The valley that opens to the northwest of Sierra Nevada form a hoya flanked by saws Baza and Castril. These lands were the point of the first men who populated the European continent.

Although Roman origin, the beautiful town of Huéscar not received their full development as a city until the construction of an ancient fortress of the Order of Santiago, in medieval times. The heart of this town, capital of the plateau region known Huéscar, is the Plaza Mayor.

hoyas

There stands the magnificent collegiate church of Santa Maria Maggiore, beautiful temple trace Renaissance. Next to it is the convent of Santo Domingo, the work of the sixteenth century, which stands his church. Another emblematic of their religious buildings is the church of Santiago, in the Place de la Haza. At the foot of Mount de la Sagra is located on the Holy Shrine, which venerates girls martyrs Alodia and Nunilón, compatronas of the people. In the vicinity of the village is the Salto del Moro, is the spot where Stone’s Sign with interesting rock paintings.

The interesting population Orce, cradle of some of the oldest human remains have been found in Europe, lies north of the mountains. From rich landscape and historical, has important archaeological sites of prehistoric times, as in Step ravine, the New Source, Mycenae and the Sale of Leon ravine. In addition boasts a heritage of great architectural and historical value; Excel fortified compound Muslim or citadel of Seven Torres of Muslim origin, and the palace Segura, the current headquarters of the Office of Tourism. Two kilometers from the village are the public baths of Fuencaliente, a very popular leisure space in the region.

baza3

The charming town of Baza is to shelter in the mountains of the same name, to be a very spectacular site of the Andalusian geography. Antigua and monumental, its origins date back to the bastetanos, Iberian people of the fourth century BC, as evidenced by the significant archaeological remains found. The result of their dynamic past, the city has an impressive historical legacy. In the Plaza Mayor rise buildings most notable of the population, as the collegiate church of Santa Maria and the old Town Hall. Very near the plaza opens the street Mesto, gateway to St. John the Baptist church, temple built on an ancient mosque. They note further notable civilian buildings as the palace of Enriquez and the palace of the Duke of Infantado. The Muslim period are preserved citadel of the asset and the Arab baths.

The historic population of Guadix is one of the oldest human settlements in the Iberian peninsula. Its historic center is structured around the picturesque arcaded square of the Constitution, whose set of arches and pillars hosting emblems of the Catholic Monarchs. Chairing the square stands the town hall and near the majestic cathedral, certainly the most prominent architectural piece of this monumental villa. To the south of the city on a hill lie the ruins of the ancient citadel Muslim, the most important legacy of the past Moorish of Guadix. Around the fortress on the gentle slope of the hill, extends the popular neighborhood of San Miguel Cuevas or who still retain part of its original features. Other areas of interest Guadix is the popular neighborhood of Santiago, urban real emblem of the city.

calahorra

At Guadix is located east of the small town of La Calahorra, the only natural step between the northern and southern slopes of Sierra Nevada in a region known as the Marquisate of Zenete. Among the monuments of this beautiful town at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, highlights its magnificent castle-Renaissance palace, designed by Lorenzo Máquez, del siglo XVI.

The man with ECRO

Human remains known as the “man of Orce,” with more than two million years, are the oldest found outside Africa. This finding, along with many others in the area, confirmed that these lands were inhabited since ancient times, providing a corridor through which the early hominids were extended to the rest of Europe.