Ayamonte Town
General Information

Higher wages and better job prospects are the main attraction for the Portuguese. Spain also has the added benefit of lower cost of living, primarily due to to its' lower rate of VAT. Ayamonte attracts large numbers of Portuguese shoppers, the queues at local petrol stations in the height of summer bear testimony to this.

As well as an influx of Portuguese, the town has seen a rise in permanent residents from Northern Europe, particularly Britons. On the whole the Spanish indigenous population is declining due to lower birth rates. However, Ayamonte has seen an increase in the number of Spanish residents in the town. This is primarily due to workers moving to the area particularly in the construction industry.

The town has a number of distinct zones. The old commercial quarter of the town is pretty much preserved and is now mostly pedestrianised. Amble through the narrow charming streets and pop into the various boutiques you will come across, before sitting down to enjoy a cafe con leche or a chilled beer.

Many people find Ayamonte encapsulated in the Plaza de la Laguna. A palm tree lined square where you will find children playing whilst adults sit in one of the surrounding cafe bars. This is where the Town Hall, Ayuntamiento, is also located.

In many ways the plaza also shows the changing face of the town. The square is now also the banking hub of the town, with every national and regional bank trying to get a piece of the action. Ayamontes' banks are only surpassed in number by its' estate agents, surely there cannot be a correlation here!

The town centre shops are still pretty much locally owned stores as yet untouched by the national retail chains. The national and multi-national chains have moved into the town but at the newly opened La Plaza Centro Commercial in the Parador district. Ayamonte Shopping is covered in more depth on this page.

As you come of the motorway and enter Ayamonte you will see the Parador on your right. The area below the Parador is the old part of town known as La Villa, this is where you will find the parish church of El Salvador.

The main road into town is Avenida de la Constitucion (BP garage road) the area at the top end of the road where alot of new housing has been constructed is now generally referred to as the Parador district. This is also where the new shopping centre La Plaza is situated.

As you progress down the hill the area to the right opposite the Dia supermarket is known as Estadio. This was the former site of the football stadium before it was relocated.

The town becomes divided by the river and marina. As you head out of town towards Isla Canela you pass through the district known as Salon, this is where the courthouse and police headquarters are located. Sports Facillites including the athletics stadium, new football stadium and new indoor swimming pool are also situated in the Salon district.

A lot of the industry which was located at the river side and in the Salon district have now been relocated. A large Industrial Estate close to the Motorway (A-49) has been developed to relieve some of the town centre congestion. The old industrial areas around the river front have been designated as park land and will be cleared and landscaped.

Ayamonte is hemmed in by the Guadiana to the west and the marismas (marsh land) to the south leaving limited areas for expansion. The marsh between the motorway and the town leaves little room to the north. The only escape route is to the east which is what the council have opted to do.

The town hall creates an Urbanization plan every 8/10 years. The new plan due for release in 2007 has earmarked a large area behind La Plaza Centro Commercial for urban development. This area of previously green belt will have provision for social housing as well as open market developments. The cost of housing is a major issue in a lot of Spanish towns. The Spanish resent the fact that many buyers have been priced out of the market.

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