I visited Mojácar for three nights in April 2024 to meet up with some old chums. Obviously, I wasn’t there very long but I can give a useful overview of the kind of place Mojácar is. We stayed in a gorgeous villa in Cortijo Grande, near Turre. We had a couple of cars, and you would need transport for getting about unless you stayed near the seafront. We were in a beautiful rural setting, very quiet and peaceful. There’s a link to a short video at the end of this blog to give you a feel for the locale.
The first thing to note about Mojácar is that there are two Mojácars! The old town (Mojácar Pueblo) is built in the traditional style, white square houses, which rise up the hillside, with grand views over the plain. There’s a decent plaza where you can sit in the sunshine, eat, drink, and do a little shopping in the surrounding narrow streets and alleyways. On the surface, it is an unassuming little town, yet it has a history that stretches back 4000 years. It is well worth a mooch around.
The other Mojácar is called Mojácar Playa and, as the name implies, it is set on the beachfront. In many Spanish resorts, this would be known as ‘the strip’. But it is worth noting that this is a mellow place, very unlike the ‘strips’ in Benidorm or Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria. There are plenty of restaurants and bars, but there are no high-rise buildings. The Playa has grown organically, without big developers stepping in. Looking up at the town from the beach, the buildings do not obscure the view of the Sierra Cabrera mountain range. It’s a much better vista than a bunch of high-rise concrete hotels.
The beach(es) is superb, three miles long. I suppose that it is really a stretch of several beaches and there’s plenty of choice. There are sunbeds and umbrellas out, even in April, and I guess there would be more in the summer. We enjoyed temperatures of around 25C in the afternoons. It was chilly in the evenings and a fleece/jacket was required. In summer, it can get as hot as 40C.
Conveniently for us, our hosts were on friendly terms with a splendid fellow called Cosmin, who ran a seafront bar called Isla Blanca. As well as good food, reasonably priced drinks, they also supplied sunbeds with beach towels. What’s not to love? I must record a special vote of thanks to Cosmin, who really looked after us. Professional and friendly, he set the tone for the place, and I loved it there. He even booked us taxis to get home a couple of times.
Two restaurants deserve special mention. La Bohemia offers (I would say) a fusion of French and Spanish cuisine. It is very highly rated on TripAdvisor. We had tapas dishes which were mainly Spanish, but many had a French twist. I had frog’s legs, for example. The rose wine was fabulous, and the cheesecake was outstanding. You would be wise to book a few days in advance. It was pretty busy even in April.
Aku Aku is a beach bar and restaurant. It was noteworthy that there were many Spanish-speaking diners, which is always a good sign. They are noted for their paellas and we shared three large ones amongst our party of eight. If you like paella, this place will be right up your street, but they do other dishes as well. As with La Bohemia, you would be well advised to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Should you go?
I really liked it. Mojácar has a similar vibe to Nerja. It’s not as built up as Nerja, but it is just as mellow and friendly. I guess in summer it would be busier than what I experienced. Roughly a third of the town’s population is British. On the one hand, that somewhat compromises the Spanish feel perhaps, but it does mean that establishments cater for English speakers very well. It is not Blackpool in the sun by any stretch and, anyway, following Brexit, most Brits can only go there for half the year.
Flights to Almeria airport would be the ideal option, but Murcia is not too far away. Alicante would be about a two-hour drive. I’d go back, but not in the height of summer. I can’t cope with the heat in my codgery dotage.
From Mojácar Pueblo, the old town, to Mojácar Playa, the beach, is about a 40-minute walk, which is quite a challenge given the return journey would be uphill. Unless you are very fit, most people would need for some form of transport be it hire car, taxi, or bicycle.
A massive thanks to Clare and Geoff for hosting our merry band. We all loved your villa (sorry folks, they don’t rent it out), and your kindness and hospitality made us feel like a family.
Click on the video link below to get a flavour of the place.
Should I Go 2 