Property Maps and Zones - Mojacar and the Eastern Costa de Almeria - Almeria Province

The Playas
The atmosphere, once considered bohemian, is now more cosmopolitan with many people bringing their culture and talents to work and live in area. During the summer months the beach is crowded, but much less so than most other coastal resorts in Spain. For those seeking quieter and more natural surroundings, there are still virgin beaches extending towards the Cabo de Gata natural park, sadly not sharing its protected status and currently being developed.

Mojacar Playa consists of over 5 km of bars, hotels, restaurants, shops and cafes. There are very few high rise and developments, the majority with a sea view, are stacked upon the hills leading down to the beaches. The developement of these beaches extends along the coast to Garrucha.

Garrucha is primarily a thriving fishing town and port. It also has a smart beachfront; a marble paseo bordered by fish restaurants, and a clean beach making it very popular with tourists. Extremely so on market days (fridays) and during fiestas (often). Garrucha has some very good fish restaurants, some on the beach itself. The town is well serviced, clean and bustling all year round. More recently developments have been constructed in the nearby and adjacent areas of Marina Playa (Mojacar) and Pueblo Laguna ( Vera).

There are several, heavily irrigated golf course developments in the area.

The beaches continue in an almost unbroken line to Puerto Rey and Vera Playa, 6 km. of beachfront, part of which is reserved for nudism, which at the moment is undergoing intensive urban development.

Three golf courses and two marinas are close by, and other attractions (waterparks and health clubs), added to a relaxed suburban beach atmosphere give Vera Playa a level of suburban comfort popular with those who prefer a flat beach terrain to mountainous dwellings. Vera Playa a is becoming an increasingly popular year round resort to live and take a holiday.

Palomares and Villaricos
Ironically it was the the Broken Arrow incident of January 1966 that focused attention on the entire region and encouraged the start of the ongoing wave of resettlement. The small port town of Villaricos and the extensive beaches near Palomares, were until recently overshadowed by developments in other areas. Proximity to golf, to its own marina port, to watersports, to the beaches of the area and the slightly lower prices have made this area popular choice for both holidays and for property sales in the last 5 years.Further along the coast is San Juan de los Terreros another quiet beach village which has attracted a lot of interest.

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The Pueblos

Mojacar Pueblo
Situated in the foothills of the Sierra Cabrera mountain range Mojacar Pueblo still retains the charm and tranquility of times gone by. Its whitewashed houses spill down the steep hill which it encirles. Many of the streets are too narrow to let cars pass, and provide visitors with a distinctly peaceful environment in which to explore the many boutiques and bars. In the summer the Mojácar area attracts visitors from all over the globe and is undoubtedly the most cosmopolitan place in the whole region. Its bars stay open until the early hours every night. Parking in the village becomes very difficult but a new multi purpose building is being developed to alleviate this problem. In the winter the village is quieter, although the country life and the village bars and restaurants sustain a pleasant and charming atmosphere.

Turre
Turre is a village with a long-standing historic tradition, located in the foothills of the wild and attractive Sierra de Cabrera. A few kilometres inland, in the dry Rio de Aguas valley, at the foot of the Sierra Cabrera, Turre is an agricultural town with narrow streets and an authentic air - it has not been developed for tourists or visitors until very recently. There are now excellent restaurants in Turre. Retirement complexes and other luxurious developments are being built in the area adjacent to the town as it becomes a more popular place to live. Orange groves and traditional farms continue to thrive in the countryside around. From Turre roads climb into the Sierra Carera where other small settlements are also being re inhabited, the largest of these being Cortijo Grande and Cabrera, extraordinary and established developments with beautiful scenery and flora.

Sierra Cabrera
Rising steeply from the Mediterranean the highest point of the Sierra Cabrera is 962 m above sea level. Sierra Cabrera is an area of great ecological interest whose legal protection is being studied by the Junta de Andalucia.

There are several half habited villages in the mountains: El Dondo, Los Moralicos, la Alcantarilla, El Moro, La Carasca, La Adelfa. All of them are beautiful, with architectural remains of ancient Moorish origin and all of them surrounded by a huerta where horticulture provided until only a few years ago, basic self-sufficiency amongst the inhabitants.
The tiny village of Sopalmo, lies 3 km from the coast half way between Mojacar and Carboneras.

Carboneras
This seaside town hosts Europes largest water desalination plant, as well as a large thermo electric plant and cement factory. In the valley behind Carboneras industry and horticulture are spreading. Though its municipality lies just without the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, much of the coast and land surrounding Carboneras is untouched. The town has good links to Mojacar, Almeria and the Cabo de Gata Park along the coast.

Sorbas
Sorbas is an extraordinary place, quite dramatic, surrounded by moonscapes and whose houses overhang an ashen gorge and surrounded by the Rio Aguas. Its slopes form a natural moat and are dotted with houses. The people of this town are great potters and make objects of an extremely high quality.

South of the town is the Parque Natural de Karst en Yesos where around six million years ago water erosion carved out subterranean chasms full of stalagmites and stalactites.

Bédar
Situated in the foothills of the mountain range of the same name, Bédar still retains the charm and tranquility of times gone by. Both the panoramic views from Bedar and the countryside around Bedar are extraordinarily beautiful. In the mountains you will find groups of very pretty farm houses which are good examples of rural architecture. Almost every house in the village, with its steep, narrow streets, is situated in a priveliged position with a great vantage point from which to look out over incredible views. The town is a favourite retreat for artists and those searching genuine beauty and tranquility without total isolation.

In the winter the village is quieter, although the country life and the village bars and restaurants sustain a pleasant and charming atmosphere.

The area nearby is of particular interest to geologists . Bedar saw years of prosperity during the exploitation of the lead mines in El Pinar which remains an affluent somewhat exclusive place to live, now along with nearby Serena.

Los Gallardos is a traditional farming town, 1km from the motorway, which has recently enjoyed a great deal of development due to its priveliged location, and the spectavular mountian views of the Sierra de Bedar and the Sierra Cabrera. It too saw years of prosperity during the exploitation of the lead mines which have left their mark with several large properties in the town.

Antas lies hidden in a bluff of the Sierra de Bedar, a quiet farming town increasingly popular due to its position close to the coast, mountains, motorway and the Almanzora valley.

Cuevas de Almanzora
Standing on the banks of the river Almanzora, its rich architectural and cultural heritage are a direct result of times gone by. On the outskirts of the town some very important archaeological sites containing the remains of several prehistoric areas have been found.

Pulpi is on the eastern fringe of Almeria Province and serves nearby San Juan de los Terreros, which straddles the seafront with a narrow beach and is also the location of an 18th Century castle.

Huercal Overa is the chief town of a thriving agricultural district and lies on the Lorca-Baza railway between two branches of the Rio Almanzora. There is a large modern hospital and the town is a transport node for Almeria, Murcia and Granada provinces.