The Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''Parque natural del Cabo de Gata-Níjar'') is a natural park located in

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of Almería, province of the same name. It lies in southeastern Iberian Peninsula, Iberia on the Mediterranean S ...

, Spain. It is the largest protected coastal area in

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

, featuring a rugged landscape. The park is located on the southeastern coast of Spain, the only region in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

with a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: BWh). The eponymous mountain range of the ''Sierra del Cabo de Gata'' forms a

volcanic rock Volcanic rocks (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) are rocks formed from lava erupted from a volcano. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and me ...

formation with sharp peaks and crags. The highest peak on this mountain range is El Fraile (Sierra del Cabo de Gata). It falls steeply to the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

, creating jagged high cliffs divided by gullies, creating numerous small coves and white-sand beaches. There are numerous small rocky islands and coral reefs in the area. In 1997, it was designated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

. In 2001, it was included among the

Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) are sites "of importance for conserving the components of biological diversity in the Mediterranean; contain ecosystems specific to the Mediterranean area or the habitats of endangered s ...

. Due to the adsorptive properties and low permeability of its clays, the area was studied as a possible place for deep storage of sealed

radioactive waste Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. It is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, nuclear decommissioning, rare-earth mining, and nuclear ...

Geography

Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is characterized by

formations as well as

lava flows Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or unde ...

, volcanic domes, and volcanic

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...

s. The park joined UNESCO's

Global Geoparks Network UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are geoparks certified by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council as meeting all the requirements for belonging to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). The GGN is both a network of geoparks and the agency of the United Nati ...

in 2006, and it is also a member of the

European Geoparks Network The European Geoparks Network (EGN) functions as the regional organization of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) and the UNESCO International Geosciences and Geoparks Programme (UNESCO-IGGP). Its main objective is to ensure cooperation between geop ...

. Between the village of San Miguel and the Cabo de Gata point are salt flats (''Las Salinas de Cabo de Gata'') separated from the sea by a sand bar. The salt flats are a

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

Posidonia ''Posidonia'' is a genus of flowering plants. It contains nine species of marine plants ("seagrass"), found in the seas of the Mediterranean and around the south coast of Australia. The APG system (1998) and APG II system (2003) accept this ge ...

'' and offshore

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

s which host resident and transient marine species. A part of the total designated protected area is a

marine reserve A marine reserve is a type of marine protected area (MPA). An MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity. A marine reserve is a marine protected area in which removing or destroying natural or cultural ...

, extending underwater to a depth of . The characteristic vegetation in the terrestrial zone is a drought-adapted flora: large agave, prickly pear, dwarf fan palms, and many

xerophyte A xerophyte () is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology and physiology of xerophytes are adapted to ...

s (some of which are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Climate

Cabo de gata experiences a

(

: ''BWh'') with warm temperatures year-round due to maritime influence. Winters are extremely mild by european standards and has some of the warmest winters in Europe. The annual average temperature is approximately , and the average annual rainfall is around 156 mm (6.1 in), recorded at the Faro del Cabo de Gata (36°43'18.8"N, 2°11'34.69"W) during the period 1961–1990. It is the driest region in

as well as the driest in Spain, excluding the Canary Islands. In recent years, the annual average precipitation has been less than . During the summer, tropical nights are very common and, on average, Cabo de Gata has 119 tropical nights per year. Cabo de Gata has dropped as low as in February 1979 while it has reached in July 1975. These temperatures were recorded at the Michelin Experience Center in Almería, which is located in the interior of Cabo de Gata, about from Faro del Cabo de Gata.

