Algeciras

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 important to the artist, starting at his birthplace, and moving south along the shoreline of the city.

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.

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, cheap hotels - perfect for an overnight stay. 

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 Gibraltar. From the early 1970s onwards, increasing industrial and housing development encroached upon the marismas of the Palmones and Guadarranque rivers.

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. The station is located in the upper part of the town and a few kilometers from the port due to a historical requirement to be out of range of the Gibraltar 100-ton gun (cannon).

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 Niagara and Rio Salvaje, plus kamikaze and black hole.

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 town To the west of Algeciras are four small coves with beaches with access only on foot.

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 Deborah Kerr. Hotel Reina Cristina was opened in 1901 and the building includes ancient ruins. There are parts of an 8th-Century Mosque and a Moorish well. The hotel is next to Algeciras Port. The beach is 10 minutes away.

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. 

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 small cary on size lockers and a cafe. There is a taxi rank outside. The local bus L1 stops outside.