Birdwatching
Between the villages of Cabo de Gata and Salinas, there's a hide (follow the signpost saying observatorio) where you can watch some of the 1,100 species of wetland bird that feed and nest around the salty lagoon next to the sea. Among them are flamingos, grey and purple herons, storks and cranes. Waders such as avocets, curlews, oyster catchers and black-winged stilts stalk through the reeds.
The best time to see flamingo is in summer and autumn when they land on the lagoon in the hour or so before dusk. There's a telescope in the hide so you can get a clear view of them shovelling in the muddy water for brine shrimp.
Gulls, terns and Cory's and Balearic shearwaters can be spotted from the Cabo de Gata headland, near the lighthouse. Razorbills, shags and the occasional puffin also put in an appearance.
Spring and autumn are great times to come – thousands of migrating birds stop off at the Cabo de Gata on their journeys between Europe and Africa, while in winter there are water fowl in huge numbers on the saltwater lagoons.