Granada
The Alhambra was a Palace,
a citadel, a fortress and home of the Nasrid sultans, high government
officials, servants of the court and elite soldiers (from the
13th century to the 15th century). Today the Monument is divided
into four main areas: the Palaces,
the military area or Alcazaba,
the city or Medina and the agricultural estate of the
Generalife. It also includes noteworthy buildings
of different periods, such as the Renaissance-style Charles V Palace, housing the Alhambra Museum, with items taken chiefly from the Monument, and the Museum of Fine Arts. All of these areas are set in the
natural surroundings of woods, gardens and orchards. |
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In order to appreciate fully
the unique value of the architecture and landscape of the Alhambra,
I recommend a visit to the Albaicin (Mirador de San Nicolas), or Sacromonte. From these two places the spectacular
relationship between the Alhambra and the district and the city
can be discerned.
Definitely a complete days
outing, especially if you enjoy lunch at the unique American
Hotel. Yes not your normal American hotel and I do not think
burgers and chips is on the menu. |
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You are strongly advised to purchase
your tickets in advance and there is an online booking and payment
system. Visit the Alhambra web site at http://www.alhambratickets.com
to book your tickets and for information on opening times. The
attraction is very popular and it is a long way to drive to find
entry closed because they have reached their capacity limit. |
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Almeria
Located on the Costa de
Almeria, this vibrant city can trace back its history to pre-historic
times. Throughout the centuries, many peoples have lived in the
area, and left their mark – Phoenicians, Carthaginians,
and Romans. The town evolved into an important naval base and
port for the Caliphate of Cordoba under Abderramán III,
who built the magnificent fortress overlooking the city and the
bay. With the collapse of the Caliphate, the town became one
of the main economic forces on the Mediterranean Sea when it
started producing large quantities of silk, velvet, damask, and
brocade. The town housed more than 10,000 textile mills, making
it very prosperous. This ended in 1147 when Alfonso VII seized
the town, and subsequently destroyed it to stop its enormous
economic influence in the area. It was later brought back under
Muslim influence, and did not return to Christian domination
until 1489.Almeria continued to expand economically, despite
persistent raiding of the coast by Berber pirates during the
16th century. In the 19th century, the city became the capital
of the province of Almeria after Spain was restructured into
provinces. Today Almeria is a thriving city and province, with
a strong economy based on tourism and greenhouse crops. Almeria's
hefty cathedral is at the heart of the old part of the city and
was begun in 1524 to replace a predecessor wrecked by the earthquake
in 1522. The architecture is a combination of Gothic and Renaissance,
its fortress like appearance was due to suffering raids by pirates
from North Africa. The north facade is an elaborate mid 16th
century design by Juan de Orea. The spacious interior has a Gothic
ribbed ceiling and makes use of jasper and local marble in some
of its baroque and neo-classical trimmings. The chapel behind
the main altar contains the tomb of Bishop Villalan, founder
of the cathedral, and is another work of de Orea, as are the
choir with its stalls made out of walnut wood, and the Sacristia
Mayor with its fine carved stone roof, windows and arches. The
castle gives a fantastic view over the city and its sights. This
massive fortress, the Alcazaba, consists of three walled enclosures,
which used to contain everything the inhabitants would need in
times of siege. One of the enclosures holds the remains of a
chapel that was originally built as a Mosque, but was later turned
into a Catholic chapel by Catholic kings. With its fortified
structure, gothic construction and Renaissance façade,
the cathedral is a real landmark. It was built in the 16th century
as a dual-purpose building. Besides its obvious religious purpose,
it was also a defensive structure, its corner towers once housing
canons, which were necessary to defend the building, and the
city, against the raids of Barbarossa and other pirate forces.
The Costa de Almeria remains unspoilt by mass tourism. To the
west of Almeria, the coast consists of high cliffs, which a little
further on turn into flat beaches, ideal for long days in the
sun. To the east of the city 20 kms of beautiful beaches, stretch
along the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Close by is San Miguel
de Cabo de Gata, with its interesting Roman and Arab archaeological
sites. |
    
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Rodalquilar
Less than an
hour away from the city is the former gold mining town of Rodalquilar.
A British mining company first exploited the rich seam of minerals,
deposited in the area by volcanic explosions under the sea 10
million years ago, at the end of the 19th century. At its peak,
the town supported 1400 people but after the mines closed in
the Sixties the population plummeted, leaving less than 100 people
today. See the abandoned homes of the miners' ghost town on the
edge of the village along with mineshafts and a museum, which
charts the history of Rodalquilar. The village now caters for
tourists with bars and restaurants. |
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Mojacar
Mojacar is
a classic white washed Andalucian hill town an hour's drive from
the city of Almeria. The Old Town is set a couple of miles back
from the sea and is full of steep, winding streets and classic
box houses. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and wonderful
views over the plain and across to the Mediterranean. |
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Stroll the cobbled
streets and find a suitable watering hole when your legs get
tired. Down on the coast is the fast-growing New Town with seafront
bars and a large commercial centre. There is also a long sandy
beach with good swimming. |
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Mini-Hollywood
More than 100 films have been at least partially shot here. These
include A Fistful of Dollars, The Magnificent Seven and The Good,
The Bad & The Ugly. The two centres are three kilometres
apart on the N-340, 24 kilometres out of Almeria towards Tabernas. |
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Open daily.
· Two centres (Mini Hollywood & Texas Hollywood)
· Staged shootouts at 12.00h and 17.00h
· Stockaded Fort
· Mexican Pueblo
· Indian tepees
· Museums
· Swimming pool
· Western style Saloon
· Zoo |
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Go Karting
The Go Kart
track is behind the underground car park in the COPO commercial
centre. They have a range of machines for children up to the
experienced adult and the prices range from 5 Euros for 7 minutes
for a child’s machine up to 14 Euros for 7 minutes for the
most powerful machine. |
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Sailing and
Wind-Surfing
There is a
sailing and wind-surfing centre in Roquetas de Mar in front of
the Hotel Playa Luna, Urbanisation Playa Serena. They have top
equipment for courses and rentals and qualified teachers for
all kinds of courses. These are ideal for all levels from beginners
(both children and adults) to advanced International Windsurfing
Certificate. All equipment can be rented for the time required.
· Advanced
course, with harness, fast tack and jibe.
· Funboard course, with beach start and planning.
· Individual teaching.
· Private Hour.
· Refreshing Hour.
· Sailing trips.
· VDWS Basic Licenses.
· Waterstart course.
Visit their
web site at www.surfroquetas.com for more information. You will
find a copy of the web site pages in the Villa Information file.
There is also a wind-surfing centre in the Almerimar Marina. |
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Mario Water
Park
Mario Park
is a very large new water park at Camino Las Salinas in Roquetas
de Mar. There is plenty of entertainment for children and adults.
Activity lake.
Adventure river.
Beach volley.
Black hole slide.
Cloakroom.
Family pool Ball.
Guarded parking.
Kamikaze shoot.
Photographic shop.
Pool with Waves, upto 1 metre tall.
Rio Bravo Picnic zone.
Souvenir shop. |
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Also a choice
of places to eat and drink.
Self Service
Pizzeria.
Hamburgers.
Ice cream parlour.
Restaurant. |
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