastline on the Cabo de Gata

We tend to be quite flighty, never staying anywhere more than three nights. The Cabo de Gata is one of the areas where we manage to slow down a bit. This area is not for everyone and we have met a few fellow motorhomers who don't see the attraction. We've also met plenty who head down here for the whole of the winter, so I guess it depends what you like.

The area is fairly sparsely populated particularly when you compare it to the urbanisation that you will encounter just a couple hours drive up the road in the Costa Blanca. The area is characterised by a desert-like landscape inland and sharp craggy rocks by the sea. Along its length you will find a number of charming villages and a few larger towns.

Our personal favourite is San Jose, which has a small fishing port and good range of restaurants and cafes. The beach here is flat and sandy and of course you are on the med, so going into the sea is like getting into a bath.

Further along the coast you will find the windswept Las Salinas, which is a large area of nature reserve comprising miles of quiet open coastline. You can really get away from it all here, particularly if you are traveling out of season. We have seen flamingos and eagles here and we are not even that good at bird-spotting!

The rugged volcanic rock near Escullos

On this stretch is the Church of the Almadraba. You could imagine yourself being in Mexico with this amazing little church standing isolated among the sand, with the rocky mountains as a backdrop. It's easy to see why they filmed a lot of the 'spaghetti westerns' in this area and you actually can visit the Costa Brava film studios, which are about half an hour away inland from here.

There are plenty of other places of interest up and down the coast here. We tend to stay fairly local and either walk or bike up and down the coast, perhaps stopping off at one of the local cafes for a beer. 

It's true that there are no major attractions in this part of Spain, as the area, most of which is national park, is the attraction. It is quite rugged and barron and you can still expect to see shepherds walking their flocks of sheep and goats around trying to find a bit of green grass.

However, if you want to get away from it all, this is the place to come. There are three campsites in the area. We have never tried the Camping Albergue Tau near San Jose, though it seems to get reasonable reviews. We can however recommend both:

Camping Cabo de Gata (www.campingcabodegata.com) 
Los Escullos (www.losescullossanjose.com)

Your typical coastal town on the Costa Almeria

Both are on the ACSI scheme and offer discounts for long term stays. Both have excellent facilities and really friendly and helpful staff and they open all of their facilities  (including the pool) in the quieter part of the season, which some Spanish campsites do not.

It's a fair old drive down there, but if you have the time, it is definitely worth a visit. It is one of those places that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, even when you are back home in the UK in the middle of November!