The rugged volcanic rock formations that provide the backdrop to this unspoilt and rural coastal region are reason enough to explore. Now a protected Natural Park and UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Cabo de Gata shoreline is scattered with wild beaches and small fishing villages, miraculously untainted by mass tourism. We enjoyed the whitewashed simplicity of La Isleta and Las Negras with their sandy coves, beached fishing boats and the occasional bar or fish restaurant overlooking the beach. More adventurous visitors could sample some of the local diving or coastal walking, though soaking in the simple beauty of this relatively undiscovered corner of Spain is pleasure enough.

Cabo de Gata, Almeria, Spain
Google map: bit.ly/JnhfiN

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This small corner of Spain just south of Almeria encompasses a range of different landscapes, in one day you can walk through sand dunes and on wide sweeping bays, play on rocky shores, climb mountains and sit by salt water lagoons bird watching. The scenery is stunning and this is a fantastic area for walking without seeing another soul all day or cycling on quiet lanes. Stay in San Jose, a bustling village, for some nightlife, if you still have the energy at the end of an active day.

www.degata.com/eng/
Google map: bit.ly/IxSynS

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Almeria's long sandy beach, just a 10-minute walk from the old town, is a great place to spend a day (or week). Breezes blow in from the Mediterranean providing some much-needed respite from the sweltering heat, and should you need more cooling there are plenty of beachside bars, cafes and chiringuitos serving up bocadillos, tapas, paella and, most importantly, cold beer! Every year on 23 June on Noche de San Juan the beach comes alive at night with fireworks and bonfires (write down a wish and throw it into the fire for it to come true) – then take a midnight dip in the ocean. There is a hotel on the beachfront called El Delfin Verde, where John Lennon stayed in the 1960s, and is allegedly where he wrote Strawberry Fields Forever

Google map: tinyurl.com/39dtsnv

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends