ADORABLE ADRA
ARCHITECTURE
Among the most interesting religious buildings in Adra are: the Parish Church of the Inmaculada Concepción, a church of substantial size that dates from the 16th Century and which has beautiful statues inside; San Sebastian chapel; from the end of the 17th Century and reconstructed in the 18th Century, underneath which remains have been found of Romans who worked in salting factories; the Church of Our Lady of Las Angustias, that, situated in Adra La Vieja, is the oldest of the parishes in the town; and the Chapel of San Isidro, from the 18th Century, an example of popular architecture from the Alpujarras.
In this town, full of military architecture, we find ourselves among remains of walls and turrets left over from the ancient surrounding wall of Adra La Nueva, remains of the fortress that was constructed under order from Juana ´La Loca´ (Joanna of Castile, daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, sister of Catherine of Aragon) and the lookout turret of Guainos.
The stately buildings also attract the attention of travelers, such as the Casa del Conde de Cachón, today the headquarters of the Museum of Adra and from whose courtyard one can access the archaeological site of the Montecristo of Adra; as well as the Houses of Marqués of the Gnecco, built in the 18th Century in different areas of the town and which are characterized by their flower-lined and porticoed courtyards.
Left over from the town´s industrial past, mainly in mining, is the Foundry of San Andrés, the first lead factory in Spain, from which only two buildings have been preserved: the Vinegar Factory, today an exhibition centre and the Torre de los Perdigones, headquarters of the town´s Tourist Office, where you can find a viewpoint with views to the port, the Real Club Náutico and to the coast.
HOTELS
Hotels in Adra may be hard to find, as it is only a small coastal fishing village. There is a guesthouse just outside the town which provides visitors with a comfortable place to stay (shown below), however there is a lack of hotels in the town itself. Nearby towns such as Berja (13km), La Rábita (14km) and El Ejido (18km) provide an array of hotels and accommodation very close by to the town.
Hostal Zapata
This pleasant guest house is located on the outskirts of Adra at the foot of the Sierra Nevada National Park. It offers a garden and air-conditioned accommodation with free Wi-Fi and sea or mountain views.
BEACHES
Nature lovers can enjoy a variety of beaches and coves spread along 20 kilometres of coast and the Nature Reserve of La Albufera on the Adra river, where you can see a huge array of aquatic birds, including Ospreys and Kingfishers, as it is a popular stopover point during their migration to and from Africa. Hiking fans can choose from a wide selection of routes along the coast as well as around the Adra riverbed and through the forests of the area.
GASTRONOMY
Those who wish to try the best of gastronomic dishes in Adra must order dishes like the so-called special noodles, olla fresca (soup), migas, gachas and other seafood disheas; as well as fried milk, talvinas, fried dough balls (buñuelos) and aniseed doughnuts.
FERIAS AND FIESTAS
Party-goers and visitors who wish to see the traditional celebrations of this town must come for the festivities of San Marcos, San Sebastián, the Festival of the Crosses, the night of San Juan, the Virgin of Carmen and for the big Feria and Fiestas in Adra which are celebrated at the beginning of September.
MARINA
The Marina in Adra has magnificent views to the Almerian Alpujarra.
HOW TO GET THERE
The town of Adra is located some 50 kilometres from the city of Almería, from where you can travel straight along the A-7, taking exit number 389.
Source: www.andalucia.com
