Oasis of the Altiplano (High Plateau)

The Altiplano (High Plateau) - situated in the north of the province of Granada - is one of the few regions of the Iberian Peninsula which throughout history has maintained its customs and traditions, forms of living and appearance to proudly offer them to the visitor.

A landscape of extrordinary and breathtaking beauty, of hard and dried-out land, broken up by the grooves made by the rivers, of dug out caves full of life. A land to discover, whose origins disappear in the dawn of humanity, where remnants of old civilizations are plentiful and make this region an authentic open-air museum.

Galera is an oasis in the middle of the Altiplano (High Plateau) of Granada, a green valley cleft by a meandering river, witness not only to the cave dwellers of today to be seen on the hillside, but of the historic memories of so many cultures that left their imprint.

The natural wealth of its surroundings - Galera is geographically located in the middle of the Natural Parks of Cazorla, Castril , Maria Los Velez, and Baza - allows us to take part in all kinds of open-air activities as well as excursions to the neighbouring villages (stroll through their streets and visit their monuments), valleys, forests, fountains (the quality and healing properties of their water have been known since ancient times), and archaeological sites revealing the first human presence in Europe and representing practically all cultures (historic as well as prehistoric) of Mediterranean origin.

The abundance and importance of these remains allow us to study in an area of no more than 4km (the distance which separates the "Cerro del Real" of Galera and the "Cerro de Cabeza" of Orce) the evolution of some 4,500 years of our history.

The composition of the soil which forms these "barren" hills enables the local people to dig out caves, thus developing a type of housing which is comfortable and adapted to the characteristics of the zone, where the majority of Galera's population dwells allowing this housing tradition to live on. A culture of traditions and beliefs, of arts and celebrations, where the principal roles are played by the people of Galera; people who are friendly and helpful, who want to share what they have with others, as generous as the land where they were born