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

Mountain vegetation such as rosemary, thyme, holm oaks, and conifers herald the arrival of the mountain villages, surrounded by mountains like the Alhamilla or Gádor, at altitudes of over 1,000 meters; from some of them, one can even glimpse the Mediterranean.
Senés is the most typical example of a stepped urban layout, the tranquility of the landscape, and the shapes and details of its past. From the Moorish period, the interesting Despoblados de Cuesta Roca and La Hoya have been preserved, where tombs and even mine smelters have been preserved.
The festivals of this town stand out for their uniqueness. Thus, in addition to the Emigrant Festival, which features a horse show on Mount Icarada, there is the Night of the Donkeys, Glorious Saturday, the day when the animals are moved to other paddocks.
Rosemary Day is a typical celebration in Velefique, a village nestled under the shelter of the Peña Tajada rocky outcrop, where the ruins of the medieval fortress that divided the town into two districts are preserved. However, if visitors are looking for good rural tourism, Castro de Filabres is the place to go. It lies in a valley between the Sierra Alhamilla and Sierra de Gádor mountains. The buildings are typical houses with slate roofs.

Just a few kilometers away lies Olula de Castro, a terraced village with white houses and flat roofs, which preserves traces of prehistoric settlers.
Gérgal is the next stop on this route through Los Filabres. During the Alpujarras Revolt, the rebellious Moors counted on a great ally, their mayor, a Moor named Francisco Portocarrero. He managed to outwit the old Christians of the village, whom he first imprisoned and then beheaded.
The cultivation of grapes and the iron mines, exploited by foreign companies that transported the mineral to the railway line by means of a cable, were the driving force of the economy for a certain period.
The town, which connects Almería to Granada on the interior route, preserves in its urban layout certain characteristics of its Moorish origins. Among its heritage, the Castle of the Count of La Puebla, dating from the end of the 16th century, stands out. It was built as a defense against the attacks of Algerian pirates and is now restored, although it belongs to a local family.
The fortress (Alcazaba), as a border between the desert and the forest, was the crossroads that connected Fiñana with Tabernas and Almería with the western part of the Filabres.