Almuñécar secondhand/craft market

Musicians and a Seat 500 at Almuñécar market

There used to be an excellent secondhand/craft market held one day a month at Almuñécar, on the Costa Tropical. Traders, musicians, performers and some great crafts people would travel from as far as France and Portugal to do business. There were some wonderful antiques and interesting surprises to be had from all over Europe. People literally came down from the mountains to sell their wares, including home made food, furniture, clothes, music, plants and jewellery.

Almuñécar was ideally situated for a market because it was on the main coast road. If you wanted to travel east or west along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, you had to pass through Almuñécar.

A good proportion of the money raised from renting pitches went to various charities, plus there were several stalls run by charities. A friend of mine used to sell books on behalf of a hospice, and would raise over 1000 euros a year.

The market was also a social occasion where you'd meet friends, have lunch and do some grocery shopping. I think it's fair to say that Almuñécar came alive on market day, the market brought in several thousand people with money to spend.

Sadly, the local council of Almuñécar closed the market about 18 months ago. I never read an official explanation for the closure, but the decision was short sighted and stupid. The local mayor decided it was for the good of the town and that was that.

Shortly after the secondhand market was closed the recession (or crisis as it is called here) hit Spain, and we all know about that. It hit the property market and building industry in Almuñécar particularly hard, there are now a lot of jobless people in the town. And when you thought that things can't get any worse, they just did.

Earlier this year the new A7 coast road (which will eventually connect the entire coast of Spain), opened a new section that totally by-passes Almuñécar. Today when I passed through even the gas station was quiet. What was a busy, vibrant area on the outskirts of this popular resort now looks half abandoned. And the one day a month, when the same area used to come alive with visitors, and everyone benefited - shop keepers, stall holders, bar owners, restaurant owners, tourists, ex-pats, charities, stray dogs (thanks to hard working volunteers) local shoppers etc etc........is just a distant memory, and an example of perhaps the most ill advised local decision making I have ever experienced!