

Posted by:
Dawn Punter
Having lived previously in the driest part of Almeria for five years, before moving to Salobreña, I still can’t get over the beauty of this place. It’s like a semi tropical paradise: the rich greeness, the natural flow of water everywhere and the abundance of wildlife & plantlife. Distinct environmental zones make up the area; meaning you can be walking amongst tropical fruit orchards one moment, or along the riverbank the next. Or, you can be walking along cliff top routes admiring the sea one moment, or amongst the amazing crops of sugarcane whilst learning about the history of its production the next. The area is so diverse and simply stunning.
Here are my four personal favourite (short to medium) walks, taking in some of the beauty of Salobreña countryside and coastal areas. These are not official routes, those can be found on the Salobreña tourism website.
Details of environmental activities and projects can be found on the Facebook or Instagra pages of ‘Salobreña a favor de la Tierra’.
1. Along the River Bank
The river makes a stunning walk any time of year. I suggest starting at the beach end and heading towards the mountains as there is normally snow on the mountains (Winter – end of Spring) and it makes for a stunning horizon to head towards.
At the beach end, there are lots of waterfowl to observe. I’m not a birdwatcher, but have seen different types of ducks, moorhens & herons alongside other beautiful birdlife, including various birds of prey.
Halfway along the river, there is a crossing point where you can stop to dip your toes in the cool mountain water, or water some of the trees that have been recently planted by the local residents. The plants that grow along the river are stunning, from chamomile & poppies in spring, to broom and huge daisies in summer. You can even spot blackberries if you are lucky. If you don’t want to walk further, you can take a left at the crossing point and head back to town along the country lanes through the small holdings.
As you progress up the river path, to your left you can see some of the small holdings with seasonal crops, which I love to see rotate as the year progresses. Continuing on, you’ll eventually walk under the main road & you can take the road left and you’ll head back to the Sports Centre passing more fruit orchards which include loquats and cherimoya. Once at the Sports Centre you can then return back though the town.




2. Towards La Caleta de Salobreña
This is another favourite walk of mine. You can walk along the beach, but I prefer to take the country road under the castle. This road follows the irrigation channels and takes you through the sugarcane area. It still amazes me that sugarcane was the key industry here for 150 years (if you don’t know the history, the Tourism website has some great articles on the history of sugarcane and the factory at La Caleta).
I love this road, you’ll quite often meet the shepherd with his goats on their daily walk or even chickens that have escaped, out for a walk. The flora and fauna along the irrigation channels is also interesting and the frog chorus early morning and evening is brilliant. The road takes you past the sugarcane factory which I understand was the last one to close in Europe.
Once you get to La Caleta de Salobreña, you have several options: take a drink in one of the bars before returning to Salobreña town (perhaps this time along the beach). or if you prefer, take a wander around the winding streets.




3. From La Caleta towards El Pargo Villas
If you want a longer walk, there are more options from La Caleta …
You can head up to the main road, walk along the road for a short while and then take the track on the left cross country. This will take you towards El Pargo development and is a beautiful walk across green countryside and then a clifftop road down to the villas. There is a villa which was featured on a Spanish TV programme similar to Grand Designs which is worth a look, but you’ll pass many stunning residencies on route along the pine tree lined cliff top road.


4. The Cherimoya Valley of Los Almendros
Alternatively from the top of La Caleta, you can cut up earlier, cross the main road at the crossing, & then head up towards Valle de Almendros and head into the valley of cherimoya orchards. I have only walked part of this, as it’s uphill & a longer route, but my husband cycles it regularly and apparently you can take a loop back past the cemetery back towards the industrial estate and into town.
The scenery from up there is amazing: views across the bay, down to the castle and el Peñon beach, up into the mountains and of course, across the numerous orchards of cherimoya. Almonds are also grown here and the almond blossom in spring is beautiful.






Salobreña is surrounded by natural beauty whichever direction you head. Remember further
walking routes can be found the Salobreña tourism website
Details of environmental activities and projects can be found on the Facebook or Instagram pages of Salobreña a favor de la Tierra’.
You can also check environmental activities that will take place in Salobreña during summer 2021 here
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