A walking holiday in Almería

A fantastic introduction to Inntravel walking holidays. This is such a stunning part of Spain, a real wilderness, a place to escape the rat race and relax surrounded by nothing but flowers, birds and endless views. Add into this mix some fascinating history and of course, delicious local cuisine plus really lovely accommodation with friendly staff. The walking notes were excellent, so good, we did all the walks, didn't want to miss seeing another amazing view. I can truly say this was a wonderful holiday.

I had not heard of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park before booking this holiday but I am very glad that I have visited this part of Spain and it made me wish to return. I feel sure that walking through this dramatic, semi-desert landscape was the very best way to get a feeling of its history, flora and fauna. There were many highlights including one morning when we spotted 5 hoopoes and a Scops Owl. Wildflowers were everywhere. The three villages/small towns we stayed in were all very different in atmosphere. There were plenty of bars and restaurants to eat and drink in. The quality of food everywhere was really good especially fish and seafood. We especially enjoyed Restaurant Aurora in Los Negras and Lebeche in Rodalquilar. Portion sizes are super generous! The beaches are magnificent but as with the walking there is little shade. So don't forget a hat and sun-block!

The Coast of Almeria is simply beautiful. Each day's walking was different, and the final day from Cabo de Gato to San Jose, was stunning: rocky headlands, desert landscape right down to the sea, beautiful beaches. Do be aware, though, it can be very windy!

The Cabo de Gata Natural Park is a fascinating area in which to walk. In early March there was almost constant sunshine and the wild flowers were spectacular. The scenery was varied but always beautiful and we saw other people only rarely. The accommodation was, as ever, very good and although it was early March there were plenty of places to eat in both las Negras and San Jose. In Rodalquilar the restaurants seem to open late and after a day's walking we were ready to eat by 7.30. So we went to the Hotel Naturaleza on all three nights and had an excellent 3 course meal for 18 euros. Eckhard told us several times that it wasn't the best, but we enjoyed it and would recommend it if you want an early meal! Once again we thoroughly enjoyed our Inntravel holiday and look forward to the next one!

This was my first self-guided walk and thanks to Inntravel I won’t hesitate before doing another. They have thoroughly researched an area and discovered the best routes and the most interesting locations so you can benefit. I really appreciated that I wasn’t just walking but also learning a bit about the history of the area while visiting particular locations like the old gold mine and cobble-stone quarry.

Almeria had all the winter sun I’d hoped for and the coastal walks and beaches were barren and beautiful but it was windy and I needed to take 3 layers every day on the walks: tee-shirt weather when the wind dropped but on the top of some cliffs I was glad of my fleece and pac a mac.

The scenery was spectacular and emblematic with the agave trees, palms and other desert plants. Such a wonderful change from the grey-green sogginess of winter in Belgium.

For me, this was a fabulous holiday in a lovely part of Spain with unspoilt coastline. The Cabo de Gata natural park provides a welcome relief from the surrounding area on that southern coastline in Spain. It has not been over-developed and there are plenty of footpaths through the hills and along the coastline. We stayed in some lovely places and were generally very well looked after. We found the walking notes very well written and easy to follow, providing lots of interesting information relating to the area and some of the landmarks we passed. We also found the level of the walk just right. We were pushed, but not bushed by the end of each walk. The fact that we had a few nights in the same place meant that we could unpack and settle in and opt to do more or less in terms of walking on the days where circular walks were offered. Our luggage appeared at the next accommodation as if by magic. The only thing I would say is that, although we had glorious weather with blue skies and sunshine throughout, I would probably not recommend February as the best month to do this holiday. There was a cold wind that stayed with us throughout and some of the places we stayed were not really prepared for cold weather. The only heating there was was in the form of air conditioning and sometimes on arrival the place felt slightly cold or damp. On the other hand, the places we stayed were often quite quirky and certainly added to the flavour of the holiday. 

The route follows the coastline through terrain covered in wild rosemary, lavender and thyme, offering sensory stimulation to both the eyes and nose. You can probably pretty much guarantee sunshine, whatever time of year you go, although temperatures vary depending on the wind factor as well as the month. The walking notes provided by Inntravel were very easy to follow and offered lots of insight into facts about the area, pointing out places of interest along the way. The length of the walks allowed us to linger in different places and see the sites along the way and yet were sufficiently challenging to allow us to feel a sense of satisfaction at the end.

