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The seaside town of Carboneras is home to approximately 8,000 residents and is located in the north-eastern corner of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, just 45 min away from Almeria Airport. While the town is quite small by most standards, it is one of the largest in the Cabo area. With a great selection of new and stylish hotels, Carboneras makes a great base for exploring the nature park and its impressive beaches. The famous Playa de los Muertos is only a 10-min drive away and Carboneras itself has 4km of sandy beaches. Its beach promenade are lined with bars and restaurants – the perfect place to relax when you want a break from the sun.
Looking at Carboneras’ landscape today, it is difficult to imagine that at one time it was covered with trees – but it actually was! In fact, the name Carboneras comes from the 16th century when several furnaces where built in the area to make charcoal from the local lumber. It was then loaded onto ships, many of which were destined for the coast of northern Africa.
The production of charcoal brought a lot of prosperity to the area which had previously been mostly uninhabited due to its isolated location. In the 19th and 20th centuries the main economic activity changed to the cultivation of esparto grass which was mainly exported to England and used for the production of paper. Around this time the fishing industry started to develop as well.
Today, tourism is just one of the several industries within Carboneras. Although it is surrounded on all sides by the Cabo de Gata Nature Park, it is technically not part of it. Because of this, it does have a rather large industrial area that is home to a cement factory, a thermal power station, a fish farm and one of Europe’s largest desalinization plants.
Stretching from Playa de los Muertos in the south to Playa del Algarrobico to the north, Carboneras has a lot of beaches – 17km of them to be exact. None of the beaches outside of the town have any amenities. However, the 4km of beaches next to the urban zone do have them. There you can expect to find parking, lifeguards, bathrooms & showers, shaded areas, trash cans, etc.
FULL GUIDE TO PLAYA DE LOS MUERTOS
The Torre del Rayo (tower of lightning) is located just north of Carboneras town at the edge of a seaside cliff. You can climb to the top of it and enjoy some fantastic 360º views of the coastline including Carboneras, Playa del Algarrobico and the interior mountains.
The tower was built by the Moorish Nasrid dynasty to defend against pirate attacks. It is the oldest structure in Carboneras.
The castle is located in the center of Carboneras, next to the water. This military fortress was built in the 16th century to defend the town from pirates and Moorish attacks. You can walk through a couple of rooms with exhibitions – it is nothing extraordinary but since it is free, you can’t really complain. The terrace on top of the castle probably has great views and that alone would merit a stop, but unfortunately it is permanently closed.
This original windmill is located in the center of town and is worth a visit. This type of windmill uses a cloth sail that was inherited from Mediterranean ships. It is different than the windmills found in La Mancha which used blades. The windmill houses a museum about mills and the local culture around them.
The little island in front of town can be seen from pretty much anywhere on the beach. It is a great place for snorkeling and diving.
The festival is celebrated around June 13th in honor of San Antonio de Padua. During the festivity, locals stage a battle between Moor and Christian forces. It begins with Arab troops storming the beach, however, the Christians having already being alerted are there waiting for them and the battle ensues.
Besides concerts, there is also a procession with the image of San Antonio that travels throughout the town and ends at the San Andrés Castle.
The festival of the fisherman and tourism is celebrated on August 15th. The main activity is a marine procession in honor of the Virgen del Carmen. After the procession, the local fisherman invite everyone to enjoy a meal of sardines. This day of celebrations ends with an open-air mass.
