Mojácar is a whitewashed hill village of about 7,700 residents in Almería province, and it suits travellers who want a walkable old town with the sea close by. The village sits on the foothills of the Sierra de Cabrera, while the newer resort strip of Mojácar Playa lies along a coast of 17 km. Choose the village for atmosphere and evenings, the beach side for easy days on the sand. It is part of our Costa de Almería guide.
Quick facts
- Where: Mojácar, Almería province, Andalusia, on the Levante Almeriense coast next to Garrucha and Vera.
- Residents: 7,680 (1 January 2025, INE).
- Beach: yes. The municipal coast is 17 km long, from Marina de la Torre in the north to the Granatilla dry riverbed at Sopalmo in the south, with 15 named beaches and coves according to the Mojácar tourist site.
- Nearest airports: Murcia is 135 km away and Almería city is 90 km (55 minutes by car), says the town’s travel page. Almería Airport itself is 9 km east of the city, per Aena.
- Train: no station in Mojácar. The closest are Almería (90 km) and Murcia (130 km).
- Bus: ALSA stops at the Intercambiador on Avenida de Andalucía.
- Language: Spanish. The tourist site is also offered in English, German and French.
- Climate: more than 3000 hours of sun a year, according to the town.
Where to base yourself
Mojácar has two quite different sides, and the choice is mostly about which one you want to wake up in. The town’s own tourist site describes the old village as a labyrinth of narrow, steep streets, while Mojácar Playa is the coastal area with more recent buildings.
The hill village
Stay here for the whitewashed streets, the viewpoints and an evening stroll that needs no car. Most houses are white with flat or terraced roofs, and the old town is listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain. The trade-off is the slope: streets are steep, so it is a poorer fit for anyone who struggles with hills or hauls a lot of luggage. The sea is a drive away, not a walk.
Mojácar Playa
The coastal strip puts you near the sand, with the beaches of Vista de los Ángeles, Rumina and Palmeral, Descargador and Piedra Villazar named on the tourist site’s beach list. It is the practical base for a beach week, and it is flatter than the village. It lacks the old town’s character, so plan an evening or two up the hill.
The quieter southern coves
South of the main strip, the beach list includes Cala Bordenares, Cala Sombrerico and Cala Granatilla. The town describes the southern coves of Bordenares, El Lance and Granatilla as unspoilt and protected for naturism. This is for people who want solitude and are happy to drive, not for those who want shops and cafés within reach.
Things to do
The old village is small enough to cover on foot. The town’s tourist site lists 21 places to visit, among them the Plaza Nueva viewpoint, the Castle viewpoint, Santa María church, the Los Dolores and San Pascual hermitages, the old city gate, the Arrabal quarter and the Statues to Mojaqueras.
Mojácar la Vieja
From the 6th–7th century until the mid-13th century the town stood on the hill now called Mojácar la Vieja. The visible remains date from the Andalusí (Islamic) period. A large cistern crowns the hilltop, houses step down the south and southeast slopes, and a wall once ringed the hill, with fifteen towers documented along it. It is an archaeological site rather than a visitor attraction with services, so go for the setting over the Aguas river plain and read the history first.
The Indalo
The Indalo is the village’s emblem. Its traditional form is the muñecos mojaqueros, figures painted in red clay that protected houses and farmhouses in the Sierra de Mojácar. The origin is debated; the town’s page links it to cave paintings at Los Letreros in Vélez Blanco, and says the name goes back to Indalecio, a bishop of Urci. In the 1950s the painter Jesús de Perceval founded the Indaliano movement here, and the village still has art centres.
History in short
In 1488 the local leaders surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs, all except Mojácar’s. In the mid-19th century a rich silver seam in the Sierra Almagrera brought wealth to the region, though the mines closed around the start of the Second Republic and many people emigrated. The town’s name comes from the Iberian Monxacar, meaning sacred mountain.
Moors and Christians
The biggest festival is Moors and Christians, held every June according to the Almería provincial tourism site. Residents join guilds called cábilas, dress as Arab or Christian soldiers and captains, and parade through town. It commemorates the negotiated surrender of Mojácar and nearby villages in the late 15th century. Check the exact dates with the tourist office before planning around them.
Beaches and places nearby
Mojácar’s beaches range from developed to empty. The tourist site says visitors can find virgin beaches for solitude as well as busier beaches with many services. It names Marina de la Torre, El Cantal, Cueva del Lobo, Las Ventanicas and Venta del Bancal as fine sandy beaches popular with families, with all services available. Playa del Perulejo is dog-friendly. The coast starts at the Garrucha border and ends a few kilometres before the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park.
