Almunecar Attractions Almuñecar

Almuñecar Attractions

The main drag is from the point below Almuñécar's castle, to the west, past the Rio Seco (Dry River), to the end of the beach. This stretch is where the most important Almunecar hotels are, and some of the nicest apartments in the area.

Near the Rio Seco part of town is the Loro Sexi bird park, the Majuelo Park and the tourist office, an attractive 19th building known as La Najarra. To the west of the riverbed stand the larger buildings and the municipal sports pavilion and new olympic indoor swimming pool. At the western end of San Cristóbal is the Los Marinos district, the traditional fishermen's quarter of Almuñécar town.

Most of Almuñécar's historical monuments and principal attractions lie within a short walk of the main seafront. Almuñécar has been a strategic centre of historical importance and busy port for more than 2500 years. There are many ancient attractions to visit, notably the well preserved monuments that date from the Phoenician, Roman and Moorish eras.

Overlooking the sea are old watchtowers. Staggered every few kilometers, these watch towers were the ancient early warning defence system of the coast.

The prominent feature of Almuñécar is the Moorish Castle. Known as Castillo San Miguel, it completly dominates Almuñécar. Built by the Romans in the 1st century b.c, the Moors later developed the castle into an impressive fortress in 7th century a.d. It contains a museum as has excellent views of the beach and town. Inside the Moorish Castle's gate is the tower, Torre de Homenaje, which was the home of Almuñécar's rulers and protectors.

Near the castle is the Cave of the Seven Palaces, which were storage cellars that where built by the Romans. Here is also the Archaeological Museum, which displays find some interesting Archaeological finds, such as a beautiful 3500 year old Egyptian vase. Next to the castle is the peaceful and colourful Majuelo Park, a botanical garden that offers respite from the summer heat. At the centre of the park are the ruins of the Roman fish salting factory pits which were originally established even earlier by the Phoenicians.

In order to supply the town and the fish salting industry with water, the Romans built a magnificent aqueduct 7 kms in length, much of which still stands. Recent finds suggest that this aqueduct also supplied a system of baths, which are only partially excavated and still under archaeological investigation. Archaeologists have recently discovered a little Roman bridge, on the outskirts of town, about 40 mins walk from the town centre. This gem of a Roman bridge is still in excellent condition and also worth a visit.

When you've seen enough history, your next stop chould be the Loro Sexi bird park and cactus gardens. This is a great outing for the family, as it's colourful, noisy and fun.