Cabo de Gata and the Mermaids' Reef
Nature and legend blend into a single element of mythical proportions in one of the most emblematic parts of Cabo de Gata, at the corner of the Mediterranean located on the geographical cape. The story goes that sailors were so bewitched and enchanted by the beauty and singing of the mermaids sunbathing on this iconic reef - in reality, the remains of a volcanic vent - that they abandoned the rudder and were shipwrecked. But this magical enclave has many more stories to tell.
Some places have a captivating mineral magnetism, enclaves that are deeply and inexplicably esoteric. Sites that leave an everlasting imprint on the retina once you have seen them, that invite you to boast of having visited them. "Mermaids' Reef" in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar National Park is one of those magical places. Which is why it is home not just to one legend but the sum of several legends.
In certain quarters of the Cabo, it said that a Moorish king buried his treasure in cave, under the "Vela Blanca", that snow-coloured rock so characteristic of the cliffs. And he entrusted its safekeeping to the mermaids.
Another version of this legendary story bears certain similarities with one of the episodes in Ulysses' epic journey, The Odyssey. In that story, the mermaids' singing caught the attention of sailors as they navigated the cape, whether in search of the open sea or in their approach to the Bay of Almería. No sooner did they reach the mermaids than they sank.
Truth be told, there was once a colony of monk seals in these parts that unfortunately has been extinct for many years, like all the others along the Spanish coast. There is also a stone slab or rock that emerges without ever breaking through the surface, which has now and again caused large ships to sink. However, this has made it a favourite place for divers looking for shipwrecks.
The area is also very interesting from a geological perspective because it is proof of the volcanic activity that occurred under this part of the sea millions of years ago. In any case, there is no greater pleasure than reaching the lighthouse, looking out over the reef and imagining that one of the legends might actually be true... Is that sound in the distance mermaids singing?
