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Carboneras

Population circa 7,000

Market day - Thursday

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Carboneras (meaning Coal Bunkers) is the northern entrance to the Cabo de Gata National Park. Originally surrounded by trees, these and the local coal deposits were stripped to feed the furnaces, and when those resources ran out, the town turned initially to fishing and then became a producer of energy and cement.

The town grew around the San Andrés Castillo (castle) which was built in the 16th century. There are two other fortifications of note: El Torre del Rayo (Tower of the Thunderbolt) in the north (1584) and El Torre de Mesa Roldán in the south (1776).

It's moderate climate ranging from 10C in the winter to rarely more than 30C in summer has helped to boost it's tourist trade.

Carboneras is noted for its almost 17 km of fine sandy beaches. El Ancón, the most central, each year receives the blue EU flag award of cleanliness. Las Marinicas, near the port area, is the widest beach and El Algarrobico, on the road towards Mojacar, at almost 3 km is the longest. Playa de Los Muertos (naturista - clothing optional), can only be reached by boat or on foot following a lovely 5 minutes track along the reefs.

San Andrés island, just off the coast from Carboneras, has been declared a nature reserve and is, like the rest of the Cabo de Gata Park, an ideal location for snorkelling and scuba diving. There are plans to build a port to house a new nautical club, the Isla de San Andrés, with an intended capacity of up to 650 moorings for boats ranging in size from 6 to 20 metres long.