This is a superb break in a little known part of Spain. The walks are varied, interesting and help illustrate the history of the area. Accommodation is also very varied and very good. Holidaying in January here is ideal for comfortable walking during the day but evenings are very cool so warmer clothing is essential.

The walking was excellent, routes were well planned. The description of routes was excellent, and apart form a few small mistakes we made during the walks (possibly our own fault), the instructions were easy to follow and accurate. I would not say the routes were easy to moderate - they were more moderate than easy, and included some steep routes. However, since we have been on walking tours before, we took this possibility into account and the routes were good for our level.

Hotels were good, however, except for at the Garden of Dreams, there were not enough options for vegetarians/pescatarians. Bitacora was definitely on a lower grade (2*) than the others, there was a problem heating the rooms and the shower didn't drain well. They seem to have tried to fix this, but without success.

The area is beautiful, highly recommended.

We enjoyed all the walks and would recommend the taxi to the Cabo de Gata lighthouse while staying at Dona Pakyta as that was a beautiful walk back to San Jose. Taxi 50 euros, he took us to the bird hide first and waited and then took us on to the lighthouse. The walk which we found least interesting was the walk from Jardin de Los Suenos to San Jose. The first part to the village of Isleta del Moro was lovely but beyond, the area was quite barren and uninteresting and the terrain quite rough. They were very welcoming at Hotel Bitacora in Las Negras with very good, fresh breakfast. Lovely tapas and fish in Las Negras. We ate one night in the hotel in San Jose which was very good and the other night in town with very good fresh fish. Rodalquilar was somewhat disapponting for restaurants at this time of year with a mediocre standard by comparison to the other locations. We loved the gardens at Jardin de los Suenos and the general atmosphere there, wonderful views from the terrace. Dona Pakyta in San Jose is a lovely hotel with wonderful views from the balcony. It is well worth upgrading to a sea view.

Before beginning the walk from Rodalquilar to San Jose, carefully check the weather forecast, as the final 4 km include narrow paths above the sea that are open to strong winds.

LAS NEGRAS: Best pizza ever! in the upstairs Il Capricio restaurant, and some pleasant bars too further into town towards the beach.

RODALQUILAR: Two great restaurants side by side in the small square near the entrance to the village, but many other bars and eateries to choose from further up hill.

SAN JOSE: Best pizza ever! in the La Gondola restaurant beside the pharmacy at the end of Calle Correo.

Curro in Las Negras was superb. The food highlight was El Oro y Luz in Rodalquilar. Eckhard at El Jardin de los Suenos kindly phoned Ricardo to arrange for him to take us to the Cabo de Gata lighthouse (via Las Salinas) for our final walk which was well worth doing. It was certainly worth going on a guided tour of the Alhambra and pre-booking this. There was always plenty of wind to cool us down whilst walking! Overall, a most enjoyable peaceful and interesting week.

The 3 hotels were a varied and clever choice of boutique arrangements. It was enjoyable to walk in these strange, barren but rather beautiful places.

The display of flowers in the Natural Park was simply stunning.

I really enjoyed this walking holiday, which I felt struck a good balance between walking and downtime to relax in the various hotels. I especially enjoyed my stay at El Jardin de los Suenos which I thought was charming, unique and a lovely place to relax. The walks were interesting and varied and eveything went smoothly as is always the way with Inntravel. A special mention must go to Curro at Hotel Bitacora who could not have been more friendly and helpful. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and peace of the National Park. The routes offered a range of distance and terrain, within the perameters of the park and the pathways were well-maintained and easily accessed. It was quiet at each location, given that we travelled pre-Easter but we found restaurants, etc, without problem and met some very friendly and helpful local people. (Given that we do not speak Spanish their willingness to persevere with communication was much appreciated). Lovely (albeit at times very windy) weather and stunning coastline.

