The Almanzora tourism entrepreneurs presented the results of the sustainable mobility project they started in 2019 and showed the route along which the Camino de Peregrinos de la Cruz pilgrims’ route to Caravaca de la Cruz from Bacares through the Almanzora Valley will pass.
ALMANZORA ELECTRICO, A PROJECT BECOME REALITY
It is becoming clear to more and more people that electric mobility also serves as an impulse to improve tourism in a certain area. The recharging points will attract new visitors to places that are often far from the big cities and did not have these infrastructures. This is the case of the Almanzora Valley, a spectacular natural environment in the heart of Almeria to enjoy nature, culture, history, and gastronomy, which already has ten new chargers (eight public and two private) offering a total of 20 charging points. This makes this valley the rural region with the most charging points, thanks to the Almanzora Eléctrico project.
The initiative came from the Association of Tourist Entrepreneurs of the Almanzora Valley and Pásate a lo Eléctrico who advised the local councils in the area to apply for grants from the Junta de Andalucía. The public charging points in this area use Electromaps Manager, the Electromaps management software used by many local councils and companies throughout Spain.
The chargers are located in Bacares, Purchena, Macael, Cantoria, Almanzora (Cantoria), two in Arboleas (next to the town hall and next to the motorway), Taberno, Hotel-Restaurant Jardines la Tejera (Olula del Río) and Casas Rurales Reul Alto (Laroya). In total there are 8 public chargers belonging to 6 town halls and 2 private chargers. At present all the chargers are in operation except those of Purchena and Macael which will be operational shortly. You can access and pay for your recharges at the public charging points with the Electromaps app and key fob.
The Almanzora Eléctrico project has been presented in Madrid at FITUR, the International Tourism Fair, at the Almeria stand. The Almanzora Eléctrico project does not end here as it is intended to install new charging points in the area in the coming years, in addition to other initiatives to promote electric mobility.
The Almanzora Valley has an important tourist offer offering nature, rural tourism, gastronomy, culture, history and tradition, now increasing its interest thanks to its electric vehicle chargers. Here you will have 20 charging points in a space of about 50 kilometres.
THE WAY OF THE CROSS OF ALMANZORA
Caravaca de la Cruz is the most important pilgrimage centre in south-eastern Spain. The administrations of the Junta de Andalucía and the Region of Murcia are collaborating to create a pilgrimage route from Almeria to this important Murcian municipality.
The association of tourism entrepreneurs Valle del Almanzora designed in 2020 a pilgrimage route through the region linking two of the most important pilgrimage centres in the province of Almeria, the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Saliente in Albox and the Santo Cristo del Bosque in Bacares.
This same route is being used to create the Camino de la Cruz which goes to Caravaca from the Almanzora. The Camino is divided into 4 stages of approximately 20km each. The first leaves from Bacares to Serón and runs through the Layón, a beautiful spot in the Sierra de los Filabres, is the same route used by the pilgrims who go every 14th September from Serón to Bacares to see the Santo Cristo del Bosque. In this case the route goes in the opposite direction.
The second stage leaves Serón and runs along the Almanzora greenway until it reaches Olula del Rio, on its route it crosses the station of Tíjola and the station of Purchena. The third stage leaves Olula del Rio, continues along the greenway passing through Fines to Cantoria, then runs along the old road from Cantoria to Albox. And the fourth and last stage of this route is the Albox – Santuario del Saliente, a route that every 8th September pilgrims walk from Albox to see the “Pequeñica”, the Virgin of Saliente.
The total distance of the Camino de la Cruz del Almanzora is 81km. This route will continue to Velez Rubio and Velez Blanco and from there to Caravaca de la Cruz. In total there will be more than 100km of Camino de la Cruz that can be done on Almeria soil.
Caravaca de la Cruz celebrates the Jubilee in 2024 and expects to receive one million pilgrims during that year.
Tourism entrepreneurs have documented and sent to the Ministry of Tourism everything necessary to create and signpost the route such as the itinerary, places to sleep at each stop, where to eat, sites that can be visited in each town through which the road passes, where you can put the stamp of pilgrimage, etc..
The Ministry of Tourism has sent all the documentation to the Public Company of Tourism of Andalusia which is working in turn with the Institute of Tourism of the Region of Murcia to make this Camino de la Cruz from Almeria to Caravaca de la Cruz a reality as soon as possible.