Águilas

Locality of Murcia
title= Águilas


Autonomous community= Murcia
Province= Murcia
Comarca= Alto Guadalentín
Latitude= 37° 27' N
Longitude= 1° 35' W
Mean elevation= ---
Highest elevation= ---
Lowest elevation= ---
Area= 253.7 km²
Founded= ---
Population total= 32,450. 16,324 men; 16,126 women (as of 2007), according to INE
Population density= 123 persons/km²
Resident= Aguileño
Mayor= Juan Ramírez Soto (Partido Popular)
Post code= 30880
Area code= 968 and 868
Twinned with= Montcada i Reixac
Patron saint= Nuestra Señora de los Dolores
Website= [http://www.ayuntamientodeaguilas.es/ www.ayuntamientodeaguilas.es]

Águilas is a municipality and seaport of southeastern Spain, in the province of Murcia. It is situated at the southern end of Murcia's Mediterranean coastline, otherwise known as the Costa Cálida, near the border with the Province of Almería. Its population in 2005 was around 31,218 [ [http://www.ine.es/nomen/nomenFast.jsp?L=0&up_fast=&ccaa=&prov=30&mun=&mun_bool=no&vcpro=&vcmun=&ec=&es=&nuc=&poblacion=T&poblacion_op=&poblacion_txt=&up_op=like&up_txt=%E1guilas&anos=2005&accionprov=&accion= INE figures] ] .

Location and geography

The municipality has an area of approximately 253.7 km², with some 28 km of coastline. It is 105 km from the provincial capital, Murcia.

Águilas is built on the landward side of a small peninsula, between two bays--the Puerto Poniente, a good harbour, on the south-west, and the Puerto Levante, which is somewhat dangerous to shipping in rough weather, on the north-east. The town is at the terminus of a railway from Huercal-Overa.

Águilas houses numerous beaches, including Cala de la Cueva de las Palomas, Cala de la Herradura, Playa Amarilla, Playa de Calabarilla, Playa de Calacerrada, Playa de Cope, Playa de la Cañada del Negro, Playa de la Casica Verda, Playa de la Cola, Playa de la Colonía, Playa de la Galera, Playa de la Higuerica, Playa de la Rambla Elena, Playa de las Pulgas, Playa de los Cocedores, Playa de Poniente, Playa del Arroz and Playa del Barranco de la Mar.

History

Known in Roman times as "Aquilae" and later "Aquila", Águilas belonged to the community of Bastetania and the province of Tarraconense. Various civilisations settle Águilas, including the Alans, the Suebi and the Visigoths. It formed part of Spanish Carthage until the Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. It has belonged to the Córdoban caliphate and the Kingdom of Valencia, later coming under Almoravidan control and finally ending up definitively included in the Kingdom of Murcia in the 18th Century.

During the second half of the 19th Century, a vast British colony arrived at the town, a definite presence of which still lingers in Águilas. Many of their diverse buildings and infrastructure still stand, such as the British cemetery, the municipal annexe, the Hornillo Pier, facing the Isle of Fraile, and the old house of an English merchant, situated on that island.

The town as it is now was designed by Charles III in the 18th Century. Of particular note is the Castle of Saint John of Águilas, which was used as a defence tower by various different civilisations who settled there throughout history. The city was extended by the construction of its sister port, maritime walks and its serene bays of Levante and Poniente. At the end stands the slender figure of the "Chimenea de la Loma" (Chimney on the Hill), a symbol of the mineral boom of the last century. During the Restoration, owing to the great investment by the British, a route was laid between Lorca, Baza and Águilas in order to transport esparto or the other exported minerals, making the town one of the principal ports of the Mediterranean. It is in this period that the Hornillo Pier, a great architectural work of the time made of iron and concrete, was constructed.

Today, the economy of the locality depends principally on summertime tourism by middle-class visitors and the intensive agriculture of greenhouse vegetables. The construction of various luxury residential and hotel complexes is planned, primarily aimed at foreigners and high-worth domestic purchasers. The ubiquity of these new developments in locations designated as 'protected' by the European Union (for example, the Regional Park of Cabo Cope-Calnerge, or La Zerrichera, and the foreseeable construction of ancillary golf complexes, has generated much hostility amongst ecological, agricultural and neighbourhood resident groups, although the bulk of citizens of the municipality have accepted the proposals without protest. However, in November 2005, the issue escalated with the resignation of a Partido Popular member and close advisor to Mayor Juan Ramírez Soto due to financial interests in La Zerrichera, and the expulsion from the Partio Socialista Obrero Español of four advisors for not attending the plenary session on the re-classification of the areas concerned. According to local newspaper La Verdad, the Mayor stated that these farms had been categorised "by accident".

Another major problem suffered by the town is its political instability, caused by a strange boom in regional political parties during the mid-1990s (there were no less than three in the 2003 elections) and by political defections.

ports and Culture

The local football team, Águilas CF is one of the oldest teams in Spain.

The notable Spanish actor, Francisco "Paco" Rabal, was born here.

Festivals

- Carnival: it was founded 200 years ago and now it's one of the most important carnivals in Spain, attarcting visitors from all over the country.

- Nuestra Señora de los Dolores: Friday before Easter, folk festivals and procession with the holy sculpture of Our Lady.

References

*1911

External links

* [http://www.aguilas.org/ Águilas Office of Tourism]
* [http://www.ayuntamientodeaguilas.org/ Ayuntamiento de Águilas]
* [http://www.todoaguilas.com/english.htm www.todoaguilas.com]
* [http://www.aguilasmurcia.com/english.htm www.aguilasmurcia.com]
* [http://www.aguilascf.es/english.htm Website of Águilas CF]
* [http://www.viva-murcia.com/aguilas_p106.php Aguilas local information] local info & photos from Viva Murcia