Playa de Agua Amarga is the beach of the village of the same name on the Costa de Almería, inside the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park. It is a small bay, just over half a kilometre of fine, pale golden sand, curved enough to be well sheltered from the wind, with rocky cliffs closing it off at both ends. Small caves in the rock at one end make a short, easy walk after lunch, and the water is clear enough to make it worth bringing a snorkel mask.

The village behind it is tiny and low-key, with a handful of restaurants and bars, and that sets the tone for the beach too. It gets busy in July and August, but it keeps a village feel rather than a resort one, and it is a good place for a quiet day.

Along the front of the beach there are bars, restaurants and ice cream kiosks, with toilets, a shower on the sand, sunbeds and umbrellas for hire in pairs, lifeguards in season, ramps and wooden walkways down to the beach, and parking nearby. It suits swimmers, snorkellers and families looking for a relaxed, unhurried day, with a natural park setting instead of a promenade of high-rise buildings.