Villa Ciscarejo Country house between orange groves in Gádor (Almería)

Driving from Retamar, near Almería, towards the Cabo de Gata lighthouse, you reach the westernmost end of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, a natural area of ​​great ecological value located a short distance from the provincial capital, Almería.
Following Retamar, you'll find the Chapel of Torre García, the focal point of the popular pilgrimage to the Virgen del Mar, the patron saint of Almería. From the Torre García watchtower, you can enjoy wonderful views of the coast. At its feet are the remains of a Roman salting factory, a vestige of a former settlement in the area.

For a better understanding of the natural park, we recommend a visit to the Las Amoladeras Visitor Center, where the most important facts about the park are presented in a pleasant and educational way, as well as where maps, documentation, and other information are available. We are located in the Las Amoladeras Nature Reserve, a flat coastal strip where jujubes grow, a spiny maquis that is home to an interesting fauna. Very close by is the coastal steppe, which has been declared a bird sanctuary for steppe birds.

The small village of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata still maintains traditional fishing practices, the origin of the villages in the Natural Park, which emerged from the 18th century onwards under the protection of the coastal forts built under Ferdinand VI.
Its beach, over seven kilometers long, is the longest in the Natural Park, along with another important natural area: the Cabo de Gata salt flats. This natural inland sea was already exploited by the Phoenicians and Romans, and is still used today, for salt production. This activity in no way affects the large population of marsh birds, which numbers more than one hundred species throughout the year, such as the greater flamingo, of which more than 2,000 are found here in August, as well as plovers, avocets, sandpipers, and stilts...

A good example of how an industry like salt production can have a positive impact on a nature reserve. In the saltworks village, you'll be treated to an unforgettable sight: the church with the mountains of salt and the blue sea in the background.
Before you reach the Cabo de Gata lighthouse, you'll come across the small settlement of La Almadraba de Monteleva, whose name derives from the traditional tuna fishing practice here on the coast, the almadraba, in which tuna were caught with nets during their migration.

Nearby, the Cabo de Gata lighthouse marks the southeasternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula, offering unparalleled panoramic views of the cliffs, coves, and the entire Gulf of Almería.
It is said that sailors once mistook the cries of the monk seals that lived in this area for the song of the sirens, which gave rise to this unique place: Arrecife de las Sirenas. It is one of the most beautiful corners of the Natural Park, where the immensity of nature can be felt.
This is where the route through the western part of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park ends. These images are etched in the memory of anyone who has seen these places and beaches, where nature melts into an embrace with the sea, against a sky that shines bluer here than anywhere else. A paradise waiting to be discovered, within your reach.