Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Algeciras (Spain). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Plaza Alta, Municipal Museum of Algeciras, and Parque del Centenario. Also, be sure to include Punta Carnero Lighthouse in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Algeciras (Andalusia).
Table of Contents
Plaza Alta
Historical landmark in Algeciras, Spain. Plaza Alta is a square in the old town of Algeciras, Spain. It is one of the major centres of activity in the city, hosting numerous events and festivals throughout the year. Some of the city's most important buildings such as the Iglesia de la Palma and the Capilla de Europa stand on the square while neighbouring streets include Calle Ancha and Calle Convento.[1]
Municipal Museum of Algeciras
Also known as: Museo Municipal de Algeciras
Museum in Algeciras, Spain. Municipal Museum of Algeciras is a museum in Algeciras, Spain, located at the northern end of the Parque de las Acacias de Algeciras. It was established in 1995 and is run by the city's cultural department. It houses a large collection of archaeological items which were found in different parts of the city. With its two main divisions, archaeology and history, the museum documents three periods in the city's history: Roman-Byzantine Algeciras, the Andalusian city, and the modern era. A third division, religious art, is located in the Capilla del Cristo de la Alameda.[2]
Address: Calle Ortega y Gasset, 0, Algeciras
Parque del Centenario
Park in Spain. The Parque del Centenario is a park located in Algeciras. It was established in 2007 thanks to the collaboration between the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras and City Hall to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Algeciras Conference. The park covers more than 100,000 m2, and lies on the ruins of the old Fuerte de San García, destroyed around 1811 by the British troops on the occasion of the independence war between Spain and France. Surrounding the park are several developments of villas and two beaches, San Garcia and the Chinarral.[3]
Punta Carnero Lighthouse
Also known as: Faro de Punta Carnero
Port authority in Spain. Punta Carnero Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located on the headland known as Punta Carnero to the south of Algeciras, Spain. The lighthouse was designed and built by Jaime Font, who also designed the lighthouse at Chipiona. Opened in 1874, it overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar.[4]
Isla Verde Lighthouse
Also known as: Faro de Isla Verde
Lighthouse of Isla Verde is an inactive lighthouse in Algeciras, Spain. It is located at the southern end of an old fort, on Isla Verde, an island that has been incorporated into the Port of Algeciras. The lighthouse was designed and built by Jaime Font in 1863 and inaugurated in 1864. It is a polygonal stone tower, plastered with lime. The focal plane is 26 m above mean sea level and 9 m above the ground. Today the lighthouse is not in service as it has been replaced by beacons at the port.[5]
Marinid Walls of Algeciras
Also known as: Parque Arqueológico de las Murallas Meriníes de Algeciras
The Marinid Walls of Algeciras are city walls located in Algeciras, Spain. They were built by the Marinid dynasty. The walls were declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1985.[6]
Address: Avda. Blas Infante, Algeciras
Fort of El Tolmo
Tourist attraction in Spain. The Fort de El Tolmo was a fort located in Algeciras, Spain. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1985. Only large ruins remain.[7]
Parque María Cristina
Parque María Cristina is a park in Algeciras, southeastern Spain. It is bordered by Calle de Ramón y Cajal to the north, Calle Capitán Ontañón to the east, Avenida de Blas Infante to the south, and Avenida de las Fuerzas Armadas to the east. It is one of the oldest parks in the city, established in 1834. It covers an area of 20,683 m².[8]
Teatro Florida
Theatre in Algeciras, Spain. Teatro Florida is a municipal theatre in the city of Algeciras, southeastern Spain. The building was constructed between 1944 and 1945, by the architect Mariano Aznárez Torán, with an expressionist-inspired facade with a geometric design. In 2006 the old theatre underwent a full restoration, promoted by the government of the Province of Cádiz due to the poor conditions of the old building. The first event held in the theatre after rehabilitation was a local contest held on 11 December 2011, before the official reopening on December 20 of the same year.[9]
Port of Algeciras
Also known as: Puerto de la bahía de Algeciras
