Clockwise: The historic hotel Reina Cristina, Seville-like ceramics of The Plaza Alta, The railway with many Anglo historic links, Paco de Lucia the famous flamenco guitarist and composer, who was born in this town. |
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Algeciras
Algeciras is primarily and unashamedly a port and industrial centre, sprawling round the far side of the bay to Gibraltar. When Franco closed the border with "the Rock" at the nearby La Linea, it was Algeciras that he decided to develop to absorb the Spanish workers who used to be employed in the British naval dockyards and in order to break the area's dependence on Gibraltar.
High-speed Catamaran from Tarifa to Tangier Town and from Algeciras to Tangier Med. Discounts on day return bookings.
One of the most famous and influential flamenco guitarists ever, if not the most famous, was Paco de Lucia, who hailed from Algeciras. You can follow a route of places around Algeciras which were… More →
Lost your passport? You need to speak to your consulate in Andalucia. Malaga City has most Consulate offices for the Costa de Sol and the South of Spain. See our list on the Malaga Consulates page… More →
Primarily an industrial port town, Algeciras is always busy with people passing in and out of it. There are numerous luxury hotels, namely the Hotel Reina Cristina, as well as a number of smaller… More →
The 58ha Marismas del Río Palmones Natural Area is one of the last remaining patches of what used to be extensive marshlands (marismas) in the Bahía de Algerciras, the bay between Algeciras and… More →
Algeciras railway station is the present terminus of Mr Henderson's Railway which connects Ronda with the Spanish rail network at Bobadilla for main lines to Granada, Malaga, Cordoba and Madrid.… More →
Waterpark located Just outside the port town of Algeciras. convenient for residents of Gibraltar, Tarifa and western end of the Costa del Sol. Get a buzz on the eight rides, including Gran… More →
A guide to the beaches near Algeciras. Getares is the most popular, also known as Playa de San García, is a large and sandy beach that stretches for around a kilometre to the west of Algeciras… More →
The proudest hotel in the city of Algeciras is the Hotel Reina Cristina. Kings and Queens have stayed there. So have statesmen such as Churchill and Roosevelt and film stars like Rock Hudson and… More →
Algeciras is primarily and unashamedly a port and industrial centre, sprawling round the far side of the bay to Gibraltar. When Franco closed the border with "the Rock" at the nearby La Linea, it… More →
Algeciras bus stations is located next to the railway station. It is a modern uninteresting functional design. It has ticket office open all day. facilities include shops, toilets, 'consigna' with… More →
It is an industrial city that supports the large deep water container port and nearby oil refinery. In the port area there are many Moroccans in transit, particularly during July and August when migrant workers return home for their holidays from their work in France, Holland and Belgium. As a consequence, there is a strong Arab influence here with many of the signs in Arabic as well as Spanish. In the Moroccan quarter you can find several traditional tea shops which specialise in the traditional Moroccan mint tea. There are a number of Moroccan bakeries. Algeciras may not be a beautiful city but it does have a gritty individuality about it and, unlike some of the Costa resorts, is a very genuine place with a real port atmosphere.
There are lots of reasonably priced restaurants to try - several with terrific views of the nearby Rock of Gibraltar. Try the rooftop cafe of the Corte Ingles. In the summer the visitor can cool of at one of the nearby beaches or in the local waterpark.
2 Days North of Morocco from Algeciras
Sign up for the two day trip to Tétouan,Tánger and Chaouen! You will discover cities that pleasantly surprises visitors with not being overly touristy and that really display the essence of Morocco. They are considered the most authentic cities of Morocco that aren´t geared towards tourism. Many choose it because of its proximity to Europe, as a jumping off point to see the country. The cities itself have enormous charm because of its streets, its medina, its souks, its city walls, its restaurants, its neighbourhoods, and of course, its people, will make your visit a truly unforgettable experience!
Plaza Alta
Those that find the time to wander will fine quiet parks and tree lined plazas almost hidden away from the rushing travellers.Plaza Alta is the overlooked square, go there for people watching. It is the most important square in the city, perhaps a bit dated but still retains an opulent charm being decorated with colourful ceramic tiles. The seating is ceramic and it tells the story of Don Quijote and of the history of Algeciras. there is a large fountain in the centre and the walled enclosure is also ceramic. Around the square are a number of tapas bars and cafes, wo pedestrian shopping streets and a couple of churches. Some say this is the second best square in Andalucia (after Plaza de España in Seville) with families and children enjoying themselves, others say the decoration is nothing special, frequented by strange characters, the pigeons are visious, and is only of interest because there is nothing else to see in the surrounding town. Another place to visit is Parque Maria Cristina.
High-speed Catamaran from Tarifa to Tangier Town and from Algeciras to Tangier Med. Discounts on day return bookings.
Port
For most people, however, Algeciras is just a stopping off place, en route to Tangier or Morocco. There are about eight crossings a day (2 hrs 30 mins or 70 minutes with fast ferry services to Tangier Med, a port to the east of the city, in Morocco. There is also a frequent service to Cueta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast.
The comercial side of the port is large. With three million container movement a year makes it the biggest in Europe. Most is transhipment not import or export. The huge cranes you see are actually the largest in the world. The police-thriller film "El Niño" was set in Algeciras port here and followed the adventures of small and big time drug smugglers.
There is also a small yachting Marina which welcomes all.
Bus Station
Algeciras Bus station has long distance bus service to Madrid and also Irun near the French border as well as services to Seville, Costa del Sol and Malaga plus local services to La Linea for Gibraltar. Timetables can be found on this Algiceras Bus Station page
HENDERSONS RAILWAY Station
The Railway station is a few km from the port. Trains no longer descent to the port itself so you will need to take a taxi if arriving from Madrid by train. Algeciras is also the place to catch the train to Ronda which is definitely one of the best journeys in Andalucia which takes you via Gaucin and past some of the most beautiful pueblos blancos (white villages) in the whole of Andalucia. These include San Roque, Castellar de la Frontera - a bizarre village within a castle, Jimena de la Frontera and a handful of tiny villages, such as Benaojan-Montejaque. There are four train departures from Algeciras a day. The Algeciras to Ronda railway journey and its history is described in our section on the Henderson Railway.
HOTEL REINA CRISTINA
The proudest hotel in the city is the Hotel Reina Cristina. Kings and Queens have stayed there. So have statesmen such as Churchill and Roosevelt and film stars like Rock Hudson and Deborah Kerr. Nowadays most choose to fly over Algeciras en-route from Europe to Africa.
Paco De Lucia
Paco de Lucia, (Obituary) the famous flamenco guitarist and composer, was born here and is the local hero. He died in Mexico in 2014 and was buried in the old Algeciras cemetery. The town council have created a 'Ruta de Paco de Lucia' which links ten locations in and around the city that were either in Paco's life or referred to in his songs. Here is our page on the Paco de Lucia Route.
