Águilas beaches: Playa del Hornillo

Beautiful views over the Bay of Hornillo from this sandy Águilas beach

The Playa del Hornillo is located to the east of the emblematic Embarcadero del Hornillo in the bay of the same name, and lies below the spectacular residential developments which have been hewn into the mountainside overlooking this beautiful seascape.

The eye is immediately drawn to the Isla del Fraile on the left and the headland of Punta del Nido del Cuervo and the jetty on the right. In the past the Embarcadero was used by trains bringing minerals from the inland mines and quarries for export by ship, and it still stands as a reminder of Águilas’ industrial past. Nowadays, of course, the tracks are no longer used and there is no sign of the dirt and activity which brought about the rise of Águilas during the industrial revolution: the water here is clear and clean, as it is along the whole of the coastline of the municipality.

The Embarcadero itself can be visited as part of a monthly visit organised by the tourist office in the municipality (see what's on Águilas). Read the article about the route of the railways which also gives background information about the links of Águilas with both mining and railways.

Unsurprisingly this beach is fairly popular with those who own or rent the property behind it and who tend to use it as their local beach. For those coming from further away, though, it is less popular, as parking is limited in the residential streets and during summer it can be quite difficult to park close to the beach. However, there are so many beaches to choose from in the municipality that bathers will have little difficulty in finding the beach that suits their tastes if they are driving to a beach.

Special parking spaces are reserved for the disabled, and there are wooden walkways and foot showers which are fully operational in the summer. However this is not a large beach and apart from a toilet in summer there is little else in the way of facilities here. Similarly, there are no shops or restaurants in the immediate vicinity, and the trip to the nearby Águilas Plaza shopping mall, although not a long one, is best undertaken by car since it would involve a lot of uphill and downhill walking.Otherwise, a picnic is a good idea or plan to drive to a restaurant for lunch.

This is the sixteenth beach in the series of 36 Águilas beaches which run along the 28 kilometres of Águilas coast, working from the Almería coastline in the west down to the Lorca municipality and offer both urban and wild beaches. Click for full list of  beaches of Águilas.

More information about Águilas including beaches, what to see, what's on and tourist information can be found on ÁGUILAS TODAY