Cuevas de Almanzora

Town of Cuevas de Almanzora, Almeria Province

Cuevas del Almanzora is located in the Field of Vera, 97 Kilometres from the provincial capital Almeria. This village which sits on the banks of the river of the same name lives from greenhouse agriculture which gives it a special character.

Fifteen kilometres of coastline, from Palomares to the Pozo del Esparto, offer the visitor the possibility of enjoying the open and sandy beaches , or to be adventurous and discover the small and charming which have preserved their beauty on account of not being visited often.

There are beaches for all tastes. Small and hidden, such as the Cala del Calón, Cala Panizo, the beach of Pozo del Esparto and others which are difficult to access and therefore are small paradises of intimacy, or large and open such as the beaches of Palomares and Villaricos. But all of them have one characteristic in common – they all preserve their harmony with virtually unspoilt surroundings.

In the abovementioned beach of Villaricos there is the Necrópolis of Baria, which is the most important site in the province of Almeria for the eras of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Cartagenes and Romans. As a result of latest excavations in the Roman town a salting factory located in Villaricos has been rediscovered.

On the other hand, near to Cuevas de Almanzora you will find the Agricultural site of Fuente Álamo, the remains of one of the oldest organizations of the Meditarranean from more than 4,000 years ago. Today you can see how the population was distributed according to their social rank.

In the inland area, from Sierra Almagrera towards the east, the traveller will discover diverse whitewashed country houses in which it is still possible to taste the love of the villages for the land that sustains them. Traditional agricultural work, water mills still in use, traditional farmhouses from yesteryear and hospitable people costitute a straong attraction for lovers of rural tourism.

Cuevas de Almanzora has a castle which was, after restoration, declared a Historic National Monument. The Castle of Marqués de Los Vélez, constructed in the 16th century, is nowadays a cultural place of the highest order. Having crossed the only access door a large courtyard opens up before you where two imposing buildings are located, these being the Casa Tercia and the Palacio del Marqués.

Alternatively, the best way of enjoying the attractive tourist areas is scuba diving. Submerging yourself in these waters is to penetrate a wourld of unequalled beauty where you can observe a practically intact ecosystem which is home to a variety of marine flora and fauna.

- Buceo Villaricos Sub, Puerto de la Esperanza, 12 Villaricos (Diving)
Tlf: 950 467 104

- Buceo Viva Riva Sport, C/ La Esperanza, 7 Villaricos (Diving)
Tff: 950 46757

Source: Indalia.es, losasensio.com

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Playa El Calón Apartments

The Desert Springs Golf Club adds a splendid attraction to the range of tourist activities in the region, original and unique in that it is the only course in all of Europe with a desert setting. It is a residential complex consisting of a large development and a golf course surrounded by cactus, rocks, bunkers and brooks strategically placed, it is not for nothing that it is the first desert golf course in Europe.

The source of inspiration for the local poet Álvarez de Sotomayor, the lands of Calguerín – as it is known to its inhabitants – will impress the visitor as it is unexpected and very unusual. A considerable number of caves, excavated since remote times for use as housing, it is concentrated on a strongly eroded lowland, which gives the place an exotic air, which, with the reduced and scattered palm trees transports us to far away times and places.

In its urban heart, Cuevas de Almanzora has a genuine architectural treasure which merits a slow walk from the visitor. Ancestral homes, some imposing, others coquettish, are spread out along the streets and large squares.

If the traveller visits the Plaza de la Constitución, dominated by the Town Hall (19th century), he will see a well preserved location where his attention may be drawn to the Casa de los Soler Bolea. There is no change of direction needed to get to the Church of the Encarnación, whose facade is of neoclassical style, but whose interior has Baroque elements.

Cuevas del Almanzora has always known how to be present in History, sometimes against its will, such as the case of the Palomares Accident of the 17th of January 1966 when a collision between an American bomber and its refuelling plane caused three atomic bombs to be dropped on locations nearby Palomares (the only atomic bombs dropped on land since Hiroshima and Nagasaki).

Music Festival Cramfields in Cuevas de Almanzora

In regards to festivals, those which stand out are Carnaval, with the celebration of the Burial of the Sardina; the Día de la Vieja which takes place during Lent; Easter; San Diego, celebrated on the 13th of November; the Festival of Virgen del Carmen celebrated on the 16th of July; and the Fiesta del Pescador, with a procession of fishermen on the 15th of August. Another stand-out event in the summer is the Festival de Música Creamfields, which will be on the 13th of August in 2005.