Human impact on the park

Historically, the area has been sparsely populated due to the difficult agricultural circumstances and its remote location, which has kept it largely unspoiled—an uncommon occurrence on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. In 1997, 3,500 people were recorded as living within the boundaries. The natural park protection has now received promises to keep the residential expansion under control. Dotted around the natural park are abandoned areas like the farms, houses, factories, and sometimes, whole villages dating back to various periods in time. The exact reasons for the abandonment are not clear, but it is thought that the harsh conditions for agriculture together with questionable permissions to build and the prevailing economic climate at the time might be major factors. This is something that continues to this day with perhaps the most infamous example being the Algarrobico. In 2003, a hotel project was started at Playa del Algarrobico between Carboneras and Mojacar, just inside the park. Work on the project was halted. Several sources claim that this project is an illegal development, although it seems that more recently demolition plans, opposed by 14 municipalities, are moving closer. In 2021, the highest regional court of Andalusia ruled that the hotel did not have to be destroyed because the real estate developer had a valid building license. Many of the abandoned neighborhoods and buildings still stand because they are deemed to be significant historical landmarks. Examples of this are the deserted mining villages around Rodalquilar. Another example is Cortijo del Fraile. There have been moves to restore it, but as yet, nothing has happened except a few efforts to raise money.

Tourism

Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata, with visitors coming mainly during the spring and summer months. In 1998, 500,000 tourists visited the area. Eco-tourism has become more and more popular in recent years. The park offers diving and boat tours, as well as environmentally responsible outdoor activities including bird watching, photography, and field trips for geology. There are a number of arts and crafts based on local traditions that are still carried out around the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata and especially in the little Moorish "pueblo blanco" of

Níjar Níjar () is a Spanish municipality in the province of Almería, Andalusia. It lies in the eastern part of Almería, in the Sierra de Alhamilla and the south-eastern Mediterranean coast, in the Campo de Níjar, near the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natu ...

. The traditional arts and crafts include ceramics, pottery, carpet making and woven goods (baskets, hats, shoes, etc.) made from

esparto grass Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa, Spain and Portugal. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. '' Stipa tenacissima'' and '' Lygeum spartu ...

. While the hiking network is not extensive, there are a number of senderos that provide for day hikes. The Caldera de Majada Redonda is one such trail that leads to the center of an ancient volcano caldera.

Towns

There are some small towns in the Cabo de Gata area.

Agua Amarga

Translated from the Spanish, Agua Amarga literally means "bitter water". This name dates back to when trains used to bring minerals from the mines in the Sierra Alhamilla and chemicals used in the mining process would taint the wells in the town.

Cabo de Gata

The strip of beach known as Playa de San Miguel and the adjacent road stretches from the small village of Cabo de Gata to La Fabriquilla before ascending a tiny mountain pass toward th
Arrecife de las Sirenas
and the beaches beyond. This coastal strip is generally known as Cabo de Gata although it comprises several little smaller villages (pueblitos) including Cabo de Gata, Almadraba de Monteleva, and La Fabriquila. At Almadraba de Monteleva are the salt works that are still operational, next to the salt works are the ram-shackled and salt-blasted houses of former workers, some of which are still occupied. Opposite these houses is the church of San Miguel. Behind the salt works are the lagoons known as ''Las Salinas de Cabo de Gata''. Cabo de Gata has a tradition of fishing, which continues to this day, and there are several old fishing boats that have been left along the Playa de San Miguel as artifacts of days gone by. These are said to have an important ethnological value and are left as a "living museum".

Carboneras

The pueblo of Carboneras is located near the easternmost border of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata. Located just a little out-of-town and en route to Agua Amarga, is the naturist beach of Playa de los Muertos (the Beach of the Dead). Carboneras is also known as a town of live music due to the Teatro de Musica and several other smaller venues hosting live music all year round. At its western edge it has an industrial area that combines a power station, a large cement plant, one of Europe's largest desalination ( reverse-osmosis) plants, and a port, all of which pre-date the national park. The power station has been used for

carbon capture Carbon capture may refer to: * Carbon capture and storage Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process by which carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial installations is separated before it is released into the atmosphere, then transported to a l ...

research.

Las Negras

Las Negras is a seaside village towards the eastern end of the natural park and just to the west of Agua Amarga.

Los Albaricoques

Los Albaricoques is the pueblo of Agua Caliente in the seminal films of

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...

