SPAIN – On a budget Hayley Richardson, a student at Cambridge University travelled with friends Lora Richings and Sian Patrick to the Almeria region of Spain in June and proved that not all young British tourists are nocturnal!…..
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t’s no secret that the south of Spain fulfils pretty much all the needs of the average British tourist. We’re simple people, most of us requiring a couple of weeks of sun (just to prove it still exists), sea, a decent variety of bars and restaurants, maybe throw in a dollop of history just to keep the active types happy. Sure enough the coastal region of Almeria ticks all the boxes. There’s even a generous supply of pristine property developments for those who can’t face the return trip to monsoon Britain. As a treat for finishing our 2nd year University exams, a couple of friends and I decided to sample what this popular destination had to offer. Having just completed another financially draining year of Uni none of us were particularly flush, though we were fortunate enough to have our accommodation taken care of, as my pal’s grandparents owned an apartment in the coastal resort Vera El Playa. We flew to Almeria from Birmingham with Monarch. Booking six months in advance meant our flights were a reasonable £111 each return (however even cheaper deals were available from Stansted and other UK airports, with Ryanair). The apartment complex was a further hour away by road. The complex in Vera El Playa was the perfect base, with a supermarket and commercial centre pretty much opposite (though females, cross the road in a skirt at your peril, you’d think some of the locals had never seen one before). The neighbouring towns - Vera, Garrucha and the picturesque Mojacar - were all easy to reach by bus and indeed by foot - should you be feeling energetic - particularly if you walk along the beach itself (great for
the calves and working off that straticelli ice cream!). Also near the complex were a few impressive hotels, such as the Hotel Mexico, which offered a generous sized pool and an elegant, if a little pricey, restaurant. We were also delighted by the close proximity of Vera’s waterpark. You may think this would only appeal to the younger folk but ha, think again - we were by no means the oldest ‘kids’ there! Much cheaper (and better) than most waterparks in the UK, with some terrifying slides. The stunning hilltop town of Mojacar certainly took our breath away (almost as much as the slides). Situated on the foothills of the Sierra Cabrera the town is built over a mound 175m above sea level. As well as the idyllic town itself, the Mojacar area boasts 17km of coast, 12 of which are completely unspoilt sandy beaches. From the higher ground there are majestic views over both the golden coast and the stunning landscape of the Valle de les Pirámides, given its name by the unusual pyramidal shape of the hills. You can walk to the top but I’d definitely recommend taking the bus; it’s worth 1 Euro to conserve your energy for the town itself. Mojacar is rich in history, having been subjected to a cocktail of cultures throughout its existence. Medieval charm and
Moorish heritage combine, creating a picturesque tangle of narrow streets where the passage of time seems to have been halted for centuries. We found the best way to take it all in was to just wander around and see where we ended up.
AD SPACE
Getting lost and confused courtesy of a local map was all part of the fun. The most striking building in the town itself was most definitely the Church of Santa Maria, built in Renaissance style in 1560 by Sebastian Segura. The church’s unique architecture is born from its alternative, and somewhat contradictory role as a fortress as well as a place of worship. Its tower, thick stone walls and complete absence of windows make it an intriguing and slightly menacing spectacle, though the beautiful flowers adorning the steps up to the entrance certainly soften the vista and and have you reaching for the camera. Facing the church is a pretty little square where you can stop off at a pavement café for a drink or a snack. There is also the ‘Statue of the Mojaghera’ (Mojacar ‘lass’) dressed in traditional costume and carved in macael marble. The figure, carved in 1989, glorifies the work of the townswomen, who were left to run the town as the menfolk emigrated in search of sustenance. One could argue that the women probably still run the town today, despite the return of the men. In the late sixteenth century the town was virtually reconstructed, with the attractive Plaza Nueva becoming the vibrant centre of town life. This remains the case today; the square has been opened out and adorned with souvenir shops and quaint cafes, where you can sit and relax and reflect on your wanderings with a glass of sangria, and take in the spectacular views. Once you’ve had enough you can wander (or again, bus it) back down the hill to the commercial centre, though don’t necessarily rely on here to do all your souvenir shopping. Though some shops contained some lovely, unusual ethnic gifts, many others were remarkable only for their eccentricity. For example, hand over 10 Euros and you could be the proud owner of an Egyptian-looking silver statue of a cat, (of which I saw one American tourist buying three) – whatever floats your boat. Less than 5km down the road lies the seaside resort of Garrucha. In recent years the town has become one of Almeria’s most attractive tourist destinations. Though still firmly in touch with its roots as a traditional fishing village
it has certainly moved up-market, as evidenced by the beautiful 1.5km long ‘Malecon’, adorned with intricate mosaic paving, talented street artists and 150 exotic palm trees. During your stroll you can’t fail to notice the various monuments, immaculate gardens and pretty ports, all fringed by golden beaches and the sparkling Mediterranean. There are three main ports in Garrucha, one commercial, one for leisure and one for fishing. Though Garrucha is internationally renowned for its seafood - hence the slogan “Garrucha, sun and prawns” (catchy) - we didn’t indulge, as one of our party was a vegetarian. But we were still spoilt for choice by restaurants; our favourite being a local and reasonably priced Italian on the Garrucha main road. We also heard the steakhouse was very good, though with a ‘vege’ in our midst it was out of bounds. In terms of nightlife we were there quite early on in the season (June) so the party scene was pretty quiet. This didn’t bother us however; not all students feel they have to party all night to have a good time, honest. There were some smart looking bars and clubs nearer the hotel complexes in Garrucha and Mojaccar, but we were quite content with sitting on the beach with a bottle of wine watching the sun go down. It meant that the three of us came back relaxed and refreshed and not sporting black shadows under our eyes and craving sleep. Though our fond memories will remain with us for a long time to come, our return to cloudy Britain ensured our tans did not.