Rincon del Hornillo Águilas

One of the most beautiful places in Águilas to enjoy a summer drink

Rincon del Hornillo, Águilas

This little corner of Águilas is inspirational to gardeners with gardens of all sizes, right through from those with just a little patio to maintain, to those looking at vast expanses of uncultivated wasteland and wondering what to do with them.

The Rincon del Hornillo sits in a corner near the CIMAR centre, behind the El Hornillo beach in Aguilas, hidden away at the foot of a residential urbanization, and is an example of art, ingenuity and perseverance on an inspirational scale.

It's all the work of one man, Juan Martinez Casuco, who spent 12 years building this little corner and the superb Ermita which lies half a kilometre further into the urbanization, all of which was built by himself, including all the wrought ironwork.

He spent his life working on the Águilas railways, and when he retired, decided to undertake this project.

The little bar is the property of his son, and he has lovingly decorated every inch of the space with handlaid tilework, remeniscent of the work of the great architect, designer and artist, Antonio Gaudí. Those who have visited the stunning Parque Guell in Barcelona will see reflections of the sensual curves and naturalistic imitations of nature so beloved by the master himself, as the expanses of tiles curve beneath the trees, moulded into comfortable seating areas, practical, hard wearing and low maintenance, providing interesting garden features and giving colour and interest to the garden all year around.

The curved seating around the bar area is decorated with bold designs which are echoed in the decoration around the doors, windows and corners of the bar itself, moulded into naturalistic curves which give the feeling of the bar growing organically from the rockface into which it is cut.

Snaking from the bar, stairs head up to the street level above, writhing and buckling like a sinuous serpent up the hillside, with fantastical sculptural pieces set at the side, giving height and focal interest to the gardens.

At the top a fountain bears views of Águilas and its famous castle, a homage to the town so beloved by its maker.

From here, drive up through the urbanization, literally going up, and on the top of the hill you will find the next part of his incredible project- the hermitage, set in the Plaza del Hornillo.

He's laid out a large flat area, which, had he lived, would have undoubtedly been filled with curvaceous seating areas and sculptural pieces, but sadly, he passed on and the park has never been fully finished.

Beds carry pines, oleanders, lavender and a few other drought tolerant varieties, and a tiled path leads up steps to an enormous sculptural obelisk which dominates the entrance to the area.

Continuing on, the little hermitage fills the centre of the park, a sweeping seated area enclosing it, the whole decorated in strikingly vibrant colour, which somehow enhances a Mediterranean landscape, and it is interesting to speculate how the whole area would have appeared with lush, mature planting and the completed seatingareas.

Every inch of the hermitage is covered with vibrant colour, laid piece by piece by this incredible man.

Every home has the potential to absorb inspiration from this place, even flowerpots and containers can be enlivened and beautified using these techniques, recycling unwanted tiles to co-ordinate with the house exterior and finishing.

Benches and seats can be constructed to mould into harsh block walls, giving a finish that won't fur up, or lose its colour, and can be constructed to fit even the smallest of patios, providing a true authentic splash of Mediterranean vibrancy by selecting tiles which give the right colour effects.

Flowerbeds can be enlivened with personal designs - they don't have to be sophisticated, some of the most effective use only two or three colours, and the fronts of boring steps can be enlivened by the application of coloured tile fragments.

It's really just a case of how imaginative are you feeling and how much time and energy you have!

To visit the Rincon del Hornillo, it's necessary to head to the far western side of Aguilas. We drove past the Aguilas Plaza shopping centre, into the urbanization and bore sharp right almost immediately upon entering the urbanized area, following the Avenida del Hornillo right to the end.

There is very limited parking right next to the beach, and the little café and garden area is tucked away in the corner behind the Playa del Hornillo

The Plaza del Hornillo is at the top of the urbanized area, and the easiest way to find it is just keep going up, eventually you'l get there. Its only a minutes drive from the beach.

NB. The beach at the end of this road is Playa del Hornillo. The long thin strip sticking out divides the bay into two parts. This is the old unloading structure for the railways.The hornillo playa is the larger section of the beach.

The bar is only open during July and August, and serves a range of beverages and basic tapas, so buy a drink as appreciation of what you're seeing and don't forget to look inside the bar itself as there are some stunning benches in the little side room, and take time to admire the skill, dedication, determination and creativity of the man who built all of this on his own.

More information about Águilas including beaches, what to see, what's on and tourist information can be found on ÁGUILAS TODAY