A Hidden Gem: Agua Amarga

Sometimes the best places are the ones you’ve never heard of…

This is Agua Amarga.

A province of Almería, located in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, Agua Amarga is a place unlike any other.

My journey in getting to this little slice of paradise was no bueno to say the least. You see, to get to Agua Amarga, I had to fly:

 JFK –> Madrid –>Almería

Disclaimer: I LOVE FLYING. I want to be a pilot in my next life – from takeoff to landing and everything in between, I enjoy all of it. (Embarrassing proof of me looking psychotically happy on a flight below.)

BUT…during the flight from JFK to Madrid I experienced some awful turbulence…

(think: plane-suddenly-dropping-out-of-the-sky turbulence)

And, to make matters worse, the family seated in the row next to me immediately started making use of their small white paper vom bags.

Yep, vomming. Endlessly vomming.

So, like, that was totally fun!

Upon landing in Madrid, there was a HUGE backup at the custom’s counter (I think we landed right around siesta time…) and nearly everyone who had connecting flights missed them…including me.

So, after a short woe is me! moment, I secured a standby ticket for the next flight to Almería (for free since it was the airport’s fault I missed my flight) and was FINALLY on my way.

After that harrowing journey, I was told I had finally made it to Almería– but it felt more like Mars.

What is this place?, I thought as we drove forty minutes north-east of Almería airport. Winding roads, windmills, and solar farms peppered the landscape– is there really a sea around here? Maybe we’ve made a wrong turn…this is just an arid desert!

And, just when I thought we’d never see another human again, with one turn along a mountainside, a town popped into view! Agua Amarga!

It looked like photos I’d seen of Santorini…with limestone buildings and royal blue accents, it was gorgeous.

 Agua Amarga is home to less than 500 people and it shows.

With not a department store or chain restaurant in sight, Agua Amarga gives off an otherworldly, almost unearthly vibe. 

Oh, and what’s a trip to Spain without PAELLA??!??

I’m so excited to share more of my trip with y’all! Stay tuned!!

Have you ever been to a place that felt truly uninhabited? I wanna hear about it!

Spread kindness and cheer, xo
Jackie