By Nigel Wright features@algarveresident.com
Nigel Wright, and his wife Sue, moved to Portugal seven years ago and live in the countryside near Paderne with their three dogs. They lived and worked in the Far East and Middle East during the 1980s and 90s, and although now retired, still continue to travel and enjoy new cultural experiences. His other interests include tennis, gardening, photography and petanque.
The can-can girls screamed and fled as three gun-slinging desperadoes swaggered into the crowded saloon. These swarthy outlaws were wanted ‘Dead or Alive’ for a gold bullion robbery and the local Sheriff arrived to make his arrest.
Fists were soon flying and bodies strewn all over the floor after a gunfight that ended, amidst much cheering from the enthusiastic audience, with the barmaid shooting the Sheriff!
We were in Spaghetti Western country at Fort Bravo Cinema Studios in the parched hills north east of the city of Almeria. This empty land of scarce rainfall has scenery more akin to Arizona than Spain – even olives and eucalyptus struggle to survive.
You feel like a hero from the Old West striding through the lifelike Texan and Mexican film set villages. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were all made here. It is an entertaining introduction to Spain’s Costa de Almeria, east of Malaga and mainland Europe’s only desert landscape.
It is a curious paradox that to reach southern Spain’s most attractive coastline that you drive through the country’s most intensive and ugliest horticultural operations. Almeria province has hundreds of square kilometres under plastic greenhouses – termed ‘plasticultura’. Prodigious quantities of fruit, flowers and vegetables are produced, using ever-scarcer water resources from increasingly deep aquifers, leading local residents to be very concerned about the future of their environment.
Mojácar Pueblo & Playa
 Spaghetti Western Saloon Bar at Fort Bravo. |
 |
Most visitors to the Costa de Almeria choose accommodation close to Mojácar Pueblo; a pretty whitewashed village perched on top of a hill, just inland from the busy beach resort of Mojácar Playa.
The pueblo has a long history going back to the Moors, who were finally expelled by the Christians in 1488. Over the ensuing centuries the town drifted into decline until discovered by tourists in the 1960s. It has since been almost completely rebuilt and bustles with activity. After parking their cars, most visitors toil up the steep slopes to the plaza at the apex of the village to admire the glorious views and enjoy a drink or meal in one of the many cafés. Nearby shops do a roaring trade, selling tourist trinkets of variable quality, but to appreciate the real charms of Mojacár, it is best to leave the crowds behind and explore the town on foot.
The Tourist Information Office provides useful maps and there are many hidden alleyways, picturesque squares and balconies filled with colourful flowers.
The buildings at nearby Mojácar Playa are low rise and generally in tasteful architectural styles that reflect the region’s Moorish past.
The resort has miles of sandy beaches, some with blue flags and has been popular with the Spanish for over 40 years.
However, a range of bars, restaurants and discos now cater for those foreigners who wish to enjoy a Mediterranean holiday without the need to eat the local cuisine or speak the language.
So, Mojácar Playa succeeds in catering for both those who seek a vacation with a typical Spanish flavour and those who prefer a family-orientated sun, sea and sand summer holiday.
Sandy Beaches and Seafood
 Picturesque Sandy Beach at Agua Amarga. |
|
We drove east along the spectacular coastal road from Mojácar to discover the majestic Parque Natural Cabo de Gata. The park’s barren mountains, many of volcanic origin, plunge dramatically into turquoise waters around rugged, isolated headlands that hide some of Spain’s best and emptiest beaches.
Several are in remote locations, like the exquisite Playa de los Genovese, which is a beautiful broad strip of yellow sand only accessible after motoring down a long dirt road.
Our favourite beach destination, however, was Agua Amarga, a peaceful Mediterranean tourist paradise that firmly maintains a traditional Spanish culture.
This enchanting village sits behind an attractive, sheltered blue flag beach of magnificent fine sand. After a refreshing dip in the shallow waters of the bay, we enjoyed a long, lazy lunch of delicious fresh grilled fish at the excellent Costamarga beach café.
Other Cabo de Gata coastal villages worth exploration include San José, Las Negras and Carboneras. All have family-friendly sandy beaches and wonderful seafood restaurants, although the cement works at Carboneras is a colossal blemish on the town’s landscape! The Natural Park itself offers the more adventurous a host of hiking, climbing, mountain biking and horse-riding opportunities amongst its arid peaks, crags and deep ravines. The nature reserve also extends offshore where a crystal clear sea lies waiting for keen snorkelers and scuba divers.
Traditional country life
 Rocky Coastline of Parque Natural Cabo de Gata. |
|
If you venture a few kilometers inland from the coast, you can enjoy the sleepy pace of life of rural Spain. Set in a lush oasis of citrus trees, Níjar’s popularity stems from the colourful pottery, jarapas (hand-woven rugs) and delicious Iberian ham made in the region.
A few yards away from the main street, the town’s historic quarter is typical of Andalusia with narrow streets, a peaceful town square and a large 16th century church with a delicately inlaid ceiling.
It was a pleasure to watch a group of local primary school children intently studying rug-making techniques in a weaver’s workshop, whilst under the shade of the square’s ancient orange trees, the local social services team served morning coffee to the town’s elderly disabled residents.
This picture of gentle rustic life was repeated when we visited Sorbas, precariously balanced on the edge of a chasm overlooking the dry riverbed of the Río de Aguas and the pretty village of Bedar, sitting astride a hillside nearer the coast.
The terrace of the Miramar Restaurant in Bedar is the perfect place to enjoy the village’s famous lamb dishes whilst watching the sun set across the shapely peaks of the Cabo de Gata Mountains.
The unspoiled coastline of the Costa de Almeria offers an attractive holiday alternative to Spain’s over-developed Costa de Sol. Because of the low population density and dramatic scenery, visitors feel a real sense of exploration discovering hidden beaches, spectacular mountain scenery and white hillside villages.
However, if your holiday aspirations include sitting in saloon bars and watching can-can girls, you would be better to leave the coast and apply for a job at one of the Spaghetti Western film studios!
