The Coast of Almeria - it's a wrap!
So finally, some wrap-up notes from the last few days on the coast of Almeria, exploring the beaches and hills surrounding San José. We chose to spend an additional night at the end of our trip, mainly so we could relax on the beach but instead found ourselves completing all of the suggested walks, not wanting to miss a thing. Our base in San José was the wonderful Hotel Doña Pakyta, an airy, light filled building with spectacular sea views filled with local art and history. The hotel is owned by the family of Francisca Diaz Torres or 'Doña Pakyta' who devoted her life to conserving this beautiful region despite what must have been significant pressure with the rise and rise of development along the Spanish coast. One of the particular treats of staying in this hotel was the special permit to walk through the family estate, through ancient prickly pear groves where cochineal beetles were farmed at the turn of the century and to listen out for the twinkling bells of the herds of Blanca Celtibérica, the native goat.
Of course, food always in mind, the breakfasts were marvellous, lots of strong black coffee, seasonal fruits and nuts and a rather addictive sweet pastry undoubtedly made with manteca eaten whilst watching the sun rise over the waves was a glorious start to our days. Friendly and polite staff rounded off our evenings with brandies on the terrace....sigh, it was hard to leave.
We tried a few restaurants in the evenings, mostly good and these are the ones I'd recommend -
Mexica - as the name suggests a fully themed Mexican restaurant. Good, simple cheap menu, perfect for hungry walkers needing some spice and a beer and really friendly service too.
Restaurante El Jardin - very popular and deservedly so. We were lucky to get a table so book or go just as they open (8pm) to get a seat. Its on the main sweep of large fish restaurants near the harbour but the place itself is tiny. Here I got to try mojama, the traditional dried tuna loin, served thinly sliced with roasted almonds, which I had been searching for on previous trips. Often called 'ham of the sea' this is delicious, rich and full of umami and surprisingly not fishy at all. We also had Iberico pork secreto, the wonderful tender acorn fed pork we first discovered in Cadiz.
Bar Monsul - we loved this place, relaxed, friendly, good people watching terrace, cheap, great beer, fantastic tapas and just a few metres from the hotel and the end of most walks. In fact, all of our walks ended up here, as did our fellow InnTravellers, and many other Spanish hikers too. If you are walking this coast, its a must, drop in for a cerveza and a tapas of fried egg and truffle or chorizo cooked over a little earthenware bowl of paraffin. Word of warning, do not, as I almost did, dip your bread in the paraffin in too hasty greed!
The walks are all fabulous and take you through some amazingly diverse landscapes, from volcanic rocks to prehistoric sand dunes. After the preceding days walks from Rodalquilar, these are a lot tamer, so much so, we did go a little off-piste as we missed the scrambling climbs.
The Cabo de Gata lighthouse walk requires a cab to get you to the start. We opted to get a cab from the local Tourist Office and saved ourselves about €25 on the fare with a pick-up from the main bus stop. The walk is very steep for a short part but is mainly on a tarmac road or rough track so pretty easy.
There are some really fantastic views along the route and as it is part of the Ruta de los volcanes y las flores (route of the volcanoes and flowers) you will also get to see a huge amount of coastal flora making this route particularly beautiful.
Finally, do not forget to pack your swimming gear (but don't worry if you do, there was plenty of nudism on these beaches and there is also plenty of space if you require a little privacy). All of the walks around San Jose finish on both Monsul or Genoveses beach (plus plenty of other smaller ones too) and you will absolutely not be able to resist the temptation to dive into these perfectly clear azure waters.
The walks along the two larger beaches take in the Ruta del Cine (the cinematographic route). The dramatic beachscape and impossibly large sand dune at Monsul have been used to film Lawrence of Arabia, the Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade amongst others. Do climb the sand dune (it is very hard but worth it) and pretend you are in the middle of the Sahara and feel the sand scour every part of you as its whipped up in the wind (keep your mouth closed as you catch your breath!).
Pack plenty of water and sunscreen, a hat, maybe a bag of nuts and an apple or two and enjoy this most beautiful coast on foot. This is not a barren dry desert but a fantastically diverse, stunning, dramatically different landscape full of the mysteries of a dark and violent past. Somewhere, amongst the scarred groves of prickly pear cactus, the circular ruins of ancient threshing floors and flowers tumbling down rock strewn cliffs the Cabo de Gata stole my heart.
