Tourism Macael

Macael’s past and present, written with a mallet and pointer, are linked to its main source of wealth, marble. In this majestic stone are settled the culture, history and tradition of this municipality.

For the “macaelleros” marble is its hallmark, its history. Around it, a deep-rooted culture of sacrifice, strength and dedication has materialized, which is materialized in the knowledge of the techniques of extraction and transformation that have been passed from parents to children, the old sand looms, the quarries, the factories of The modern techniques of numerical control, the Advanced Technological Center of the Stone, new materials such as the Silestone and the Dekton arose from the commitment to innovation, sculptures, sculptures, sculptures, Sidewalks, balustrades, facades and bollards of the urban center, etc.

This rich culture is being put in value, on the part of the City council of Macael, to facilitate its knowledge and experience on the part of visitors and neighbors. The Macael Marble Interpretation Center, the Marble Trail, the Quarry Viewpoints, the Macael Routes route, the world’s largest mortar (Guinness World Record), organized visits to sculpture and handicraft factories and workshops, Are a clear example of this.

As Mayor of Macael, it is an honor for me to welcome all those who decide to discover the wonders of our people through this website.

Visiting the municipality of Macael is an experience loaded with centuries of history where the White Marble of Macael is its maximum exponent.

The Macael Marble is present all over the world, in Roman and Arab monuments such as the Roman Theater of Merida or the Alhambra in Granada and also in majestic buildings such as the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai or the Russian Presidential Summer Palace, among others.

In addition, in our municipality you will find many tourist possibilities, such as our Marble Interpretation Center, our historical-religious legacy, a great gastronomic and hotel offer and various routes and trails.

I would like this website to encourage everyone to enjoy and get to know our people, wishing them a pleasant stay that will surely make them repeat.

THE MARBLE OF MACAEL

THE MARBLE OF MACAEL WORLDWIDE

MARBLE TRAIL

BTT TRANSALMERIA

DISCOVER MACAEL

Gastronomy represents the culture of a people. It is influenced by the climate, the economy, the natural resources of the place, the seasons of the year and the religious festivities.

Foto plato de migas

In the cold days of winter, when the rain makes its appearance, it is customary to cook crumbs of flour or bread, accompanied with broth of paprika, peppers and fried dried tomatoes, fish and slices, all watered with a good wine of the earth . Potatoes are also consumed, cooked in their different forms: wheat, pumpkin and fennel, which prepare the body for a hard day’s work.

At Christmas the typical pastry of these dates is made, the pork and lard cakes, the oil bread, the sighs and the mantecados.

With the arrival of spring and coinciding with Easter, the condiments are adapted to the prohibition of meat and vegetable products that emerge from the fertile plain. The Lent stews are prepared with cod meatballs and, as a dessert, the fried donuts and the fritters with anise.

On hot summer days, gazpachos and salads are refreshing. In addition, there are characteristics of rabbit or chicken fries and porridge with fish broth, taking advantage of the season of greater splendor of vegetables.

We can not forget the famous hornazos of San Marcos, an oil bread bun decorated with an egg and that according to tradition, it must be broken in the head of the most confused.

HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS

Historical Recreation

Organized by the Municipality of Macael, with this historical recreation, it aims to make known what it means to be a Stonemason in Macael through the “La Canteras Lawsuit”. A decisive fact by which, the stonemasons and their families, after a prolonged struggle (from 1919 to 1947), recover the public character of their quarries, communal according to the tradition inherited from the Muslim era, against their attempt of privatization by part of the local caciques.

With this event, we want to take a step further, involving the participant in this historical event, reliving it, with the aim of living the pride of being a stonemason, get into the skin of the protagonists and feel this fight as theirs.

Macael will dress period, returning to the period between 1919 and 1947. We will find stonemasons, muleteers, carters, owners of quarries, fragile, chambilleros, grinders, washerwomen and other typical characters of this time within a playful space characterized by buildings and most representative scenarios of that period. In them the representation will be mixed with the attending public, who will have the opportunity to taste tapas based on traditional gastronomy, dance to the beat of the music of the time (Charleston, pasodobles, Mazurca), watch demonstrations of stonework, craftsmanship and sculpture.

Rally Rise of the Marble

The Macael Marble Climb is a mountain car race, held in the Almerian town of Macael-Spain, and one of the decanas of the modality in the country. In 2017, it has 42 editions held.
The organizer of this automotive test is the Escudería del Mármol, based in the town of Macael, Almería.

