Carboneras does not try to look pretty, and that is partly why I like it. It is a working town on the Almería coast, with a fishing harbour, a cement works and a power station on its edge, and a long beach that locals actually use. Seven thousand or so people live here, and on most days it feels like a normal Spanish town that happens to be on the edge of a very beautiful natural park.
The town is the northern gateway to the Cabo de Gata-Níjar park, and on the hills behind and to the south you find the wild, volcanic landscape the park is known for. Above the harbour stands the Castillo de San Andrés, a sixteenth-century fortress built to defend the coast against Barbary pirates, who raided this shore for generations. The tower and its stout walls are a reminder of how exposed the southeastern coast once was. A lighthouse and a rocky headland lie a little to the south, at the Mesa Roldán, and the sea there is clear and good for swimming from small coves.
The roads around here are some of the best open riding in the southeast. The coast road runs up and down over dry hills, with long visibility, little traffic outside summer weekends, and smooth, wide curves in many places. The surface is generally decent but can be sandy near the beaches, and the dry heat in July and August makes midday riding hard work. Wind is a regular companion, so expect to lean into the gusts on the exposed stretches. Autumn and spring are the real sweet spots, with golden light on the hills and warm sea.
With over seven thousand people, Carboneras has the services of a proper town: fuel, supermarkets, bakeries, and places to eat along the front and in the old streets. This is a good spot for a late lunch of grilled fish, and for a coffee while the bike cools in the shade. Mojácar, to the north, is the other main destination on this stretch, famous for its hilltop white village, and the two make a natural pairing.