PLAYA DE LOS GENOVESES
Cabo de Gata
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Top Attractions in Spain
Playa de los Genoveses is one of the most famous beaches in Cabo de Gata. The super calm and shallow water is perfect for bathing and make it a great beach for families with children. Although the beach is very popular, it is very long (more than 1km) and usually it doesn’t feel very crowded. The landscapes are virgin (no buildings or facilities) so that means you need to come well prepared. Nudism is also common but not practiced by everyone.
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Genoveses Beach is located within a bay with the same name – Bahía de los Genoveses – in the Cabo de Gata Nature Park on the Costa de Almeria. Although the bay is usually very calm, there are at times strong winds and caution should be taken as the currents can become dangerous. On windy days Genoveses can be a great spot to wind or kite surf.
At the southern end of the bay is the Morrón de los Genoveses, a hill that offers great views spanning the length of this beautiful beach and continuing all the way to the town of San Jose. From the Morrón de los Genoveses it’s possible to hike to a few different small coves: Cala de los Amarillos, Cala Grande, Cala del Príncipe, etc.
Playa de los Genoveses is located 3 km south of San Jose’s center. By car, it takes about 10 minutes to get to the beach.
However, keep in mind that during high season, access to the beach by car is limited. As soon as the parking is full (which has space for about 220 vehicles), the road is closed. After that, the only way to get to the beach is by foot, bike or public bus.
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Following that same dirt road on foot, you will reach Genoveses Beach in about 40 minutes.
However, from the most southern area of San Jose, it is possible to get to the beach following a path by the oceanfront in about 10 minutes. The path starts at the end of Calle Cerro Gordo.
During high season, it is possible to get to Playa de Los Genoveses from San Jose by bus. There is one bus every 30 minutes from 9am til 9pm and one ticket costs 1.5€.
The bus has 3 stops in San Jose: Calle Entrada (next to the parking), Calle de Correos (in front of the supermarket) and Calle Ronda (at the beginning of the dirt road to the beaches). It stops at the following beaches: Playa de los Genoveses, Playa de Barronal, Playa de Monsul and Cala Carbon.
The parking area is located just 150 m from the beach. During high season (mid June til mid September) parking costs 5€/day. It is free the rest of the year.
Please note that, as mentioned above, during high season when the parking is full, the access of more cars is forbidden.
From the parking, it’s a 5-min walk to the Genoveses beach. The path is flat and easy.
Kayaking is without a doubt, one of the top things to do in Cabo de Gata. Some of the best views of the nature park are seen from the water and kayaking along the coast allows you to see areas that are totally inaccessible from the land – that includes some impressive rock formations and secret caves.
We suggest taking park in this kayaking tour of the Cabo de Gata coast. You will be accompanied by a professional and friendly instructor at all times, who above all, will have your safety in mind. Throughout the tour, there are several stops with geological explanations of the cape and other curiosities and mysteries.
In addition, this tour includes a stop in a calm area where you can anchor your kayak and do some snorkeling. Masks, snorkels and fins are all included in the price.
The route is easy, suitable for both adults and children. The starting point for this kayak excursion is the beach of San Jose.
If you just want to relax on a boat and take in Cabo de Gata’s jaw dropping coastline, then a boat trip from San Jose is the perfection option. The tours depart from San Jose’s port and take you to discover virgin beaches and hard to reach spots along the shoreline. Below are two great options:
Snorkeling in Cabo de Gata is a great way to see the world below the surface in the nature park. You will discover an abundance of life amongst the sea grass known as the Posidonia prairie. Fish around here get up close and personal since they aren’t afraid of humans as in other parts due to the parks prohibition on underwater fishing.
If you don’t care to combine a boat trip with snorkeling and just want to have an all out snorkeling experience, then we recommend to take part in this snorkeling tour.
The starting point is at Cala Higuera which is situated right next to San Jose. From here you will be given equipment and swim out with a guide who will show you the best spots to see sea life as well as underwater rock formations and caves.
A different way to discover the natural park is participating in this 4x4 tour of Cabo de Gata.
During the 2.5 hours of this activity, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful corners of the area, such as the iconic Reef of the Mermaids, saltwater lakes, hidden pristine beaches and much more – all accompanied by an expert guide and driver. In addition, during the summer, the tour makes a stop for a swim at one of the beaches.
The starting point of this tour is the town of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata.
In 1147, a fleet of 200 Genovese ships anchored in the bay waiting to join the Catholic troops in order to expel the Moors from the city of Almeria. They waited here for over 2 months until the battle finally took place. Since then, the flag of Almeria city is the same as the flag of Genoa.
Then in 1571, the Spanish military forces (over 300 ships and 30,000 men) gathered in this bay before setting off to fight in the Battle of Lepanto.
Genoveses beach and the surrounding sand dunes have also appeared in several TV programs and movies such as Lawrence of Arabia.