The wider area is easy to combine with a stay. Neighbouring Garrucha is the fishing port of the area, Vera sits to the north, and Carboneras lies south on the way to the natural park. Further on, Níjar opens the Cabo de Gata side of the province, and Almería city is the nearest big city.
Other town guides nearby: Huércal-Overa (about 29 km in a straight line), Águilas (about 38 km in a straight line).
On CostaMap near Mojácar: Mojácar la Vieja (0.9 km).
Food and drink
Local cooking is described by the town as simple “poor man’s” dishes. The tourist site names gurullos (a traditional stew), meatball stews, pepper soup, migas, rice dishes, couscous and “Mojácar paella”, along with snails and kid goat. Local products listed include fish and seafood, market-garden vegetables such as potatoes, peppers, onions and tomatoes, olive oil and Almería wines. In practice, a seafood lunch near the beach and a rice or stew dinner in the village is an easy way to taste both sides. The tourist site lists street markets among its places to visit; ask at the tourist office which day they run, as the sources do not give one.
Where to stay
Accommodation falls into two groups that match the two sides of town. The hill village has smaller places in and around the old streets, so expect stairs and narrow access. The coastal strip has the larger hotels and resort-style stays close to the beaches, as the provincial tourism site mentions hotel and leisure facilities. The town has no published price levels we could verify, so compare rates for your own dates. Book early for summer, when beach stays fill first, and check parking if you bring a car, since the village centre is tight.
Getting there and around
Most visitors arrive by car. The town’s travel page gives the E-15 motorway exit as 709 (Los Gallardos) when coming from Almería, and 704 (Los Gallardos) from the Murcia direction, then roads via Garrucha or Turre and Bédar. Almería is 90 km (55 minutes) away and Murcia 135 km, with Granada at 150 km (2 hours).
By air, Almería Airport is 9 km east of Almería city, and Aena lists urban bus line 30 from the airport to the city centre, about 35 minutes. From Almería city, ALSA buses continue to Mojácar, per the town. Murcia airport is the other option at 135 km. There is no train station in Mojácar; Renfe stations are in Almería and Murcia.
Within the municipality, local bus lines 1, 2 and 3 have timetables posted on the tourist site, and taxis are available. A car makes the southern coves far easier, and the two sides of town are far enough apart that most visitors drive between them.
Best time to visit
The town claims more than 3000 hours of sun a year and an average temperature of about 20 degrees, with winters that feel like spring. Sea temperature is given as 21–30 °C in summer and 10–15 °C in winter. That suggests swimming from late spring to autumn, while the village is pleasant for walking in the cooler months. June brings Moors and Christians; Carnival and the feast of St Augustine are also on the town’s festival list, but the sources give no dates, so check before you book.
FAQ
Is Mojácar on the beach?
The old village is on a hill. The coast, with 17 km of shoreline and 15 named beaches and coves, lies below, and Mojácar Playa is the beach-side area.
How far is Mojácar from the nearest airport?
Murcia airport is 135 km away, and Almería city is 90 km (55 minutes by car), according to the town’s travel page.
Can I reach Mojácar without a car?
Yes. ALSA runs buses from Almería, and the Intercambiador on Avenida de Andalucía is the bus station. There is no train station in Mojácar.
What is the Indalo?
It is the village’s protective symbol, traditionally painted in red clay on houses and farmhouses in the Sierra de Mojácar.
When is the Moors and Christians festival?
It is held every June. The exact dates change, so ask the tourist office.
Sources and freshness
- INE, population of Almería municipalities
- Mojácar tourism: beaches
- Mojácar tourism: how to get here
- Mojácar tourism: climate
- Mojácar tourism: history
- Mojácar tourism: Mojácar la Vieja
- Mojácar tourism: the Indalo
- Mojácar tourism: places to visit
- Almería provincial tourism: Mojácar
- Aena: Almería Airport by bus
Last checked: October 2026.
Main photo: INDALOMANIA, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Nearby on the Costa de Almería
Mojácar on the map
How this page is maintained. CostaMap is written and maintained by an AI editorial system built by ebizapple. Facts are drawn from primary sources — town halls, museums, port and heritage authorities and the Spanish archaeological record — and where sources disagree, we say so rather than smooth it over. Photographs marked as ours are taken on location. This page was last reviewed on 27 October 2026. Opening hours, prices and transport change; check the official source before you travel.