WILD THINGS

Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata

Situated in the South East corner of Spain, The Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata covers 45,663 hectares. It is Andalucia's largest protected coastal area, a wild and isolated landscape, the mountain range being Spain's greatest volcanic rock formation with sharp peaks and crags falling steeply to the sea creating jagged 100metre high cliffs. There are many gullies leading to hidden coves with white sandy beaches, with numerous tiny rocky islands offshore and, underwater, extensive coral reefs teeming with marine life.

An area of extremes, this Parque contains Europe’s only desert. The annual average temperature is 18oC, and the average annual rainfall is only 200mm. This makes it the driest region of the Iberian Peninsular, with characteristic shrubby vegetation and dwarf fan palms.

But within the park there can also be found a vast range of habitats, including a substantial marine zone of 12,200 hectares, coastal dunes, beaches, steep cliffs, saltpans, saltmarshes, inland arid steppe and dry river beds. Designated a Unesco Biosphere reserve in 1997 and a special protected zone for birds in 2000, the park shelters an extraordinary wealth of wildlife, including many rare and endemic plants and endangered fauna.

The Salinas de Cabo de Gata is a saltwater lagoon that runs parallel to the beach and is separated from it by a 400metre wide sand bar. Located between San Miguel and the Cabo de Gata headland, this lagoon is of outstanding ecological interest, particularly for its breeding and overwintering birds. The salinas (saltpans) are the only ones still in operation in eastern Andalucia.

Many peoples were attracted to the area by the rich deposits of Agate, jasper and gold. Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs extracted these from the mines of Rodalquilar, and the ore was loaded onto cargo boats at a jetty at Agua Amarga . These riches attracted the attentions of Berber pirates, but the dozen lookout towers dotted along the coast are evidence of attempts to repel them.

For such an arid area, Cabo de Gata has a surprising array of plants, with some 1,000 species recorded here. One of the most significant plants found here, the dwarf fan palm, is used for the park's symbol. Europe's only native palm, it grows among esparto grass, shrubby thyme and rosemary, which are adapted to the arid climate, surviving on moisture in the air such as dew to supplement the scant rainfall. Cabo de Gata has many native species that are unique to the park, its most emblematic being the pink snapdragon antirrhinum charidemi, known locally as the dragoncillo del Cabo, which flowers all year round. On the coastal steppe is the Iberian peninsula's largest population of jujube trees, a thorny shrub that colonises sandy coastal habitats. In the park's waters are extensive beds of 260 species of seaweed, which are home to many species of crustaceans, molluscs and fish, like bream and grouper.

The Paque has over 1000 species of fauna, notable numerous wetland birds including thousands of flamingos, grey & purple herons, storks, cranes and many waders such as oyster catchers, avocets, curlews and stilts. In spring and autumn thousands of migrating birds stop here on their journeys between Europe and Africa, while in the winter there are numerous ducks. You can view the salinas from the bird hide on its shore.

The best place to see them seabirds offshore is the viewpoint on the Cabo de Gata headland, where you can see gulls, terns and Cory's and Balaeric shearwaters. Other seabirds are yellow-legged gulls, razorbills, shags and the occasional puffin. The park is also rich in reptilian life, with around 15 species such as Italian wall lizards (the only place they are found in Spain), ocellated lizards, grass snakes and Latastes' viper, which lives under dwarf fan palms.

The Sierra de Cabo de Gata is drained by many seasonal rivers, called ramblas, which are dry for much of the year.

There are many small villages, monuments and walks to entice the visitor. However, much of the coastline is only accessible on foot, via some well-marked footpaths and walks, especially between Cabo de Gata headland and San José and Las Negras and Agua Amarga. The park can be accessed from the west via the village of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata. Follow the coast road with the superb Cabo de Gata beach on the right-hand side. The eastern section of the park can be reached via a mainly inland road linking coastal villages north of San José.

The park's visitors' centre is Los Amoladeras, between Retamar and San Miguel de Cabo de Gata on the AL822 at Km 7, 950 160 435. It has an exhibition on the park's volcanic geology, flora, saltpans and the sea. It can also provide information on walks, accommodation and activities in the park. There are also information points at Las Sirenas on the southernmost tip of Cabo de Gata, in La Isleta and at the Punta de los Muertos.