Ever felt like getting away from the masses? Wanted to shout the famous line by Marlene Dietrich? “I want to be alone.”
In a Spain that is increasingly more busy, the beauty of the country is that you don’t have to travel too far to be alone. Well, almost.
Spain is vast and varied. But if you ever look down at it from the skies, you will see how underpopulated it is. There are many places you can go in Spain and be alone, or at one with nature. And I shall be looking at three such destinations.
First up the delightful Cabo de Gata.
Small and perfectly formed
Colourful Agua Amarga
Agua Amarga is small, peaceful and a splendid place to go if you want to avoid the noise and what passes for stress in Spain today.
Superlatives were invented for areas such as the Cabo de Gata. If you need to see how most of rural Spain looked forty years ago then head for this often ignored region. Locals don’t mind being overlooked, apart from when it comes to what they see as a lack of financial investment from the authorities. But the upside to that is that the coastline has, with one or two notable exceptions, been exempt from high rise development.
Ship ahoy!
Agua Amarga beach
In the days when the Berber pirates sought a hiding place on the Almeria coastline, it was in the coves of the Cabo de Gata that they sought seclusion. Today the region may still be remote but improved road and air links have ensured that Spaniards know all about the area. For six weeks in the summer 30.000 of them invade the Cabo de Gata to enjoy consistent sunshine. There is probably not a birdwatcher among them.
But, out of high season, all that changes. There are more twitchers than sunbathers. I once told Miss Springwatch herself, Kate Humble, to go to Cabo de Gata. She would relish seeing birds such as ospreys, peregrines, eagles, the dupont lark and the avocet. At San Miguel de Cabo de Gata a four kilometre wetland, created by a saltwater lagoon, attracts wintering flamingos and herons. There is even an observatory for the many twitchers who holiday here.
Pretty Flamingo
The area is also a magnet for scuba divers. A substantial marine zone of over 12.000 hectares is home to a colourful array of coral reef and fish. The Cabo de Gata is paradise for a diver.
Local horticulturalist Paco Ramirez told me: “We don’t get many tourists for most of the year, but those who do visit are not so much here for the sun, sand or social life. They are here to get away from the city. To have a peaceful time in Spain. We get the best kind of tourist down here. I don’t understand why British men come only to look at the lighthouses, but they are very nice people.”
Take two
Cabo de Gata Park
Movie fans also visit the deserts of Almeria and the Cabo de Gata to pay homage to the locations where scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lawrence of Arabia and many a Clint Eastwood western were shot. If a film director is seeking desert like conditions then they head for the province of Almeria. If they also want true “silence on set” then they drive that extra kilometre to the wild and isolated landscape of the Cabo de Gata.
Many a car commercial is shot in the wide open spaces of Cabo de Gata. But that is the only time you will see fast cars.
There are rules enforced to ensure the land and all its inhabitants live largely undisturbed by other facets of modern day life. Firstly, a speed limit of 30 kph is enforced. Secondly, fishing from shore is prohibited. Thirdly, no free camping is allowed. Finally, no loud music is permitted – it disturbs the flora and fauna apparently.
There are 1000 species of plants to see, including yuccas, the prickly pear cactus, the pink snapdragon, wild olives and esparto grass; which is often used for making basketware gifts. The symbol of the park is the dwarf fan palm – Europe’s only native palm.
Silence please
Alone in Almeria
The control on decibel levels might explain why villages such as Agua Amarga are so peaceful. This is a memorable seaside hideaway that appears to be constantly in need of a lick of paint. The high salt content in the seawater means that this village can be more greywashed than whitewashed.
The beach and crystal clear water here make up for the fact that some of the nearby housing – unoccupied for the majority of the year – looks a little sad. The housing in Agua Amarga is a mixture of ageing low level apartments and new, grand houses. There are some impressive villas to rent on the road from Carboneras to Aqua Amarga.
Carboneras is not the most glamorous looking location on the coast of Spain, but it does have more life than Agua Amarga, should that be what you are looking for. I wasn’t, so it was back to good old Agua Amarga for me. Now this was winter but I was still shocked to discover a rare sight on the beautiful beach.
What are you doing here?
Alone again, almost
People! I kid ye not. I came across a handful of people lunching on the beach at the La Paloma restaurant and hostal. It would have been rude not to have spoken to them. Indeed I was invited to join them. Now this wasn’t on my schedule of solitude in Spain. But, hey, it’s good to talk. Once in a while.
It turns out that they were in Agua Amarga for the same reason as I. Peace and quiet. Unlike at some other Spanish seaside locations, there are no hawkers offering you the latest copied CD’s and DVD’s.
For company you might have the occasional local resident or a few fellow travellers. They know that this is possibly the most perfect spot on the Cabo de Gata coastline.
En route to the more famous San Jose, be sure to stop off at the tiny fishing hamlet of La Isleta del Moro and Las Negras. First impressions of San Jose can be deceptive. Arrive in the summer and the place resembles high season at Blackpool. In December it has all the life of Cleethorpes in winter.
Back on the coast it is easy to find a quiet beach. The beaches at Playa de Monsul and Playa de los Genoveses are superb. Once the sun has set on the month of August you will have little or no company should you choose to rent along the seafront of the Cabo de Gata.
Don’t look down!
Nijar
One drive is only for the brave. It is from the popular town of Tabernas, home to the so called Mini-Hollywood, through Nijar and on to the Cabo de Gata coastline. One day this drive may feature in one of those daring films on ‘Top Gear.’
It’s not a route for the faint hearted. Bends galore and some serious sheer drops. For those who are able and willing to look out of the window, the views and the purple rock formations are memorable. Nijar itself is worth a stop if only for the characterful shops in the main street.
Local resident Leanne Cole told me: “A 30 minute drive inland from the beaches of the Cabo de Gata will take you to a village like Lucainena de las Torres, a good place to have as a rental base. It is a lovely place where only minor modern development is taking place. The town hall provides residents with free baskets of geraniums each spring to ensure the village is full of colour when visitors come to see the 18th century church.”
Hotel for one
San Jose
The Cabo de Gata is as close to a desert island as you are likely to find on mainland Spain. Outside of summer, it is not for those who crave plenty of life, noise and company.
This is the south-eastern tip of the country. It is in every sense of the phrase, out on its own. Its very remoteness appeals to many. Myself included.
It is possible to be alone on a beach in Spain. I know. For I was that soldier. One December I was the only person staying in the hotel on the beach at Agua Amarga. The girl on reception asked if I wanted anything to eat in the next 48 hours.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because after tonight we are closed for two days. You will be in the hotel on your own.”
Only one question remained for me: “Will the bar be open?”
