Throughout the municipality of Almuñécar, there are 26,514 inhabitants (2019) living in Almuñécar, La Herradura, and in the countryside. 4,729 are extranjeros / foreigners with 80 different nationalities, but here there is only one culture. The Spanish. Fiestas and Traditions are important, for example, the patron saint Virgen de la Antigua has been celebrated since 1569.
To get in touch with the municipality and the various departments and managers, there is a lot of information at: www.almunecar.es.
To submit proposals, you can click on: www.lineaverdealmunecar.com/lv/incidencias_online.asp and select the area, and fill out the form.
If you stay here for more than 6 months as a tourist, you should enroll in the municipality, called Empadronado. You also get registered in Madrid which can be good if something happens.
People have lived here for tens of thousands of years, but it was the Phoenicians who started trading places on the Spanish coast. Along with Cartagena, Malaga and Cádiz, Almuñécar is the oldest commercial city. The Phoenicians called our city EX. During the Roman Empire, the city was called FIRMUM IULIUM SEXI, and the first name for the Muslims was Hizn Al-Munekhab, which is believed to mean “Fortress on the hill”, which then became “al-Munekkab”. When the Christians returned to the city, the name was ALMUÑÉCAR, and pronounced: almonjékar.
If you live here you are a Sexitano (m) or Sexitana (f) because of the Roman name.
Almuñécar is a small, genuinely Spanish town with one of the coast’s largest cultural life. In the summertime, people from the hinterland, where it is colossally hot, come down to the Spanish coast and there are over 100,000 people here. Just about the biggest Fiestan comes around 200,000. Winter is much calmer and it is great for frozen northerners who want sun, culture and a nice social life.
The history of Almuñécar begins around 2000-1500 BC with people from the Argarica culture settled here. It was during the Bronze Age.
Almuñécar’s first known settlers were the Phoenicians who came about 1,500 BC. They came from Lebanon and were traders and they found the area with the Peñon del Santo cliff and the protective mountains as well as the two rivers Rio Seco and Rio Verde to be a good place to trade. It was possible to sail up in Rio Verde at that time. Knives and ceramic objects have been found at the old cemeteries. A few centuries before BC, the Phoenicians began to salt fish and made “Garum” which consisted of fish, oil, salt and spices. It would be good against scurvy and be included on the ships. They called the city Ex and had their own coins.
The Roman Empire expanded and in 49 BC the city was conquered, renamed Firmum Iulius Sexi, after Julius Cesar, and the inhabitants called themselves Sexitanos, which is still used. The Romans were good at building. They built the large aqueducts that come from the north and flow into the city. You can only see 5 parts, which are still left. The Romans also built the fortress of El Castillo de San Miguel, and the current archaeological museum La Cueva de Siete Palacios. When the Roman Empire collapsed by itself, so came the Visigoths, who have little to say about
But what has made the biggest impact on Almuñécar is probably the Moorish / Arab period that began on August 15, 755 AD, when Abderraman / Abd al Rahman I from Damascus, landed here. Then the name of the city became Hisn al-Munekhab. He was an energetic gentleman and eventually created the Caliphate in Cordoba. Almuñécar was liberated from the Muslims by the Christian soldiers in 1489, and was given the name Almuñécar which is pronounced almonjec.
The Moorish heyday lasted from 711 until 2 January 1492 when King Boabdil left Granada and handed the city’s keys to Ferdinand / Fernando of Aragon and Isabella / Isabel of Castile. It was then that King Boabdil turned, saw Granada for the last time and cried. His mother would then have said “Don’t cry like a woman, for something you can’t defend as a man”. The place is called El Ultimo Suspiro del Moro, “mother’s last sigh”. The old road from Almñécar, past Jete and Otívar towards Granada is called Carretera Suspiro del Moro.
Several peoples and countries have been anxious to conquer Spain, ranging from Turkish pirates to Englishmen and Frenchmen. There has been a war that can be seen on the Leaning Tower of the San Miguel Fortress. As it was, no one has succeeded.
Since the 50s, Almuñécar has attracted not only sun worshipers, but also tourists who like the genuine, and the great culture, and social life, and the pleasant atmosphere, and the safe life, nature, fruits, vegetables and much more.
Read more at: https://www.turismoalmunecar.es/almunecar-milenaria/
The oldest of these is the Phoenician tomb fields such as Puente Noy where you can see the old tombs which are from about 800 years BC. Then the different eras come with their memorials.
Majuelo park is a lovely oasis in the middle of Almuñécar with tropical trees and palm trees. There are 34 different types of trees and you can read on the signs what they are called and where the trees come from. In total, there are about 180 trees.
There are also a large number of sculptures, a stage for entertainment, a restaurant, an old fishery and 9 small houses with arts and crafts. The name Majuelo comes from the Latin word “Malluelo” which means a newly created fine park. Fortress park. The sea rose much higher about 2000 years ago and it was possible to sail up to Jete.
The park is open year-round and there is plenty of entertainment during spring, summer and autumn.