. The final shootout in the

spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

film ''For a Few Dollars More'' took place in the centre of Los Albaricoques. There is only one shop and two bars in Los Albaricoques. Not far from the pueblo of Los Albaricoques is the infamous Cortijo del Fraile, the backdrop for Federico Garcia Lorca's seminal play, '' Bodas de Sangre'' (Blood Wedding), which features a crime of passion that took place close by.

Níjar

is located inland and on the northern edge of the natural park. Níjar hosts processions on Semana Santa (Holy Week). In the bigger towns and cities around Spain, these processions are quite lavish including at times some very intricate animatronics but in smaller towns, such as in Níjar, they are much more "earthy" affairs.

Rodalquilar

The pueblo of Rodalquilar sits in the middle of the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata. There are several art galleries featuring painting, photography, pottery, and ceramics. Rodalaquilar is known in the province of Almería for ancient gold mines. One of the more popular beaches near Rodalquilar is Playa el Playazo. This beach is 400 meters long and 30 meters wide, and its sand is golden and fine. In common with many of the beaches in the middle and toward the western end of the natural park, the sea offers good visibility for snorkeling or diving.. El Playazo is encircled by a mountain and Saint Ramon's Castle. This Castle was built in the 18th century so that the coast of

could defend itself from sea attacks. Rodalquilar was the townsite for the Rodalquilar Gold Mine, which operated intermittently from Roman times to the mid-1960s. The new mineral Rodalquilarite was discovered there. The abandoned mine workings were used for a post-apocalyptic film set

San José

San José is a small fishing port in the centre of the natural park and is accessible from Almería Airport and the Autovia A-7. It is most popular during the spring and summer months, because of the activities that the beaches of San José can offer such as snorkel or swimming. The local tourist office offers a reference point for activities in the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata.

Various other

There are several smaller towns and villages in the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata, for example, Campohermoso, Fernán Pérez, Isleta del Moro, Los Escullos, Pozo de los Frailes, and San Isidro.

Flora

There are more than 1,000 plants recorded in the reserve, some of which are

to the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata and have become symbols of the natural park. The Natural Park of Cabo de Gata presents special weather conditions, which permit the plants to take advantage of the rain. These plants are very diverse, surviving the weather and adapting to the characteristics of the ground.

European fan palm

The European fan palm (''Chamaerops humilis'') is a shrub-like clumping palm, with several stems growing from a single base. It is the only palm species native to continental Europe and is mainly found in southwestern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, and certain locations on the Mediterranean coast of France) and northwestern Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia). Europe's only native palm supplements the meagre

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

supplies with

dew Dew is water in the form of droplets that appears on thin, exposed objects in the morning or evening due to condensation. As the exposed surface cools by thermal radiation, radiating its heat, atmospheric moisture condenses at a rate grea ...

and airborne moisture.

''Agave americana'' (Pita)

One of the most familiar plant species in the natural park is ''Agave americana'', or ''pita'', a native of tropical America and Mexico. Common names include century plant, maguey (in Mexico), or American aloe (it is not, however, closely related to the genus Aloe). The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual plant, the richness of the soil, and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nutrients required for the effort of flowering.

Dragoncillo del Cabo

Some of the plants endemic to the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata include the pink snapdragon (''Antirrhinum charidemi''), known to the locals as the ''Dragoncillo del Cabo''. This endemic plant is called the ''Dragoncillo del Cabo'' because its flowers are pink with dark veins. It grows in rock cracks, rocky slopes, and volcanic slopes near the sea.

Other plants

Iberia's largest population of

jujube Jujube (UK ; US or ), sometimes jujuba, scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'', and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus '' Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused wit ...

(''Ziziphus zizyphus''), a thorny shrub, populates the

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

and is known locally as Azofeifa. The scrubland is composed of

olive tree The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

s (''Olea europaea''), mastic (''Pistacia lentiscus''),

Kermes oak ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak or commonly known as Palestine oak, is an oak shrub or tree in section '' Ilex'' of the genus. It has many synonyms, including ''Quercus calliprinos''. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern ...

s (''Quercus coccifera''),

(''Stipa tenacissima''),

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

(''Thymus''), and

rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers. It is a member of the sage family, Lamiaceae. The species is native to the Mediterranean r ...

