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

This route, full of contrasts, runs between fishing and agriculture, between the Mediterranean Sea and the fields around Vera. Garrucha is not only the quintessential fishing village of the Almeria Levante, but also a tourist center, combining its rustic character with a wonderful Blue Flag beach. The town also offers excellent cuisine based on local fish and all the services needed for a pleasant holiday, including marinas. The chimney of the former ore smelter still remains as a reminder of the 19th-century industrial revolution.
Everything here exudes a Mediterranean flair: from the former salt warehouse, or Afolí, dating from the Al-Andalus era, which now houses the town hall, to the Jesús Nazareno Castle, or Escobetas Castle, built during the reign of Charles III to defend the coast and overlooking—how could it be otherwise? Next to the town hall is the Plaza del Ancla, which takes its name from an old anchor pulled out of the sea.

The town's patron saint is the Vírgen del Carmen, who is also the patron saint of fishermen. The chapel dedicated to her can be visited, as can the Church of San Joaquín, opposite which stands an image of the Immaculate Conception leaning out to sea. In the harbor, you can watch the fishermen at work and the fish being auctioned, before contemplating a beautiful sunset on the Malecón. On the waterfront promenade stands the Monumento al Pescador, a monument honoring the sailors who founded Garrucha.
Further inland, Los Gallardos, in the Vera area, lies between the coast and the mountains. In the village, which grew as a result of mining in the Sierra de Bédar, remains of the cable crane connecting El Pinar and Garrucha are still preserved. Among the most important finds in Los Gallardos are the excavations of Cadima, the ruins of a Roman city, and the Arab baths of Alfaíx. The Molino de la Cueva mill, the flour factory and the wood-fired oven are testaments to the strong agricultural character of the area.

A little further north is Antas, with its 16th-century church and the Acueducto del Real (Royal Acoustic Tunnel) from the early 20th century. When talking about Antas, one automatically mentions El Argar, one of the most important archaeological sites in the province and a national reference point for the Bronze Age. Amidst fertile fields, Vera emerges. As rich in history as it is in cultural heritage, the name of this town derives from the Phoenician factory of Baria (Villaricos). When the area was under Moorish rule, the population moved inland from the coast to the site known as Vera la Vieja, on the Cerro del Espiritu Santo, which fell to the Christians in 1488. The town was destroyed by a tragic earthquake in 1518 and was later rebuilt on its present site.

At that time, the fortified church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación was built, characterized by its austerity on the outside and its Gothic-Mudejar interior, as well as the Church of San Agustín, the Chapel of Vírgen de las Huertas, and the Plaza Mayor, in the heart of the town. In later centuries, other temples were added to these cultural assets, such as the Chapel of San Ramón (18th century) and Vírgen de las Angustias, dedicated to the patron saint of Vera. Civil construction also produced new structures, such as the Fuente de los Cuatro Caños (Fountain of the Four Caños) from the 17th century.
In the 19th century, in addition to the Town Hall, which houses one of the most important historical archives in Andalusia, the Ethnographic and Archaeological Museums and several recreational areas, such as the Glorieta and the Plaza de Toros, were added. In addition to culture, Vera offers connoisseurs wonderful beaches, a golf course, a wide range of active tourism activities and thousands of hours of sunshine.