Factoria de Salazones is an old salt factory from the 4th century BC. For a few hundred years, the main industry was to salt fish to export. They also made a paté called Garum, which consisted of fish, oil, salt and spices, which was very popular for sailors. It was considered to prevent scurvy. The city flourished and there were even coins.
The saltery was covered, from Roman to Arab times, for about 400 years and became a botanical garden that belonged to the castle during the Moorish period. Parts of the park were excavated as late as 1970 and a little of the salt can be seen today. The park still covers a large area of the old salt room.
Walk around and look at the 9 small houses, cortijillos. A house for each of the 8 provinces: Huelva, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Almeria, Jaen, Cordoba and Seville, as well as a house for Almuñécar. Crafts and art are manufactured and sold in the houses. For example, you can listen to guitar playing in the Malaga House and see artists sit and paint in the Seville house. Pottery is found in Jaenhuset. Knitting in Cordoba and fabric work in Cadiz.
In the summertime between June and September, the restaurant El Kiosko Ficus is open and is a perfect place to rest under the shadow of the big Fikus trees whose leaves are up to 30 cm long. The name is Ficus del Caucho (rubber gum).
In many places in the park there are sculptures and other works of art that come from Syria. Walking here in the evening when the park is illuminated and seeing the artwork in the spotlight is impressive.
In the summer, a roof is set up on the large stage, which protects the sun and there is room for 4-500 sitting. The entertainment is everything from Flamenco to opera and Russian Cossack dance. The site is also used for Fiestas, Ferias and exhibitions. For example, Feria de Gastronómico which is a display of a number of restaurants in the art of cooking. It is a lively park.
The Castillo de San Miguel fortress, because of its high position on the mountain, was a great place to watch. Already in the Phoenician era there were watches, but it was the Romans who began to build a proper fortification and the Moors continued construction. The fortress has been damaged in wars with Englishmen and Frenchmen. One of the towers has collapsed and the fortress has even been a cemetery until quite recently. There is also a museum here. And nice views.
The Cueva de Siete Palacios Museum (the cave of the 7 palaces), which was built during Roman times and is today an archaeological museum. Here are 7 arches or caves with ancient antique amphoras found to some extent in the sea as well as many other ancient objects. An urn or amphora is from Pharaoh Apophi’s time about 1,600 years BC with written text that is probably the oldest in the Iberian peninsula.
In Roman times, an old route went from Rome to Portugal and part of the trail is left in Molvizar which you can hike on. The trail is also believed to have passed Almuñécar and there is an old bridge, Puente de Romano, which is about 2,000 years old. It is located in Cotobro. Take the left onto the hotel.
Peñon del Santo, the sacred cliff or cross mountain that it is also known as, is a good guide for newly arrived tourists. The large cliff with the nice view is called Peñon del Santo and is 30 meters high. The island outside that looks like a shark fin is called Peñon de Enmedio and at the far end is Peñon de Fuera. Los Peñones lies between the Puerta del Mar plays to the east and San Cristóbal to the west. The first cross was of iron and was erected in 1900 to mark the Christian victory in Almuñécar in 1489. In connection with the civil war of 1936-1939, the cross was taken down and thrown into the sea. After the war, in 1940, a simpler wooden cross was set up as a symbol of everyone who had fallen in the war. The present cross was erected in 1970 and then received illumination. From here you have a nice view of the coast. During the summer you have Poemas de Luna, which when the full moon rises, is celebrated with music and lyric. Very atmospheric.
Aqueducts. Of the five remaining parts that remain of the 7-km-old Roman aqueduct, which extends from the mountains to the north and dates to the time of Jesus’ birth, one can see the last part of the Plaza Mayor. There was also a thermal bath here, fresh water came from the aqueduct. During the summer months, the place is used for entertainment, among other things for choral singing and theater. It was largely the Romans who built aqueducts and the Arabs who built canals and fountains.
On Pilar de la Calle Real, which dates to 1559, fresh water could be extracted from the breast of the Diosa de la Fertilidad / fertility goddess. Above you can see the old Spanish royal coat of arms. Spain / Castile became a united country in 1492. The water came from the mountains through the Roman aqueducts.
The great church of Almuñécar is called Iglesia de la Encarnación and is located on a foundation from Roman times. The church began to be built in 1597 and was completed in 1600. It was the first church in the Province of Granada built in the Baroque style. After 1492, Christian / Catholic churches began to be built, usually on the grounds of demolished mosques. Almuñécar’s patron saint is Virgen de la Antigua. Here is also the church’s relief work Cáritas.
The other church in Almuñécar is called Templo El Salvador and is close to the Sports Stadium and is quite new. It was built in 2000. There are several saints to study.
The Palacéte de la Najarra tourist office dates from the first half of the 19th century and is a copy of a typical Arabian house with a garden, known as the Neoislamic Pavilion. It used to be an office for the old sugar factory. The little house was built as a playhouse for the director’s children. Sit in the garden and listen to the birdsong.
A smaller tourist information can be found at Paseo del Altillo where you get help with booking tickets and other information.
