Purullena presents caves not only as archaeological traces: many families still live in cave houses, which combine tradition and modernity as bioclimatic homes. The town’s cultural character also includes a museum carved into the earth, medieval cave remains and a Bronze Age settlement. Contemporary living culture and settlement history from the distant past stand side by side here.
Cave Culture: Homes and Museum
The Cueva-Museo La Inmaculada is a museum carved into the earth, with an ethnographic exhibition. In a cave currently under construction, visitors can try carving out a cave themselves, if they wish. If you are interested in how these spaces are created, this hands-on option complements the ethnographic perspective with the craft of shaping a cave.
The viewpoint is also part of the museum: the highest cave offers views of Purullena’s other cave houses, the Valle de Alhama-Fardes and the Sierra Nevada. The view stretches from the town’s built form of housing, across the valley, to the Sierra Nevada. It encompasses three different sights, while the exhibition and the hands-on option, if desired, explore other aspects of cave culture.
Cave houses are not merely a subject from the past. The fact that many families still live in them makes them part of life in Purullena today. Describing them as bioclimatic homes also highlights how they connect tradition and modernity. This contrast is useful when getting your bearings in the town: caves appear here both as a contemporary form of housing and in museum and archaeological contexts.
The cave heritage also includes the Cuevas de Almagruz in Purullena. These are man-made caves with medieval remains. Together with the Cueva-Museo and the still-inhabited cave houses, they show different facets of the subject: an ethnographic exhibition, a continuing form of housing and caves with medieval remains.
Archaeology and Mudéjar Heritage
Cuesta del Negro is located within the municipality of Purullena and is a Bronze Age settlement. The Argaric phase has been radiocarbon-dated to 1850–1600 BC. The defensive area includes a fort on a hill 1,010 m high and a masonry wall. Cuesta del Negro’s dating and defensive features can therefore be described specifically: the settlement dates to the Bronze Age, and the fort and wall are part of its archaeological description.
The parish church of San MartĂn offers a different architectural perspective. Built in the 16th century, it preserves a MudĂ©jar-style coffered ceiling. Alongside the cave and settlement themes, the church adds a distinct chapter to Purullena’s architectural history. If you want to compare different historical aspects, the archaeological remains and a 16th-century building offer different points of interest.
Walking the Camino Mozárabe de Granada
A walking route is another possible focus. The first section of the Camino Mozárabe de Granada, from Guadix to Purullena, is 7.5 km long, with 100 m of ascent and 100 m of descent. These specific figures for distance and elevation change help you assess this section as a distinct part of your travel plans, without conflating it with the archaeological sights.
Cárcavas and a gorge shape the landscape along the section of the Camino Mozárabe de Granada leading to Purullena. This offers a landscape-focused perspective on the route alongside its cultural focus. For your planning, these are two distinct aspects: the route figures describe the length and elevation change of the first section, while the Cárcavas and gorge characterize the landscape on the way to Purullena.
If you are looking for a hotel in Purullena, you can start by weighing what brings you there: contemporary cave-house culture, archaeological history or the Camino Mozárabe? These different themes can help you decide what matters most for your stay in Purullena.
Discover more destinations: El BejarĂn, Gorafe, CastillĂ©jar, BenalĂşa De Guadix, Diezma, Los Carriones, Otura, Albuñol.
For the main travel overview: Granada.
