The Maro-Cerro Gordo Natural Area protects 395 hectares of limestone cliffs, submerged caves, and Posidonia meadows between Granada and Málaga provinces. Declared a protected zone in 1989, the reserve spans 12 kilometres of coastline where the Sierra de Almijara descends vertically into the Mediterranean. Wind and wave erosion carved arches, blowholes, and sea stacks from sedimentary rock deposited 20 million years ago during the Miocene epoch. La Herradura kayak rental services operate under permit from the Junta de Andalucía, which limits motorised access to preserve nesting sites for Audouin's gulls and European shags. The cliffs rise to 75 metres at Cerro Gordo headland, where Phoenician traders established anchorage points in the 8th century BCE. Today the reserve remains one of the few Mediterranean coastlines without road access. Kayak routes depart from La Herradura's Paseo Andrés Segovia, following the littoral shelf east toward Cantarrijan and Maro beaches. Underwater visibility averages 15 to 20 metres in summer months, revealing Neptune grass beds and schools of Mediterranean damselfish. The seabed descends steeply; beyond the 50-metre isobath, cold upwellings from the Alboran Sea meet warm surface currents, creating nutrient-rich conditions that sustain grouper, octopus, and moray eels. Shore-side vegetation transitions from prickly pear and Aleppo pine at sea level to wild olive and mastic scrub on upper slopes. Rental operators provide sit-on-top kayaks and snorkelling gear; most tours launch between 10:00 and 12:00 when offshore breezes remain light. The reserve prohibits fishing, anchoring, and collection of any biological material. La Herradura kayak rental tours navigate coves inaccessible by foot—Cala del Cañuelo, Molino de Papel, and the twin arches at Punta de la Mona. Guides briefed in marine biology identify species and interpret geological strata visible in cliff faces. The Maro-Cerro Gordo designation extends 1,000 metres offshore, covering submerged reefs and algal forests that host red coral colonies at depths beyond recreational diving limits. Seasonal currents shift from east to west between May and September, requiring morning departures to avoid afternoon chop. The reserve's terrestrial portion remains closed to prevent erosion; all access occurs by paddle or swim. Conservation funding derived from tourism permits supports habitat monitoring and invasive species control, maintaining the balance between public access and ecological integrity along this final wild stretch of the Costa Tropical.