Every Saturday in October, free visits to the Hornillo loading jetty in Aguilas

The jetty opens on Saturday mornings with bookings made through Águilas tourist office

After the first phase of a long restoration project came to an end in June the iconic railway loading jetty of the Embarcadero del Hornillo in Águilas has now re-opened to visitors, with anyone interested welcome to come and see this historic structure which dates back to the time when Águilas was used by the British and others as a major port for the export of minerals mined in the province of Granada.

The jetty was built under the supervision of engineer Gustavo Gillman in 1903 and is considered to be one of the two most important of its kind still standing in Spain, and the first phase of its restoration has cost a million euros (75 per cent of which came from national government funds and the rest from the Town Hall). The local council is now applying for a further 3 million euros of funding to restore historic buildings in the municipality, and part of this would go towards completing the rehabilitation of the Embarcadero de Hornillo.

For the time being, though, it is at last possible to walk on the jetty for the first time since 1973, with guided visits scheduled every Saturday morning between 11.00 and 13.00 and during July and August from 19.00 to 21.00. Registration for these free visits is through the Águilas tourist office (telephone 968 493285) – the visits (without a guide) are free of charge but please note that they are not suitable for those with mobility problems due to the need to use stairs.

For more local events, news and visiting information go to the home page of Águilas Today.