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cortijo la saladilla
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vélez rubio The
small agricultural town of Vélez Rubio is in a picturesque
setting, surrounded by sierras, olive groves and fields of wheat.
Vélez Rubio is home to a colourful market held weekly. There are good local amenities such as a medical centre, supermarkets, and a large public swimming pool surrounded by trees, with an adjoining bar and restaurant. The
Museum is situated within a beautiful 18th Century hospital 'Hospital
Real' and has a fascinating exhibition of artifacts and ceramics dating
from prehistoric to the Moorish era, including a section on the ancient
cave paintings in this area. The main monument of note in the town is the magnificent Baroque
Church
of La Encarnación that can be found on the plaza of the same name.
Built in the 18th Century, this has an imposing carved facade that
includes the arms of the Marquises of Villafranca y Vélez, who built it.
Inside, the main altar has a superbly detailed, 20-metre-high
carved wood retablo. Even more spectacular than this, though, are the prehistoric cave paintings of the Cueva de los Letreros, 3km out of town. There you will be able to see surprisingly fresh looking red and brown sketches of human figures, birds and animals which have been dated to around 4000 BC and are amongst the oldest representations of people and animals in the world. Nestling at the foot of a rocky outcrop, is the small white washed town of Vélez Blanco, 6km north of its neighbour, Vélez Rubio. Vélez Blanco is located a few hundred meters in altitude above Vélez Rubio on the mountainside and has stunning views of the Blanco valley and 30kms beyond. Vélez Blanco has a beautiful swimming pool and picnic area (Pinar del Rey) situated in woodland overlooking the valley. On top of the hill is a wonderful Renaissance castle an extension of the original Moorish alcazaba, which was built by the Marquises of Vélez Blanco in the early 16th Century. Also
worth seeing is the 16th century Convento de San Luís, located at
the opposite end of town and also built by the Vélez family, although its
fine chapel was damaged during the Civil War. The Almacen del Trigo information office has information on the town and the surrounding Parque Natural de la Sierra de María. parque natural de la sierra de maría The
Natural Park
of the Sierra de Maria has two recreational areas: Los
Alamicos and La Piza (which has several mountain shelters).
The "romerias" (pilgrimages) to the Shrine of Santa
Maria de la Cabeza, a short distance away, are fervently celebrated. This
park of 18.000 hectares in the northern part of Almeria Province is
one of impressive contrasts, with its arid, moon-like plains overlooked by
the white peaks of the sierras in winter.
The area is known for lower temperatures in the winter. The only vegetation on the lower areas are pine forests
planted by the Spanish Government decades ago, and scatterings of holm
oaks. In the higher areas one
finds junipers and small satins, and near the peaks are thickets of thorny
shrubs. In the pine forest one can see the booted eagle, the goshawk and the sparrow hawk. On the ground squirrels and dormice, wildcats, wild boars, badgers and weasels are seen. Higher up in the escarpments other birds nest, such as the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, vulture, buzzard and the eagle owl.
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