Almeria Province - Vélez Blanco

Alcazaba in Velez Blanco

Nestling at the foot of a rocky outcrop, is the small whitewashed village of Vélez Blanco, 6km north of its neighbour, Velez Rubio.

On top of the hill is a stunning Renaissance castle an extension of the original Moorish alcazaba, which was built by the Marquises of Vélez Blanco in the early 16th century. These days, it is something of a trompe l'oeil, with an empty shell behind the battlements. This gutting began in 1904 when the contents of the castle were sold by its owners, the Dukes of Medina-Sidonia, to a French dealer in antiquities. Many of them became the property of Emile Peyre who in turn bequeathed part of his collection to the American millionaire George Blumenthal. He then bequeathed it the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1941. This included the Patio de Honor - a fabulous courtyard carved in white marble by Italian craftsmen. It has since been reconstructed inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. There are now plans to carry out a complete reconstruction of the original using marble from the nearby quarries of Macael.

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To the north of the town are the the UNESCO World Heritage listed pre-historic caves and paintings La Cueva del Gabar and Cueva de Los Letreros (Leters Cave) north of Velez Rubio.

Also worth seeing is the 16th century Convento de San Luís, located at the opposite end of town and also built by the Vélez family, although its fine chapel was damaged during the Civil War.

The Almacen del Trigo information office has information on the town and the surrounding Parque Natural de la Sierra de María.

Restaurants & Bars

Bar Sociedad Serves good tapas and meals on their lively terrace. More formal meals and good local cooking are on offer at Restaurante El Molino, up some steps opposite a tiled fountain at the west end of the main street with a charming patio terrace.

Mesón Antonio Near the castle entrance has a "menú del día"

Barbacoa María Fernández Another recommended restaurant which specialises in grilled meat and local cuisine. Calle Alquaisid 10

Hotels

Hostal La Sociedad Centrally located and inexpensive. Calle S Corredera 14 Tel: 950 41 50 27

Casa de los Arcos More upmarket and elegant. Calle San Francisco 2 Tel: 950 61 48 05