(''Rosmarinus officinalis''). Around the salt flats are colonies of saltwort, common reeds (''Phragmites australis''), and glasswort (''Salicornia fruticosa''). In the coastal waters are extensive beds of

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine (ocean), marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four Family (biology), families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and ...

(''

Posidonia oceanica ''Posidonia oceanica'', commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed, is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free ...

''), which is endemic to the Mediterranean, and 260 species of

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), '' Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

Fauna

1,100 species of fauna have been recorded within the park, the majority of which are birds. The European Union has designated a

Special Protection Area A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cer ...

for bird life. The salt flats provide an important habitat for both the resident birds and the thousands of migrating birds who stop on their journey between Europe and Africa. Species found around the salt flats include

flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

s (''Phoenicopterus roseus'');

grey Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...

(''Ardea cinerea'');

purple heron The purple heron (''Ardea purpurea'') is a wide-ranging heron species. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Palearctic. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whe ...

s (''Ardea purpurea'');

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...

s; cranes; waders including avocets and

oystercatcher The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family (biology), family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and Sout ...

s; and overwintering

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

s. Many species of

lark Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occ ...

live on the steppe, including the rare Dupont's lark (''Chersophilus duponti''). Also present are

little bustard The little bustard (''Tetrax tetrax'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Tetrax''. It breeds in Southern Europe and in Western and Central Asia. Taxonomy The little bustard was formally described in 1758 by the S ...

s (''Tetrax tetrax'') and

stone curlew The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, ...

s (''Burhinus oedicnemus''). Sea birds include

yellow-legged gull The yellow-legged gull (''Larus michahellis'') is a large gull found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either the Cas ...

s (''Larus michahellis''),

tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated in eleven genera in a subgroup of the family Laridae, which also ...

razorbill The razorbill (''Alca torda'') is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus ''Alca (bird), Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinus impennis' ...

s (''Alca torda''),

shag Shag or Shags may refer to: Animals * Shag or cormorant, a bird family ** European shag, a specific species of the shag or cormorant family ** Great cormorant another species of the family Persons * Shag (artist), stage name of the American a ...

s, the occasional

puffin Puffins are any of three species of small alcids (auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crev ...

(''Fratercula arctica'') or

Cory's shearwater Cory's shearwater (''Calonectris borealis'') is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It breeds colonially on the archipelago of the Azores in the eastern Atlantic. Outside the breeding season it ranges widely in the Atlantic. ...

(''Calonectris diomedea''), and

Balearic shearwater The Balearic shearwater (''Puffinus mauretanicus'') is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family ''Procellariidae''. ''Puffinus'' is a Neo-Latin loanword based on the English "puffin" and its variants, that referred to the cured carcass of ...

s (''Puffinus mauretanicus''). The wealth of animal life provides prey for several raptors:

osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

s (''Pandion haliaetus''),

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

s (''Falco peregrinus''),

kestrel The term kestrel (from , derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover ...

s (''Falco tinnunculus''), and

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

s. Approximately 15 species of reptile are found in the park, including

Italian wall lizard The Italian wall lizard or ruin lizard (''Podarcis siculus'', from the Greek meaning ''foot'' and ''agile''), is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. ''P. siculus'' is native to southern and southeastern Europe, but has also been introdu ...

s (''Podarcis sicula''), ocellated lizards (''Timon lepidus''),

grass snake The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian semi-aquatic non- venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecie ...

s (''Natrix natrix''), and Lataste's viper (''Vipera latastei''). The maritime reserve is home to various species of

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

s, and

fishes A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fins and a hard skull, but lacking limbs with digits. Fish can be grouped into the more basal jawless fish and the more common jawed ...

including the common cuttlefish (''Sepia officinalis''), the '' Pinna nobilis'' clam (which produces

sea silk Sea silk is an extremely fine, rare, and valuable fabric that is made from the long silky filaments or byssus secreted by a gland in the foot of pen shells (in particular '' Pinna nobilis''). The byssus is used by the mussel to attach itself ...