The Parque Ornitologico Loro Sexi bird park has about 1,500 tropical birds and also a park with various cacti. Located on the slope up to the Fortress with entrance from Plaza Abderrahman.
The Aquarium de Almuñécar at Plaza de Kuwait is the largest and most modern museum in Andalucia with its Oceanarium, which is a 17 meter long glass tunnel with a million liters of water. In addition, there are 18 aquariums with fish of all kinds.
The Mercado Municipal, the market hall, is located both in Almuñécar and in La Herradura, where you sell fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly caught fish and octopus and fine meat from animals that go outdoors all year. See all fruits: Chirimoya (which must be soft before eating it), nispola or guayaba, fresh figs, paraguayas, in addition to avocado and mango de Almuñécar and many other things available, depending on the season. Always fresh goods.
The Museo del Bonsai garden is located in the old town, with entrance from the Avenida de Andalucia. Here there are more than 130 small trees on an area of 2000 m2. The park is considered one of the foremost in Spain. A visit provides a calm and harmonious experience.
The Culture House in Almuñécar, Casa de la Cultura, is located next to the church and has a very interesting and varied program, which certainly satisfies most. Here you will find the municipality’s library of books in all languages, concert halls, study rooms, cinemas, club rooms for the women’s association Centro de la Mujer, the museum Claves de Almuñécar 3000 years and much more. In the stairs down to the exhibition hall there are large paintings showing the Phoenician and Roman eras. Well worth studying.
The statue with the stately man at the foot of Peñon del Santo is Abd al Rahman I, a prince of the Omeya family from Damascus who arrived on the coast in August of 755. It was this man who ascended to Cordoba and started the Emirate of Cordoba , who was then Muslim.
All villages and towns have at least one market, the sale of what is needed in the household, and which is a very good way to enable those who are unable to get to business, lack a car, etc., to easily buy it they wish. Proximity and good prices.
The gate with the three arches symbolizes the three most important epochs in Almuñécar’s history. The Roman, the Arab and the Christian and were long ago Puerta de Almuñécar but are now the gateway to the market Mercadillo de Viernes, Friday’s market. The place is named Blas Infante after the man named Andalucia’s father, Blas Infante Pérez de Vargas and the place now also serves as a flea market, parking lot, dog show, helicopter plate, exercise school for music school and party place for fun and entertainment during Fiesta Virgen de la Antigua in August.
The old center, El Casco Antiguo, with houses from Arabs and Jews, lies in the shelter of the fortress, which was common in the past and provides a picturesque view of what it looked like in the past.
LA HERRADURA
La Herradura which means Horseshoe because the bay is reminiscent of a horseshoe and whose water is among the finest in all of Spain. When the Spanish Championship in underwater photography is decided, it happens right here. Each time.
La Herradura celebrates the Fiesta del Mar and here you can dive, snorkel, sail or canoe. This is where people from Nerja, Marbella and Malaga come to dive, right at the point Punta de la Mona and also the headland Cerro Gordo with its caves, which you can paddle into. The beach is 2 km long with lots of bars and restaurants and here they land paraglider with his sailing screens, which starts up in the mountains and gets a nice ride with perfect upwind.
La Herradura is considerably smaller than Almuñécar city and the local bus # 2 runs several times a day. You can also walk between the resorts. A quiet and nice little town with Fiesta San José as the biggest party. The Culture House is called Centro Civico with music events and other entertainment.
Marina del Este is located on the eastern side of Punta de la Mona and is a harbor with over 200 boat seats. From here you can follow the big sailboats or walk around and just watch the boats.
To the west of La Herradura lies Playa Cantarrijan with its 2 restaurants and nude baths if you wish.
In La Herradura there is the church of San José and there is also the city saint San José which is celebrated on March 19 every year.
The tourist information in La Herradura is located in Centro Civico and there is also a large hall for concerts and entertainment
The Culture House of La Herradura, Centro Civico is located on Calle Prieto Moreno just before coming down to the sea.
Marina del Este, the leisure marina, is the point of Punta de la Mona’s eastern port and can accommodate 227 boats of various sizes. There are also restaurants, bars, shop, laundry, shop, diving company and a tennis court. The popular sandy beach has a nice and quiet location.
Almuñécar is a vibrant city. A really genuine city with an old neighborhood. Kind people and good atmosphere. A safe little town with many wonderful and fine traditions. Here are many nationalities and all live in peace and harmony and take each other into consideration. Tourists take the custom where they come. A true Spanish town.
Almuñécar is perfectly located on the coast. Out on the Mediterranean you do not go very often exactly, but on the east, north and west. So a good starting point for excursions to a lot of cities and villages throughout Spain.
There is so much more to see and explore. The white villages in the area and hiking in the mountains or sitting and having coffee with the Mediterranean sea ahead. Just stroll around the boardwalk, stop for some tapas, enjoy the sun, talk to good friends.
If you come here it is easy to fall in love with this small nice city. There is no stress here. What we can’t do today, we will do that the next day instead. There is no “must” here. Try to be without the clock one day. If things are going well, try more days. After a couple of days you will find that it is fine anyway. By then the clock has become a stressful moment that one can be without.