All in all, a fabulous holiday and one of the best we've had in years. My partner gave it 10 out of 10! The scenery was wonderful, with fantastic spring flowers and the walking just the right side of being stretching but not too challenging (we're weekend walkers). I've never used a travel agency before but we'll definitely be using Inntravel again, as all the tricky stuff is taken care of and we could just enjoy the walking, the countryside and each other's company.

Beautiful scenery with wonderful walks. We were lucky with the weather in mid-March, sun out but not too hot. We loved Jardin de Los Suenos but be prepared to walk in pitch dark (no artifical lighting allowed outside private dwellings) in high winds 10-15 minutes with a small torch to get to restaurants. I brought 3 dresses and never wore any of them, it is cool in the evenings and winds were often high. The 19.5 km walk in Rodaquillar valley is a must, it is utterly beautiful. 

Another wonderful holiday with Inntravel. The scenery in all the walks was stunning. I liked the variety from coastal paths, beaches, farmland, deserted forts, mines, cortijos and norias. The additional notes made interesting reading and helped give an understanding of the area. The first walk to San Pedro was a great introduction to the coastline. 

Highlights include seeing  a herd a white goats clambering over the cliffs at Monsul Beach, spending time at the atmospheric Cortijo el Fraile and seeing far more wild flowers, thyme and lavenders than I thought would be out in February. An added bonus.

Despite the very pleasant temperatures during the day it is still cold in the evening. Owing to the season there were few restaurant options but those we ate in were local with good food  and not just for tourists.

During the walk, in the evenings there was hardly a restaurant open and of the few all were basic. Malaga was good. None of this really bothered us. The long bus journey was a let down.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers booked our walk The Coast of Almería followed our Malaga City add-on

We were charmed by the bright starry moonlit nights, the light traffic, the efforts to keep the natural park pristine. The people involved in the tourist industry were very pleasant and kind to non-Spanish speakers like ourselves.

A great holiday, with such interesting scenery. All the hotels had lovely views. Being mid November, the options for eating out were restricted, with nowhere open on our first day in Rodalquilar. La Sal restaurant in Las Negras was excellent. Perfect weather for walking.

Excellent holiday in beautiful surroundings. The walking was very good, especially to the lighthouse (on the road!). We ate very well at La Palma in Las Negras, El Oro y Luz in Rodalquilar (the best), and El Pescador in San Jose.

Our fifth holiday with Inntravel and it did not disappoint. The temperatures were hitting 30 degrees which was hotter than we expected for October, this made some of the longer walks more arduous but still well worth the effort.

Highlights were Curro [manager] at the Hotel Bitacora, where it was worth seeking out the pool, the flamingoes at Las Salinas, the amazing landscapes and of course the Alhambra in Granada.

We ate at La Palma and La Sal in Las Negras, both opened at 8pm or later. In Rodalquilar we ate at El Cinto which was very entertaining and Oro y Luz which was excellent. Most other restaurants were closed. In San Jose we ate at Rione Trastevera and Casa Pepe, again both very good in their own particular way.

In Granada we would recommend Ruta del Azafran which is close to Hotel Casa Morisca but not tourist.

There is now an ATM at Almeria airport, it is situated in departures which can be accessed from arrivals.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: This customer followed our The Coast of Almería walk with the Granada City add-on

Fabulous holiday in an area that is far more beautiful than might be expected from this part of southern Spain - as a result of the creation of the national park. Even in early October though, the temperatures were once again higher than average for this time of year and so walking after midday in thirty plus degrees was very tiring. It is not easy to leave for the walk before 9.30am as the breakfasts were not served much before that. If visiting Granada and the Alhambra, would definitely recommend booking this through Inntravel - the suggested guided walk of the city and information about the Alhambra are excellent.

We did this walk during the first week of September. We went having ideas of covering much ground in the earlier, cooler part of the day, however breakfast times rather scotched this - start times are: Bitacora 08.30, Le Jardin de Suenos 09.00, Dona Pakyta 08.00. However most walks are near the sea which always provided cooling breezes and most days offered a sandy beach to cool down with a swim. Good sandy beaches are: Day 1 Cala San Pedro; Day 2 Don't use the cove by the campsite called Cala de Cuervo - it is stony. Wait until you reach the attractive sandy beach at Playazo; Day 3 or 4 The Torre de Lobos walk. We walked this in reverse so we could cool down on Playazo beach during the hotter part of the day; Day 5 The third (Southern most) beach in La Isleta de Moro is sandy and the beach at Los Escullos appeared to be such too plus of course the beach at San Jose; Day 6 Wonderful choice of beaches at Media Luna, Monsul and Genoveses (The Eucalyptus trees at the North end of this beach offer shade from the sun).        

