Spend your fall, winter, or spring in San José, Spain: Is San José a good snowbird location?

San Josè is a village in the province of Almerìa. It resides at the center of Nature Reserve Park in Cabo de Gata. San Josè is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea like most other places in the region of Cabo de Gata. It is a coastal area but it also has lower mountains as well. San Josè is a beautiful example of stunning creations of nature as it is situated between volcanic mountains and has a clear blue Mediterranean Sea on the other side. If you are a fan of serene places where you can take refreshing walks then this is the place for you.

Initially, the area of San Josè was used by the inhabitants of surrounding areas for the pasturing of their animals. This town has been a major copper-settlement of Europe. Fishing used to be the major contributor to the economy of San Josè but in the past couple of years, tourism has increased a lot. But the place has not lost its original beauty and serenity. The best thing about this town is its seafood. You get to eat the freshly picked seafood out of the sea at several places.

Where is San José located

San José Map

Why should people stay in San José during the fall, winter, or spring?

If you are looking for a more quiet place where you can enjoy the sun and can walk at scenic locations in the winter, San Josè is the place for you. It is the perfect place for strolls along the beach during the day and at night you can enjoy the night breeze alongside the sea.

Climate

San Josè has pretty pleasant weather in winter. During the day the temperature remains often between 15°C - 20°C (59°F - 68°F) and even at night the temperature rarely goes below  9°C (48°F). Most days are sunny even in winter. There is a one in 30 chance of rain throughout the whole month. San Josè gets less rain than the rest of Spain and has in Nigar the only desert of Europe.

For more climate information visit Meteoblue

Things to see in San José

San Josè has several places that are worth visiting:

• Viewpoint josefina Huertas: It is a spectacular observation viewpoint. You can listen to the silence here with a view of the Mediterranean Sea.
• The fishing port: It was built in 1991. You can find fishing boats and other recreational activities there.
• Playa de los Genoveses: The beach is a kilometer long. It has clear sand and shallow waters.
• Playa de Mónsul: It is one of the most unique beaches you will find. There are volcanic rocks on the beach and the sand is the color of ash.
• Bahía de Los Canadienses: It is a public beach.
• San Jose's yacht club: A yacht club where you can rent a boat and explore the sea.

Things to see not far from San José

There are a lot of things you can do from San Josè. Here a small selection:

• The Alhambra Palace and Guadix: It is a castle located nearly at a 2-hour distance from San Josè. It is also called the red castle, one of the finest architecture you will see. It is very busy and you need to book tickets well in advance: https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/
• Cave Hotels: You can stay in real caves but with the comfort of home. It is located in Guandix. https://www.andalucia.com/guadix/accommodation/cave-houses.htm
• Alcazaba in Almería: It is an ancient site with incredible history and extravagant architecture.
• Lankester Gardens: It is located 22 km (14 Miles) out from east of San Josè. It is a garden with thousands of varieties of flora.
• La Paz Waterfall: It is located between Vara Blanca and Cinchona. It is formed by a river that flows from volcanic terrains.
• Western Film Sets: There are different sites where some of the scenes of famous Hollywood Westerns were shot, like Oasys and Fort Bravo.

Activities in San José in the fall, winter, or spring

San Josè will be more quit in the winter, but still there are a lot of activities. Some examples:

• Padel: there are many Padel courts in San Josè and for 1.5 hours it will cost you around €10 (approx. $10, £8, $14 CAD, $16 AUD).   
• Carnaval: The carnival that takes place in February is amazing with lots of activities and exuberant colors.
• Día de San José: This festival is held in the Honor of St Joseph and is also known as Father's day. At night there is live music and celebrating.
• Yoga classes: A lady named Ogla provides yoga services. She has set up her studio in her own house. Her facebook id is https://web.facebook.com/SiriGaitri/?_rdc=1&_rdr . There are other spas and wellness centers in San Josè as well.
• Bird watching: There are several spots where you can do Bird Watching as there are many incredible species of birds that fly by. You can get the details of sites and bird species available here https://www.sanjosespain.com/webdocs/docs/twitchingalmeria.pdf.
• Kayaking and Sailing: You can enjoy the water currents of the Mediterranean Sea even in winters in San Josè. There are many companies that offer you a trip into the sea at reasonable prices.  
• Cycling and walking: There are proper tracks made especially for walking and cycling. There is a walking trail called "GR7" which crosses through the Sierra Nevada and continues towards Alpujarra. There are signposts all along the trails and books and guides are also available for the ease of visitors.
• Boats Trips and Excursions: If the weather is nice take a boat trip and excursion from San Josè harbor. San Josè has a proper yacht club where you can rent boats.
• Golf: There are several golf courses available within just an hour's drive. You can get a membership starting from only €10 (approx. $10, £8, $14 CAD, $16 AUD). You can visit https://www.sanjosegolfsociety.org/ for more information.
• Fitness: If you like to keep fit you can find several gym's and group training in English in San Josè. 
• Horse Riding: You can book Horse rides at the Hotel Cortijos del Sotillo. You can ride into the beaches of Genoveses and Mónsul.

