Some locations in Spain demand and deserve close inspection. Others require the investigation powers of a detective to fully uncover its true character. Algeciras is one such place.
Those who have been there only for the time it takes to board a ferry, are quick to call it ugly. It is an accusation labelled at too many port cities throughout Spain and in almost every case, including this one, it is a falsehood.
More than just a port
Old quarter of Algeciras
Algeciras is about much more than a port. Go behind the rather austere frontline of apartments and you discover a city full of character and charm. Not altogether surprising when you examine the history of the place.
Founded by the Moors in the year 713, it underwent centuries of turbulence. The city was conquered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1344. The Moors regained control twenty four years later but the city was destroyed on the orders of Muhammed V of Granada and the site abandoned. Refounded in 1704, it was, a century later, fought over in the Battle of Algeciras. Then the British Navy won a battle against the combined forces of the Spanish and French fleet. Another upheaval came many years later during the rule of General Franco in Spain. When he closed the border with Gibraltar at nearby La Linea, many Spanish naval workers moved to Algeciras and vast industrial development took place.
Closer to north Africa than Malaga
Algeciras
Today the mix of Moorish influence and industrial growth comfortably sit side by side. It is a busy place. Half a million migrant workers make the journey between Morocco and Spain at the height of summer, but It is not only the coming and going of people that makes the buzz of the port ever present. Algeciras is also the second busiest container port in Europe.
In the central market square of the city, you are surrounded by Moorish architecture. The market in Plaza de la Palma is one of the largest in all of Spain. The old quarter of Algeciras, Barrio de San Isidro, dates back to the 18th century, as do the two distinctive churches in the pretty Plaza Alta.
Algeciras is far removed from the over populated resorts along the coast towards Malaga. In every sense it is closer to north Africa than it is Spain.
It’s part of the province of Cadiz and, like that splendid city, it has good beaches of its own.. They are one of the most overlooked attractions. Playa Getares is a spacious blue flag beach with golden sand. Playa El Rinconcillo is another vast stretch of beach that is home to the Algeciras Windsurf club. Water sports minded tourists drive that bit further to Tarifa, but locals test their skills on the waters of Algeciras.
One of the most famous hotels along this stretch of coastline is Hotel Reina Cristina. Financed, designed and built by the British, the hotel still has a colonial feel to it. Today the sea views are not as uninterrupted as they were in the days when the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Orson Welles and Rock Hudson stayed there. However, the hotel and its gardens must be viewed if only to get a feel for the past glories of Algeciras.
You can taste Tangier
Plaza Alta
From Algeciras you can take the ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to North Africa and spend many a happy hour haggling in the manic markets of Tangier. There are also crossings to Ceuta which, although in Africa, is actually part of Spain.
Arab influence is there to be seen in Algeciras itself. Tea shops serve Moroccan mint tea, lighting shops display old lamps from across the seas and carpet stores sell colourful rugs from places such as Fez. Indeed if all you want is a taste of Morocco, you don’t have to get on the ferry.
When buying or renting property within a 35 kilometre radius of Algeciras, prices vary considerably. To the west is the trendy watersport capital of Cadiz province, Tarifa with house prices among the highest in the area.
To the east you will find Estepona and the family orientated Benalmadena
Those locations are more tourist orientated.
Algeciras may not be for everybody, but some days it feels like everybody in the world is here.
That’s what I love about Algeciras.
Enjoyed your article. Used to love the Reina Cristina years ago, but haven’t had the occasion to go back in years. Would be interested to know the name of your book about Granada and where — in Grandada — it might be purchased.
Thanks!