Whatever is covered later on in the Almuñécar section, it is probably a good idea to take a stock check of what we have. You see, it doesn’t matter whether you came here 40, 30, 20, 10, or just 5 years ago – Almuñécar is still very much a privileged place to live in.

It’s easy to lose sight of that fact, as you witness the ravages of time and unfathomable municipal decision taking. Yes, it was more attractive before, but then again, that goes for most of us, doesn’t it? It was a different Spain; not just a different Almuñécar, after all.

It is always through the eyes of others – newly arrived, first-time visitors, invariably – that makes you re-open your eyes, look round, and think. “Bloody hell, yes it is nice.”

Take the Paseo del Altillo. The old one has gone, so that is the end of it. It doesn’t matter if you preferred the old one, or that the Altillo car park took far too long; that, there were 100-year-old trees on the old one; that it was carried out in an underhand and highly questionable fashion… the fact is that it doesn’t exist and this one does. Whether we old sweats find it pleasing or not matters not one hoot because Salobreña or Motril would love to have the Paseo del Altillo gracing their shoreline, as would most coastal towns.

We have a castle that dates back to Moorish time – even further in a more modest guise. We have a water park and we have probably the best aquarium in the whole of Andalucía. We have Roman aqueducts, medieval watchtowers & coastal garrison forts, as well as a Punic fish-salting factory dating back to 100 years before the birth of Christ.

Shall I go on? Bugger it! We have a highly enviable climate and 96% of all sub-tropical fruit plantations in the whole of Europe. We have an impressive bird park and Andalucía’s best permanent bonsai display in a beautiful garden-park. We have 28 chiringuitos distributed on our 26 beaches. We have a veritable treasure of underwater marine landscape that would extract bubbles of ecstasy from any diver, who, by the way, come from all over Spain and further to be able to explore it.

We have a beautiful wildlife reserve, marine, and terrestrial flora & fauna, in the form of El Parque Natural de Cantarriján. And for all its controversy, there is the Mountain Park of Peña Escrita, which enjoys fantastic views, cosy log cabins and a good cafeteria/restaurant.

So, have I forgotten anything? even if I have, just what exactly are we whinging about? The way the town is run? Whose fault is that –I can’t remember any military coup, can you?

Hey, I’m the biggest whinger – there are six years of back copies to prove it, and you can bet that there will be criticisms later on in this section, but that’s my job, just as it is my moral duty to write an article like this to remind myself and you guys that we live in an amazingly wonderful place… and above all, through choice.

¡Viva Almuñécar!

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