Area Information

Almeria Sol Villas is selling properties in the following areas

Arboleas

Arboleas is a small town in the Almanzora valley on the banks of the river of the same name, not far from the larger market town of Albox. The old part of the town has cobbled streets and an ancient church, constructed in 1492 by the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo. Although very much a part of the old town, the church was sensibly built on higher ground away from the river, because after heavy rains the river thunders down the valley, often flooding the nearby fields and orchards. This area has been inhabited since prehistoric days and has a long and interesting history, details of which can be found in the impressive new Town Hall in the higher part of the town.

The Moors played a large part in this history and an Arab writer name Abu Ben Abdalacis Al Arboli was born here in the 14th Century, he wrote a book about the food of the region, whose original copy is kept in the National Library. In 1488 Arboleas , together with many villages of the area, surrendered to Christian rule under the Catholic Kings, after the troops from Lorca, together with those of the daughters of the Marques of Velez, won their battle against the Moors.

Nowadays, with easy access provided by the dual carriageway between Huercal Overa and Baza, many British people have made this small town their home, and in Arroyo Aceituno, at the entrance to a beautiful valley that runs along the base of the Filabres mountains, there is an expanding residential area of neat villas with pretty gardens and pools, where many live.

The British join in the local fiestas, the times and dates of which are advertised in the local papers.

Arboleas has a strong agricultural economy, growing citrus, olive and almond trees and cereals such as wheat and barley. These orchards and fields extend up the river Almanzora towards Cantoria and Albanchez and many of the products are sold in the large market every Tuesday in Albox.

The town backs onto the lower north eastern slopes of the Filabres mountains and from it many excursions, drives and walks are possible. The marble mining villages are not far away, where the huge white slices cut out of the mountains shine in the sunshine, the most dramatic example being the village of Cobdar. Further to the west the Filabres rise higher, displaying pine clad slopes and sometimes snow capped summits in the winter months.

During the season, wild boar are shot in these wild, empty spaces and they feature on the menu in many a restaurant in the Filabres.

Almanzora

Settled between Cantoria and Arboleas and a short distance south of Albox, the small town of Almanzora retains much of the authentic flavour of traditional provincal Spain. The uncrowded high street offers several bars, a bank and two supermarkets.

Standing beside the town Plaza in retired splendour is the Palace of Marquess de Almanzora. Designated as an Artistic Historical Monument in 1982, it is a neoclassical Ninteenth Century building, the only example of this rich architecture to survive in Almeria.

Very much a place of retreat, Almanzora is the place to go for peaceful country pursuits and fine views for nature lovers. Above the river and olive groves, the hills are home to kites, eagles and wild boar.

Daily medical centre and dispensing chemist. Other medical cover is available in Albox and Huercal Overa. Senior schools are located out of town but there is junior school for under-12s in Almanzora itself. A Friday market is held by the town plaza. August 15th is a fiesta day. There are bus routes to Huercal Overa and Albox for connections on to Alicante, Granada, Murcia and Malaga.

Vera

The walled, renaissance town of Vera is one of the most important commercial centres in the region. Originally called Baria, it was located by sea near Villaricos. The Arabs moved it to the hill of Espiritu Santo, but a huge earthquake destroyed it in 1518. The tale goes that Queen Isabel climbed to top of this hill, fired an arrow and ordered that Vera be built where it landed. Vera as we know it was built in the 16th Century in the urban Renaissance style and later enlarged in 18th Century.

The main square, Plaza Mayor, has several noteworthy buildings. The Church de la Encarnacion (1520), flanked by 4 great towers, was built as a fort to protect against the frequent Moorish attacks. Inside there are marvelous altarpieces, remarkable in their architecture. To the left of this is the Ayuntamiento (town hall) built in the 16th Century and renovated in the 18th Century. Here, on the ground floor, is the Ethnographic and Archaeological Museum, originally the barracks of civil guard. There are exhibits on history, folklore and local traditions. The town hall also houses the municipal archives.

