An Overview of Local Sightseeing

The most noticeable to all who enter the town is the sturdy Moorish Castle. Though built on Roman foundations, what remains is mostly from the Arab and Christian eras. It contains an interesting museum as well as offers excellent views of the beach and town.

Not far from the castle is the small but impressive Archaeological Museum. This is located in what were the cellars of a Roman construction, now known as the Cave of the Seven Palaces. Here you'll find some interesting finds from the area including a beautiful 3500 year old Egyptian vase.

Standing in the shadows of the castle is the peaceful Majuelo Park. Its shady botanical gardens offer welcome respite from the summer heat and a colourful display of exotic flora. In the centre of the park you can see remains of the Roman fish-salting pits which were originally established even earlier during Phoenician times.

To feed the town and flourishing salting industry with water, the Romans built a magnificent aqueduct 7 kms long, much of which still stands and can be visited. Recent finds in the new Plaza Mayor indicate that this water channel also fed a complex of hot baths which are only partially excavated and still under archaeological investigation.

Archaeologists have also recently excavated a delightful little bridge of Roman origin on the outskirts of town. About 40 mins walk from the town centre, this gem of a construction is still in excellent condition and also worth a visit.

When you've seen enough historical sites, next stop should be the Loro Sexi bird park and cactus gardens. This is a great outing for all the family, especially the kids. Colourful and noisy, but fun.

Scattered around Almuñécar and La Herradura you will see various statues and monuments, some very modern and others more traditional in style. Most commemorate important historical characters or past events.

And last, but not least, we should mention the number of old watchtowers and coastal defences that you're bound to see dotted along the coast on all the most prominent headlands. These are simple reminders that not so long ago visitors weren't so warmly welcomed here.

Or maybe you'd like to make a real day's outing, in which case take a look at our pages on Excursions.

And if you want to know more about the area's past, then we suggest you read our Brief History of the Area.

SIGHTSEEING PAGES

Aqueduct   Castle   Church (Almuñécar)  Cotobro Bridge   Loro Sexi Bird Park   Majuelo Park  Municipal Museum  Statues, Monuments & Fountains  Watchtowers & Coastal Defences