The Mediterranean is three kilometres from the mill's door — and it changes character as you follow the coast in either direction.
The coast nearest the mill has two distinct characters: mountainous, with secluded coves, to the north; long sandy beaches to the south, running through Cuevas, Vera, Garrucha and Mojácar. Our own nearby recommendations are Cala Cristal, Cala Conchas and Cala Panizo — all a short drive from the house.
Clear, calm water framed by low rocky headlands — the character of the coast immediately north of the river mouth. These coves stay quiet even in season, reached along the same coastal road that runs from Villaricos toward Águilas.
The most important protected maritime-terrestrial area on the western Mediterranean, with around 50 km of cliff coastline and an arid landscape that has been left largely untouched. Its trails still carry traces of an Arab past — old cisterns, water wheels, watchtowers — alongside more recent windmills and mining remains. It rewards more than a single visit.
Reachable only on foot or by boat, this is one of the park's quietest coves — a fitting reward for the walk in, and typical of the isolation that has kept Cabo de Gata so well preserved.
The ports at Villaricos and Garrucha give onto a coast well suited to sailing, diving and kayaking through local operators, largely seasonal and best booked ahead. For most guests, though, the coastline here is less an activity than a backdrop — somewhere to walk, to swim, and to let a longer stay find its own rhythm.
Cala Cristal, Cala Conchas and Cala Panizo are the nearest recommended coves, a short drive from the house.
About 30 km south — the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve well worth a full day.
Both — rocky coves to the north near the house, and long sandy beaches to the south through Vera, Garrucha and Mojácar.