|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paseo del Toyo s/n. Urbanización El Toyo. 04131 Retamar Sur
|
|
|
|
www.barcelocabodegata.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The country of Spain is located in southwestern Europe. |
| Mainland Spain has a surface area of 493,486 square kilometers, while the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands cover 4,992 and 7,447 square kilometers, respectively. The Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the African continent account for an additional 32 square kilometers. |
| The World Tourism Organization rates Spain as the second most popular tourist destination worldwide, with 49.5 million visitors annually. | |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Nestling by the Mediterranean down in the easternmost corner of Andalusia in the south of Spain, the Almeria region tops the sunshine rankings with a total of 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. |
| Golf courses, beaches, rural tourism, nature parks… Almería has managed to combine the economic development ushered in through intensive agriculture with quality tourism. The landscape is transformed as it shifts from the coast to the mountains, the blue world of the Mediterranean giving way to the untamed rugged mountains above. |
| Almería is first and foremost a land of contrasts. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 The Almería Art Centre & Museum. The building of the Centro de Arte Museo de Almería is in the neo-Mudejar style characteristic of early railway stations, it having been built in 1927 by the architect Guillermo Langle Rubio. Many magnificent specimens of contemporary art can be viewed in this museum, organised into a number of theme-based exhibitions. |
| Alcazaba. Alcazabas are citadel palaces of Arabic origin. The one in Almería has three separate areas. The first was devoted to dwellings and baths, noteworthy features being the Baluarte del Saliente bulwark, the Muro de la Vela wall, and the Santa María la Mayor bell, which was cast in 1763. The second area featured all the palace premises – the cistern building (‘aljibe’) for supplying the Caliphs being probably one of the best-preserved buildings in this complex, while other noteworthy features include a hermitage in the Mudejar style (the style of the Moors remaining in Spain after the Reconquest), the soldiers’ baths, and a typical Muslim dwelling, rebuilt on the basis of the surviving foundations. Moving on to the third part, we find the remains of a castle that the Catholic Kings had built when the city was won back from the Moors in 1489. Its interior layout is arranged around the parade ground, and the main features of this last complex are its three towers: the Torre del Homenaje, the Torre de la Noria del Viento and the Torre de la Pólvora. |
| Almería Cathedral. This is the first church to have been built in Almería as a fortress-church, and it is predominantly Gothic in style. It was built with defending the people from pirate attacks in mind. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The sea is reflected in the local cuisine, with highly palatable Mediterranean fish being the main ingredient in the mixed-fish fry-ups (frituras) and grilled dishes (parrilladas), and in the fish stews (cazuelas). |
| Particularly worthy of note are the red prawns, which are truly exceptional. |
| The influence of Arab cuisine can be discerned in the way the ingredients and condiments that go into the dishes and particularly the pastries are employed. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The province of Almería is notable for having preserved many historical pottery works and their most traditional collections, intended for use in cooking and as vessels. The town of Níjar was traditionally one of Andalusia’s great pottery-making centres, and is characterised by its pitchers with their multicoloured glazes adorning earthenware bowls, serving dishes, fruit bowls, pitchers and other pieces. The Albox municipality is home to the Los Puntas pottery works, which have been awarded History-and-Art Heritage status on account of their great age, the upkeep of their pottery-making facilities, and their unbroken tradition in the entire traditional pottery-making process. |
| Although products made using the Macael marble from Los Filabres mountain range are highly industrialized, there are still some craft workshops that produce decorative pieces using that raw material. |
| Also to be found in Níjar is one of Almería’s most celebrated craft products, its jarapa blankets, while in Mojácar and in other villages in the province we find necklaces, earrings, cameos and other jewellery products made with the red coral that comes from around the Island of Alborán. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Local Time: UTC + 2 in Summer. UTC + 1 in Winter. |
| Official Currency: The currency used is the Euro. |
| Official Language: Spanish. |
| Population: Approximately 39 millions inhabitants. |
| Health Information: No vaccine or medical certificate is needed to travel to Spain. |
| Electricity: 220 V. Plugs are rounded and double-pronged. |
| Types of payment: Most shops accept cash and major international credit cards, such as VISA, MasterCard and American Express. |
| Banking hours: Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|