El Algar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids El Algar
Municipality district
El Algar Location in Murcia Show map of Murcia El Algar Location in Spain Show map of Spain
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Murcia
Province	Province of Murcia
Comarca	Campo de Cartagena
Judicial district	Cartagena
Municipality	Cartagena
Area
• Total	26.659 km2 (10.293 sq mi)
Population
• Total	7,961
• Density	298.623/km2 (773.43/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Algareños
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	30366, 30368 (North-east of the district)
Dialing code	(+34) 968

El Algar is a district in the Spanish city of Cartagena. It is located in the eastern part of Cartagena. The area of El Algar is about 26.66 square kilometers. It shares its borders with other places like Lentiscar to the north and San Félix to the east. To the south-east is the municipality of La Unión. El Beal is to the south-west. A salty coastal lagoon called Mar Menor is to its north-west. In 2019, nearly 8,000 people lived in El Algar.

What the Land is Like

Nature and Landscape

The land in El Algar is mostly flat. There is only one small hill called Cabezo Álvarez. You can also find flat areas like Fuente del Sapo and Saladar de Lo Poyo. There are no rivers with constant water flow here. However, there are some ramblas. These are dry riverbeds that only fill with water when it rains a lot.

Towns and Villages

El Algar has six different communities. The main town is also called El Algar. About 5,567 people live there. The second largest area is Las Lomas, with about 1,499 residents. In the north-east, there is a village called Los Urrutias, home to 848 people. Estrella de Mar is a residential area in El Algar with 275 people. There are also two smaller hamlets. Los Rizos is in the north and has only four residents. Los Ruices is in the south with ten people.

A Look at History

People have lived in El Algar since the time of Ancient Rome. We know this from old sites found there. These sites show signs of old farms, mines, and metalworking places. It seems the area was empty during the late Roman Empire.

During the Middle Ages, some historians believe paths crossed through El Algar. Shepherds likely guided their animals through here to the Sierra Minera mountains. Over time, a small community of shepherds grew in the area. Records from 1555 and 1565 mention this settlement.

During a period called the Trienio Liberal, El Algar was not part of Cartagena. It was part of a different municipality. This municipality also included El Beal and Rincón de San Ginés. When this period ended, El Algar became part of Cartagena again.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, mining became very important in nearby La Unión. Because El Algar was so close, some landowners here made money from these mines. These wealthy people built some of the famous buildings you can see in El Algar today.

In the early 1900s, El Algar stopped growing. This was because mining declined. Many people had to move away, especially to Catalonia. In 1914, there was a health issue called trichinosis that affected 275 people.

Who Lives Here

About 16.89% of the people living in El Algar are from other countries. Most of them (10.925%) are from Africa. Others come from Europe (4.515%), America (1.03%), and Asia (0.34%).

About 18.78% of the residents are younger than 15 years old. This is a bit higher than the average for Spain. About 16.117% are between 15 and 30 years old. This is also slightly above the national average. About 20.09% of people are over 60 years old. This is lower than the national average for this age group.

The table below shows how the population has changed since the year 2000.

Important Places and Services

Health Services

El Algar is part of Cartagena's Health Area II. There is a small health center called a consultorio in Los Urrutias. This center offers basic medical care. The main town of El Algar has a larger health center called a centro de salud.

Schools and Learning

The main town of El Algar has two schools for young children and primary students (CEIP). It also has a secondary school (IES). Los Urrutias has one school for early childhood and primary education.

Getting Around

A main road called RM-12 runs through the southern part of the district. It goes from the south-west to the south-east. Another important road, N-332, is in the eastern part. It goes from the north-west to the south-west and also passes through the main town.

There is a bus service that connects El Algar to Cartagena. You can also take a bus to Murcia, but it does not run very often.

Sports and Fun

One popular sports team in El Algar is the football (soccer) team, Club Deportivo El Algar (C.D. El Algar). There is also a women's volleyball team called Surmenor.

Every year, a popular race called Subida a la Fuente del Sapo takes place. It happens in late August. El Algar was also part of a big cycling race in 2018. A section of the Vuelta España (a national cycling competition) went through the main town.

The district has a sports pavilion and a football pitch for sports activities.

Places to See

• Casa Rubio: This was the home of a wealthy man. He made money from the mining activities in La Unión. It was built in 1895.
• Apolo Theatre: This theater was built in 1905.
• Zamar carriage museum: This museum has old carriages and motorcycles.
• Villa María
• Windmills: You can see windmills in Campo de Cartagena. Some of these traditional windmills are located in El Algar.

Celebrations and Festivals

El Algar has several festive events throughout the year:

• Patron saint festival: This festival starts on August 31st and ends on September 15th. During this time, there is a rock festival, a special prayer period called a novena, and parades (pasacalles). There is also an opening speech and a carrera de cintas. This is a race where riders on horseback try to grab a ribbon. The festival ends with a procession dedicated to the patron virgin.
• Romería of Los Llanos patron virgin
• Festivity in Los Urrutias

See also

In Spanish: El Algar para niños