Other interesting buildings include:

• Church of the Convent de Nuestra Senora de la Victoria or de Minimos (1605).
• The Royal Hospital of San Agustin (19th Century) which replaced the same named building founded by Charles 1 of Spain himself (1521).
• Hermitage de Nuestra Senora de las Huertas, built on outskirts of Vera to give thanks to the people of Lorca for their help in liberating Vera from the siege of 1569 by Moorish troops.
• Hermitage de la Virgen de las Angustias (19th Century) that houses the patron saint of Vera.

A more modern construction is the Plaza de Toros (Bullring) on the Garrucha road, built in 1879 in the Mudejar style and restored in1993. on the 25th September, patron saint Cleofas' day, is the setting for bullfights.

Vera is a prosperous town with a great variety of shops, many selling locally made handicrafts, and on Saturdays there is an amazing street market that seems to take over the town. An equally strong attraction is the local cuisine, found both in classy restaurants and tapas bars.

Nearby at Vera Playa there is the only Water Park in the area, Parque Acuatico. Here you can take a thrilling ride on one of the many flumes or sit and relax by one of three swimming pools. There is an excellent selection of water shoots and slides and a children's section with a play area and their own water slides. The park is open from May until the end of September.

Vera Playa

The seaside resort of Vera Playa covers the beach area between Puerto Rey and Villaricos. Interestingly, it is said to be the place where Hannibal's elephants landed in Roman times. In the 1980s the area was practically undeveloped, however, recently this whole area has been undergoing intensive urban development and now boasts several hotels and many beach side complexes. The resort has earned the prestigious blue flag for its 8km of white sandy beaches: Las Marinas, Puerto Laguna, Pueblo Laguna, Puerto Rey and El Playazo, the later reserved for nudists. There is even an entire urbanisation for naturists. The Vera Playa Club hotel was the first naturist hotel in Spain and opened in 1989.

Along with restaurants, bars and shops Vera Playa also offers the only Water Park in the area, Parque Acuatico. Here you can take a thrilling ride on one of the many flumes or sit and relax by one of three swimming pools. There is an excellent selection of water shoots and slides and a children's section with a play area and their own water slides. The park is open from May until the end of September. For your shopping needs there is the Puerto Ray development close to Vera Playa which has a smart shopping centre and supermarket. Vera Playa is now becoming an increasingly popular year round resort both to live and take a holiday.

Garrucha

Garrucha is a beautiful and lively fishing town that still retains much of its original charm. Over the last few years it has become a popular tourist destination. Its tourist slogan is "Garrucha, Sun and Seafood"; the town is famous for the quality of its large red prawns, only fished in the local waters. Garrucha has a strong fishing industry, its main source of income, with a large port for both commercial and leisure pursuits.

Garrucha has a great selection of restaurants and bars with many excellent seafood restaurants found along the seafront serving the fresh catch of the day. They are supplied with fresh fish from nearby port, if you find yourself down on the seafront at dawn you will experience the typically Mediterranean sight of a flotilla of small fishing boats setting out to sea. Later the fishermen host a daily fish auction each afternoon at a quay side fish market.

Two buildings of interest in Garrucha are the Parish Church de San Joaquin and the Hermitage de la Virgen del Carmen, the patron saint of Garrucha. Every year on the 16th July the fishermen pass the chapel on their way to the sea in a spirited procession.

One of the pleasures of Garrucha is taking a lovely evening stroll around the bay. A palm tree lined promenade framed by white marble balustrades spans the length of the town, almost 2km. There are landscaped areas to sit and relax whilst watching the sunset over the Mediterranean sea and delightful play areas for the children. A stroll along here takes in three successive ports of Garrucha the sports port, fishing port and the commercial port.