The route of this mountain climb has a distance of 4.5 kilometers that run along a winding road (AL-840) that crosses one of the many quarries in the area. Throughout the layout and permanently throughout the year, there are used car tires to prevent competition vehicles from colliding with stones and guard rails.

Honor to the Virgin of the Rosary

On October 7, Macael commemorates its Patroness, La Virgen del Rosario. They are the big parties and the town is thrown into the street to venerate its image that has been since time immemorial the hope and relief of stonemasons and marble workers.

The macaeleros feel proud of their Virgin and entertain her with multiple promises, offerings and with gunpowder, that tears the sky as a prayer, asking for protection for her workers.

The most multitudinous religious act is the Eucharist in honor of the Virgin of the Rosary that is celebrated outdoors at the foot of the church tower. Immediately after the procession takes place, of about 1,100 ms, of route by the main streets of the municipality to return to the departure site. After the religious ceremony, the attendees enjoy the gastronomy of the place at the midday fair, which lasts until late in the afternoon. The night, nothing has to envy the day and enjoy the leisure in the many mechanical attractions, fireworks castle and dance in the Municipal House and in the Youth.

Tribute to the Stonemason

It is celebrated the first weekend of December. Traditional festival in which the hard work of the worker is recognized, after a long working life. Conferences and colloquia about work in the quarry. Popular migas cooked with care by the women and men of the town for the delight and satisfaction of the people of Macaelenses and visitors. Act tribute and delivery of plates to retired stonemasons throughout the year. Mass of thanksgiving and wreath at the monument to the stonemason.

San Marcos

On April 25 is the day of San Marcos patron of Macael. It is a tradition to spend the day in the country with family and friends, and eat the traditional hornazo (oil bread with an egg cooked in the middle). The most popular meeting point is in the era of the Rambla-Canfornal, where a mass is celebrated and then a small procession through the cortijos located in that area, singing and dancing.

Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Fatima

It is a pilgrimage on foot from the Church of Macael to the Hermitage of Marchal in honor of the Virgin of Fatima. Once there the mass is celebrated and then the procession through the usual streets accompanied by the Banda de Tambores y Cornetas de Macael. It is celebrated every May 13.

Carnaval

It is one of the most anticipated parties of the municipality and each year has more participants. It is celebrated on 2 weekends in which the comparsas contest will take place at the Municipal Theater and the Parade with a large costume ball and awards ceremony. It is remarkable the great interest and participation of the people of the municipality for the carnival, surpassing each year with the originality of the costumes and the lyrics of the comparsas.

Parties of the Neighborhoods

The San José Obrero neighborhood celebrates the first of May. The one in San Antonio, on June 13. San Juan, on June 24. The Virgen del Carmen, on July 16 and finally, the Collado neighborhood celebrating the Virgin Mary, on September 12.

Holy Week

Holy Week in Macael has a great tradition. The most striking and colorful procession is that of the Santo Entierro, on Good Friday. It is impressive to see the lighted torches in the hands of the Nazarenes hidden under their capiruchos, and the costaleros climbing the steep streets of the town in strict silence. On Easter Sunday, in the early hours of the morning, the procession of the Encuentro takes place. In it, the Virgin of the Rosary crosses a part of the town in search of the images of the Risen Christ and Saint John, who wait at the crosses of Calvary. In the reunion the thrones are made to dance to the beat of the band, under a shower of rose petals.

ORGANIZE YOUR TRIP

WHAT TO SEE

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Sueños de un Cantero can be considered as the culminating work of the sculptor Eduardo Cruz. The theme and elements of the work evoke the roots and the cycle of his personal and artistic life, which began in Macael, and returned to Macael. Eduardo Cruz Rubio was born in Macael, on August 17, 1931, into a family of stonemasons. From a very young age he learned the secrets of marble from his father. At the age of 11 he worked as an apprentice in Luis el Canela’s workshop. During adolescence, the restlessness to carry out a creative activity begins to awaken in him. In those years, its references were artisans from the region such as Pepe el Turronero and Juan el Polillo. In 1949, the economic situation made him emigrate, with his whole family, to Argentina. In Mar de Plata he began to work in a well-known marble workshop and to frequent artistic and intellectual circles in the country, attending the Pascuala Mugaburu School of Fine Arts and the Rogelio Yrutia School of Crafts. On weekends he enters the world of sculpture through his first teacher, José Alonso. His expertise causes that in 1956 he begins to teach modeling classes […]

