Garrucha, Almeria

Sun, Sea and Seafood

Traditional Spanish fishing town: Garrucha is situated in the Spanish Province of Almeria. It is a traditional Spanish fishing town nestling between Mojacar Playa and Vera Playa. Garrucha's boost is that it is the seafood capital of the Costa, and home to some of the finest seafood restaurants in Almeria. The focal point of the town is its working fishing port and marina where each morning at dawn, you can see fishing boats putting out to sea to return later in the day (17:00) laden with fish. Visitors can watch the fishermen offloaded their catch before it is auctioned at the quayside.

Tourist destination: Garrucha is a beautiful and lively market town which bustles with activity all year round. It is now becoming a very popular tourist destination that still retains much of its original charm and character. One of the delights of Garrucha is it's 2 km promenade that spans the length of the town. Smartly paved and lined with palm trees it is a lovely place to take an evening stroll where you will find delightful areas to sit and relax or watch your children play in the specially designed play areas. The promenade is the place where you will also find a great selection of coffee bars and restaurants, look out for the fish bars, many will be serving fish caught only hours earlier. The locals say 'you can never eat any fish or sea fruit more delicious then in Garrucha'. The famous local catch is the red prawns, which are only caught in this area of the Mediterranean Sea.

Garrucha beaches: Garrucha is famous for it's magnificent golden sandy beaches which are ideal for playing beach sports such as volleyball and football and perfect for sunbathing or simply relaxing and taking in the atmosphere. The beach opposite the Garrucha town centre is the only blue flag town beach in Europe. Other beaches nearby are La Bolaga, Palomares, Villaricos, Cala del Hortelano, Cal Cristal, Cala de las Conchas, Cala Verde and Puerto del Ray. You will find snorkelling and SCUBA diving schools in the area along with tennis courts at Puerto del Ray.

Garrucha Fiestas: The Garrucha fiesta takes place each year around the 14th August over 4 days and consists of events around the village. Each night there is a fair, live music and lots of drinking and eating along the beach promenade. Like most fiestas in Spain it ends with a firework display. On the 16th July the fishermen of Garrucha, honour the Virgen del Carmen that protects them while at sea. The image is taken in a procession from the church to a boat, and then it is taken out to sea for a blessing. All the fishing boats gather around at sea for the blessing.

Main attractions: The town has an interesting selection of shops and buildings. The main attraction is the Castle of Jesus Nazareno, which was built by Charles 3rd to watch over the coastline.

Market day: On Friday morning, between 09:00 & 13:00, Garrucha Town comes to life with the arrival of a large traditional Spanish street market where you can buy just about everything including; watches, DVDs, bedding, clothing, Jarapas rugs, leather goods, sweets, fruit and veg. and hot tasty chickens. Does arrive late as it starts packing up around mid-day.

Golf: Garrucha is situated in a great location for visitors who enjoy playing golf. The closes golf course to Garrucha Town is 'Marina de la Torre Golf' which is 2 km away on the costal road between Mojacar and Garrucha. Valle de Este Golf Resort is 6 km away near Vera and the superb Dessert Springs Golf Course is a little further at about 10 km, near the town of Cuevas del Almonzara.