You'll spend about three hours in a sea kayak along the volcanic cliffs of Cabo de Gata, with a snorkel stop if the water is calm enough. We'll show you how to paddle before you launch, then point out the rocks, wildlife and old stories as you go. We pick the day's start village from the wind, so you might meet us somewhere different from last time.
We'll meet you on the beach, kit you out with a buoyancy aid and paddle, and run through the basics: how to sit, how to paddle, and what to do if you fall in. You'll share a tandem kayak with one, two or three other people depending on who you've come with, and we'll brief you in Spanish and English if the group is mixed. Then we carry the boats down and paddle off together, hugging the cliffs and stopping now and then for a rest and a look around.
If the water is calm we'll take you into sea caves and around the volcanic reefs, and we'll check each cave before anyone goes in. Halfway along we pull in for a drink, a swim and a snorkel over the seagrass. Then we paddle back the way we came and land on the same beach. The whole thing takes about three hours, and we'll put the day's photos up afterwards so you can download them.
This is the Almeria end of Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park: dry hills, pale beaches and dark volcanic rock dropping into clear water. A lot of the coves and cave mouths are easier to reach from a kayak than from the cliff path.
We launch from La Fabriquilla or Las Negras, depending on the wind and swell that morning. We'll tell you which village in your confirmation. Every route is a loop, so you finish where you started. We don't offer hotel pickup.
You don't need any kayaking experience. You do need to be able to swim and be happy on the water for about three hours. We use tandem 2+2 kayaks, so two adults, three adults, or two adults and two children can share a boat, as long as each person is within 120 kg and the kayak stays within 260 kg.
Let us know before you arrive if anyone is pregnant, has a recent injury, a heart or breathing condition, epilepsy, allergies or limited mobility, so we can check it's a good fit. Pets are welcome.
We've been guiding these loops since 2015, and we're used to first-timers as well as people who paddle a lot. Each morning we look at the wind and pick the sheltered side of the coast, rather than promising a cove we can't reach that day.
We were founding members of AEKAL, the Andalusian sea kayak association, and we hold the active tourism and ecological tourism licences for this park. We'll brief you in Spanish and English if the group is mixed, and you'll get a photo report from the water to take home.
We'll meet you on the beach named in your confirmation and kit you out with a buoyancy aid and paddle. On the sand we cover how to sit, how to paddle and what to do if you fall in, then we pair people up in the tandem kayaks so ages and weights make sense. If the group is mixed we do that briefing in Spanish and English. Once everyone's happy we carry the boats down and paddle out together.
We follow the volcanic shore and stop now and then so you can rest and hear how the rock, the reefs and the old coast roads came to be. If the swell is low we'll take you into sea caves and between the darker reef walls, and we'll look into each mouth before anyone goes in. A choppy day can keep us out of the tighter gaps, which is exactly why you're with someone who knows this park.
Halfway along we pull in for a drink, a stretch and a swim. Mask and snorkel come with the session, so you can look at the seagrass and the clearer patches of sand if the water is quiet. It's a pause, not a long picnic. How long you spend in the water depends on swell and temperature, and we stay together so the paddle home is still in company.
We turn around and paddle the same coast back, landing where we started. Kit goes back to us after about three hours. We'll put the day's photos up later, dated by the session, so you can download them in full size rather than waiting on a phone at the van.
Not at all. We'll show you how to sit, how to paddle and what to do if you fall in, then we keep the pace easy so first-timers can enjoy it.
You do need to be able to swim and be happy on the water for about three hours. If tight cave mouths make you nervous, tell us on the beach and we'll stay out in the open.
About three hours, including the briefing, the paddle, a few stops to look around, a swim or snorkel if the water is calm, and the paddle back to the same beach.
Wind, swell and how the group is getting on can make it a bit shorter or a bit longer. Three hours is the usual shape of the day, not a stopwatch.
We'll tell you the day's village in your confirmation. That can be La Fabriquilla, Las Negras, Agua Amarga, Los Escullos or San José, depending on the wind and swell.
There's no hotel pickup, so put the village we send you into your satnav rather than heading to a cove from last time. Give yourself a few extra minutes for kit and the briefing.
We pick the route from the wind that morning. The usual loops are Las Negras to El Playazo, La Fabriquilla to Arrecife de las Sirenas, Agua Amarga to Punta de la Media Naranja, Los Escullos to Punta de Loma Pelada, and San José to Cala Tomate.
Moving village or changing the order of stops is how we keep you in sheltered water. You still finish where you started.
Little ones can come when it's calm, sitting in the middle of a tandem kayak. From about seven they can paddle in their own seat, and they usually have more fun that way.
Every child needs an adult with them. If you've got very young kids, tell us their ages before you arrive so we can seat everyone safely.
They're tandem 2+2 kayaks. Two people, three people, or two adults and two children can share one boat, as long as the weight stays within the limit. We don't have singles.
We'll sort odd numbers and mixed ages on the beach. You might share the water with another group, and if people speak different languages we'll brief in Spanish and English.
Swimwear, a towel, a top to wear under the buoyancy aid, shoes that can get wet, sun cream, a hat and sunglasses. A dry change of clothes for afterwards is a good idea.
We provide the kayak, paddle, buoyancy aid, mask and snorkel. Ask us beforehand if you'd like a wetsuit in cooler months or a dry bag for a phone.
A bit of wind, cloud or swell doesn't mean we stay on the beach. We'll move the launch or the route to keep you in safer water.
If the sea really isn't safe, we'll get in touch and offer another time or a different village. Light rain is often fine, so don't write the morning off just because it's grey. Only drive to the village we've given you that day.
Yes. All of our guides speak English. If the group is mixed, we'll do the briefing and the stories in both Spanish and English so nobody is left guessing.
Asking for English doesn't make it a private trip. You might still share the water with another group, with us talking in both languages as we go.
You get the kayak, paddle, buoyancy aid, mask, snorkel, a bottle of water, the briefing, the guided paddle and a photo report to download later. Accident and public liability insurance are included.
You'll need to get yourself to the meeting point. Lunch and extra drinks aren't included. A wetsuit or dry bag can be requested if you want one.
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About the centre
Cabo de Gata
Operated by Cabo de Gata Activo SL, a partner of adventuro.
