Guadix

Cabo de Gata to Granada via Guadix, Andalusia, Spain. 25th October 2018.

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This is our route from Malaga to Granada. It is important when travelling to always take the most direct route on the most major road available, at the fastest speed possible. This is why from Amuñéca we drove directly on the motorway to Granada.

Oh no, hold on, we didn’t. I wonder why that was.

We are in the south-east corner of Spain. Last week’s post was our trip from Malaga to Cabo de Gata via Amuñéca. This post is our journey the next day from Cabo de Gata to Guadix.

This is a pre-planned route for our car GPS so the car can tell us where to go next. There are many expected points of interest marked on the map but in many cases they may not correspond to where I actually took photographs.

Seemingly a farmhouse but I wonder, was it once a windmill?

Near La Isleta de Moro. Apppears to be abandoned.

Near La Isleta de Moro.

A curious little farmhouse.

We are on a road somewhere between the coast and Nijar, hard to tell exzactly where.

Farmhouse in context.

Probably olive trees to the left of it. There is a small stone circle to the left too, but not an ancient one.

Watchtower.

The watchtower probably protected against North African pirate raids. In the distance are observatory buildings, likely the Calar Alto Observatory.

Watchtower in context.

The observatory is a long long way away.

A friendly welcoming party at the side of the road.

Here they are in context.

Castillo and ruined Moorish or earlier castle.

I’m not sure where this is. I had it down as in La Calahorra probably because I had that marked as a destination but it’s not. There’s a town at the base of the hill and from the timestamp it might be Nijar but I can’t find anything like it there. So I can’t tell you anything of the history.

Spaghetti Western Land.

We are near Fort Bravo, about 20 kilometres north of Almeria, a tourist attraction we had no interest in. This however is country that spaghetti westerns were filmed in and this image gives you an idea of it.

The troglodyte dwellings of Guadix.

In the town of Guadix, not far from Granada, people live in dwellings burrowed into the hills.

As we were wandering around, we were invited into one of the dwellings. Based on the timestamp, it may have been this one but I’m not sure.

Jools and our host in a section where he was extending the dwelling. It’s five years ago and unfortunately I don’t remember his name.

The lounge room for a couple and their baby.

Kitchen and dining room. Extraction duct above the stove; built-in version.

Outside again, with someone standing in front of their house.

Interesting electricity arrangements.

The old and the newish. The old entrance appears unused.

I think this is taken from the mirador or viewpoint.

With the cacti, almost a spaghetti western aspect to this view.

We are, however, within a town of nearly 20,000 inhabitants, and most dwellings are conventional.

Breathing pipe for underground rooms.

More dwellings and breathing pipes.

Last glimpse, looking to beyond the town.

In the centre of the town now. Some buildings may not be in a good state of repair.

Tower of the Iglesia de Santiago.

Not sure what this is but it’s close to the alcazaba and some of those layers of brickwork look very old.

Guadix does have a long history. There was an oppidom here in the 6th century BC (a large fortified iron age settlement or town). The Romans also founded a settlement here during the time of Julius Caesar..