July 18 to 20 Alhama de Murcia takes part in the 5th “Las 4 Alhamas event” in Alhama de Almería

4 towns from different parts of Spain unite to celebrate the name they share!

The 5th edition of the “Encuentro Nacional de las 4 Alhamas” event takes place over the weekend of 18th to 20th July in Alhama, bringing together representatives of four towns called Alhama from the regions and provinces of Murcia, Almería, Granada and Aragón.

The 2025 edition takes place in Alhama de Almería, which is located at the eastern end of the Alpujarras mountains. Among the highlights for visitors are several burial grounds dating from the Late Stone Age, the 25-metre-high bridge which was built in 1807 over the Barranco del Moralillo, the San Nicolás thermal spa (opened in 1874, following a tradition of thermal water nothing which was initiated by the Romans) and the remains of a castle dating back to the time of the Reconquista in the 13^th century.

The name “Alhama” comes from the medieval Islamic word “al-hamma”, meaning thermal baths, and its widespread use as far north as Aragón reflects the extent to which the Moors influenced the development of the Iberian Peninsula in the Early Middle Ages. Of the four towns Alhama de Murcia is by far the largest, its population of over 23,000 easily surpassing the combined total of the other three.

The programme of events for the weekend is as follows:

Friday July 18

21.00: Screening of a video at the presentation of the Encuentro de las 4 Alhamas event in the Plaza de España.

22.00: Live Hispano-American music from Los Salteños in the Plaza de España.

Saturday July 19

10.00: Free guided tour of sites of interest in Alhama de Almería, ending with a visit to the bakery of a local artisan who makes the typical Rosquillas de Alhama breadsticks.

The meeting point is the tourist office of Alhama de Almería at Calle Médico Cristóbal Rodríguez 13. Confirmation of attendance is required by telephone on 950 640469 (tourist office).

19.00: Official opening of the “Fuente de las 4 Alhamas” in Avenida Nicolás Salmerón, next to the waterfall. The new fountain bears the coats of arms of the four towns.

19.30: Musical parade to the Plaza de España featuring the four town bands of the towns taking part.

20.00: The music festival begins, with performances by the Banda de Alhama de Aragón (and the Agrupación Musical Alto Jalón), the Banda de Alhama de Granada, the Banda de Alhama de Murcia (with the Ateneo Músico Cultural Maestro José Antonio Ayala) and the Banda de Alhama de Almería. The event ends at 22.30 and is followed by a celebratory dinner for members of the four bands in the Salón Social on Avenida de Almería.

Sunday July 20

11.00: A free guided tour of the spa, the feature which unites the four towns (the name comes from the medieval Islamic word for “thermal bath”). Confirmation of attendance is required by telephone on 950 640469 (tourist office).

Image 2: Casa Agua Marina

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