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Beaches with soul
Getares, open horizon
Located to the south of the city centre, Getares
Beach opens like a wide smile between Punta Car-
nero and the Pícaro River. Its light sand, calm wa-
ters, and crescent shape make it one of the city’s
most popular beaches. The seafront promenade
has brought new life to this area, where restaurants
serve fresh fish overlooking the Strait and families
enjoy long days of sun, sports, and swimming.
From the shore, on clear days, you can see the Rif
Mountains. In this horizon shared between Europe
and Africa, Getares becomes a place of contempla-
tion. Here, there is no posing or artifice—just the
sea, slow time, and family memories.
El Rinconcillo,
the people’s beach
El Rinconcillo is not just a beach—it’s a way of life.
Its name also refers to a neighbourhood, a commu-
nity, a simple way of living the summer. Closer to
the centre, with shallow waters and a calm sea, it’s
the favourite of the people of Algeciras. The beach
bars bring their tables out onto the sand, and the
smell of grilled sardines mingles with the noise of
children and grandparents.
Paco de Lucía spent his summers here. He swam,
played, and learned to listen. In these warm wa-
ters, a genius began to take shape. Today, walking
along El Rinconcillo is to walk through the first bars
of his life.
El Chorruelo, the beach that once was
El Chorruelo no longer exists. The port’s expansion
swallowed up its outline. But for decades it was a
secret beach, secluded, first frequented by wealthy
Englishmen and later by guitarists, artists, and local
holidaymakers. There, amid the greenery and the si-
lence, Paco composed one of his most lyrical pieces.
To remember El Chorruelo is to remember a more
intimate Algeciras—the city that still survives in the
memory of those who lived there before modernity.
GETAWAYS
Culture with roots
In the heart of the old town, Plaza Alta shapes civic
life. Surrounded by ceramic benches and palm trees,
it gathers history: the Church of Nuestra Señora de la
Palma, the Chapel of Europe, the cafés where people
meet to chat. Algeciras is not viewed through monu-
ments, but through everyday life. Every bench has its
stories, every narrow street preserves echoes of guitar
and street cries.
Parque María Cristina, the city’s green lung, preser-
ves medieval remains: remnants of the Marinid walls,
public baths, and reconstructed wells. A stroll here re-
calls the importance of Al-Yazirat Al-Hadra, the “green
island,” in the centuries of al-Andalus.
And since December 2024, Algeciras finally has its
sanctuary: the Paco de Lucía Interpretation Centre.
Housed in a regionalist-style home, it holds objects, gui-
tars, images, and testimonies from a life devoted to art.
In just five months it has welcomed over 16,000 visitors.
More than a museum, it is a meeting point, a home for
those who feel flamenco as a universal language.
La Concha Dog Beach
Panoramic view of Getares Beach
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