Villa Ciscarejo Country house between orange groves in Gádor (Almería)

Níjar, the white stretch of land that Ibn al-Jatib spoke of in the era of Al-Andalus and which inspired Goytisolo to write his work Campos de Níjar (1960). A stroll through a village where the sun shines brighter, a place whose Moorish traces remain perfectly intact. Near the provincial capital of Almería, at the foot of the Sierra Alhamilla, lies the town of Níjar. Easily accessible by motorway, the town is not only picturesque because many of its inhabitants still make a living from handicrafts. It is also surprising for its distinctive appearance, characterized by tangled streets and whitewashed houses, crowned by a Mudéjar-style church. The lively atmosphere and colorful village life make Níjar an unforgettable place.

The interesting 16th-century Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion houses a wonderful Mudejar-style wooden coffered ceiling and an Immaculate Conception attributed to the sculptor Alonso Cano. The tower, also in the Mudejar style, is decorated with the Habsburg double-headed eagle from the era of Charles V.

Visitors cannot leave the area without first purchasing one of the local handicrafts. Colorful carpets, esparto grass items, and traditional ceramics are some of the typical products of Níjar, made by the men and women of the village.

From the neighboring village of Huebro, in the Sierra Alhamilla, you can enjoy wonderful views of the entire surrounding area of Níjar. The Chapel of Huebro is the destination of the Pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin of Rosario, while the remains of a Moorish fortress recall the presence of Islam, an era in which Níjar seems to have remained frozen.

Very close to this town are the natural landscapes of the Sierra Alhamilla and the Tabernas Desert, where you can see the tremendous landscape contrast between the mountain forests and the aridity of the desert. These natural landscapes complement the route through the countryside of Níjar, a formerly barren strip of land that humans have transformed into fertile cropland, creating a large garden near the Mediterranean.