Heading east along the coast, the closest resort with any appeal is the modest EL CABO DE GATA , where there is a lovely expanse of coarse sand. Five buses a day run between here and Almería, making an intermediate stop at Retamar, a retirement/holiday development. Arriving at El Cabo, you pass a lake, the Laguna de Rosa , protected by a conservation society and home to flamingos and other waders throughout the summer. Around the resort are plentiful bars, cafés and shops, plus a fish market. Accommodation is limited and in high season often impossible to find; the two hostales (¬18-27) above the bars Playa and Mediterráneo (tel 950 371 137) on the beach are both quite expensive for basic accommodation. The new Hostal Las Dunas , c/Barrionnuevo 58 (tel 950 370 072; ¬36-48), set back from the beach, is an even pricier option for en-suite rooms. Nearby there's a campsite, Cabo de Gata (tel 950 160 443; open all year) with its own pool and restaurant. The beach gets windy in the afternoons, and it's a deceptively long walk eastwards to Las Salinas (The Salt Pans - exactly that) for a bar and café.

 

Beyond lies SAN JOSÉ , also reached by bus from Almería. This is an established and popular resort, set back from a sandy beach in a small cove, with shallow water, and fine beaches within walking distance. Accommodation , however, can be hard to come by in summer. Casa de Huéspedes Costa Rica (tel 950 380 103; ¬18-27), on the main road a little way out, is one of the most inexpensive and also serves a reasonable menú . Hostal Bahia , c/Correos 5 (tel 950 380 114; ¬36-48), is a comfortable modern hostal in the centre, and the more upmarket Hotel Las Gaviotas on the way into the village (tel 950 380 010; ¬48-60) has decent en-suite rooms. You'll also find a good campsite , Camping Tau (tel 950 380 166; April-Oct), close to the beach. There are again numerous excellent bars, restaurants and cafés, and a well-stocked supermarket.

Next along the coast is LOS ESCULLOS , with a reasonable beach and a pleasant, if slightly overpriced, beachfront hotel-restaurant, Casa Emilio (tel 950 389 761; ¬36-48). Two kilometres further east, LA ISLETA is another fishing town, with a sleepy atmosphere, a sandy beach and a hostal overlooking the harbour, Hostal Isleta de Moro (tel 951 389 713; ¬27-36); this reasonably priced place has a popular bar-restaurant for tapas and meals. At LAS NEGRAS , 5km further on, there's a cove with a pebbly beach and a few bars and restaurants; there's a brand-new hostal , Arrecife (tel 950 388 140; ¬27-36), close to the village estanco ; if it's full, you can enquire here about a room in a private house or renting an apartment nearby.