Perhaps our favorite place in the world
you are about to enter my favorite place in the world . So please treat it with care because despite its wild and rugged appearance, you walk through an extremely delicate place.
This is a strange land. It won't be long before you realize. Here the prickly pears, pitas, hearts of palm and extinct volcanoes They are the guards and custodians. Here, the silence of the desert precedes the sea water as if it were a solemn act of nature.
They say that this area is capable of stealing your soul and that it has no intention of making exceptions for anyone, so tie it up tight or prepare to say goodbye to it and let it roam these parts forever. But don't worry, nothing happens, mine has been fluttering between thrushes, bee-eaters, wrens and the occasional kite.
The nothing. Everything.
Los Genoveses beach is possibly the most famous of all those found in the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Níjar ; that warm, fascinating and lunar-like place that nature gave to the southern province of Almeria and, by the way, the whole world. The origin of its name comes from the invasion of a Genoese fleet who helped the Castilian troops in their fight against the Muslims and who landed there in the year 1147 as part of that campaign. Since then, the flag of the Almeria capital is the same as that of Genoa.
Formed by dunes of fine golden sand and with that Mediterranean sea that embellishes everything, this wonderful beach is located 2 kilometers from the small and endearing town of San José ; which I may talk about later, but first, let's go in search of what I consider my favorite corner of the planet.
The pitas, owners and ladies of the place
HOW TO GET?
The first thing is to get to San José . From Almería capital, the distance is 39 km and the approximate duration of the trip is 42 min. To go to Los Genoveses beach, some indications in the town indicate where, since there is only one way to access it. It will be then when you have to cross a dirt road flanked by windmills.
Take a good look at them, they have become a characteristic silhouette of the landscape. But these "giants" are not like those who, in the lands of La Mancha, made the hidalgo lose his mind. At least not its roofs and blades.
The roofs that covered these mills were rotating to face the blades to the wind and moved by means of a large beam that, in many cases, came from the masts of ships, some of them shipwrecked. And its blades were made up of triangular sails like those of ships. A beautiful recycling exercise where the sea seems to be the origin of everything.
During the summer months, between June 15 and September 16 , access to this area of the Natural Park by car is quite restricted, since the increase in road traffic constitutes a factor of environmental degradation in these enclaves of high ecological value.
So if you want to go with your own vehicle, it is best to get up early, or take the bus that, from San José , takes you to Los Genoveses beach and its two beautiful little sisters: Mónsul and the Cala de la Media Luna. If not, you can always cycle or walk.
However you are going to access it, also enjoy the path that takes you to this virgin bay, because it smells of dust, steppe vegetation, esparto grass and sea salt. Once you have put your feet on the ground, the only way to get to the beach is by walking through a wild path between dunes of fine yellow sand and wild flora from which you could already begin to enjoy the magnificent views of the cove. and of Morron of the Genoveses , an 85-meter-high volcanic promontory that is proclaimed an almost indisputable icon of the place.
In the background, the morrón de los Genoveses
WHEN TO GO?
Due to the climate almost always friendly local, any time of year is good. But it is true that, in the summer months, the number of visits to this quiet place is increasing.
Perhaps it is due to its crystal clear water, to the fact that it still seems to remain a haven of tranquility, or to the fact that it is a place that invites nudism. As if we could imitate with the body the nudity of the environment under the sun; with its dunes and ours camouflaging languidly , While the wet and salty breeze rocks the hills and turns them into waves of sand where the yellowish tones take over the place.
Dunes of the beach of the Genoveses
Out of season , when the tourist void restores its usual peace, it seems to transform into a totally different universe . If there is a season of the year in which it is advisable to go, it is with the arrival of spring, when the few rains that choose this moor as a destination have already made an appearance.
It is just then that the Natural Park displays such an amazing color palette It is hard to believe that we are talking about a semi-desert place. Without really knowing how, the land that seemed barren sees red fields of wild poppies and unfolds a green mantle with flowers so yellow and purple that they might well get Dorothy to mistake them for the landscapes of Oz.
Out of season flowers invade everything
It is more than likely that, at this time of the year, you will not be able to soak yet, mainly because the water does not invite you to splash in it if the bones of your feet hurt from how cold it is. So then June and September are the ideal months to get closer , because the heat is still normal and the sun stings even when the light goes down, but tourism is not at its maximum splendor and the Natural Park is discovered lonely and much more appetizing.
WHERE TO EAT?
Being a virgin place, do not expect to find chiringuitos on the beachfront -luckily- . If what you want is to eat there, you have to prepare the menu yourself.
Fill your blue beach cooler with lots of ice so it can keep the gazpacho or salmorejo, the melon And don't forget the typical official beach snacks: the potato omelette and the breaded loin, for example . Of course, remember that, when you leave, you should not leave a trace of your passage through there, so collect all the waste and throw it where it belongs.
If the beach menu doesn't appeal to you, the variety of eating options takes you away from the beach, so take the car and retrace your steps. I recommend several places that will take you to discover and fall madly in love with some of the little towns on the beach. zone.
Back in San Jose, the Ristorante Pizzeria Gelateria Vittoria It is my favorite option since my earliest childhood. Located on the small and cozy promenade, its terrace has beautiful views of the sea. For me, there is only one dish and one dessert to order: the 4 cheese pizza , because it has tiny pieces of walnuts on top; and the chocolate ice cream and yogurt. Yogurt ice cream has never been so good.
