Almadén de la Plata, rich in tourist and environmental attractions
Almadén de la Plata is a mountain town steeped in traditions and comprehensive tourist services. This small town in the heart of Seville’s Sierra Morena offers countless leisure activities. You can go canyoning, hunting, hiking, fishing, and cycling, and even explore the Universe, as the best public Astronomical Observatory in Spain is nearby.
You will fall in love with both its historical heritage and natural environment. There are six trails in Sierra Norte Natural Park. It is also home to fascinating archaeological remains, including the Bronze Age Necropolis at La Traviesa and the Roman quarries of Los Covachos.
Almadén de la Plata is also famous for its Iberian ham and sausages. These products are never absent from any good table in Almadén, along with game meat, wild mushrooms and meloja.
Its people are welcoming and friendly, accustomed to entertaining travellers who use the Ruta de la Plata. Indeed, the fourth stage of the Way of Saint James from Seville begins here.
Festivals are another major attraction of this charming town. The local people participate in events such as the Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Grace, Cristo del Crucero Day, Fiesta de los Judas and Fiesta del Pirulito. You can enjoy many more events if you come to Almadén de la Plata. What are you waiting for?
Getting to Almadén de la Plata
The quickest route by car from Seville is the A-66 motorway until the exit that connects with the A-8175. Continue along this road until your destination.
Another option is to travel by bus from Plaza de Armas Bus Station in Seville. The town does not have a train station.
Getting around
This town is ideal for walking, hiking or cycling.
Reasons to visit
- Discover Almadén de la Plata’s privileged location in the heart of Seville’s Sierra Morena.
- Do you want to look at the Universe? Come to the Astronomical Observatory, which is open all year round. You cannot miss the Perseids shower on 12 August, a fascinating sight.
- Enjoy the town’s Ham Festival. You will want to return the next year!
- Walk along the cobblestoned José Antonio Benítez Street and admire the mosaics depicting scenes from the town’s history.
- Sample the delicious local cuisine based on game meat stews. Try the typical partridge rice.
- Do you have a sweet tooth? Then, mix meloja, a local product, with bread and fresh cheese. You will want to try it again!
- Take a guided tour of the companies that produce Iberian pork products.
- Hike along the La Traviesa Route and explore the Bronze Age Necropolis.
- Are you a thrill-seeker? Dare to descend the Las Calzadillas ravine.
- The fourth stage of the Way of St. James from Seville begins here. You will come across the Camino de Santiago if you are tackling the Transalandalus Route on a mountain bike.
- Welcome summer in Almadén de la Plata with the Pirulito Festival. Fun and bonfires are assured.
- Go fishing in the banks of the Cala or Viar rivers; you might catch barbel, carp or flathead grey mullet.
- Experience a different Easter Sunday at the Fiesta de los Judas. The whole town participates making straw dolls that are then destroyed.
- If you like hunting, big game hunting is a traditional sport here. The Hunting Fair takes place in September.
- Corpus Christi Day is famous for the beautiful flower carpets that adorn the streets.
- Do not miss the Live Nativity in Christmas, performed by the locals.
What to see
Start your visit at the Plaza del Reloj, named after the Clock Tower. This 16th-century monument was the former Los Ángeles Hospital, then a shrine and now municipal offices. It was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2007.
The town’s main temple, Santa María de Gracia Church is in the Plaza de la Constitución. The Renaissance-baroque building is home to the religious sculptures most revered by the people of Almadén de la Plata, including the Cristo del Crucero, Virgen de Gracia and Virgen de la Pastora de las Almas. The church caught fire in 1953. The damaged altarpiece was replaced with one from San Felipe de Carmona Church.
Also in the square are the remains of the medieval castle, whose keep is now the Town Hall. Nearby is the cobblestoned José Antonio Benítez Street, famous for the mosaics on the pavement depicting the town’s traditions.
As you walk around the town, you will see several fountains such as Chorrillo, Águila and Santiago. They are all drinking fountains that are often used by the locals. You will notice during your tour that hunting is an essential, traditional sport here. Several sculptures on display across the town pay tribute to this activity. Among these are the Cascada de los Venados and the monument to the Rut Season, both works by the local artist Jaime Mate.
Finish your visit with a tourist route. You can choose from six routes rated medium to low difficulty. For instance, La Traviesa route will take you to the remains of the Necropolis and the Astronomical Observatory. The Calvario route offers the best views of the area. The other routes are the Cuesta del Chorro trail with includes the beautiful La Calzadilla waterfalls, and the Los Covachos route, with an impressive cave and the Roman marble quarries.
Places to visit
- El Agarre monument
- Old Town Hall (Clock Tower)
- Calle José Antonio Benítez, cobblestoned street
- Town Hall, Medieval Castle
- Cascada de los Venados
- Shrine to La Divina Pastora
- Santiago Fountain
- Águila Fountain
- Santa María de Gracia Church
- Necropolis-Bronze Museum, La Traviesa
- Pillar and Monument to the Hound Master
- Plaza de la Palmera
- Bullring
- Roman Marble Quarry-Museum, Los Covachos
- Oil Museum at El Molino Restaurant-Grill
- Astronomical Observatory, Research Centre
- Los Covachos Cave
- Finca El Berrocal
- Sierra Norte Natural Park
Surroundings
Almadén de la Plata is 69 kilometres from Seville, in the Vía de la Plata region. The municipal district is located within Sierra Norte Natural Park, with natural landscapes of outstanding beauty, such as the banks of the rivers Cala and Viar, El Chorro and Las Hoyas waterfalls and Garganta Fría stream.
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