Garrucha is well known for its magnificent, golden sandy beaches, stretching as far as the eye can see, for several kilometres. The beach opposite the town centre is the only blue flag in town beach in Europe. As you continue past Garrucha there are a series of superb recently developed beaches, covering 8km.

Mojacar Pueblo

Mojacar, with its hill-top village and beach resort offers both history & romance and space for relaxation and recreation.

Mojacar pueblo (town) is a picturesque sight of whitewashed buildings and steep and winding, cobbled streets. Perched high on a hill in the Sierra Cabrera it overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It was a centre of trade for the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans but the Moorish influence dating from the 8th Century, is most visible.

The place is a melting pot of cultures, indeed, it is said to have proportionately one of the most international blend of people in Spain. It is also a haven to people with an interest in the arts, many writers, painters and photographers have made Mojacar their home. Moreover, it is a very popular tourist destination thanks to its unique charm, relaxed atmosphere and warm hospitality.

There are variety of interesting boutiques and shops to tempt you or why not relax and have a beer or two in the many excellent bars and street cafes. Every Wednesday is market day and the streets are home to numerous stalls selling essentials to the locals.

There are a number of historical places of interest in Mojacar:

• La Fuenta (Fountain), where women wash clothes with their feet in the water. Natural spring water is said to have flowed here since the Roman times. It was restored in 1876.
• The Plaza Nueva with its splendid views of the neighbouring countryside. It also houses the Hermitage de los Dolores which is now a shop.
• The Parish Church de Santa Maria, which seems to be a fortress; it has a single vaulted nave and was begun in 1560.
• The ancient Castillo which dominates the village and is now an open viewing platform.
• Casa del Torrein, the old customs house.
• Puerta de la Ciudad (City Gate), a semi-circular arch featuring the arms of the town. It is the original site of the main entrance to the village since Moorish times.

One of the strangest tales associated with Mojacar is that it is the birthplace of Walt Disney. Apparently, Walt was the illegitimate son of a local woman who emigrated to the USA. In Chicago she is said to given him up for adoption to Flora and Elias Disney. Sadly, this anecdote cannot be confirmed as no birth records exist in either town.

Each June, for 3 days, there is a Moors and Christians festival, that celebrates the expulsion of the Moors from the region. It is a spectacle well worth seeing, there are reenactments of key events and the participants dress in elaborate costumes. Every year the two groups stage mock battles urged on by the crowd, and true to history the Christians emerge victorious. This takes place against a background of music and gunpowder explosions.

The symbol of Mojacar is the Indalo Man, the shape of a man holding an arc between his outstretched arms. It is said it brings protection and good luck and is often painted on the front of houses. The symbol is thought to be 4500 years old and is associated with the Neolithic paintings found in the caves of Velez Blanco.

Mojacar Playa

Just 2 km away from the Mojacar Pueblo is its beach resort. The long uncrowded sandy beaches are one of its main attractions.

The beaches are 17 km long, with a large part being designated an area of natural beauty. Only 7 km have been developed and they consistently earn European Blue Flag awards for cleanliness.

The beach resort has been developed over the past two decades, it is now a lively resort with much to offer with beach bars, local and international restaurants, discos, hotels and shops. The resort enforces a building restriction to prevent it becoming a high rise concrete development; residential buildings are restricted to two storeys and hotels can't be built higher than four floors.

For those looking for an active holiday there is much to do. There is a full range of watersports including jet skiing, canoeing, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing and scuba diving. If you have a head for heights why not take a flight in a microlight over the beach at the Indalo Wings Microlight Centre or try your hand at paragliding. When you have done all this there is still hiking, rock climbing, biking or horse riding.

There is an 18 hole golf course at Marina de la Torre that offers spectacular views of the coast, whilst enjoying a challenging round of golf.

For a spot of retail therapy try the Parque Comercial, a modern shopping precinct at the intersection of the sea front and the road to Mojacar Pueblo.

There is a local bus service that runs regularly between the beach and the Mojacar Pueblo.