The Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park
Camping Tau is at the entrance of one of the most unique destinations on the Mediterranean coast with a wild beauty, free from fierce urbanism and tourist overcrowding.
The Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park was the first protected maritime-terrestrial area in Andalusia. Due to the contrasts between the marine, coastal and terrestrial environments, the numerous exclusive species that it contains and the characteristics of one of the most arid ecosystems in Europe, this space was also internationally recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve and World Geopark.
Nature upholstered in green, surrounded by blue and emerald waters, by extinct boilers that once spilled the bowels of the earth, sculpting fascinating and imposing millenary designs. Black, reddish or brown tones, dark sands of basaltic lavas, ground shells and golden sparkles. Sprinkled with colors, flowers, lichens and autochthonous species. Where the world stops and the mist, in spring, reinvents every day the profiles of the precipitous cliffs.
Natural paradise beaches
The Natural Park Cabo de Gata-Níjar, has besides wild cliffs with spectacular views, natural paradisiacal beaches like the famous beaches of Mónsul and Genoveses or urban beaches that have all the equipments and that are in excellent conditions, distinguished with the blue flag. Also for the more daring, the park has reserved a multitude of beautiful coves that can be accessed with a little more effort by descending rocky terrain or making the crossing in small boats.
Mónsul Beach
his is the most famous beach in the Natural Park, for having appeared in many movies and commercials. This beach owes its uniqueness to the eroded lava formations that surround it, to the beauty of its fine sand and crystal clear water.
Nowhere else in the Natural Park is its volcanic origin better reflected, the rocks surrounding Monsul beach are huge tongues of lava that reached the sea and that water and wind have been eroding to form this beach and cut this diamond from the Mediterranean Sea. In the center of the beach we find a huge rock that the capricious nature has left in the middle of the sand, this serves as a refuge for bathers who in the hottest days are sheltered under their shade.
Nature untouched
Fundamental keys to understand and enjoy the beauty and richness of the park are its endemic flora, vegetation such as palm hearts, esparto grass, agave or jujube species, typical of a semi-arid climate unique in Europe and a landscape of great geological variety product of vulcanism with; lava flows, domes or fossil beaches.
The park’s marine ecosystem is another of its strong points, with crystalline waters that seem turquoise at first sight. It is home to a varied seabed, with extensive meadows of Posidonia algae that harbour a great variety of fish, molluscs, crabs, etc. Diving in these warm waters is an unforgettable sensation.
Although the terrestrial fauna is similar to other points of the Mediterranean, there is some particularity in reptiles (ocellated lizard and snout viper) and especially in birds, since in the salt flats of Cabo de Gata are concentrated multitude of birds of great ornithological interest that can be sighted in some of the booths that are arranged.
San José Beach
A few meters from Camping Tau, is an urban beach, is the largest beach in the nucleus of San Jose, unlike most beaches in the park, which are virgin, in this we find all kinds of services such as access adapted for people with reduced mobility, toilets, showers, bars, beach bars, restaurants, lifeguards, goals to practice football and accommodation on the beach.
It is a large bay of about two kilometres, where two beaches can be distinguished: the main beach of fine sand, protected from the east, which is 850 metres long and has a fairly high occupancy level, and the western beach known as “La Calilla”, also of fine sand and protected from westerly winds.
On the left side of the beach there are a couple of booths where we can rent scooters or kayaks. Also, here you can hire a guided kayak route. The guided route will take you to the north to see the area of cliffs of the friars, only visible from the water. You will also pass through Cala Higuera and the tobacco cave, also during the visit you enter a small cave to observe different species of coral. In this area there is the integral marine reserve of Punta de Loma Pelada “el Morrón de los Genoveses,” a place where the variety of fish and aquatic life is spectacular. If you do the kayak route it is advisable to take diving goggles as it makes a small stop for snorkeling, in addition to receiving information on the different types of fish that are observable.
