A few miles to the north east of Almería is a small village called Los Baños de Sierra de Alhamilla. Why is it called that? Well, it is situated up in the mountains of the Sierra de Alhamilla and it has a hot spring.
The Phoenicians and the Romans were aware of this spring and then the Moors made regular use of the hot water. The Arab geographer Al-Himyari wrote about the spa village: “…a high mountain which has important mineral deposits.. It is also has an extraordinary hot spring that has no equal in Al Andalus by the goodness of its waters, its sweetness, its diuretic virtue, efficacy, and all its healing powers…”
I can attest to the fact that there must be a hot spring here because there is an acequia with water that is rather warm - it is 58°C apparently.
The Balneario spa hotel is located here and visitors can avail themselves of various health treatments. I prefer just to walk around this pleasant oasis and drink coffee or have a beer in one of the two bars in the village.
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