From the pretty sea-side town of Las Negras in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park. As well as easy walks and picnics, the programme for the week includes visits to Almería city and Baños de Sierra Alhamilla with its natural hot springs and Palmery.
Almería province is notable for its desert ecology, the beautiful coastline of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park and for the historic city itself. The Tabernas area has been exploited by the film industry as settings for music videos, films such as Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and desert epics such as recently filmed Exodus. Cabo de Gata Natural Park with its stunning volcanic geology, beautiful beaches and protected marine-terrestrial reserve is a haven for walkers and a great place to spot migratory birds such as rollers and bee-eaters. The historic port of Almería was founded over a thousand years ago by the Caliphate of Cordoba to strengthen sea defences on the Mediterranean coast and is dominated by its Alcázaba (Moorish fortress), second only to the Alhambra of Granada in size.
What's included – transport throughout week, guided walks, accommodation in twin or double rooms (single supplement €15pp per night, limited availability), picnics and evening meals, except last night.
"A wonderful week's walking at the start of May: the landscape is as beautiful as it gets, but the whole experience was enhanced further by Fiona and Paul's knowledge of it, by their clear experience in running such weeks and by Fiona's wonderful food and Paul's picnics. There were many "it doesn't get better than..." moments for me but two were sitting on the terrace at Fernando's eating peas picked from the garden that morning, and the picnic in the almond grove on the last day." — S.G. - Heart of the Alpujarra '09