Camping El Palomar

You can get up close to the raw beauty of the Alhama de Almería foothills on adventure activities organised by the site. Hiking or cycling jaunts will take you to the Puente de Alhama de Almería, part of an ancient Roman aqueduct (an hour’s walk/55 minutes by bike), and you can follow the traditional Acequia de Gatuna aquifer (15 minutes’ drive) through the semi-desert landscapes. For spectacular views of the mountains, head for the observation point at Cerro Cruz Huécija (25 minutes). For a dose of local culture, explore the neolithic tombs and former defence walls at Poblado de Los Millares archaeological site (10 minutes), a relic of one of the first settlements on the Iberian Peninsula. Coming more up to date, the typical ‘white village’ of Íllar (25 minutes) ha sMoorish origins and is well-known for its food; try simple dishes like paprika-flavoured fish stew and almond meringues in a terrace café. However, if young kids are with you, you might have to forgo local heritage and treat them to days on the rope courses and bouncy castles at Parque de Aventura Enix (half an hour). You can also be basking on Mediterranean beaches within half an hour, and there are a couple of golf courses around 40 minutes away.