Sierra Los Filabres

Surrounded by contrasting landscape such as that of the Sierra de Los Filabres or the Tabernas desert, this is one of the most impressive natural areas in the province.
From the north side of the Sierra Nevada to the Sierra Alhamilla, a series of small-whitewashed charming villages, crowned by the towers of Arab castles, invite visitors to explore the various routes of great archaeological interest.

The Sierra de los Filabres lies in a surreal landscape that is relatively uncharted territory, a stunning countryside of olive groves, orchards of citrus trees and dramatic hills and valleys. There are mountain villages, abandoned fincas and pastures of wild thyme, with occasional splashes of green and plenty of opportunities for bird and butterfly spotting.

The villages in this region rely on the extraction of marble from the surrounding rock that provides their main source of income. Olula de Castro is situated in the sunny part of the Sierra de los Filabres, made up of a group of white houses with slate roofs, built amongst olive and almond trees. Bacares lies at the foot of the Calar Alto Observatory enveloped in a beautiful rural landscape and is the most rustic pueblo in the province.

Castro de Filabres lies on the southern slope of the Sierra de Filabres, in a mountainous and semi-arid landscape that is dominated by the almond tree. The pueblo is located on a streambed and preserves traces of its Moorish origins in its appearance and an unusual feature of the pueblo are the buildings that are made of slate.

Velefique nestles in the middle of the sunny part of the Sierra de los Filabres and is graded down a mountain slope, with its white houses positioned on the slopes among the fields of almond and olive trees and backed by the spectacular arid mountains. Senés is also situated on the southern slope of the Sierra de los Filabres, on mountainous terrain that is scarcely cultivated due to the difficulty of the land and the poor quality of the soil.

Laroya lies in the marble area, in the middle of the Sierra de los Filabres, this village is spread along a mountain slope, in mountainous rural terrain amongst numerous olive and almond trees. It has a very prominent Parish Church of XVII century, Mudejar style. Alcudia de Monteagud is situated in a rural arid setting the product of deforestation and the abandonment of traditional agriculture. The pueblo has narrow labyrinth like streets with white houses and sits on a rise from which it dominates the Tahal valley. Tahal pueblo is situated in the campo de Tabernas in the eastern part of the Sierra de los Filabres next to a gully among almond trees and holm oaks on a mountain slope that faces east.

Benitagla is a small village that lies in a rural semi-arid landscape in which the cultivation of almond and olive trees predominates. Benizalon lies in a landscape dominated by semi-arid hills and gullies where the dominant crop is almonds. The pueblo stands in the middle of this landscape with its white houses with red roofs and the Mudejar church. Cobdar is a surprisingly neat little village with parallel white streets perched on a towering outcrop of reddish rock, at the foot of an impressive white marble stone. Uleila del Campo is situated in the foothills of the Sierra de los Filabres, descending towards the depression of Sorbas and near the Campo de Tabernas. It is located on a small elevation it forms a well-structured rounded group of buildings in a not unattractive landscape in which fields of vines, almond and olive trees predominate. Albanchez pueblo lies in the area of Medio Almanzora, in the northern foothills of the Sierra de los Filabres mountainous and arid. Its agricultural wealth lies in the olive, the vine, cereals and vegetables. The pueblo with its whitewashed houses is crowded on the slopes. Lubrin although in mountainous terrain has a wealth of almond trees and livestock. The pueblo lies at the foot of a crag.

Sierra de Alamilla Natural Area

This is a natural area named after the mountain range where it is located. The minor road south from Sorbas to Nijar over the arid heights of the Sierra Alhamilla is one convenient way to enter the area.

Another possible point of entry from the south is to ascend from Pechinas up to the end of the road. Here next to a collection of houses somewhat reminiscent of an Andean village is the Spa, or Balneario, of Sierra de Alamilla. If you have not time for a natural hot bath then enjoy a meal at the restaurant. The hotel is very reasonable and Isidro and his wife are charming hosts.

Calar Alto Observatory ...

The German-Spanish Astronomical Center at Calar Alto is located in the Sierra de Los Filabres. It provides three telescopes with apertures of 1.23m, 2.2m and 3.5m. (Historical Overview)

Fuente: www.spain.info - http://www.dipalme.org - http://www.caha.es - http://www.andalucia.com