Antas: Archaeology and Argaric Heritage

If you choose Antas for its history and landscapes, you can organize the topics according to your interests: Argaric culture, archaeological sites, historic buildings, and nature trails. For planning, it is helpful to distinguish between the different ways to visit. The Centro de Interpretación de la Cultura Argárica (CICA) can be visited independently or with a guided tour booked in advance. A prior reservation and a guided tour are required to visit the Poblado Argárico.

Argaric culture in Antas

Through its museum collection, explanatory panels, and reconstructions, the CICA presents the daily life of Bronze Age Argaric communities. Topics include their advanced metallurgy, distinctive pottery, complex social organization, and particular burial practices. The center offers a thematic introduction, while other sites bring different archaeological evidence into focus.

The CICA is located at Calle Arrieros 2 in Antas. The recommended place to park is the nearby Paseo del Huerto, just a few meters away. Guided tours should be booked in advance; visitor packages may include a guided tour, an archaeology workshop, and a grain-milling workshop. Check booking and package options before your visit.

The Poblado Argárico de Antas reconstructs houses and aspects of the daily life of Bronze Age communities from more than 4,000 years ago. These include burials and grain-milling workshops. A combined guided tour with the CICA is possible. This combination connects the reconstruction of living and working areas with the interpretation provided at the center, although the two visits do not have to follow the same format.

Archaeological sites and their landscapes

Lugarico Viejo is a fortified Bronze Age settlement area protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest). Its remains include huts and burials. El Argar and La Gerundia are designated as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the archaeological zone category within the municipality of Antas. The archaeological zone lies on the left bank of the Río Antas, on two irregularly shaped plateaus, separated by a terraced area used for agriculture.

Another named site is El Garcel, an Early Copper Age settlement. Its remains include huts, circular hearths, silos, and slag from copper smelting. The oldest olive stones on the Iberian Peninsula were also found there. These finds point to archaeological contexts different from the Bronze Age evidence at Lugarico Viejo and the Argaric sites.

Cabezo María is an ancient volcano and the only volcano in the Levante almeriense. An archaeological site is located on its slope; protected as an archaeological zone, it includes remains dating from the Bronze Age to the Hispano-Muslim period. The Ermita de la Virgen de la Cabeza stands at the summit. Guided visits go to the archaeological remains and also cover volcanology and the intangible cultural heritage associated with the hill.

Nature trails and historic buildings

The nature trail between Cabezo María and La Huerta is almost 5.5 kilometers long and passes through Las Cañadas and El Pilarico, near the Río Antas. A second nature trail connects Los Mosquitos and Los Raimundos: it is 2.8 kilometers long and takes less than half an hour to complete. The two trails therefore differ both in their stated distance and in their stated duration. Walking times and trail conditions may vary; check conditions before setting out.

Buildings in Antas also add to the picture of the town’s history. The Acueducto real, also known as the Complejo Hidráulico de El Real, was built around 1915 and supplied water to private gardens and the local residential area. The parish church of Antas, also known as the Iglesia de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, was built in 1505 and is distinguished by its tower on the outside.

La Vieja is part of local tradition. It is celebrated on the day that marks the midpoint of Lent; a paper figure filled with sweets is broken with stones. Together with the archaeological sites, the CICA, and the nature trails, this tradition reveals other facets of the cultural themes you can consider on your trip to Antas.

Discover more destinations: Caserío Santopétar, El Contador, Sorbas, Fiñana, Suflí, El Ejido, Oria, María.

Go to the main travel overview: Almeria.