Enjoying your holidays is the most important thing for us, so we know that a guide with everything you need to discover the city while you travel on your transfer to Algeciras from Malaga Airport is essential.
Here’s everything you need to have a great day.
Index
Stepping inside of your transfer to Algeciras. Let’s talk about history first
It was Portus Albus in Roman times; its ceramic kilns in El Rinconcillo testify to its existence in the first century of our era.
Then it disappeared to be reborn with a Moorish name, the same that it conserves: Al-Yazirat Al-Jadra (The Green Island), Algeciras, as we pronounce it today.
Tarik set foot on this land in the spring of 711; Count Don Julian, the former Byzantine king of Ceuta, was its first governor.
Later, the walled town was built in the Old Town, where the fortress and the beautiful mosque built by Ben Jalid were built.
Towers and crenelated walls defended the city, to which the New Town was later added in the 13th century by order of Yusuf.
Here was born in 939 Almanzor, the great captain of the Arab army, who would take the Muslim border to the Pyrenees and win in fifty consecutive campaigns without losing a single battle.
And writers and poets were also born who made the city famous.
Alfonso XI besieged the square in 1342, and after a twenty-month siege, he triumphantly entered Algeciras on March 28, 1344, which was Palm Sunday.
In memory of this religious festivity, the King ordered the consecration of the mosque of Santa María de la Palma.
Later, Pope Clement VI granted a bull, ordering that this church be considered a cathedral and that the church of Cadiz be transferred to it.
The kings of Spain, aware of the importance of this conquest, joined their name to the crown, and since then have been titled Kings of Algeciras forever.
Algeciras is already in the hands of the Christians. This should have been the beginning of his greatness under the flags of Castile; but it did not happen, however, so.
Twenty-five years later, once again the Moors, led by Mohamed V of Granada, knowing that the city had been dismantled, and in reprisal for the murder of Don Pedro I, his ally and friend, attacked and won the square of Algeciras in 1369, and a few years later, thinking that they could not keep it in their possession, set it on fire, razed it, left no stone unturned and then abandoned it.
Thus the site of what was once the most important square in Andalusia, in Guichot’s words, was suddenly turned into a pile of smoking ruins. This happened in 1379.
Its inhabitants fled to other cities; the cathedral returned to Cadiz, and here only a few huts remained, a refuge for humble fishermen… Only some remains of towers and walls were testimony to its past greatness.
Conquered later in 1462 by Don Alonso de Arcos, warden of Tarifa, Henry IV, then reigning, granted various privileges to encourage the repopulation of that square; one of these was the delivery to Gibraltar of the terms of Algeciras, for distribution among the new inhabitants of the Rock.
And so our city transformed its ruins into numerous orchards and farmhouses.
Monuments to visit when you get your transfer to Algeciras
Knowing the monuments of the city you are visiting is fundamental. That’s why we’ll tell you below about the most relevant places to plan to see while you’re on your transfer to Algeciras from Malaga Airport.
Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Palma
The work on this church began in 1723, when the increase in population made the religious service offered by the chapel of Our Lady of Europe insufficient, ending 13 years later, although the canonical consecration of the church did not take place until 1829.
Initially, the church consisted of only three naves. It currently consists of five naves, plus a cruise ship and roofs of Arab tiles located on different levels.
The central dome of the transept rests on four wide square pillars, topped with capitals that roughly imitate the Ionian style.
Between 1795 and 1805 the last renovations were carried out with its bell tower.
This tower has a square floor plan of two bodies, it is of a tempered neoclassical style that gives it a very robust appearance and as a curious fact its base is formed by reused masonry from the ancient medieval walls of the city as evidenced by the marks of stonemasonry that it has.
Without a doubt, this magnificent church is the main emblem of the city of Algeciras.
Acueducto
Undoubtedly other monuments to see in Algeciras is its wonderful aqueduct. The Algeciras Aqueduct is one of the most important constructions built in the city during its first two centuries of existence.
The gradual growth of the city made it necessary to create public fountains and the aqueduct supplied them with water from the River La Miel.
The work, which began construction in 1777 and ended in 1783, had two sections: the furthest one was located in the El Cobre neighbourhood (known as Los Arcos de El Cobre), and a closer one in the Barriada de La Bajadilla, now almost disappeared.
The El Cobre section has been restored and integrated into its surroundings as a green area.
Casa Consistoral
Known among the citizens as the old Town Hall, it is a building built between 1887 and 1897 and has an eclectic architectural style as it incorporates decorative elements of different historical styles in its façade.
It has a façade on three streets and two floors with large glazed windows, with the central street window corresponding to the Plenary Hall on which the inscription “Casa Consistorial” is placed and crowned by the coat of arms of the town.
Access to the interior is through a hallway that opens onto a central courtyard around which the municipal offices are located.
A wide staircase leads to the upper floor, where the Plenary Hall, where the various sessions of the International Conference on Morocco held in 1906, took place, stands out.
It was remodeled in 1930, covering its walls with Sevillian style tiles that reproduce places and events of the city such as Algeciras from the Copper Arches, view of the river La Miel, La Chorrera, Plaza Alta and one of the sessions of the historic Conference on Morocco.
Murallas Meriníes
The Archaeological Park of the Merinid Walls is made up of 100 metres of walls with four towers of low-medival origin and two of unknown origin, a well-preserved moat some nine metres deep, with a escarpment, a counterscarp and the start of the barbican.
And a masonry bridge in an excellent state of conservation that enabled the moat at the so-called Gibraltar Gate to be crossed.
