Postcards from Cabo de Gata, Spain

Chris and I have just got back from a holiday in southern Spain – a relaxing, sun-baked week that was very much needed before two busy months ahead. We spent some of our time in the city of Almería (more on that to follow next week), but the main focus of the trip was a visit to our friends Ben and Neil, who have moved to the stunning Cabo de Gata Natural Park to open a B&B.

I’ve visited Spain on numerous occasions, and I even spent a while living there as a student, but I’d never before ventured to this harsh but hauntingly beautiful corner of the country. Set on the southeastern tip, about half an hour’s drive from Almería airport, it’s where the arid hills of Andalucía tumble into the Mediterranean Sea.

The park itself encompasses 340sqkm of jagged peaks and shimmering salt flats, studded with isolated farmsteads, strange rock formations and flocks of flamingos. A recent bout of rain meant the landscape was unusually green during our stay, but the red earth, cacti and spiky agave plants left little doubt that Cabo de Gata is semi-desert.

We spent our days strolling along empty beaches (some dotted with jewel-like jellyfish that had been washed up by the waves), feasting on tapas and seafood in whitewashed fishing villages (La Isleta and Las Negras were our favourites), and gazing at the view from cliff-top lookout points strung along the coast. We also stumbled across lonely churches, crumbling shepherds’ huts and even the ruins of an abandoned salt works – an eerie yet fascinating place which I could have spent hours photographing!

I’ll share more about Ben and Neil’s B&B once it’s open for bookings, but in the meantime here are some photos from our trip to give you a taster of this wonderful region of Spain…

All photography by Abi Dare