# A weekend in Cabo de Gata, 40 minutes from Almería

Two nights in San José or Rodalquilar for the western beaches, a morning of kayaking or diving, the gold mines and La Isleta del Moro. 40 minutes from Almería and about two hours from Murcia.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/itineraries/cabo-de-gata-weekend-kayak-from-almeria · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Cabo de Gata

Cabo de Gata can be seen in a day from Almería, but the park is long and has no coastal road: with two nights you do it without the car in the way half the time. This weekend sleep in San José, walk the western beaches, spend a morning at sea and leave Sunday for the mining village of Rodalquilar, La Isleta del Moro and the lighthouse. From Almería it is about 40 minutes; from Murcia and Granada, a little over two hours; from Jaén, Málaga or Alicante, between two and a half and three hours.

## When to go and how do you get to the beaches?

May, June, September and the first half of October: the water is good, the kayak outings run and the beaches have room. In summer the regional government closes the track from San José to Genoveses, Mónsul and Cala Carbón to cars without authorisation; in 2025 it was from 21 June to 28 September. Sleeping in San José makes no difference: the beaches are reached on foot. In winter the plan works without kayaking or swimming, with the trails at their best.

WhatTimeFor whom

Genoveses trail2.3 km · 1 h 30Everyone, with children

Vela Blanca trail3.4 km · 1 h 30Regular walkers

Los Escullos to La Isleta del Moro1.6 km · 40 minEveryone

Guided kayak and snorkel3 h · from €39Recommended from age 7

Introductory dive3 h · €120Teenagers and adults

## Where to sleep?

San José is the base for this plan: the four-star Hotel Don Ignacio is on the seafront promenade with a pool facing the bay; La Posada de Paco, two stars, is small, recommended for adults, with a spa and its own parking. Rodalquilar, in the heart of the park, has the Hotel de Naturaleza Rodalquilar, with a spa, gardens and triple rooms, which admits pets with notice. With small children or in a motorhome, Camping Cabo de Gata, beside the salt flats, has bungalows for 3 to 5 and a pool with slides from Easter to October.

## If you have one more day

Go north: from Las Negras, on foot, to Cala de San Pedro, with no road, the ruins of a castle and clean water. It is the first stretch of the San Pedro-El Plomo-Agua Amarga trail, which in full measures 11.1 km.

## El plan

### Friday · 19:00 · Arrival in San José
From Almería to San José, about 40 minutes via the A-7 and the AL-3108. Leave the car at the hotel and stroll round the harbour and the village beach. If you arrive early, ask for a table at Casa Miguel, on the main street: fish-market cooking and a dining room with memorabilia from films shot in Almería.

### Saturday · 09:00 · Kayak and snorkel among the caves
Three hours with Cabo de Gata Activo: a short course, navigable caves, volcanic reefs and a swim with goggles. The stretch depends on the sea and they confirm it when you book. From €39 per adult. If you prefer diving, the introductory dive with Isub San José leaves from the village: three hours in all, a dive of less than 12 metres, €120.

### Saturday · 14:00 · Lunch in San José and a siesta
Eat in the village and rest through the hot hours. La Posada de Paco and the Don Ignacio have pools.

### Saturday · 17:00 · Genoveses and Mónsul on foot
Set off along the track towards Mónsul: the Genoveses trail starts beside the windmill and reaches the cove. Carry on to Mónsul, about 4.5 km from the village, for the afternoon swim and the light on the dune. If you have legs left, the first stretch of the Vela Blanca trail starts from the Casa del Mónsul.

### Sunday · 09:30 · Rodalquilar and La Isleta del Moro
Twenty minutes by car to Rodalquilar: climb to the gold mine ruins before the sun bears down. Then the walk from Los Escullos to La Isleta del Moro, 1.6 km and 40 minutes along the coast, with a cold drink on arrival.

### Sunday · 14:00 · Lunch and the drive back by the lighthouse
Eat at Casa Miguel, which on Sunday is open until 16:30, or at La Alacena Azul in Rodalquilar, open to the public. On the way to Almería, detour through the salt flats to the lighthouse and the Sirenas reef: the road ends there and the drive back to Almería is half an hour.

## Un consejo más

Sleep in San José and do the western beaches on foot: in summer you save yourself the regulated access and the rest of the year, the parking.

