Los Cerricos brings together a village centre with distinctive architectural history and a landscape of mountains, almond trees and grain fields. When planning your trip, you can choose from different areas of interest: the Iglesia de San Bartolomé, archaeological traces in El Villar, or a livestock trail with a challenging ascent. This can help you decide whether you are more interested in local history, landscape or outdoor activity.
Church and village centre
The village centre of Los Cerricos grew up around the Iglesia de San Bartolomé, a 19th-century building. The church is therefore closely linked to the development of the village. Its distinctive architectural features include a red-brick tower topped with battlements and attached to a nave. The nave forms the main space of the church, while the adjoining tower adds its own architectural accent. If you are interested in architectural history, you can focus on specific details here: the building material, the tower’s upper section and the relationship between the two structures.
The village centre and church offer an introduction to the history of the village, while other historical themes extend beyond individual buildings. Los Cerricos brings together different kinds of traces: a 19th-century church, a walled structure from the Argaric period and archaeological sites in El Villar. This range of periods and subjects can help you decide how to prioritise your cultural interests during your stay.
El Villar and the landscape
El Villar is a district with numerous archaeological sites and traces of a flourishing past. The high rocks there also played a historical role: they once served as a refuge and settlement. CastellĂłn de OlĂas adds to this view of the past as a walled structure from the Argaric period. The area’s history can therefore be explored through archaeological sites, a fortified structure and a former settlement and place of refuge.
The present-day landscape around Los Cerricos includes mountains, almond trees and grain fields. This combination gives the village a rural character that is distinct from its historic monuments. When planning a stay, you can therefore weigh up cultural and landscape interests rather than treating them as the same experience: the church and archaeological traces draw attention to history, while the fields and mountains reveal the surroundings.
Livestock trails and hike planning
Descriptions of livestock trails mention different points of reference. One begins where the road from Los Cerricos to La Noria crosses the boundary between Oria and Chirivel. Another runs east towards the Sierra del Saliente and along the boundary between Oria and Chirivel; this route description dates from 2005. A livestock trail also described in 2005 is said to involve a challenging ascent of about 760 metres in elevation to a pass, where the route ends.
The elevation gain and the endpoint at the pass are more important for assessing the difficulty than the route’s general direction. The figure of about 760 metres is approximate; the description explicitly characterises the ascent as challenging. Before setting out, check current signage and trail surface conditions. This helps ensure that you take into account that an older route description alone does not provide information about present-day conditions on the ground.
A dated event and choosing where to stay
A procession also connects Los Cerricos with a specific date: on 24 June 2022, the image of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados del Buen Retiro del Saliente Coronada was brought from the Santuario Diocesano del Saliente to Los Cerricos. Pilgrims could accompany the procession on foot.
When looking for a holiday rental, you can decide in advance what you would like to focus on: would you mainly like to explore local history and archaeological traces, or plan a hike with a significant elevation gain? The landscape of mountains, almond trees and grain fields may also influence your decision. Los Cerricos thus offers several distinct themes to consider when planning your trip, without requiring you to fit them all into a single day’s outing.
Discover more destinations: HuĂ©rcal de AlmerĂa, VĂ©lez-Blanco, Armuña De Almanzora, GĂ©rgal, Beires, Macael, Marchena, Alcolea.
For the broader travel overview: Almeria.
