About Mojácar
The Old Town (Pueblo)
Mojácar Pueblo is situated in the south east of the Province of Almería (Andalucia) in southern Spain, bordering the Mediterranean Sea; its people are called “Mojaqueros” - in 2005 there just 6,092 inhabitants and today there are about the same number living there all year round
It is 90 km from the capital of the province, Almería and is an elevated mountain village displaying the traditional white color from its earlier days - The tourist resort is to the south of the town on the coast called Mojacar Playa.
The town still remains remarkably true to its Moorish past. Mojacar is a place that begs to be explored by foot. Park the car below the town and wander upwards at your own pace. You will encounter incredible views with nearly every step. Follow the road which snakes its way toward the town or climb the stairs which also lead upward, depositing you into the residential heart of the village. Echoes of the past will engulf you.
You get a real sense of history in the Pueblo's winding maze of cobbled streets and sugar cube houses, reflecting the town's Moorish past. The atmospheric Pueblo is filled with history, from the streets to the famous fountain where once a great speech averted a battle.
It’s easy to see why Mojácar is called the Corner of Enchantment as you wander through its winding cobbled streets, lined with sugar cube houses overlooking the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean.
Mojácar has a rich history. It’s one of the few places in Southern Spain where Moors and Christians lived side by side and you can still depend on a warm welcome at any of the town’s excellent restaurants and shops.
The town has retained much of its original character, from the Moorish fortress, El Torreón, to the Arch of Luciana and its winding maze of streets sprinkled with shops and stalls. Mojácar’s location puts it in close proximity to many fascinating attractions, towns and fantastic beaches.
The Old town - places of interest
La FuenteMora (The Moorish Fountain) - The fountain dates back to Roman times and still remains a focal point in the everyday life of the village. People come from all over the area to fill up their containers with the fresh spring water which the fountain has provided for many a century, some locals can also still be found washing by hand . A history of the village is also written upon the fountain's walls.
La Iglesia de Santa María (The Church of Santa Maria) - La Iglesia de Santa María dates back to the 14 th century and was originally a fortress. It became a church years later and still remains the religious centre of Mojacar life.
La Plaza Nueva (The New Square ) - The view from the Plaza Nueva is one of the best in Mojaca, there's an impressive view which extends far over the beautiful deep blue Mediterranean sea and ut over the rocky landscape and local farmlands of the area. You can also see the Valle de las Pirámides and the Mojácar la Vieja, the first prehistoric settlement of Mojácar, which was built on the side of the river "Aguas" whose estuary is found on Mojácar beach.
Puerta de la Almedina (The Old City Gate) - This was the traditional entrance to Mojacar which dates back to Moorish times. You can still see the coat of arms of Mojacar which was engraved above the arch sometime in the 15 th century.
Casa del Torreón (The Old Customs House) - Just inside the old city gate is the 18th century Casa del Torreón which acted as the customs house for Mojacar where visitors were taxed for the privilege of entering Mojacar. Its actual design dates back to 18C.
The Beach Town (the Playa)
Two kilometres from the old town of Mojacar Pueblo, at the foot of the hill you'll find Mojacar Playa. This has been a popular tourists resort for over 40 years which has escaped the hands of those seventies architects, who discovered concrete and then when collectively mad. Although Mojacar caters for tourism, it has found a very nice balance between modern tourism and traditional needs. The buildings on Mojacar Playa are all low-rise with architectural styles that reflect the Moorish past of the region.
The long uncrowded sandy beaches are one of its main attractions. These beaches never get crowded even during the summer months and some of the ones to the outskirts of Mojácar are positively deserted - ideal for walks in the sun or simply just for sitting and reading a good book. It is usual for people to be siiting on the beach reading even during the winter months as long as the sun is out
There are plenty of beaches to choose from, from the busy Playa de la Cueva del Lobo and Playa del Cantal beaches to the more sedate Playa Piedra Villazar beach.
Blue Flag La Rumina beach, at the mouth of the river Aguas, is perfect for kids. The level dark sand is great for building sand castles and the sea is safe for paddling, splashing and swimming. Cueva del Lobo beach has a Blue Flag and is great for families and those who enjoy sports such as windsurfing, jet skiing or volleyball on the beach.
Cueva del Lobo, El Descargador and El Cantal beaches have excellent facilities for anyone with a disability, so your mobility need never prevent you from enjoying the sands or going for a cooling swim. It can feel as if you’ve found your own private beach at La Granatillas or El Sombrerico coves and there are plenty more like them along the coast.