If you want to read a bit more about about the trip, the cost and details have a look at the latest edition of The Slow Lane, InnTravel's inspirational magazine on slow travel. As well as my article above, there are many other inspirational ideas for holidays at a slower pace, a chance to stop and wonder, take a deep breath and escape the rush of modern life. This is the second trip I've made with InnTravel and I've been more than impressed with the detail of the notes provided and the quality of the accommodation. You travel at your own pace and there is plenty of variation in the notes should you wish to do something different. The accommodation and the people you meet are all amazingly knowledgeable and helpful and to be honest, you are made to feel like a long lost friend rather than a guest. Best of all, the places you stay at have character, no soul-less international hotels here. After years of meticulously planning my own trips abroad it felt a bit scary to hand over the reins to someone else but I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Leave the organisation to the experts and relax and go with the flow!
Of course, food always in mind, the breakfasts were marvellous, lots of strong black coffee, seasonal fruits and nuts and a rather addictive sweet pastry undoubtedly made with manteca eaten whilst watching the sun rise over the waves was a glorious start to our days. Friendly and polite staff rounded off our evenings with brandies on the terrace....sigh, it was hard to leave.
We tried a few restaurants in the evenings, mostly good and these are the ones I'd recommend -
Mexica - as the name suggests a fully themed Mexican restaurant. Good, simple cheap menu, perfect for hungry walkers needing some spice and a beer and really friendly service too.
Restaurante El Jardin - very popular and deservedly so. We were lucky to get a table so book or go just as they open (8pm) to get a seat. Its on the main sweep of large fish restaurants near the harbour but the place itself is tiny. Here I got to try mojama, the traditional dried tuna loin, served thinly sliced with roasted almonds, which I had been searching for on previous trips. Often called 'ham of the sea' this is delicious, rich and full of umami and surprisingly not fishy at all. We also had Iberico pork secreto, the wonderful tender acorn fed pork we first discovered in Cadiz.
Bar Monsul - we loved this place, relaxed, friendly, good people watching terrace, cheap, great beer, fantastic tapas and just a few metres from the hotel and the end of most walks. In fact, all of our walks ended up here, as did our fellow InnTravellers, and many other Spanish hikers too. If you are walking this coast, its a must, drop in for a cerveza and a tapas of fried egg and truffle or chorizo cooked over a little earthenware bowl of paraffin. Word of warning, do not, as I almost did, dip your bread in the paraffin in too hasty greed!
The walks are all fabulous and take you through some amazingly diverse landscapes, from volcanic rocks to prehistoric sand dunes. After the preceding days walks from Rodalquilar, these are a lot tamer, so much so, we did go a little off-piste as we missed the scrambling climbs.
The Cabo de Gata lighthouse walk requires a cab to get you to the start. We opted to get a cab from the local Tourist Office and saved ourselves about €25 on the fare with a pick-up from the main bus stop. The walk is very steep for a short part but is mainly on a tarmac road or rough track so pretty easy.
There are some really fantastic views along the route and as it is part of the Ruta de los volcanes y las flores (route of the volcanoes and flowers) you will also get to see a huge amount of coastal flora making this route particularly beautiful.
Finally, do not forget to pack your swimming gear (but don't worry if you do, there was plenty of nudism on these beaches and there is also plenty of space if you require a little privacy). All of the walks around San Jose finish on both Monsul or Genoveses beach (plus plenty of other smaller ones too) and you will absolutely not be able to resist the temptation to dive into these perfectly clear azure waters.
The walks along the two larger beaches take in the Ruta del Cine (the cinematographic route). The dramatic beachscape and impossibly large sand dune at Monsul have been used to film Lawrence of Arabia, the Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade amongst others. Do climb the sand dune (it is very hard but worth it) and pretend you are in the middle of the Sahara and feel the sand scour every part of you as its whipped up in the wind (keep your mouth closed as you catch your breath!).
Pack plenty of water and sunscreen, a hat, maybe a bag of nuts and an apple or two and enjoy this most beautiful coast on foot. This is not a barren dry desert but a fantastically diverse, stunning, dramatically different landscape full of the mysteries of a dark and violent past. Somewhere, amongst the scarred groves of prickly pear cactus, the circular ruins of ancient threshing floors and flowers tumbling down rock strewn cliffs the Cabo de Gata stole my heart.
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