Suggested walks - Sierra Maria los Velez Natural Park

Designated a natural park in 1987, the Sierra Maria los Velez occupies the eastern end of the Cirdillera Subbetica in the north of Almeria province. It covers 22,670 hectares, a landsape of impressive contrasts, with it’s arid moon like plains, overlooked by the Sierr’s rocky summits, which are white with snow in the winter, and the dry barren south facing slopes compared to it’s densely wooded north facing ones.. Its climate too is characterised by great extremes with temperatures plunging as low as -18 degrees C in winter and rising to 39 degrees C in summer. The park’s altitude ranges from 800m to the highest peak of Maria, a barren limestone outcrop of 2,045m.

Unusually for the otherwise arid and barren mountain ranges in Almeria, the Sierra is clothed in extensive pine forests and Mediterranean woodland, some of the best preserved in the province. It supports a varied flora with nearly half of all the plant species in Almeria province found here, including some unique to the Sierra.
In the park there are five well marked trails. Details are available at the visitor’s centres.

Sendero Pinar de la Alfahaura is an easy 9 kilometre walk through a vast pine forest and former hunting estate of the Marquises of Velez Blanco, between Maria and Orce. It start on the A317 west of aria at a ruined house, La Aduana, which was used by the Marquis of Velez’s gamekeepers. Look out for the information board at this point that marks the beginning of the walk.

The dirt track heads south, first through pine forest and then holm oak. It climbs up to the viewpoint mirador del Puntal del Morral, from where on clear days you can see the Sierra de Castril and Sierra de Segura. Look out for booted eagles, goshawks and other birds of prey.

The path then leads to the Agrio river and afterwards descends to a crossroads, where you can either continue straight on to reach the A317, turn right to return to La Aduana wher the path began or left to the Los Alamicos picnic area. The trail ends at the hamlet of La Alfahuara, whose name means fountain in Arabic.

Sendero La Umbria de Maimon is a 12 kilometer linear walk alonmg a forestry track from Velez Blanco to Maria on the Sierra de Maria’s north facing slope (umbria means shady). A contrasting walk is the signposted route across the Sierra’s south facing slope. The walk starts just south of Velez Blanco on the A317; look out for the signpost marking the beginning of the route. About 1 Klometre into the walk is a viewpoint, the mirador Collado de las Arenas, with superb panoramic views of Velez Blanco’s castle and walls. Five kilometres later is the Mirador Puerto del Peral, from where you can see the Sierra Nevada on a clear day. At this point you can continue along the endero La Solana La Maimon, or continue north to Maria.