Alcóntar is a Spanish municipality in the province of Almería, Andalusia, located in the Almanzora region and 95 km from the provincial capital, Almería. In 2016 it had 572 inhabitants. Its surface area is 94 km².
Alcóntar framed between the Sierra de los Filabres and Las Estancias, so the winters are very cold, which gives a peculiar climate for the proper drying of hams and sausages. The municipality has 4 dryers of hams and a factory of sausages totally handmade.
In addition to the town itself, the municipality has many districts, such as Los Santos, Aldeire or Los Marcos, Los Blánquez de Saúco, Las Carboneras, El Castillo, Los Tres Morales, Los Pulgas, Los Mínguez, Los Domene, La Amarguilla, The Deaf, The Prado, the Manaca … Such districts, once great and important, came totally down during the massive rural exodus that took place during the 60’s. Today, Los Santos and Aldeire survive as places of summer and second residence (without fixed inhabitants), while Los Marcos is an authentic ghost town.
Another important population nucleus of Alcóntar is El Hijate. The hamlet of Alcóntar was the connection point of that Almanzora backbone which was its railway and which is currently part of the Via Verde del Almanzora. A Hijate you can go from Alcóntar on a path from the Plaza de la Constitución, a little over fifteen kilometers that takes us through Los Blázquez, with unparalleled views from La Cerrá, and that takes us after crossing the Almanzora through Los Molineros, with impressive ravines and ravines, and by El Ramil, where we will see the greenway that will take us to Hijate itself, with the station in ruins as a silent witness.