Alomartes lies at the foot of the Sierra de Parapanda. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing between the town and the Área Recreativa de Alomartes: the recreation area is about one kilometre from the town, just outside it on the road towards Íllora. If you want to include both nature and local history in your stay, these are two distinct starting points to keep in mind.
Route and scenery at Cerro de los Santos
The Área Recreativa de Alomartes–Cerro de los Santos route starts at the recreation area. It leads to the Cueva del Agua, located at the highest point of the route, and then to the Cuesta de Cambril viewpoint on the slope of the Sierra de Parapanda. The Cueva del Agua is a geological formation. From the viewpoint, you can see Alomartes, the town’s cultivated land and the surrounding mountain ranges. The route described therefore combines a distinctive landform with views of the town, its cultivated landscape and the mountains.
Along the route, individual almond trees grow in a reforested pine forest, alongside torvisco, aulaga and aromatic plants such as thyme, rosemary and lavender. Cañá Honda is a different type of habitat: the area is very humid and rich in mosses, lichens and ferns. The variety of plants and habitats gives the route a different character from an outing focused solely on the viewpoint.
The Área Recreativa is accessible via an unpaved track. Take this access into account when planning your starting point; the route does not begin directly in the town. The provincial route “La última frontera” also passes through Alomartes, providing another point of reference for placing the town in its regional context.
Springs, nature and water use
The Fuente de Alomartes is a natural spring from the Sierra de Parapanda, around which a park has been laid out. Its water was channelled via an acequia to the Molino de la Torre.
The Fuente de Los Caños has a different character: it is located on the cemetery road beside the Finca del Molino del Rey in the Pedanía Alomartes. The public spring has two metal outlets and a small basin. Its flow is irregular and decreases during dry periods. If you include the springs in your plans for the town, this distinction is relevant: the water volume at the Fuente de Los Caños can fluctuate, while the Fuente de Alomartes is associated with its landscaped park and its connection to the Molino de la Torre.
Local history and festival traditions
Alomartes originated as a rural settlement in the 14th century; as an alquería (qarya), the town was mentioned under the name Allūmartiš. A well-preserved mill of Arab origin retains several of its elements: the water channel, the cárcavos, the socaz and the interior. The former owner also put together an ethnographic collection of folk objects from everyday life in the past.
On Cerro de los Santos is the Hoyo de la Bandera, carved into the rock. It may have been used to insert a flagpole. Signals were sent from this area of the Cerro to the visible fortress of Íllora. Local history is reflected here not only in surviving buildings, but also in a possible use of a rock formation and in the tradition of signalling.
The festival in honour of Ntra. Señora de los Dolores is celebrated around the second weekend of August; the specific dates may vary from year to year. If you want to plan your stay around it, check the dates for the relevant year. Alomartes’ culture also includes the Jota de Alomartes. It is one of the “robaos” or “cortijeros,” a variety of fandangos characteristic of this area. It has been performed at annual festivals and celebrations since the 19th century.
For the broader travel overview: Illora.