Dreams of a Stonemason

What to Visit

The Center of Interpretation of Marble is conceived as a cultural space where history, tradition, innovation and future coexist harmoniously to offer us a vision on the culture of Macael marble. It fulfills a triple function as a reception center for visitors, a tourist information point and an interpretive space that enables a contextualization of the Macael marble culture. In its interior we find 22 panels, with information in Spanish and English, that help to interpret the Culture of the Marble of Macael. Beginning with its traditions and history, continuing through different geological aspects and situation of the areas where the quarries are located, by the methods and utensils that were traditionally used both in their extraction and in their transformation, the evolution in the transport of the material, the Physical characteristics of marble blocks, the modern extraction process, the ecological-landscape restoration of quarries and tailings, the methods used in the different typologies that are distinguished in the subsector of the transformation currently: elaborate factories, the mill Stone and crafts workshops, the presence of Macael marble in celebrated buildings throughout history and around the world, and ending with a look to the future with innovation in the stone industry, and […]

Marble Interpretation Center

What to Visit

The Plaza de Almería has been transformed into the imposing monumental complex ‘Marmoris’, Latin for marble, which pays homage to the use of white marble in the municipality in Roman times. The square has reproductions in Macael marble of the front colonnade of a temple, a pool, the peristyle of a Roman house, an ornamental fountain, a replica of the mosaic of the planetarium of Italica in Seville and two sculptures, a ‘Chirivello’ for the pool and an imposing sculpture of Neptune for the fountain. More than 400 tons of marble. That is the amount of white marble from Macael used in the remodelling of the Plaza de Almería. The monumental complex ‘Marmoris’ is made up of different elements. The visitor is welcomed by a portico of imposing dimensions made up of 6 Corinthian style columns of almost 8 metres in height with their capitals. At this point is where you can read, in Latin, a legend that says “Plaza de Almería: honour, pride and heritage of our people”, and another one in which the people of Macael thank Cosentino for their involvement in the project for having donated all the marble that has been used in the square (more […]

Marmoris – Almeria Square

What to Visit

♣♣ Of Tourist Interest. Walking up Calle García Lorca and after leaving the Plaza Almería, with its impressive “Marmoris” ensemble, we come across the Monumento al Cantero (Monument to the Stonemason). A commemorative sculpture sculpted on a “mass” of white marble, which proudly expresses the bust of a worker who every day gives a heartbeat to the noble and strong sierra.

Monument to the Cantero

What to Visit

In 1609 was inaugurated the Parish Church Santa Maria of the Rosary, in Mudéjar style. The then Bishop of Almeria, D. Fray Juan de Portocarrero, ordered the construction of this tower and the episcopal shield. The tower, of majestic aspect and in good condition of conservation, is crowned by the bell tower. To the exterior it presents a cover to four waters with Arab tile and to the interior a wood paneling in the first and second body. Its decoration is made of alternating bricks with masonry drawers, semicircular arches and geometric drawings accused by the brick out of its walls. From its origins to our days the church has undergone numerous modifications in its structure, so the interior space is diaphanous and wide, presenting a single nave, drawing attention to its side facades, unusual in the churches of the region and this is due to The last restoration carried out in 1992 in which the main door was blinded, to place in its place the High Altar. The Altar Mayor presents a marmoreal decoration of varied shades, where the most outstanding is the temple that projects inside the shrine, beautifully made and carved by the craftsmen “Children of José […]

Parish Church Santa Maria del Rosario

What to Visit

New public space for leisure and family fun with a surface area of more than 11,000 m2, dominated by the monumental sculpture “Pachamama”, with abundant trees, dozens of attractions, play areas, a kiosk with a terrace, picnic areas, barbecues and parking. An infrastructure with which we intend to attract the family public so that they come to discover the Land of Marble, showing the smallest the values of this identity culture of the province of Almería, while they can have fun in one of the playgrounds largest and best equipped in Andalusia.

Parque de las Familias

What to Visit

It is an exact replica of the Fountain of the Courtyard of the Lions of the Alhambra, also made in Macael white marble, surely one of the most relevant symbols of the Nasrid legacy. The source is made up of 12 lions, all different in size and detail, but in three groups of four, depending on the similarity of their formal features; Nose, hair of the mane, jaws and position and relief of the tail. The cup, 262 cm in diameter and 49 cm thick made in a single piece, is written in its perimeter 12 verses of the minister and poet Ibn Zamrak describing the source itself. The Fountain of the Lions of Macael is an exclusive piece that is not found in the rest of the World, since at the feet of the lions owns great plates of White Macael marble in which you can read the Arabic verses of the cup translated To Castilian. It is located in the Plaza de la Constitución next to the Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church.