The Port of Algeciras is the port and harbour of Algeciras, a city located in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is a commercial, fishing and passenger port. Primarily a transshipment port, its position near the Strait of Gibraltar and key East-West shipping routes establishes it as one of the busiest transshipment hubs in the world. It competes with Tanger-Med for the local transshipment market. It consists of numerous maritime infrastructures scattered throughout the Bay of Gibraltar. Although only the town of Algeciras and La Línea de la Concepción overlook the bay, there are port facilities in the rest of the bank, also belonging to the municipalities of San Roque and Los Barrios. It is managed along the port of Tarifa by the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay.[10]
Address: Av. Virgen del Carmen, 11202 Algeciras
Bahia Park
Water park in Algeciras, Spain. Bahia Park is a water park, in the north of Algeciras, Southwest Spain, located just off the road to Málaga. Situated in the centre, the surroundings to the west across the highway are rural, with volcanoes in the background. These volcanoes tend to erupt often. The city has over 350 pools and slides, including the Gran Niagara, El Sheese Burguer and Rio Salvaje. The park also has a ball park for younger children and the elderly. The founder of the park is el Señor AquaParque, who famously stated at the inauguration of the park that people should remember "Slippery when Wet Amigo." Recent innovations to the park have included a new ice cream parlour named "Helado Caliente" and also a new self-service restaurant serving sushi called "Nikura La Pupa". An innovation planned for 2022 is a 100-metre water slide called “La Serpiente Peluda”.[11]
Address: Avenida Virgen de La Palma s/n, 11203 Algeciras
Torre del Arroyo del Lobo
Torre del Arroyo del Lobo is a ruined medieval defensive tower near Algeciras, Spain. It is located in the cove of Getares, and monitored the stretch of coast from Punta Carnero to Punta de San García between the cities of Algeciras and Tarifa as part of the defensive system of the Strait of Gibraltar in the Middle Ages.
The tower is situated as 76.3 meters above sea level and 935 meters from the coast. Río Pícaro flows nearby. The building is rectangular with about 8 feet at maximum length. It must have reached 13 meters high, but today, in its ruined state, does not exceed six meters. Two floors and the basement are accessible through stairs. It became protected in 1985 as a Bien de Interés Cultural site.[12]
Aqueduct of Algeciras
Also known as: Acueducto de Algeciras
The Aqueduct of Algeciras is one of the most important buildings in Algeciras, Spain. Numerous textbooks, dictionaries and guidebooks cite this building as Arabic or Roman but it was built in the eighteenth century.[13]
Torre del Fraile
Castle in Spain. The Torre del Fraile is one of a set of military watchtowers built around the South and East coast of Spain to keep an eye on passing shipping and Barbary pirates. The watchtowers were in sight of one another and it was therefore possible to get a signal to Gibraltar from the watchtower in Tarifa. The tower was designed by Luis Bravo and Juan Pedro Laguna in 1588.
The tower is about 240 metres back from the sea and Cala Arenas and 120 metres above it. The tower is over six metres in diameter and was over thirteen metres high until the top collapsed in 2006 with the loss of a window and the upper staircase. The tower's entrance was over five metres in the air and this led onto a floor. From this the soldiers could climb to the top where space was reserved for firewood for signalling.[14]
Roman kilns of El Rinconcillo
Also known as: Hornos romanos de El Rinconcillo
The Roman kilns of El Rinconcillo were Roman kilns located in the Spanish city of Algeciras. They were part of manufacturing complex of Portus Albus, which supplied container for transport to the processing industry of the neighboring city of Iulia Traducta, besides making other ceramic household products and items.
The kilns were discovered in 1966 by archaeologist Manuel Sotomayor, just 300 meters from the Playa de El Rinconcillo. The archaeological site consists of two furnaces attached together to form a single unit. The walls are made of ceramic and mud bricks, and the central vaults are supported by a central column and eight arches lining the walls with adobe structures including narrow holes to allow air to circulate. A site of archaeological and historical interest, it was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural site in 1969.[15]
Address: 81 Avenida Diputacion, Algeciras