Galera: Badlands, Bronze Age and Chozones

The Badlands of Castilléjar and Galera are a 7,100-hectare badlands landscape in the municipalities of Castilléjar and Galera. A second perspective reaching far back in time is provided by Castellón Alto: it is a settlement of the Argaric culture from an advanced phase of the Middle Bronze Age and is dated to approximately 1900 to 1600 cal BCE. Anyone wishing to connect landforms and early settlement history in their mind will thus find two clearly named starting points for different types of discovery.

Landscape and Geology

The Sismitas de Galera y Castilléjar are geological folds formed through sediment liquefaction. Cerro del Taal, Cerro de la Atalaya, Perea and Cerro Gordo are mountains in the area around Galera. Geological formations and named mountains thus represent two different aspects of the landscape, which can be clearly distinguished from one another linguistically and thematically.

Archaeology and Memory

The Iberian necropolis of Tútugi was opened to the public in Galera in 2008. The mummified remains of the Galera Mummy discovered at Castellón Alto are considered the oldest mummified remains on the Iberian Peninsula. At the Museo de Galera, the remains from a burial site at Castellón Alto are preserved and displayed in an oxygen-free showcase. A guided tour of the Castellón Alto archaeological complex and the Iberian necropolis of Tútugi lasts approximately one and a half hours. The approximate duration provides a specific time frame for planning your day.

Routes and Chozones

The Chozones in Galera are small shelters built by people from local materials or caves dug into the rock, which served as resting places for agricultural workers. The Ruta de los Chozones is a 31.2-kilometre cycling route through seven Chozones open to visitors in the municipality of Galera. The Gran Senda de los Primeros Pobladores is a challenging trekking route lasting approximately six days, passing through Huéscar, Castril, Galera, Orce, Castilléjar and La Puebla de Don Fadrique; it can also be completed by running or mountain biking. The different route lengths, time frames and modes of transport allow an objective comparison of the possible route focuses.

For different daily rhythms, the themes can be clearly distinguished: archaeology brings together settlement, necropolis and museum, while the Badlands, Sismitas and mountains display the landscape in different forms. The routes establish their own focuses through cycling kilometres, trekking duration and the aforementioned modes of transport. The wine tasting complements this selection with an appointment centred on the producers and Vino del País.

Wine and the Regional Surroundings

At the Cata de Vinos de Galera, you can taste wines from various non-commercial producers of Vino del País free of charge. El Malagón is an ancient site in the wider region surrounding Galera.

Further destinations: Churriana De La Vega, Dílar, Venta Micena, Deifontes, Juviles, Alpujarra De La Sierra, Baza, Yátor

To the main travel overview: Granada.