Lions Fountain

What to Visit

♦♦♦ High Tourist Interest. Macael is inextricably linked to the word Marble. The quarries very close to the urban area have been exploited since ancient times, constituting the most important exploitation nucleus of ornamental rocks of the national territory. Marble is a metamorphic rock that comes from a sedimentary rock, limestone, which suffers physical changes in its internal structure due to the action of pressure and temperature. Its quality and possibility of natural shine when polished has turned it into an excellent ornamental rock. In addition, its hardness allows its use as a structural element. During the Recent Neolithic and the Chalcolithic, the populations of the Almanzora Valley took advantage of the white marble stones that dragged the water courses to elaborate small schematic figures called “cruciform idols” or “Almerian idols” that they deposited in the collective tombs. In ancient archaeological research they were considered one of the characteristic elements of the “Culture of Almeria”. With the Romans began to exploit the quarries of Macael on a larger scale, but it is in the Muslim era when there is greater continuity in extraction. With the Christian repopulation of Macael, the activity of the marble sector re-emerged. Macael’s “Libro de Apeo” […]

Viewpoint Las Canteras de Cosentino

What to Visit

The route along the path-viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the central core of the Macael quarries. In this deposit are the main marble reserves of all the Spanish State, followed at a considerable distance by those of Huelva. Marble is a metamorphic rock, the result of a recrystallization process, in which conchiferous fossil remains are present. As a result of this process, calcite and dolomite are generated, from the original limestones and dolomites. This metamorphism, in which mechanical, thermal and geochemical factors are present, is generated in underground environments. Its laminar disposition and its mining accessibility are the results of tectonic forces and the dynamics of the creeping mantles of the Betic mountain ranges. All this complex process concludes with the offer of marble, noble material, appreciated and constant presence in the monumental architecture and outstanding since antiquity. It can be observed the difficulty of exploitation, and the technical sophistication and machinery necessary for extraction.

Viewpoint of las canteras

What to Visit

It is located at the top of a small mound crowned by the Virgin of the Rosary; Sculpture by D. José Sabiote Fernández, in the purest and white marble of Macael. There, from his impassive height watches and cares for the Macaelenses. The access road and the esplanade where the sacred image is located were performed altruistically with devotion by the citizens of the town. The rise of slate and wooden railing, sepentea the mountain between rosemary and thyme. From time to time benches that help the walker to enjoy the scenery, adorned with numerous sculptures

Viewpoint of the Virgin of the Rosary

What to Visit

Guided visit to craft factories and elaborated Macael and the Almanzora Valley region have recently been declared by the Junta de Andalucía as “Area of Artisan Interest”, being the first in the province of Almeria, and all thanks to the recognition of our artisans in the world. The visit will consist of seeing a craft factory of Rubira Sola de Macael industrial estate, where the different processes of transformation and elaboration of marble will be explained, and it will be observed how a master craftsman works. Duration: 1h 20min approx.

Visit Workshop Crafts of marble

What to Visit

The marble mortar is a very popular object that has become our tourist icon. Inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records, it is a tribute to the artisans of Macael marble. Prior to the installation of handicraft workshops in the town, at the end of the 19th century, its complete elaboration (from the drawing on a piece of white marble until its carving with pointers and grinding) determined the end of the stage in which the Young people acted as apprentices, to become considered as stonemasons. More recently, it has gained a notoriety thanks to its use by famous chefs in their appearances in gastronomic television programs. Installing in the roundabout of the Avenida de Almería with the Avenida de Ronda is, of course, done in Marble of Macael. The mortar (base) has dimensions of 3.29 mts. Of height, 3,07 mts. Diameter of the mouth and 30.9 tons of weight; While the hand is 4.73 mts. Of height, 0.85 mts. Of diameter and a weight of 5,820 Kg.

World’s Largest Mortar

What to Visit

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What to do in Macael

If you are thinking of taking a different trip to discover beautiful places and charming towns that are not usually well known, a trip to Macael is an excellent option. Our town has many options to make and we recommend the ones that are sure to be of your interest.

What to do in Macael?

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WHERE TO EAT

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Gastronomic experience with the seal of chef Carlos Javier Moma. A project focused on reinterpreting the most traditional Spanish cuisine from haute cuisine.

La Marmita Restaurant

Where to eat

Grilled meats, daily tapas, daily menus and traditional food. Wheat stew, crumbs, etc.

