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

The Cabo de Gata Natural Park-Níjar is made up of sheltered coves, dunes, pristine beaches, imposing cliffs, mountains, charming villages, and an invaluable underwater world. Its 38,000 hectares of land and 12,000 hectares of marine area have been declared a Biosphere Reserve. It is one of the most valuable natural reserves in southeastern Spain.
Every visitor who ventures into this natural space is amazed by the diverse ecosystems that this seemingly inhospitable landscape harbors. Nor would one expect the abundance of natural resources found in the salt pans and mines, which have been exploited by humans since time immemorial, where natural balance has been consistently maintained. The wonder is even greater for scuba divers, who can enjoy impressive panoramas on the seabed.

Most of the over one thousand plant species are small, which makes them better adapted to the high temperatures and better able to retain the scarce water. Sea spadefoot, Moorish gorse, mastic tree, wild olive, wild asparagus, esparto grass, and thorn bush are just a few examples. Of particular note is the presence of dwarf palms, the only palm species native to Europe and a symbol of the Natural Park. The diverse landscapes of the Natural Park are home to a diverse fauna of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
The Sierra de Cabo de Gata is home to species such as the pearl lizard, the snub-nosed viper, the wandering hedgehog, the Bonelli's eagle, the little owl, the fox, and more. Birdwatchers will enjoy the salt marshes of Cabo de Gata, where they can observe a rich biodiversity including the greater flamingos, and the coast, where they can see species such as the black-headed gull, the white-headed gull, and the Cape gannet. A wide range of underwater fauna lives along the coast, including the marbled seabream, red mullet, polyps, starfish, sea urchins, black-tailed grouper, posidonia, and cystoseira.