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From the Arab period you can see well preserved Castillo de San Miguel and the towers, protecting the city against enemies approaching by sea. The towers are preserved in almost perfect condition today. From an earlier Phoenician Period comes the necropolis Puente de Noy. During excavations in the years 1979 to 1993 were discovered 132 tombs, which provide convincing evidence of ancient inhabitants of this place.

Quite a lot monuments date back to the period of Roman domination. Those include the Aqueduct and Cave of the Seven Palaces, which now serves as an archaeological museum. From this time you will find also the Monks Tower and even Factoria de Salazones de Pescado (Salting FishH Factory).

Encarnación church was designed by famed architect of King Philip II., Juan de Herrera. The author of its tower then became a Granada’s native Diego de Siloé, who mainly participated on the most part of the Cathedral of Granada.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by NoelWalley at en.wikipedia

Approx. 40 minutes from Almuñécar you can visit Peña Escrita natural park where you suddenly find yourself almost in paradise. You will see beautiful countryside surrounded by mountains on one side and sea on the other. It’s a great tip for a nice walk, when you go around wonderful nature that is full of various animals and birds singing.

Beaches

Beaches are very natural and not as commercial as they are on the Costa del Sol.

Playa de Cantarrijan
This beach lies exactly on the boundary of two provinces, Malaga and Granada. You can get here from the national road No. 340 and you have two options. Either you walk down the path that is steep and sometimes you come across a smaller gradient, or choose the second one, which is milder but longer.

Playa La Herradura
It is 2100 m long beach. From both sides is protected by foothills of La Punta de la Mona and Cerro Gordo mountains.

Playa del Muerto
Do not be intimidated by the title (in translation beach deceased). The name is probably derived from the peace and quiet to be found there. It is a small beach (280 meters long) which you can enter by following an artificial rocky road.

Playa de San Cristóbal
One of the most famous beaches of this area lies to the west of Almuñécar. Besides the beach you can go to several bars and restaurants and enjoy some of the excellent local cuisine.

If you did not choose any from these beaches, you certainly do so once you get there. There’s a lot more!

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Insights into the history
Gniew Castle was founded in the 2nd half of the 13th century and served as the seat of the Teutonic Knights. In the 15th century castle took possession of the royal family. Later, however, the fortress fell to Prussians, who established the military barracks and armory at the Gniew castle. In the first half of the 20th century the building was damaged by a large fire. About 50 years later, began an extensive reconstruction, and the whole place got back to its original form.

Attractions
Today the castle houses an archaeological museum, where you can see many exhibitions of medieval excavations and archaeological findings. The castle also hosts festivals of various historic characters and many exhibitions. In the vicinity of Gniew Castle you can find another great castle, Malbork Castle, which is the largest Gothic building in the world and the largest brick building in the world.

Practical information
You can visit Gniew Castle almost every day (except of Mondays) from 9:00 to 17:00. Admission is 8 PLN. The museum is open from 15 April to 31 October. You can even accommodate right in the castle complex or try some of the great polish traditional meals in the castle’s restaurant. Very impressive is night walking around the castle.

For further details visit official website of Gniew Castle.

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Koufonissia form one of the eleven island complexes of Cyclades islands.

The only inhabited island is mountainous Pano (Upper) Koufonisi. According to archaeological findings, the islands were inhabited since prehistoric times. Excavations have revealed significant findings of Cycladic culture. It was a Bronze Age civilization, which developed here in the years around 3000 and 2000 BC.

Later, it was merged with the Minoan civilization. In the historical development Koufonissia followed the way of the whole Cyclades. The islands were first attacked by the Venetians and later by Turks. The residents then joined the pirate rebels and sailors.

Pano (Upper) Koufonisi island covers an area of 5.7 square kilometres. The population of the island did not exceed 400. Their main livelihood is fishing and sheep farming. Buildings on the southwest coast of the island are typical examples of the remarkable architecture of Cyclades.

Kato (Lower) Koufonisi island is smaller one, covering the area of 4.4 square kilometres. There was a village before, but today only a few, especially fishing families stay here. On this island you can find small picturesque Virgin Mary’s church..

Keros island is uninhabited as well and covers an area of 10 square kilometres. The highest point of the island is in 432 metres.

On the islands you can stay in several quality hotels. The most luxurious is the Hotel Koufonissia (just 150 meters from the beach) or Christinas House.

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The ancient town is really well preserved. The monument complex contains also a smaller ancient theater, located on the hill of Monte Barbaro, from which you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Castellammare del Golfo.

At Segesta’s archaeological park, there’s a shuttle bus to take you from the parking area to the amphitheatre and urban excavations. The nearest locality is Calatafimi. During Summer, several classical Greek dramas are performed at Segesta’s ancient amphitheatre, but many of these productions feature actors and actresses wearing casual clothes instead of classical costumes.

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