## Cuándo no ir

August, if you want calm: San José is full, the water in the best-known coves clouds with people and you have to get up early for everything.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Almería?
About 40 minutes by car to San José. From Murcia and Granada, a little over two hours.

### Do I need a car?
For Sunday, yes: Rodalquilar, Los Escullos and the lighthouse are far apart and there are few buses. Saturday is done on foot from San José.

### Where is it best to sleep?
In San José, to do the beaches on foot. In Rodalquilar, if you want more quiet and a spa.

### Can it be done in winter?
Yes, without kayaking or swimming. The trails and the villages are more enjoyable.

### How much does it cost?
Between €160 and €280 per person with two hotel nights, meals and one activity.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Don Ignacio**: The Don Ignacio is San José's four-star hotel, entered in the Andalusian tourism register under number H/AL/00610 and today run under the brand Don Ignacio by Oasis. It is on the seafront promenade, at the edge of the village beach, with the pool looking onto the bay. From the door you walk to the sand, the marina and the restaurants of the main street, without touching the car all day.
Sea terrace or family room
The hotel has four types of room. The standard double has a private terrace with sea views and is set up with a double bed or two beds, with an option of an extra bed or cot subject to availability. The simpler double does not have those views. The family room has a large double bed and a sofa bed, and the junior suite adds a separate living room and sea views. All have a bathroom with bath, air conditioning, minibar, safe and flat-screen television. If you want to wake up looking at the sea, ask expressly for one of those with a terrace or views: not all of them have them.
Prices change with the date and are checked in its booking engine. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out at 12:00; according to its rules, at full occupancy check-in may be delayed by an hour.
Pool, breakfast and parking
The outdoor pool has a solarium and free sunloungers, and follows fixed hours announced on the rules notice. Breakfast is a buffet, there is a café and a terrace with views of the bay for summer evenings. The hotel has no parking in the building: it offers a private paid car park about two minutes away. In high season, parking on the seafront is very difficult, so book it with the room. The website does not say whether pets are allowed: ask beforehand.
San José as a base
From here, the track to Los Genoveses beach and Mónsul leaves from the end of the village, a few minutes by car or on foot; in summer car access is restricted and there is a bus from San José. The village diving centre, where the introductory scuba dive leaves from, is a short walk away, as is Casa Miguel, on the main street. The Vela Blanca trail starts at the Casa del Mónsul, following the track.
San José is at the end of the AL-3108 road, which descends from the A-7 motorway. From Almería it is about 40 minutes.
- **Hotel La Posada de Paco**: La Posada de Paco is a two-star hotel at Avenida de San José, 12, the main street of the village, a minute from the centre and two from the beach. It defines itself as an adults-recommended hotel and is designed for a slow pace: a pool, a small spa, a simple gym and a trust-based bar where coffee is free all day and you serve yourself the other drinks and note them down. Reception is open 24 hours, so you can arrive in the small hours.
Five rooms, all for two
There are five types of room: comfort, plus, superior with double bed, superior with twin beds and premium. All are for two people at most, with individual climate control; if there are three of you, it won't work. The comfort, on the ground floor, is the simplest and has a private balcony. The premium, on the upper floor, is the largest, with a south-east-facing terrace, a king-size bed or two beds, and a bathroom with a skylight. Booking on its website, the hotel promises the best price and a reduced rate if you stay more days.
Spa and pool
The premium includes an hour of spa a day for the two guests; in the other rooms the spa is paid separately, with a discount voucher if you book direct, depending on the dates. In 2026, the pool is open throughout the whole period the hotel is open. The gym is good for a short routine before going out.
Breakfast from the province
Breakfast is served unhurried and with Almería products: organic extra virgin olive oil from Lubrín, mountain cured meats, artisan cheeses from Serón, bread, seasonal fruit, home-made pastries, coffees and infusions. The hotel advises checking the dates on which it operates.
Parking and setting out on excursions
The parking, free of charge, is within the grounds; it covers a good part of the spaces but cannot be reserved. There is an electric car charging point. From here, the dirt track to Los Genoveses beach and Mónsul leaves from the end of the village, and in summer, with car access restricted, you go on foot or by bus. For dinner, Casa Miguel is on the same street, and the introductory scuba dive leaves from the village diving centre.
What it doesn't accept
It does not accept animals; the team offers to point out places where you can stay with your dog. Nor is it designed for families with children, because of the capacity of the rooms and the atmosphere it aims for.
Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00; if you arrive earlier or leave later, they store your luggage. After booking they send you a link to pay the deposit, and you cancel by email, WhatsApp or phone.
- **Hotel de Naturaleza Rodalquilar**: The Hotel de Naturaleza Rodalquilar is a four-star hotel at the entrance to the former mining village of Rodalquilar, in the Los Albacetes locality, in the centre of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park. It is a modern building with white walls, a courtyard, gardens, a pool with Balinese beds and an art room, the Carmen de Burgos, which holds exhibitions throughout the year. It opens all year and presents itself as a pioneer in alternative energy and sustainable operation; it is a collaborating entity of the UNESCO Global Geopark.
Rooms that look onto the volcanoes
The hotel was designed so that the park comes in through the windows: from the terrace-corridors of access and from the large windows of the rooms you see the volcanic landforms that surround the valley. There are single rooms, doubles for two adults, triples for families and junior suites. On the headboards are ceramic murals by Antonio Flores, and each room has a work by a different artist. The hotel insists on silence: in the morning, what you hear is birds. The website does not publish fixed prices; they are checked in its search engine for each date, along with current offers.
The La Amatista circuit
The hotel spa, La Amatista, has a 50-minute circuit with hydromassage, foot bath, contrast and sensation showers, hammam, sauna and heated beds, as well as a menu of massages and treatments. Ask when booking whether the circuit is included in your rate or paid separately.
A table at home
The hotel restaurant, Alacena Azul, is also open to the public. Its dining room looks onto El Playazo de Rodalquilar and the 2025 menu has a set menu of starter, main course and dessert for €25, with fish of the day, grill and Almería vegetables. Breakfast is served in the hotel itself.
With a dog
The hotel declares itself pet-friendly. You must notify them before arriving and accept their admission policy and prices, which are communicated when you book.
Rodalquilar as a base
Rodalquilar is halfway between San José and Las Negras, so from here you can explore the park by car without sleeping in the coastal villages, which are fuller in summer. On foot, from the hotel you climb to the ruins of the gold mines and the Denver plant, and El Playazo, with the castle of San Ramón, is down towards the sea. Las Negras, the starting point for San Pedro cove, is a short drive away, and San José a little over a quarter of an hour.
- **Camping Cabo de Gata**: Camping Cabo de Gata is on the Almería side of the natural park, beside the Cabo de Gata road: you reach it by a one-kilometre tarmac track from kilometre 9 of the AL-3115. It belongs to the Campingred network and is registered as a two-star campsite. It is the cheapest accommodation in the area for families with children, for motorhomes and for those travelling with a dog, and it also opens in winter, with a climate the house itself sells as the place where the sun spends the winter.
Three pitch sizes
There are three types of pitch. The standard is about 70 m², with an electricity hook-up of 6, 10 or 16 amps and deciduous trees, which give shade in summer and let the sun through in winter. The comfort, of the same size, adds water and drainage. The grand comfort is 120 m², with electricity, water and drainage, but no shade. They accept caravans, campervans and motorhomes up to 9 metres long and 3 high. Prices depend on the dates and are checked in the search engine on its website.
Five bungalows, two designed for dogs
The bungalows are of five types, for four people and one for five. All have air conditioning and heating, an equipped kitchen without oven or toaster, a capsule coffee machine, television, sheets and towels, and parking by the door; depending on the model, a porch or terrace. Those with the suffix DOG accept pets, with their papers in order and a supplement per stay, and the campsite has a shower for washing dogs on returning from the beach.
You can cancel up to seven days before arrival and you get a full refund.
Pool with slides and a new restaurant
The pool, of almost 200 m², has slides and a jet area and opens from Easter to October. There is a playground, a seven-a-side football pitch, a tennis court, a basketball hoop and a boules area, and on special dates, such as Halloween, entertainment activities. The supermarket has fresh and basic products, there are washing machines and dryers and chemical toilet emptying for motorhomes. The restaurant, La Parcelita del Cabo, is new and has its own menu; book on 647 75 95 15.
A step from the lighthouse and the salt pans
From here the lighthouse and Sirenas reef and the salt pans are along the same road, and the Las Amoladeras Visitor Centre is at kilometre 7. For the beach you have to take the car. San José and Los Genoveses beach are about half an hour away by the inland route, because the coast road does not continue beyond the lighthouse. To arrive from the A-7 motorway, the campsite recommends exits 762 or 769, even if the satnav says otherwise.

