Galera, a magical town in Granada to discover

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We cannot deny it. We are passionate about Andalusia! And is that each of its provinces has a special magic, in addition to hiding incredible corners. In Granada , for example, you can discover cities with impressive architecture, beautiful villages scattered around valleys, slopes and beaches, natural parks, hot springs, caves that recall troglodyte life, the Costa Tropical … Today we want to highlight Galera , a town unknown to the vast majority that has a lot to offer.

Located in the northeast of the Altiplano of Granada, this town is considered the oldest in the Huéscar region, and encompasses, beyond its core, the districts of La Alquería, Riego Nuevo and Cortijo del Cura. Would you like to discover more about this wonderful piece of Andalusia ? Well, do not miss anything that we tell you below!

Natural environment

Undoubtedly, one of the attractions of Galera is its natural environment, characterized by the variety of its landscapes. In this town in the province of Granada you will be able to find from fertile agricultural fields crossed by its Barbatas river, to semi-arid places, passing through empty badlands, a type of landscape with arid characteristics and lithology rich in shales. Special mention should be made of the Natural Nativity of La Hedionda, a source of medicinal waters with a high sulfur content that some hikers take advantage of to sanitize their skin when they pass this route.

Special mention should be made of the Natural Nativity of La Hedionda, a source of medicinal waters with a high sulfur content that some hikers take advantage of to sanitize their skin when they pass this route. Spectacular is the path that runs through the wetland located in the so-called Barranco del Agua, one of its most characteristic boulevards in the direction of the Castellón Alto archaeological site .

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Urban center

How could it be otherwise, its urban center also marvels, highlighting its Plaza Mayor, which houses the Town Hall and the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación, in Mudejar style. In addition, here you can find stately homes that are kept in a perfect state of conservation. As if this were not enough, in this town of Granada you can also discover its typical cave-house neighborhoods, in which the houses are dug out of the natural rock. Although it may seem incredible to you, many families live in these curious homes. You will also be surprised by the Puente de Hierro Galera, with the characteristic reddish color of the metal, built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Outside the town center, Galera also has other rural accommodations and rustic farmhouses in which to spend an unforgettable stay.

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Vestiges of yesteryear

We have already given you enough reasons to visit Galera, but this Granada town is much more than its urban center and its natural environment. And here you can also find archaeological sites belonging to the Argaric and Iberian cultures. The Castellón Alto Archaeological Site stands out, which has allowed historians to know the characteristics of the settlements of the Argar Culture , developed throughout the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula during the Bronze Age. In November 2002, a burial with two individuals was found in Castellón Alto, one of them partially mummified. You can find the original remains of the grave in the Galera Museum.

Of course, we must also highlight the Iberian Necropolis of Tútugi, which covers the largest area destined for funeral purposes by the Iberian culture in the entire peninsula. In one of its burial mounds a Phoenician figure known as "Diosa de Galera" or "Lady of Fertility" was found, which is currently exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain. On the other hand, the Archaeological Site of Cerro del Real stands out, where traces of almost all the cultures developed in the south of the peninsula in the last 4,000 years can be found; and the remains of the Legazo Nazarí, specifically, three towers built during the period in which the province of Granada served as the border between the Muslim and Christian world.

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Gastronomy and lifestyle

We cannot talk about Galera without mentioning its wide and varied traditional gastronomy. Its desserts include wind rolls and fried flowers; of its cooked dishes we want to highlight the baked tin, the flour crumbs and the cooked of all kinds; and of its drinks, we recommend you try the local wine, churripampli, marc brandy, mistela and assorted liqueurs. Finally, we want to comment that just to discover their particular lifestyle, it is worth visiting this town in Granada. The galerino is close, he likes the tranquility, but he also enjoys his parties and celebrations, and of course, there is no shortage of meeting friends to religiously drink some "flat" of wine with his tapa. For all this, the stranger immediately feels integrated among the wonderful people of Galera.

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