In Antas, the sights range from Bronze Age settlements and protected archaeological areas to nature trails along the Río Antas. A good starting point for learning about the Argaric culture is the Centro de Interpretación de la Cultura Argárica, or CICA for short. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing between the available ways to visit and the guided tours that explicitly require a reservation.

The Argaric culture at the CICA and the Poblado

The CICA uses a museum collection, explanatory panels, and reconstructions to present the daily life of Bronze Age Argaric communities. Topics include their advanced metallurgy, distinctive pottery, complex social organization, and particular burial practices. You can visit the center independently or choose a guided tour reserved in advance. Visit packages may also include an archaeology workshop and a grain-milling workshop. If you are planning a guided tour or package, check current availability in advance.

The CICA is located at Calle Arrieros 2 in Antas. The nearby Paseo del Huerto, just a few meters away, is recommended for parking; check this recommendation again before your visit. The Poblado Argárico de Antas offers further insight into the daily life of Bronze Age communities more than 4,000 years ago: houses and aspects of life at the time are reconstructed there, including burials and grain-milling workshops. Visits to the Poblado require an advance reservation and a guided tour. A combined guided tour with the CICA is possible; check the current visiting arrangements in advance.

Protected archaeological sites

Lugarico Viejo is a fortified Bronze Age settlement site protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Its described features include huts and burials. El Argar and La Gerundia are also designated as 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. The two sites lie on the left bank of the Río Antas, on two irregularly shaped plateaus separated by a terraced area used for agriculture.

Cabezo María combines geological and archaeological interest: the ancient volcano is the only volcano in the Levante almeriense with an archaeological site on its slope. The archaeological zone is protected; its remains date from the Bronze Age to the Hispano-Muslim period. The Ermita de la Virgen de la Cabeza stands on its summit. Guided visits take in the archaeological remains and also cover volcanology and the intangible cultural heritage associated with the hill.

Nature trails and their distances

The nature trail between Cabezo María and La Huerta is just under 5.5 kilometers long and passes through Las Cañadas and El Pilarico near the Río Antas. Another nature trail runs between Los Mosquitos and Los Raimundos. At 2.8 kilometers, it is considerably shorter; the stated duration is less than half an hour. Actual walking time may vary, and trail conditions may also change. Check them before setting out. At just under 5.5 kilometers, the route between Cabezo María and La Huerta is considerably longer than the 2.8-kilometer route between Los Mosquitos and Los Raimundos.

More traces of local history

The Acueducto real, also known as the Complejo Hidráulico de El Real, was built around 1915. It 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; its tower is a distinctive feature of its exterior.

El Garcel takes you further back in time, to the Early Copper Age. The settlement remains include huts, round hearths, silos, and slag from copper smelting. The oldest olive stones on the Iberian Peninsula were also found there. In Antas, La Vieja is celebrated on the day when Lent is divided in two: a paper figure filled with sweets is broken with stones.

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