## Dónde dormir in style
- **Hotel Don Ignacio**: The Don Ignacio is San José's four-star hotel, entered in the Andalusian tourism register under number H/AL/00610 and today run under the brand Don Ignacio by Oasis. It is on the seafront promenade, at the edge of the village beach, with the pool looking onto the bay. From the door you walk to the sand, the marina and the restaurants of the main street, without touching the car all day.
Sea terrace or family room
The hotel has four types of room. The standard double has a private terrace with sea views and is set up with a double bed or two beds, with an option of an extra bed or cot subject to availability. The simpler double does not have those views. The family room has a large double bed and a sofa bed, and the junior suite adds a separate living room and sea views. All have a bathroom with bath, air conditioning, minibar, safe and flat-screen television. If you want to wake up looking at the sea, ask expressly for one of those with a terrace or views: not all of them have them.
Prices change with the date and are checked in its booking engine. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out at 12:00; according to its rules, at full occupancy check-in may be delayed by an hour.
Pool, breakfast and parking
The outdoor pool has a solarium and free sunloungers, and follows fixed hours announced on the rules notice. Breakfast is a buffet, there is a café and a terrace with views of the bay for summer evenings. The hotel has no parking in the building: it offers a private paid car park about two minutes away. In high season, parking on the seafront is very difficult, so book it with the room. The website does not say whether pets are allowed: ask beforehand.
San José as a base
From here, the track to Los Genoveses beach and Mónsul leaves from the end of the village, a few minutes by car or on foot; in summer car access is restricted and there is a bus from San José. The village diving centre, where the introductory scuba dive leaves from, is a short walk away, as is Casa Miguel, on the main street. The Vela Blanca trail starts at the Casa del Mónsul, following the track.
San José is at the end of the AL-3108 road, which descends from the A-7 motorway. From Almería it is about 40 minutes.
- **Hotel de Naturaleza Rodalquilar**: The Hotel de Naturaleza Rodalquilar is a four-star hotel at the entrance to the former mining village of Rodalquilar, in the Los Albacetes locality, in the centre of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park. It is a modern building with white walls, a courtyard, gardens, a pool with Balinese beds and an art room, the Carmen de Burgos, which holds exhibitions throughout the year. It opens all year and presents itself as a pioneer in alternative energy and sustainable operation; it is a collaborating entity of the UNESCO Global Geopark.
Rooms that look onto the volcanoes
The hotel was designed so that the park comes in through the windows: from the terrace-corridors of access and from the large windows of the rooms you see the volcanic landforms that surround the valley. There are single rooms, doubles for two adults, triples for families and junior suites. On the headboards are ceramic murals by Antonio Flores, and each room has a work by a different artist. The hotel insists on silence: in the morning, what you hear is birds. The website does not publish fixed prices; they are checked in its search engine for each date, along with current offers.
The La Amatista circuit
The hotel spa, La Amatista, has a 50-minute circuit with hydromassage, foot bath, contrast and sensation showers, hammam, sauna and heated beds, as well as a menu of massages and treatments. Ask when booking whether the circuit is included in your rate or paid separately.
A table at home
The hotel restaurant, Alacena Azul, is also open to the public. Its dining room looks onto El Playazo de Rodalquilar and the 2025 menu has a set menu of starter, main course and dessert for €25, with fish of the day, grill and Almería vegetables. Breakfast is served in the hotel itself.
With a dog
The hotel declares itself pet-friendly. You must notify them before arriving and accept their admission policy and prices, which are communicated when you book.
Rodalquilar as a base
Rodalquilar is halfway between San José and Las Negras, so from here you can explore the park by car without sleeping in the coastal villages, which are fuller in summer. On foot, from the hotel you climb to the ruins of the gold mines and the Denver plant, and El Playazo, with the castle of San Ramón, is down towards the sea. Las Negras, the starting point for San Pedro cove, is a short drive away, and San José a little over a quarter of an hour.