The remains were discovered during archaeological interventions carried out in the prolongation of Blas Infante Avenue, and the stretch of medieval wall, dating from the 13th century, was restored and conditioned for its integration into the urban space as an Archaeological Park.
The complex covers some 6,000 square metres and is completed with an interpretation centre displaying various unique architectural elements located on the site.
Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa
One of the last but not least important monuments to see in Algeciras is this beautiful chapel. Built in 1690 and rebuilt in 1769 after the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, it is of Palladian origin and has Baroque elements.
The Chapel consists of a single nave with two doors, one located at the foot of the nave and the other on the left side between large circles and very elongated vertical stripes.
The main façade is made of ashlar and has two different bodies, crowned by a belfry. In the first body there is an anagram of Mary on the door with curved lines in the Baroque style and on it a niche sheltered by a semicircular arch that houses the image of Saint Bernard, patron saint of Algeciras and of the Campo de Gibraltar.
The second body is very classical, with an oval oval in the centre and columns on both sides at different levels of the façades, which help to highlight the dark light.
Inside this beautiful chapel we find a replica of the image of Our Lady of Europe.
Take your transfer to Algeciras to the beach!
Ask your driver about your transfer to Algeciras from Malaga Aeoropuerto and you will see how surprised you are.
Playa de Getares
Located south of Algeciras, it includes the stretch of coastline that goes from the point of San García to the point of Getares where the cliffs of the Strait of Gibraltar begin.
This semi-urban beach is 1,500 metres long and 40 metres wide, mainly made up of fine golden sand surrounded by a mountainous landscape with vegetation and a high average occupation level.
This area has numerous services including: hotel and restaurant premises, promenade, accesses adapted for people with reduced mobility, parking, showers, telephones, litter bins, kiosks, parasol rental, toilets, etc..
If you are looking to relax in the sun with a cosmopolitan atmosphere this is your beach in Algeciras.
Playa del Chinarral
This beach is located between the points of San García and El Rodeo, in the south of the city.
It is 250 metres long and 40 metres wide and is made up of dark sand with numerous remains of shells and calm waters with a rocky bottom, highlighting several reefs a few metres from the coast known as “Las Hermanas”, very dangerous for navigation.
Next to one end of this beach is the Club Náutico El Saladillo, a starting point for boats for whale watching.
As it is a little visited beach due to its small size, it lacks practically no services, only cleaning of the beach, litter bins and showers.
El Chinarral Beach is perfect for lovers of tranquility while enjoying the sun and the sea.
Playa de la Concha
This beach is located between the Almanzor Bridge, a bridge with northern access to the Port of Algeciras, and the descent of the coastal promenade of cornice, after the Punta del Rinconcillo, in the Bay of Algeciras.
Its length is 600 metres long and 20-90 metres wide (variable), made up of fine white sand with shells, with a lawn area in one of the sections and calm waters.
La Concha Beach is the place chosen for the celebration of shows and outdoor activities, events for which the beach is well known.
With regard to its services, it has toilets, litter bins, showers, toilets, parking, etc.
La Concha Beach is peculiar and ideal for spending a perfect day at the beach enjoying the sunshine of Cadiz.
Playa del Rinconcillo
El Rinconcillo Beach is located in the north of the city of Algeciras, next to the neighbourhood of the same name.
It is the largest beach in Algeciras and is 2550 metres long and 40 metres wide, with an average high occupancy level of golden sand and calm waters.
As it is one of the most frequented beaches in Algeciras, it has many facilities and services: hotels and restaurants, city buses, car parks, toilets, showers, telephones, parasol rental, hammocks and deckchairs rental, lifesaving devices, access for people with reduced mobility, etc.
If you are one of the people who prefers a more crowded and familiar atmosphere, El Rinconcillo Beach is perfect for that.
Playa Cala Arena
It is located on foot in a sparsely populated area, specifically between Punta del Fraile and the ruins of an old Civil Guard barracks made up of small coves.
It is 400 metres long and 30 metres wide, with an average low level of occupation and mainly made up of gravel and stones, with the cliffs that frame the beach and the so-called “Isla Cabrita”, which is located off its coast, standing out.
As it is an isolated beach, it lacks many services, it only has danger signs, rescue devices and intercity buses.
If you are looking for a quiet, small beach surrounded by nature this beach is great.
What you would eat after getting your transfer to Algeciras
Take your transfer to Algeciras from Malaga Airport and enjoy the food that this places offers.
The cuisine of Algeciras is dominated by fish. This one, together with the seafood, also from its coast, is cooked in different ways: cooked, in soups and stews, grilled, grilled, grilled, battered and fried.
Some popular seafood, such as crabs, sea urchins, sea urchins, shrimps, paws or burgers, are easy to find at street vendors’ stalls, which are usually the same ones that have seafood.
Among the best known recipes are minced meat, garlic, seafood or clam soups.
Noodles with coquinas, fish a la algecireña known as “abajá”, made with various kinds of fish, seasoned with condiments and white wine, grouper, grilled or yellow swordfish, and cod omelettes.
There are also other dishes such as artichokes algecireña artichokes, snails (cabrillas) with tomato or pennyroyal and prickly pears.
In confectionery, the real soft sponge cake paste stands out. In addition to rich and traditional pastries from our traditional pastry shops and seasonal sweets, we find good Moroccan pastries.
We cannot forget our bread and Pelayo honey.
How to solve your transfer to Algeciras
If you need to get a transfer to Algeciras from Malaga Airport, we are the perfect solution, you can use our services, book our cars and get to the airport in time for your flight.
We hope that his post helped you out to enjoy your time in Algeciras and the surroundings of Málaga. 🙂
