 | El Ejido is well known in Spain and abroad for its prosperous intensive agriculture, but is also a historic town. It features golf courses, beaches natural areas, archaeological sites and much more. Endless activities are available for active visitors.
The area has been inhabited since Prehistoric times. The site of Ciavieja features remains from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Under Roman rule, the population gathered around Murgi, where remains of thermal baths have been found, as well as tombs with rich funerary offerings and even a circus. The Roman mausoleum known as El Daymún and the factory of salted fish in Guardias Viejas date from the same period.
Apart from archaeological remains, in El Ejido there is also Almerimar, a top-end tourist resort. It represents a new concept of tourism, which combines leisure activities with an architecture which is perfectly intergrated in its environment. It has a golf course and one of the best marinas of the Spanish coast, among other things.
Thanks to its beaches, hotels, palm groves and parks, Almerimar is an oasis of leisure, an ideal place to relax and enjoy a perfect holiday.
The Natural and Reserve Area Punta Entinas-Sabinar is next to the golf club of Almerimar. It is a land-scape of dunes with lagoons and a beautiful pristine beach which is the home of numerous species of birds. It is a wonder for bird lovers.
The wetlands of La Cañada de la Norias feature more than fifty protected species of animals and plants. The place is an example of how human activities can encourage the appearance of natural areas. As the topsoil was extracted to prepare the land for greenhouses, brackish aquifers appeared. They are now covered by a thick layer of vegetation and form 130 hectares of wetlands which are the nesting ground of migratory and sedentary species, the highlight of which are malvasías (Oxyura leucocephala).
The beaches of El Ejido stretch from the vast beach of Cerrillos to Balerma. There are beaches for all tastes: For those who enjoy a lively atmosphere, for people seeking peace and quiet, for windsurfers…35 kilometres of coastline offer a lot to choose from.
Playa de Cerrillos combines beach and nature. It is an ecosystem of dunes and salt marshes between El Ejido and Roquetas de Mar, where the natural area Salinas de Cerrillos can be found.
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Following the coastline to the east, the Natural and Reserve Area Punta Entinas-Sabinar includes the beaches of El Príncipe or Sabinar and Entinas. Vehicles are not permitted, but it is worth walking through this paradise to fully enjoy nature.
The quiet atmosphere of this part of the coast is very different from the lively atmosphere of beaches such as San Miguel de Levante, next to the marina in Almerimar.
The beach Ensenada de San Miguel is a meeting point for windsurfers. It is perfect for enjoying the waves at any time of the year. It has been chosen as the venue for important sports competitions. Its neighbour to the west is an excellent beach which has been awarded the Blue Flag (Bandera Azul). The castle of Guardias Viejas is accessible on foot from here. Another beach, Playa de Piedra del Moro (which means “the beach of the Moor’s rock”) is a reminder of the Moorísh past of the area.
The passage of the Romans is marked by the remains of the thermal baths and the factory of salted fish of Guardias Viejas, whose salt marshes are home to many species of birds.
Playa de Balerma is a beach which is located between the villages of Guardias Viejas and Balerma, where there is an18th Century castle. Apart from the lively beach next to the promenade, there is also a large pristine beach next to the dunes worth enjoying as the last spot of this route along the coastline of El Ejido. This route along the coastline of El Ejido ends in Balanegra, a small residential town with an attractive range of accommodation in summer. | |