We enjoyed the walking immensely and I hope the above will be a help for those walking in the hotter months. 

Everyone we met was really friendly and helpful.

We'd like to put in a strong recommendation for Bar Pepe, just up left from Dona Pakyta. Superb food and ambience - a welcome change from the hotel where we felt the restaurant was pretentious and not very good at all.

Overall we had an amazing trip.  The Coast of Almeria provides incredible views and fascinating history.  We were impressed by how unspoiled it is and how respectful those travelling the trails are - saw no signs of garbage.  I would highly recommend Inntravel and this trip to anyone wanting to do self-guided walking. 

This was an excellent and well organised holiday.

In mid-March, there were enough restaurants open in both Las Negras and Rodalquilar to allow us to dine well in a different place each evening.  However, San Jose felt very out-of-season, and the restaurants that were open in the evening were very 'touristy'.  We chose to eat in the hotel restaurant (which Inntravel had not referred to) and had good meals on both evenings

We were very impressed by the range of flowers that were in bloom in February and they (as a keen photographer) added to the enjoyment of all the walks. Do take adequate warm and windproof clothing at this time of the year - swimming gear will probably not be needed! 

All the walks we did were lovely and the Inntravel pack and its contents were excellent. The Inntravel folder and its contents were the best we have ever come across. Well done.

We were a little disappointed at the lack of restaurant choices on the Coast of Almeria. We know this is off season and specifically checked at booking time whether there would be some choices and it was indicated there would, but in reality there was not. This took the edge of what otherwise was an excellent week.

We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. We found the landscape fascinating from a geological point of view. Being early February it was lovely to see so many flowers and to appreciate the smell of the wild lavender and thyme. The weather was just right for walking and it was good to have a choice of walks on some days.

Our hosts at Las Negras and Rodalquilar were excellent and made us so welcome. Being out of season the choices for eating out were limited and their advice was invaluable.

A good mixture of scenery and grades of walk. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
A few tips ...

The weather can be cool at night in Feb - take warm pullover/fleece. Daytime was a pleasant temperature for walking - light shirt and light fleece/jacket for breezier days.
The walk across the Donya Pakyta farm land was accompanied by quite a lot of mosquitoes and other biters - repellent recommended.

The restaurants in Rodalquilar are more problematic in February than the guide suggests - it's worth making specific checks or you may do a lot of walking to find one open.

Lovely smiles and welcome at the first stop got us off to a wonderful start. The breakfast is fresh and gorgeous and absolutely nothing is too much trouble.

This was our first holiday of this kind and we are hoping to do another similar.

We very much enjoyed the walks, despite some cold and rainy days.   It could be useful to highlight that the descent into San Jose is challenging, especially if the rocks are wet.

We did very much appreciate the walk San Jose Circuit with its varied and beautiful envirements - an easy walk.

We loved the walks along the Mediterranean coast - we continuously remarked on the water, the sky, the beaches, and the amazing fact that we were there.  Each hotel was a gem, and we enjoyed the relative lack of tourists.  The weather in November was good - not warm enough for us to swim (we did see a few brave souls, but most people were avoiding the water) but warm enough to wear t-shirts for hiking.  It was a wonderful trip!

This was our first walking holiday with Inntravel and we very much enjoyed the chance to really get to know the Cabo de Gata national park.   The walks were well chosen & very varied and the background information really helped us understand the area.  Curra at Bitacora is delightful and made us feel so welcome.  We were pleased we had upgraded our accommodation at the second and third hotels and really enjoyed a soak in the bath tubs at both places after a good day's walking.  It was a little disappointing that so few restaurants were open at this time of year, particularly when the weather was so good, but it was great having the walking routes to ourselves.  We are looking forward to our next Inntravel holiday...