Níjar

Friday 2nd February 2018

Níjar was north of our campsite, through the sea of plastic, in the foothills of the Sierra Alhamilla. It is one of the largest municipalities of Spain and best known for its pottery and hand woven rugs, known as jarapas.

The journey was straightforward and as we passed under the main AP7 Autovía road we could clearly see the Moorish town in distance.

It had been described as one of the most picturesque towns in the whole of Spain and therefore warranted a visit. It came highly recommended by websites we had looked at and a place not to miss.

It was extremely quiet the day we visited and we drove up into the town where we managed to find ourselves a car park, opposite the main police station. From here the road led to the square, La Plaza la Glorieta and the church of Santa Maria de la Anunciación.

A short distance from here in La Plaza Mercado was a modern museum displaying information about water in the area, although it was all in Spanish! Outside though, was a typical Spanish drinking fountain, decorated in beautiful deep blue ceramic tiles.

We strolled along the many, steep narrow streets, frequently having to beware of the local residents driving their cars at speed, as we followed the signs on the buildings for the Atalaya de Níjar; a defensive tower from the 17th century.

We navigated our way past delightful old whitewashed Spanish houses, with their wrought iron window guards and heavy wooden front doors towards Níjar’s landmark monument.

Some of the paths between the buildings were very steep. Many were cobbled and they wound their way towards a modern staircase of stone with added wooden handrail.

The watchtower commands fantastic panoramic views of the surrounding valley, town, mountains and the sea. Spectacular! And on the day we visited, nobody else!

We had wanted to stop for a bite to eat in La Plaza la Glorieta, as there was a delightful, small restaurant with a small outdoor seating area, but it was full and eating indoors was not an option, as it was rather chilly in the shade today.

Nevertheless we found a lovely spot on the roadside with tables in the sun and tapas on the menu.

4 small beers and 4 tapas later, at a total of €8.80, bargain, we left Níjar, before the warmth of the sun disappeared and for Ray, before the shops opened for business 😉

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