Carboneras, with its 16th century Castle of San Andrés,
is a typical Mediterranean town, clean and tidy, and which
is experiencing a growth of tourism. The arquitecture
of the developments by the sea recalls once more the area´s
Arab past, with dazzlingly-white cube-shaped buildings
finished off with half-spheres, all set against the intense
blue of the Mediterranean. This whole area reflects the
indalica culture. Close by the town, on the beach at el
Algarrobico, the locals still recall the Arab village
built by David Lean to represent Aquaba, Jordan, for the
filming of Lawrence of Arabia. Yet again, the magical
light of Almería worked its effects, and for a
few days this land was home to great stars of the screen,
such as Peter O´Toole, Omar Shariff, Alec Guiness
and Anthony Quinn.
From this point onwards, and moving out of the Níjar
area, the road rises among the cliffs, to then drop down
to Sopalmo and Agua del Medio. Soon, the charming image
of the Castle of Mecenas appears before our eyes as a
predule to the wide beach populated with tourist developments,
some which stretch up into the Sierra Cabrera. This is
Mojácar-Playa, a tourist explosion where everything
is possible, from the least imaginable wtaersports to
dinning on exquisite fish dishes, from the most outrageous
dances in one the fashionable discos to the simple peace
and quiet of relaxing among the find golden sands of the
beach. Overlooking all this from ots watchtower or atalaya,
the village of Mojácar is situated in the foothills
of the Sierra Cabrera. It is actually quite difficult
to find two streets at the same level in this beautiful,
ancient town, with its clear Arab past. A past which stretches
back to before the times of Al-Andalus, and even the Spain
of the Romans and Iberians. This one of the points of
entry for the first settlers of south east Andalusia.
Mojácar should be visited without hurrying, to
fill our senses with its strong personality which has
caused such a deep impression on many foreign visitors,
especially the English, many of whom came here, became
attracted, and stayed.
The end of the Sierra Cabrera opens out on to a fertile
valley which is home to villages such as Cortijo Grande,
with its golf course, Cabrera (set up high upon a mountaint),
Bedar and Turre (with a very special centre and archaeological
remains close by), and further inland, the magical landscapes
of the Karst and Yesos de Sorbas Natural Site.
This valley, known as the Valle del Bajo Almanzora, has
clearly defined personality, very different from the neighbouring
area of Campos de Níjar.
Up to the southern limits with Murcia, a number of villages
with tourist developments can be found. Garrucha, thanks
to its ancient mines and related industries, was transformed
into an elegant summer resort at the end of the 19th century.
Nowadays, the attractive promenade, with its elegant marble
balustrade looks out over a clean sea, where, every evening
at sundown a collection of small fishing vessels make
their back to the shelter of the port. A good place to
try their fish dishes.
Vera, with Roman and Arabic heritage, maintains some of
its past through the churches of la Encarnación
and San Agustín, as well as in the interesting
Museo Arqueológico (Archaeological Museum). Meanwhile,
its coastline offers yet a wide range of touristic activities,
with the special attraction of Europe´s first nudist
hotel, located in the area´s best-known complex,
"Puerto Rey".
Antas, cradle of thhe prehistoric Argar civilization,
Pulpí, with its Charles V-era castle, San Juan
de los Terreros and its cave-houses along with fishing
villages such as Palomares and Villaricos completed our
itinerary along the attractive east Almerian coastline.
Almeria province
