Yabba dabba doo
Sometimes you need to get back to your roots. Way back. A visit to Los Millares, a Chalcolithic site in the hot spot of Almería will fully satisfy any Fred Flintstone longings. Well, more Copper age than Stone age actually! A hands-on exploration that all the family will enjoy - come for a scramble and explore Los Millares for a couple of hours if you happen to be in Almería.
Where is it?
Los Millares is situated 17 kms NW of Almería city, close to the village of Santa Fé de Mondújar. It's close enough to team up with a visit to Mini - Hollywood - and is a far more 'real' experience! It wasn't crowded either when we were there in July, just a few other couples - mad dogs and Englishmen and all that.
Venta de los Millares 04420 Santa Fe de Mondújar (Almeria)
Open:Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00h to 14:00h
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
Entrance: Free
What's there to see?
Lots! Start at the visitor centre which also doubles up as a little museum, with audio visual displays in both Spanish and English. Los Millares is the first Copper Age settlement in Spain, and is considered to be very important archaeologically. It dates from 2700-1800 BC.
The total area is over 1km long, which will take about 1.5 to 2 hours to fully explore.
It's made up of two parts. Essentially, there's the reconstructed side and the original part, the bones of the site, pardon the pun.
Start out from the visitors centre and follow the path straight on for the original archaeological site. This was discovered as late as the 19th century during the construction of a railway. The original site is fairly extensive and allows you to picture what the original settlement was like.
Then retrace your steps back to the starting point and instead take the path to the left. You're now in the reconstructed site, with mud huts, burial chambers and scattered bones within. You're free to climb inside and feel your way around in the dark (backlights from mobile phones come in handy here!) Any families with young kids will love this part, and they can scare themselves silly, tripping over the bones and skulls, screams optional.
Suits you, Sir
A day trip to suit:
Families
Archaeology buffs
Groups
*Not suitable for wheelchair users
Hot stuff
Almería is hot at any time of the year. But a day scrambling around Los Millares means bringing extra water, snacks, and sun protection. Hats, sun-cream, and water are an absolute must, there is a drinks machine inside the visitors centre we mentioned earlier, but that's it. Long trousers and proper footwear too, besides the rocky ground there are slithering residents that might take offence at being trodden on.
What's nearby?
And afterwards? What's nearby?
We mentioned the Wild West experience at Oasys Mini Hollywood, or drop into the little village of Santa Fé de Mondújar too, there's an interesting bridge that would have been part of the railway mentioned earlier. There's an Arab tower there too. Megaliths and Dolmens abound in this terrain, and there are plenty of walking and hiking opportunities. It all goes to show that Almería is more than just a warm and pleasant coastline!