If what you want is to eat fresh and well done fish, almost anywhere you will have a great experience, because remember that you are on the land -rather the sea- of the Garrucha red prawn, of the gallant of Carboneras, the pedro rooster, the redfish or the rock forkbeard. And that the settlements that have been formed throughout history in the area are fishing villages.
Yes, those typical little towns with their low whitewashed houses and where peace becomes overwhelming. One of them is the Islet of the Moor , a town known for its diving and its fresh fish. There, the Pensioner's Home , at the top of the town, is presented as an establishment that usually appears in backpacker guides and that not everyone knows about.
It may seem strange that a bar for retirees is recommended, but the Home of the Pensioner is, mainly, a restaurant with very fresh fish and exquisite rice . Despite the name, you will not only find retirees, but the townspeople and the occasional tourist with their homework done go up there to enjoy an unforgettable meal overlooking the entire bay.
Isleta del Moro, perfect for eating overlooking the sea
A few minutes from San José is The Well of the Friars , a small district of white farmhouses with a clear arabesque air and a landscape that reminds us of an ancient and serene Spain.
In its surroundings you can see volcanic hills with gentle slopes that end in the cereal fields that surround the town. If there is a local reference in El Pozo ; for his cuisine, his love for quality products and good rice dishes, that is the La Gallineta Restaurant .
The kitchen, on the other hand, is not the protagonist in the South Bartreze , but nothing happens, because his menu is based on sausages, salads and other proposals that go more than well to accompany his delicious gin and tonics, vermouths and cocktails in one of the hammocks on his shaded terrace.
In Rodalquilar , where lie the remains of an old gold mine and saw grow and be a Carmen de Burgos , the first woman journalist in Spain; eating also becomes a gift rather than a physiological need.
Above all, if it is done in the Gold and Light Restaurant or in the box office , where they serve an excellent tuna tartare, loin, but also anchovies, prawns, salmon, monkfish and croquettes.
I guess you already realized that there are few things more wonderful than tapas in flip flops between volcanoes and deserts , so I encourage you to continue looking among the towns in the area for that magical place that will surprise you, perhaps, with a salmorejo without bread, but using the apple as a thickener, like the one served in The Belt in Rodalquilar.
WHERE TO SLEEP?
Spending at least one night in “cabogatero” territory should be mandatory for everyone. Hotels, hostels, farmhouses or campsites They are all nice places to stay.
An example is the set of eight whitewashed houses with a common pool that form Posidonia , in Rodalquilar. Also there you can find the Hotel Los Patios , where luxury, tranquility, technology and the simplest pleasures - they have an outdoor shower in each private patio - come together in the same space.
What do you fancy?
In San Jose is the Hostal El Dorado from which you can see the whole town, even while you take a dip in its pool.
And somewhat further from Los Genoveses, in the beautiful town of Agua Amarga , the Cortijo Los Malenos offers the experience of staying in an ecological farm that has been renovated respecting the landscape, being a beautiful avant-garde space which offers a menu of activities ranging from diving to astronomy.
If what you have in mind is actually a campsite, the The Stones It will always be a wise choice.
TO DO?
Never forget your diving goggles, because you bathe in calm waters , of those that allow you to walk meters and meters on foot without covering above the navel; and so clear that you can see for yourself what it hides Posidonia gardens and submerged deserts for those who swarm at ease with all kinds of unsuspected marine beings.
This beach is a refuge for them, the entire Natural Park is. For us, too. There is no noise, there are no hotels, there is no tourist exploitation , there is only pure and untamed nature in this movie set that millions of years ago it was shaped at the whim of lava, fire, sea and wind.
The sandbank that forms the bay is cinema , not only for its beauty, but also for having served as the setting for numerous films, including The wind and the Lion (1975), with Sean Connery as the lead. It would not be the last time that the actor set foot in this place, because in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) dedicated himself to frightening away seagulls with his black umbrella in the neighboring Monsul beach: "And suddenly I remembered what Charlemagne said: let my armies be the rocks, and the trees, and the birds of the sky."
a movie set
Having beaches and mountains, trails and spectacular seabeds, if you are an athlete you will find a number of options in the area to play sports if lying in the sun for so many hours ends up exhausting you. The area offers, for example, a series of routes with such poetic names as The Route of the Volcanoes and the Flowers.
For those who feel awed to discover that they are walking on the valley of the old crater of a volcano, they can go to the ecomuseum The House of the Volcanoes, Located in an old building called House PAF (Precipitation, Refining and Smelting), dedicated to the exploitation of gold ore in Rodalquilar, until the closure of the mine in 1966. Visiting it is taking an unusual geological walk that brings the visitor closer to knowing and interpreting the landscapes of the Cabo de Gata Geopark and its particular geological personality in the context of the extraordinary Andalusian geodiversity.
You can also go to the district of Black ones , inhabited almost exclusively by fishermen and the occasional hippie who has made the Natural Park his den; and have a drink at sunset in La Bodeguiya -yes, with "y"-.
Or leave the sea behind a bit and visit Nijar , where local artisans, the few that are left, continue to make their typical ceramics in a traditional way, their jarapas on the heavy looms and manually working the esparto grass, the one that brought so much war and disease to the eyes of the people of Almería and that earned us the misunderstood nickname of "rheumy".