Hi Ward
I love Garrucha, although I have spoken with others who don't feel the same.
It is a bustling fishing town with all that accompanies that.
When I was there - about 3 years ago in October, we were the only ones on the beach, which is set up for volleyball and football. The sand is fantastically clean and I spent some time lying in the sun, running it through my hands.
The market is a good one. The usual underwear and sunglasses stalls, interspersed with ones selling local honey and other crafts etc.
The indoor market has the best fried chiperones and churros I have ever ever had.
There are many interesting places to visit around that bit of coastline, and inland too.
I loved the small town of Vera, a small farming town with a fortified Sixteenth Century church, and Cuevas de Almanzora which has a Sixteenth Century gothic castle which was built as a defence against piracy. There's a small art collection (including some original Goya lithographs) that we stumbled on ... it's free but you get escorted around by a security guard.
There are lots of inhabited caves in this area.
Palomares is a tiny village with an interesting history. It was at the centre of one of the world's biggest nuclear scares in 1966 when an American B-52 bomber crashed into another aircraft whilst refuelling in mid-air. Thre H-bombs landed and a fourth went into the sea. I think one of them was damaged and caused some radioactive contamination. It was many weeks, and after a massive search, before the fourth bomb was found. Apparently the old church in Palomares has a dome in the shape of an atom bomb ... spooky.
I seem to remember something about silver mines as well ....?
... and wolves ...
Of course the pretty, spectacular, but very toursity Mojacar is very close by too. Definitely worth a visit.
Villaricos, North along the coast, used to be a tiny fishing village with a robust local football team - but it is now being heavily developed for toursism and the team no longer exists (as far as I know).
I don't know what kind of things you are wanting to do .. but I'm sure you wont be short of something.
Unfortunately I can't tell you anything about the night life as I saw absolutely nothing of it!
One thing that did make an impression on me in and around Garrucha is the number of wandering dogs - more than anywhere else I've been in Spain. They weren't too much of a problem, but they did tend to congregate in small packs and give chase given half a chance!
If you want to know something more specific, I might be able to help, just ask.
I think Garrucha has been discussed before here, so maybe if you do a
* SEARCH * , something more will turn up.
Enjoy your visit.
Jo
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