The route leaves Retamar, east of the city of Almería, and runs down the AL-3108 to San José. From there it heads inland to Níjar, at the foot of the sierra, and continues north-east to Agua Amarga. To link the different areas it uses the AL-3108, the A-7, the N-341 and the AL-3201. It includes about 12 km of the A-7 motorway, used as a link between the interior and the coast.
It crosses the municipalities of Almería, Níjar and Lucainena de las Torres, with most of the ride inside or around the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, a protected coastal area of volcanic origin. The landscape is arid and very open: dark hills, plains of esparto grass and agave, greenhouses on the flat land and white villages by the sea. The minor roads have gentle bends, with some more broken sections as you approach the coast.
It is about 81 km, with an estimated time of around two and a half hours without stops. Altitude ranges from sea level to around 320 m. This is a very popular area: in summer and on public holidays there is heavy traffic, cars parked at beach turn-offs and pedestrians in the villages. There is little shade and the sun is strong, so carry water. On the park roads there may be sand on the surface.