Holiday homes in Alpujarras, Andalusia, Spain

On the A92 heading north, the road runs through the paraje natural del Desierto de Tabernas, a fascinating area, this is the only area of true desert in Europe.

A typical view of Cabo de Gata with date palms and oasis.

Some 12 km along the A92 and the junction with N340, there is Mini Hollywood, where the town was built for filming many spaghetti westerns – films like A fistful of dollars and The Good, the bad and the ugly, as well as Indiana Jones. This is one of the most incredible places and if you are going that way, it is a must.

During the summer months the coastal route becomes impossible. However the new motorway which passes between Orgiva and the A92 is due to be finished for the summer of 2008. When this is opened, reaching Almeria and Gabo de Gata will be a much shorter.

An alternative route is via Granada using the A92. It is really worth while to continue towards Cabo de Gata peninsula and explore some of the most magnificent beaches in the area. It is perhaps good if you were to stay one night but during July and August we recommend that you book your hotel well in advance, especially if you are going to stay in the town of San Jose and Carboneras. There is an interesting hotel here called El Dorado with different film scenes in each room such as Dr Zhivago and The three Musketeers. From Carboneras the road towards Mojara is one of the most spectacular coastal drives in Andalusia, winding along the cliff tops with tantalizing views of coves. If you are after nice beaches in Cabo de Gata then just outside San Jose is the National Park where you will find several beautiful beaches.

Beach near playa el arco in the Cabo de Gata National Park.