Shopping + Restaurants. Are they open in the fall, winter, or spring?

There are not a lot of shops and restaurants in San Josè, and not all of them will be open in the winter (or will be open in the weekend only).

You can find different types of restaurants, both budget and more up class, including:

• Restaurante Mediterraneo: seafood. Also serves pastas and other meat dishes.
• Casa Miguel en Tierra de Cine: Mediterranean cuisine. Theme restaurant.
• 4 Nudos: seafood 
• El Otro Parque: Italian and seafood
• Rione Trastevere: Italian resturant
• Il Brigantino Puerto: vegetarian
• Casa Sebastian: seafood and paella

There are several grocery stores, and some of them will remain open during the winter season. You can find:

• Spar City
• Supermarket Suma
• Sports shop Medialuna
• Tara Natura
• Salamandara Lamparas

Transport

The nearest airport to San Josè is in Almeria. You can catch an easy flight to this region during the peak seasons, in the winter season there are fewer options. A bus leaves every 40 minutes from the Almeria airport for San Josè and every 80 minutes during weekends. You can catch the bus earliest from 6 am to as late as 10 pm. Prices are starting from €3 (approx. $3.21, £2.59, $4.32 CAD, $4.85 AUD). You can visit https://www.autocaresbernardo.com/ for details.

You can also get to San Josè from Almeria airport by heading east through N-344 road from Almeria. After that, you will get to San Josè by ALP-202 road. It is nearly a 30-minute drive. To visit places outside of San Jose a car can be convenient, and in the winter period, you can often find good deals. Parking in almost all the places is free in the winter.

There is no train station in San Josè. The nearest train station is in Murcia. You will have to take the bus or a taxi to get to the Murcia train station. There are busses in San Josè, to get from one part of town to another or to nearby locations, but they do not have a website.

There is also a bus in San Jose. Check with the local tourist office for more details on the routes and time table.

Health

San Jose is a small town that has a small medical center, the San Jose's Health Centre. It can be difficult to find English speaking staff. For a hospital, you will have to do the Almeria.

Accommodation

• As San Jose is not very big there are limited options for apartments and rentals for a longer period of time.
• You can get a small apartment from €500 (approx. $535, £431, $719 CAD, $808 AUD) per month. Bigger apartments with a better location and more amenities like a pool and a gym will be more expensive.
• If you want a villa,  good view and super-luxury living, there are many excellent options starting from €1500 (approx. $1606, £1294, $2158 CAD, $2426 AUD)

Winter Camping 

San Josè has several camping's that are open in the winter. Both for campers, caravans and tents. Most of them have special winter offers. As some periods in the winter can be quite busy it is advisable to make a reservation. 

• Camping Inn Tau, Cabo de Gata: It is located 250 meter (820 feet) from beach and 300 meter (984 feet) from the town. It has all the facilities available. https://campingtau.com/en/camping-tau-2/
• Camping Los Gallardos: 125 parking pitches https://campinglosgallardos.com/campsite.html
• Campsite Roquetas: 600 pitches with all facilities https://www.vayacamping.net/campsite/roquetas-en

RV/Campers/Motorhome

If you have a Camper or Motorhome you can find several locations near San Josè.

• Camping Roquetas: €23 (approx. $24, £19, $33 CAD, $37 AUD) for a night for a big plot. All plots have facilitates like electricity etc available https://www.campingroquetas.com/en/plots
• Campsite Tau: pitches available for motorhomes, camping and all with all the facilities.  https://campingtau.com/en/pitches/