Must-see attractions in Costa de Almería

Boasting glorious beaches, vertiginous cliffs and a semi-desert hinterland, this 340-sq-km park occupies Andalucía’s southeastern corner. It’s a wild…

Set between dramatic headlands 3km northeast of Las Negras, this sandy hideaway is the holy grail of the park's numerous beaches. The 250m-long playa,…

The most celebrated of the playas off the San José beach road, Playa de Mónsul is a fabulous sandy wedge hemmed in by sharply eroded lava rocks and a…

The Calas de Barronal consist of four beautiful little beaches (El Lance del Perro, Cala Chica, Cala Grande and Cala Principe) that run along the coast in…

The first beach southwest of San José is Playa de los Genoveses, a lovely, 1km-long stretch of sand framed by two headlands. It owes its name to the…

On the main road between La Isleta del Moro and Rodalquilar, this high viewpoint commands breathtaking views of the vertiginous, unspoilt coastline. From…

Perched on the highest point in town – originally the site of a castle – this hilltop mirador (viewpoint) looks down to the sea and over a hazy brown…

The pretty and secluded little beach of Cala de Enmedio is capped by strikingly eroded rocks. It's a bit of a hike to get to – about 1.5km southwest of…

Southeast of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata, some of Spain's last surviving salt-extraction lagoons draw flocks of migrating flamingos and other waterbirds…

Hidden near the foot of the hilltop pueblo, this historic fountain is a village landmark. Locals and visitors come to fill containers with the water that…

Set amid the Martian red-rock terrain at the top of the village, the skeletal remains of Rodalquilar's gold mines are an eerie sight. The complex, which…

Beautifully maintained and thoughtfully interpreted by the owners (who live upstairs), this house-museum re-creates a well-to-do villager's dwelling from…

Marking the southwest point of the promontory, this photogenic lighthouse commands stirring views of a jagged volcanic reef known as the Arrecife de las…

Rodalquilar's extensive botanical gardens showcase the vegetation of Andalucía's arid southeast. It's well planned, with every plant, tree and shrub…

A 400m-long strip of sand, the Playa del Playazo is sandwiched between two promontories, one of which is topped by a small 18th-century fort (now a…

This nudist beach, frequented mainly by adults and couples, boasts a lovely 800m-long strip of sand. It's accessible via tracks behind the large dune at…

The fortress-style Iglesia de Santa María dates from 1560 and may have once been a mosque. Inside, its restrained white interior features a modern 1960s…

A half-moon crescent of sand off the main beach road from San José. Accessible by a walking path, it's less frequented than many of the area's better…

A quiet, stony beach about 200m off the main dirt road southwest of San José, accessible by a footpath.

This abandoned farmstead on a windswept plain 6km northwest of Rodalquilar was the scene of the tragic, true-life love-and-revenge story that inspired…