# Cabo de Gata Lighthouse and the Sirenas Reef

What to do en Cabo de Gata · Cabo de Gata

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/things-to-do/cabo-de-gata-lighthouse-and-sirenas-reef · Revisado: 2026-11-13

- Duración: 45 min
- Temporada: All year; at sunset
- Para quién: Everyone

Viewpoint · at the end of the salt-pan road · 45 min · free

The Cabo de Gata lighthouse rises on the south-western tip of the volcanic sierra that gives the natural park its name, at the end of the road that leaves Almería along the coast. At its foot, a viewpoint looks over the Sirenas reef: a group of needles and rocks of dark volcanic stone rising from the water off the cape. It is a short stop, half an hour to three quarters, free and with no facilities other than the car park and the viewpoint.
Lava needles and a legend of seals
The rocks of the reef are remnants of the volcanic activity that formed this whole sierra. The Junta explains in its leaflets that the capricious shapes of these stones have fed legends among sailors for centuries, and that the mermaids of the name were in fact monk seals, which lived on this coast until the middle of the last century.
To the east, from the sea, behind the Sirenas reef you can see another rock, the Dedo reef, and then the white mass of the Vela Blanca dome, formed of altered volcanic tuffs that contrast with the dark andesites and dacites around. That pale patch, like a sail, gives its name to the spot and to its 15th-century watchtower.
The salt-pan road
From Almería you arrive along the AL-3115: it passes the Las Amoladeras Visitor Centre, at kilometre 7, crosses San Miguel de Cabo de Gata, skirts the salt pans and the long beach and climbs through La Fabriquilla to the lighthouse. There is a small car park next to the viewpoint. The road does not continue to San José: at the Vela Blanca pass there is a barrier to vehicles. To go to San José you return by the inland route, or, if you are on foot, the Vela Blanca trail ends at the viewpoint on that pass, on the other side of the sierra.
When to go
At dusk, when the sun sinks over the sea in the west and the rock darkens against the water. At midday in summer there is no shade. The cape is exposed to the wind: bring something warm even if it is fine down on the beach.
On the way it is worth stopping at the salt pans, especially with binoculars, and if you come from Camping Cabo de Gata you are on the same road. From the water it looks different: one of the kayak and snorkelling routes in the park goes from La Fabriquilla to the Sirenas reef, depending on the state of the sea.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 36.72165, -2.19288

## Cerca de aquí

- [Vela Blanca Trail, from Mónsul to the Tower](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/things-to-do/vela-blanca-trail), a 2.0 km
- [Mónsul Beach](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/things-to-do/monsul-beach), a 4.3 km
- [Los Genoveses Beach and Its Trail](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/things-to-do/los-genoveses-beach), a 6.8 km
- [Guided Kayak and Snorkel along the Volcanic Cliffs](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/things-to-do/kayak-and-snorkel), a 8.6 km
- [Hotel La Posada de Paco](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/where-to-stay/hotel-la-posada-de-paco), a 8.7 km
- [Casa Miguel in Tierra de Cine](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/where-to-eat/casa-miguel), a 8.8 km
- [Hotel Don Ignacio](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/where-to-stay/hotel-don-ignacio), a 8.8 km
- [Introductory Scuba Dive in the Marine Reserve, from San José](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/things-to-do/introductory-scuba-dive), a 8.8 km

## Consejos

### Combine it with the salt pans
They are on the way out: you need no other detour.

### Arrive before sunset
The car park next to the viewpoint is small: don't cut it fine.

### Bring a jacket
At the cape the wind blows harder than on the beaches.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you go up the lighthouse?
No; it is seen from the viewpoint and the car park.

### Can you drive from here to San José along the coast?
No. At the Vela Blanca pass there is a barrier to traffic.

### How much time is needed for the lighthouse viewpoint?
Half an hour or three quarters, plus stops at the salt pans.

### Why is it called Sirenas?
After the monk seals that lived on this coast until the mid-20th century, according to the Junta.

Destino: [Cabo de Gata](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata.md)