• Day 1

  • Arrival at Granada
  • Hikers and guides will meet each other and go for a guided tapas tour (guide included, tapas not included). A good chance to talk about the routes that we will do over the next few days.

• Day 2

  San José – Los Genoveses-Cabo de Gata

  • After breakfast, we will go to San Jose village. After leaving the baggage we will start our first hike along the coast of Almería, from San José to the Cabo de Gata lighthouse
  • The path will take us down to different beautiful beaches such as the most famous in the Natural Park, Los Genoveses; a virgin beach with golden sand dunes. This beach is in a valley which has few buildings and no surfaced roads, meaning that its beauty is unspoilt
  • We will walk along the shore and head up the hill at the end and continue walking in order to discover small, secluded “coves”, which will reveal themselves one after another.
  • The descents to the different coves will depend on the tides. The coastal views are always spectacular
  • The route finishes at the Cabo de Gata  lighthouse where our transportation will be waiting for us

  Route characteristics:

  • Route type: one way
  • Route length: 14.5 km.
  • Accumulated height difference: 600 m.
  • Duration: 7 hours
  • Difficulty: Medium

• Day 3

  Las Negras – Aguamarga

  • After breakfast, we are going to  Las Negras, a small village on the coast of Cabo de Gata (Almería)
  • The trail will first take us up the side of the Cerro Negro. Then we will arrive at San Pedro cove, a beach with crystalline, transparent water where we will find the fortress known as San Pedro Castle. Below us, we will be able to see inaccessible, totally unspoilt beaches. The view is truly breathtaking!
  • The crystal clear waters which bathe the shore at this point, conceal vast expanses of thick Posidonia, the environmentally important sea grass. The track will also allow us to discover volcanic rocks and evidence of the geological history of the area. This area is not only a Natural Park but also a Geo-Park.
  • There are also outcrops of limestone rock which have adopted wavy formations, producing a unique landscape.
  • The trail ends at Aguamarga. From here we will go to the town, where we will stay the night.

  Route characteristics:

  • Route type: one way
  • Route length: 13 km.
  • Accumulated height difference: 300 m.
  • Duration: 6 hours
  • Difficulty: Medium

• Day 4

  Tabernas desert and cristal caves

  • After breakfast, our private van will take us to the Tabernas desert.
  • A suggestive and astonishing landscape is waiting for us: land scored with ravines and gullies, eroded slopes and small oases with palm trees. It is the only actual desert area in the whole of the European continent. It holds scarce and strange vegetation, similar to that of the North African deserts. Extremely rare species of birds live in the desert and for this reason, the area is protected on a European level as a Special Protection Area for birds.
  • Many Italian filmmakers found this landscape to be the perfect backdrop for the making of “Westerns.” We will discover the remains of the sets and settlements typical of the American West, where famous “Spaghetti Western” films were made.
  • After hiking in the desert we will go to visit another natural highlight: the gypsum caves in Sorbas
  • Accommodation in Sorbas

  Route characteristics:

  • Route type: circular
  • Route length: 9 km.
  • Accumulated height difference: 320 m. ascent and 270 descent
  • Duration: 3,5 hours
  • Difficulty: Low

• Day 5

  • Breakfast and transportation to Granada.
  • Stop to visit las “carcavas del Marchal”, espectacular semi-desertic landscape.
  • The final stage will depend on the needs of the participants about their returning trips. This night is not included in the price, but we can make the reserve for the accomodation.

 

• What’s included

  • Guided tapas tour in Granada (the price of drinks and tapas are not included).
  • 1 lunch.
  • Entrance fee to “karst en yesos” in Sorbas.
  • Guide with expert knowledge of the area, not only in terms of hiking but also in the ecology of the ecosystems.
  • 1 guide each 15 people. We’ll speak in Spanish and English
  • Accident and liability insurance.
  • Equipment to maximize safety, such as walkie talkies.
  • Group field material: maps, GPS, guides to the area, binoculars.
  • Communal first aid kit.

• What isn’t included

  • Meals, drinks or tapas.
  • Extra drinks (not included in the set menu) in the restaurant where we have lunch.
  • Dinners.
  • Personal travel insurance.
  • Flights or transport that have not been previously stated.
  • Anything that has not been previously mentioned.

• Recommended equipment

  • Sunglasses, sun cream and protective lip balm. Hat.
  • Hiking footwear.
  • Technical hiking clothing, short- sleeved and long-sleeved t-shirts made of breathable fabric (not cotton) and a fleece or warm layer. Summer hiking trousers and wind stopper.
  • Swimming costume and sports towel.
  • Personal snack food such as dried fruit and nuts, energy bars and sandweches.
  • A rucksack suitable for a one day hike (25L).
  • 1.5 litre water bottle or camelbak, with drinking tube if possible.
  • Hiking poles.
  • Camera, mobile phone and other electronic devices and their chargers.
  • Small first aid kit and any personal medication.
  • Notebook and pencil (optional).
  • Knee bands, if necessary.
  • Personal documents, such as identity cards and European health service cards.

• Meals

   

  Picnics are not included for the routes but you can order it

  Our picnics include handmade rolls using traditional oven baked bread, tomatoes, lettuce, cured meat or Spanish omelette, orange juice, a piece of fruit and a chocolate bar.

  These products are sourced from local shops, in order to support the economy of the local area.

  If you are vegetarian, have any allergies or any other dietary requirements, please let us know beforehand.

We will leave the hotel at 8am.

It is very important to stick to the timetable because it’s necessary to rest between each day’s hike. We will have 2-3 hours rest before dinner (in Spain 9 o’clock or later!), which, including time to stretch properly, will allow us to be in perfect condition for the following day.

Weather in Almeria

The weather in Almería is reasonably stable throughout the year. The area of Cabo de Gata and the Tabernas desert very rarely receive any precipitation. In February, temperature can reach 17 ºC during the day with a low of 9 ºC. The probability of rainfall over 1mm is only three days. There can be strong winds on the coat, so we recommend carrying a wind stopper.

According to our terms and conditions, the guide, being the person responsible for the group, can decide to modify the route and the timetable in the case of forecasts of gales or storms, public land closures, etc. which could put the activity and the safety of the group at risk.

Guides and Safety

All our guides have the necessary training to ensure the complete safety of the group.

We will keep the group together and in contact by using walkie talkies. Our guides have all taken first aid courses.

Medical considerations

We ask that our hikers inform us of the existence of any chronic or cardiovascular illness which could interfere with hiking activities. To this end, we will send out a form which must be completed. The personal information which is given is covered by our data protection policy and will not be used for anything other than to provide us with the information necessary for this activity to be carried out well.

For the same reason we need to know about any allergies.

A good level of physical fitness is required and previous experience of routes of a similar difficulty is necessary. The pace that we will follow is not a sporting one but a pace which will allow interpretation and interaction, however, experience or regular hiking is essential.