), the

Mediterranean moray The Mediterranean moray (''Muraena helena'') is a species of fish in the moray eel family. It has a long eel-like body and is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Its bite can be dangerous to humans. Appearance and characte ...

(''Muraena helena''), which was regarded as a delicacy by the Romans, the

garfish The garfish (''Belone belone''), also known as the garpike, needlefish or sea needle, is a pelagic, oceanodromous needlefish found in brackish and marine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Black, and Baltic Seas. De ...

(''Belone belone''), and the flying gurnard (''Dactylopterus volitans''), which uses its enlarged

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

s to "walk" along the ocean floor. Seaweeds host fish such as

bream Bream (, ) are species of freshwater fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Ballerus'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', '' Etelis'', '' Lepomis'', '' Gymnocranius'', ...

and

grouper Groupers are a diverse group of marine ray-finned fish in the family Epinephelidae, in the order Perciformes. Groupers were long considered a subfamily of the seabasses in Serranidae, but are now treated as distinct. Not all members of this f ...

. Among the mammals in the park are

common genet The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coas ...

s (''Genetta genetta''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

(''Sus scrofa''), the

garden dormouse The garden dormouse (''Eliomys quercinus'') is a species of dormouse native to Europe. Characteristics The garden dormouse is gray or brown, with a whitish underside. It has black eye markings and large ears. Its hair is short, and its tail ha ...

(''Eliomys quercinus''), and the

least weasel The least weasel (''Mustela nivalis''), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus ''Mustela,'' Family (biology), family Mustelidae and Order (biology), order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North Ame ...

(''Mustela nivalis''), which is the smallest terrestrial mammalian carnivore. The

used to provide a habitat for the endangered

monk seal Monk seals are earless seals of the tribe Monachini. They are the only earless seals found in tropical climates. The two genera of monk seals, ''Monachus'' and ''Neomonachus'', comprise three species: the Mediterranean monk seal, ''Monachus monac ...

(''Monachus monachus''). Up until the 1960s it was one of the last locations where this seal bred in Spain, the islet of

Tabarca Tabarca (, ), officially Nueva Tabarca and also known as ''Isla Plana'' (Spanish) and as ''Nova Tabarca'' and ''Illa Plana'' in Valencian, is an islet located in the Mediterranean Sea, close to the town of Santa Pola, in the province of Alican ...

being the other one. Although occasionally sighted offshore, no seals have bred in the park since 1965.

Media

Notable films have been filmed in the natural park, at the Playa de Mónsul, such as ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' (1972), ''

The NeverEnding Story ''The Neverending Story'' () is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. It was later adapted into a film series and a television series. Plot T ...

'' (1984), ''

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' is a 1988 fantasy adventure film co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, Jonathan Pryce and Valentina Cortese. An international ...

'' (1988), ''

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jone ...

'' (1989), and ''

Talk to Her ''Talk To Her'' () is a 2002 Spanish psychological melodrama film, written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. It stars: Javier Cámara, Darío Grandinetti, Leonor Watling, Geraldine Chaplin, and Rosário Flores. The film follows two men who f ...

'' (2002). Much of the 2000 film Sexy Beast was shot at a villa in Agua Amarga. British band

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...

filmed the video for their 1996 single " Cosmic Girl" in the natural park.

Notes

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabo De Gata-Nijar Natural Park Geography of the Province of Almería Deserts of Spain Global Geoparks Network members Marine reserves of Spain Natural parks of Spain Natural parks of Andalusia Ramsar sites in Spain Special Protection Areas of Spain Protected areas established in 1997 Geoparks in Spain Volcanoes of Spain Miocene volcanoes