For true beach enthusiasts a visit to the Virgin beaches of Mojacar is a must. These are situated to the west of the town and can be located by driving towards Carboneras, look for the sign of the two towers of Macenas and El Pirulico, the Macenas tower is the gateway and leads onto the Bordeneras, Sombrerico ( nicknamed Manaca Beach after the beach bar of that name which was built from the film set of Orsen Wells,s Treasure Island filmed in 1971 ) and Granatilla.
Nudists will appreciate the secluded beaches too, but you just need to travel along the coast to Vera for Spain’s biggest naturist beach.
Along the beach front you will find a good variety of beach bars, trinket shops, shopping outlets and supermarkets, as well as sporting activities such as horse riding, sailing, windsurfing, fishing, SCUBA diving, golf and lots more. Only 7 kilometers of Mojacars 17 kilometers of beaches are developed. They remain so unsoiled that 3 European Blue Flags for cleanliness have been awarded. Laying next to the beautiful beaches of the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata Playa and close to numerous small coastal towns the coast is a great place to explore. For those that fancy getting closer to nature, 10 kilometers away you will find Europe's largest naturist beach at Vera Playa.
Like many Spanish resorts the British (and Irish) have arrived bringing their hospitality and catering skills to a selection of bars and restaurant in an area on Mojacar Playa know as the Brit Strip. So for those who want to relaxing holiday in the Mediterranean sun and lifestyle without the need to speak a foreign language, Mojacar might be the place for you. Mojacar Playa also caters for others who are looking for a more traditional Spanish and international flavour.
The beach resort has been developed over the past two decades, it is now a lively resort with much to offer with beach bars, local and international restaurants, discos, hotels and shops. Having said this the resort is is in no danger of becoming as built up as its neighbours down in Costa del Sol or the costa Brava - Mojácar still retains its unique Spanish style with easy acess to the British visitor
The resort enforces a building restriction to prevent it becoming a high rise concrete development; residential buildings are restricted to two storeys and hotels can't be built higher than four floors.
After spending the day relaxing on the beach or taking part in a sports activity Mojacar Playa comes to life when the sun goes down. There are dozens of restaurants serving local dishes and tapes up in the Pueblo but here you can eat your way around the world with and amazing choice of Spanish, French, Chinese, Cantonese, Argentinean, Mexican, Irish or a good Thai or Indian curry. You'll find plenty of bars along the sea front and for those who want to stay out to the early hours Mojacar pulses with music bars and discos during the summer.
Every modern convenience can be found along the Playa which includes a modern shopping centre (Commercial Centre) located on the sea front at the bottom of the road leading to Mojacar Pueblo. Here you will find a medical centre, designer shops, supermarket, banks, restaurants, bars, property shops, solicitors and the local English speaking radio stations; Spectrum FM. Directly opposite this shopping area you will find the Tourist Information Centre.
There is a local bus service that runs regularly along the beach and up to the Mojacar Pueblo
In winter Mojacar benefits from an ideal winter climate and from the many people who have invested in holiday homes. This large European ex-pat community keeps the area livelier than many other Spanish resorts in winter.
Getting to Mojácar
Getting to Mojacar these days couldn't be easier. The area is served by three international airports - Almeria, Murcia and Alicante and numerous flights from Ireland and the UK arrive every day.
The drive from Almeria airport to Mojacar takes about 45 minutes, while from Murcia and Alicante it takes roughly an hour and a half and two hours respectively. When driving from Murcia, travellers now have the option of taking the AP7 toll road and cutting their travel time significantly. Spanish motorways are among the best in Europe and finding your way around on them is very easy with traffic being at a minium
Cheap Flights
You can get some amazing deals on flights to this area. Obviously prices will go up during the summer months but if you are willing to shop around, or are able to book early you should be able to fly here for very little. Perhaps the best way to find cheap flights is through Wegolo. Through this site you can find the cheapest flights to Almeria, Alicante and Murcia from many UK and Irish airports.
Airport Transfers
Once you have arrived in Spain you have a number of options for getting form the airport to your destination in Mojacar. Local buses serve all major airports and operate services to almost every town and village. Information on buses and taxis can be found here. If you cannot find a bus to Mojacar at the time you require, a bus to Vera should suffice. You can then get a transfer from Vera to Mojacar a couple of times every hour. Various companies also provide airport transfer services. Shuttle Direct and A2B Transfers are the best transfer companies operating in this area and can be depended on to get you to and from the airport on time.
Car Hire
Of course the other way to get from the airport - and the best choice if you plan on doing some sight-seeing while you're here, is to hire a car. The web is the best place to investigate this with some of the cheapest car hire rates available.