Restaurant Las Carmelas

Where to eat

Enjoy good cuisine, quality and good service at Restaurante Los Membrives. Tapas, rations, daily dishes, letter, … Celebrate with us weddings, communions, baptisms …

Restaurante Los Membrives

Where to eat

Do not miss a tapas restaurant in the pools, we have a variety of tapas and beers, dishes to share and finger-licking rations, what are you waiting to come, find out for yourself, do not tell! In the restaurant the Pools we do all kinds of celebrations, weddings, baptisms, communions, company dinners, family meals, etc.

Las Piscinas Restaurant

Where to eat

Bar La Plaza We have Grilled Meat, Homemade Pizzas in wood oven, specialty in Patatas Bravas and all type of Homemade Meals like Puchero Wheat, Porcini, Fabada, Migas. Wide range of Fish and Seafood, Cuttlefish, Squid, Quiquilla, Grouper, Tuna, Cockles, …. Every Sunday, Rice with Beans, Assorted Brochettes, Homemade Pisto, Homemade Pisto, Cherigans, Smoked Toast. This Christmas, you taste our homemade Anis and Mantecados Roscos, a wide assortment of Desserts, Carrilera Roasts on request, etc …

Bar La Plaza

Where to eat

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LEISURE

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Breakfast, snacks, ice cream, cakes are offered. Toasts Goffres Nescafe frappelatte Birthdays and events are celebrated We are in Calle Garcia Lorca 54 very close to the Marble Interpretation Center.

El Cafetín – Macael

Leisure & Active Tourism

Marble Interpretation Center – Active Tourism – Industrial Tourism: Made in Macael invites you to learn about the Macael Marble culture at the MÁRMOL INTERPRETATION CENTER. We also offer guided tours services to QUARRIES, MANUFACTURING FACTORIES, Corcones de Macael and Sendero del Mármol. Made in Macael comes up with the idea of showing and making known the culture of Macael marble. With more than 25 centuries of history, the quarries of Macael have been and are the economic base of the region. Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs have passed through them, leaving us a legacy of majestic works where we find our white marble. The Roman Theater of Mérida, the Alhambra of Granada and the Royal Palace of Madrid are examples of this. At present, there are several marbles and natural stones that are extracted from the quarries of Macael and numerous its utilities. Thanks to the advances in transport and the opening of new markets we can find Macael marble in large and famous works from around the world, as in the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow or the most luxurious hotel of the world, the Silver City Hotel in China. We invite […]

Marble Interpretation Center – Macael

Leisure & Active Tourism

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WHERE TO SLEEP

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Hotel Cero Ocho is a lodging designed with care and effort that at the same time aims to be modern and comfortable. Its location will allow visitors a quick and smooth visit to the region of marble, as well as a large parking area. · Category: 1 star · Modality: City · Capacity: 8 double rooms and 2 single rooms · Services: Private bathroom, TV-LCD, Private terrace with panoramic view, Free Wifi, Wide free parking area, Possibility to use gym (in adjacent facility), Possibility to use indoor pool (in adjacent facility), Transfer to Airport (reservation required), Transfer visits (reservation required), Possibility of hiring guided tours to the different tourist points of the region: Visit to quarry. Extraction of the marble, Visit to the factory, Guided visit to the town of Macael, Visit to locality of Laroya, rural tourist town, Routes BTT`s and Routes Hiking.

Hotel Cero Ocho

Where to sleep

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HEALTH - BEAUTY

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Physiotherapists in Macael (Almería): In Salud XXI we are health professionals specialized in the field of physiotherapy and manual therapies. We are aware that, more and more, our patients demand personalized and effective treatments for their ailments, for that reason in Salud XXI we have been applying for years the latest methods and treatment techniques at European level, aware that our greater training and Preparation affects the benefit of those patients who request our services. Methods In Salud XXI we are experts in manual therapies, for years we have been applying new treatment methods in Europe, such as osteopathy, muscular chains (G.D.S method), myofascial induction, craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, etc. The Base consists of the concept of body globality, together with an exhaustive diagnosis based on orthopedic, kinesiological tests, facial tensions, biomechanical, physiological and anatomical concepts, without forgetting the psycho-social and postural sphere of the patient, to analyze the origin of his Problem and the consequences that it originates. The manual treatment is not harmful or invasive, will not cause side effects in the body, and if it is not the best solution to the patient’s problem, will not stop helping you to recover a better balance and well-being, enhancing the […]