Secret Spain

The white villages of Almeria

Published in Spanish Magazine in their Secret Spain section.

Bedar is the kind of place you find by accident and stay for life. It is a typical Andalucian village tucked away high in the Sierra de Los Filabres. It’s charm lies in its narrow streets, its white village houses adorned with bright geraniums and bouganvillea, and its endless sunshine. The province of Almeria has the reputation of enjoying the best winter climate on mainline Europe. Temperatures range from a cool 12 degrees in January, to a sizzling 30 degrees in August. Christmas can be mild, in February the almond blossom is magnificent and rainfall is low throughout the year, November generally being the wettest month.

Bedar was no doubt built by the moors, many centuries ago, and developed on the riches from its mines, the remains of which can still be seen in the campo (countryside). Villagers speak of a time when more than 2,000 men lived and worked the minerals, some of them existing in the caves that still pit the hillsides. By the 1920s, the mines were closed although they enjoyed a renaissance in the 1950s and continued again for eighteen years, extracting 200,000 tons a year. They even got the small railway down to Los Gallardos going again and the minerals were taken from there to Garrucha to be sent by sea.

You can still walk on the remnants of the old railway track but there is little sign of all this activity now, apart from the odd tunnel cut through a hillside, or a huddle of stones that might have been an engine house. Today, the smaller mining villages of Los Pinos, El Pinar and La Serena, like Bedar itself, have been given a new lease of life by extraneros (foreigners), who buy up the old village houses and restore them.

Walking in the blissful quiet of the countryside is one of the joys of living here, brushing through the rosemary, thyme and sage that grows wild in the russet and ocre earth, releases their heady perfume. Some of the older villagers still collect herbs for their patatas a la pobre, a delicious dish of fried potatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and herbs. This part of Andalucia is a haven for the tortoise, a protected species, and you might also see the rare black wheatears, crested lark, partridge, wild boar and the Spanish fox which is more grey than russet. There are set routes to try: the Ruta de Bedar, Ruta Los Matreros and the Ruta Serena-Los Pinos-El Albarico-El Campico, but don’t expect them to be waymarked. Go with map in hand.

This part of Spain can be seen as a success story so far as integration is concerned. Even Bedar village school has been saved and allowed to expand to accommodate the newcomers, and you cannot walk down the picturesque, narrow streets without saying hola to everyone you meet, and exchanging a few words about the weather. Ex-pats of all nationalities are made welcome, so long as they join in with village life. They might sing in the church choir, or take part in the many activities provided in the Casa de Juventud, a kind of village hall where you can enjoy yoga or aerobics, learn Spanish or take art classes. Extraneros can also be seen dressing up along with the locals at one or other of the many fiestas.

There is nothing the Spanish love more than a fiesta which appear at regular intervals throughout the year, such as the Fiesta de Moros y Christianos, (Moors and Christians) in September. Fiesta of the Magi on 6 January, or Andalucia Day at the end of February when everyone is invited to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Town hall square) to enjoy the megas, once made from maize, now a sort of fried breadcrumb and semolina mix, cooked in garlic and oil by the most senior residents of the village. It is served with cheese, spiced sausage, peppers and green beans, and wine, of course. The town band plays, young girls dance and a good time is had by all. Afterwards, visitors can move on to other neighbouring villages, to the craft fair at El Marchal, or the procession in Los Gallardos.

There is no shortage of things to do. Horse-riding, karting, golf, mountain-bikes, bowls and swimming. Day trips can be enjoyed to the Spaghetti Western towns where Clint Eastwood used to strut his stuff; Granada to relish the magic of the Alhambra; skiing on the Sierra Nevada is just a couple of hours drive away; taste city life in Murcia or Lorca; explore the cave houses at Cuevas de Almanzora; or simply drive through the countryside and marvel at the space and peace and beauty of the mountains.

The playa is only a twenty minute drive away, if you feel the need for some night-life, but we have three excellent restaurants in Bedar itself. El Paso, where you won’t necessarily be given a menu, but certainly provided with excellent food. The Miramar, which enjoys a reputation for producing the most succulent lamb, baked in onions, pepper and garlic, and of course the regional speciality, paella. La Fuente is a new restaurant, recently opened by Joseph, an American, and his German wife, Anna. His steaks are superb, and if you feel like a drive over the mountain to El Marchal, you can visit Paniajo and taste Anna-Marie’s French cookery. I can particularly recommend her wonderful spinach and cheese tart, chicken in a mustard sauce, lomo (fillets of pork) in cider, and her unforgettable tarte tatin.

Accommodation can be found in the village at Casa Maria, a comfortable rural guest house with character and all modern facilities, where you can enjoy excellent bed and breakfast. Casa Maria also provides guided walks, reflexology and art courses run by local professional artist, Noel Gregory, if you wish to explore your artistic talents. Out on the old road, overlooking Bedar, you will find Pension Casa Las Yeseras, a lovely hostal with magnificent views to the Mediterranean, a pool and five double, en-suite bedrooms. Luc and Iris will serve you excellent cuisine, breakfast on the terrace, tapas or a delicious lunch or evening meal. This delightfully friendly couple came from Mechelem, in Belgium, where they were in retail and wholesale, to follow their dream and explore their passion for cooking. They found a plot of land, had the hostal built and opened in 2002.

If you wish to go truly tranquil, try El Cortijo De Los Almendras in Los Herreras, near Lubrin. This beautifully restored old farmhouse is full of rustic charm and character. Oliver and Helen can offer superb cooking, four prettily furbished en-suite rooms, lounge and a cosy library, each with a wood burning stove, and year round relaxation among their five acres of almond trees.

But what if you wish to rent a house for a few weeks, or even fall for the region’s charms and want a holiday home here. Harvey Mills at Casas Rusticas tells me that ruins are increasingly rare, except further inland, and property prices rising. Harvey brought his family out in February 2003, following in the footsteps of his parents who have lived and worked in the village for thirteen years. His children are now happily settled in local schools, learning Spanish fast, and he and Julie are running an immobiliaria (estate agent) and holiday rental agency. Prices in Bedar are not cheap, he says. A restored village house would cost from 200,000 euros with few opportunities for restoration projects. However, these can still be found from 75,000 euros in the surrounding villages, such as Lubrin, Los Pinos, Cantoria and Santa Maria de Nieva. Harvey warns that restoration demands patience, a vision, time, and quite a bit of cash. It would probably cost another 25,000 euros or so to restore the house, and always check that electricity and water are nearby. Interestingly, he told me that where once the region was very much a retirement market, now his main clients are younger, from mid-thirties to mid-fifties, coming out here to work. With the right attitude, so long as you don’t imagine that you can lie about in the sun all day, there is still scope for new businesses; work hard and the rewards are there.

But whether you are visiting on holiday, renting for a few weeks or looking for something more permanent, there is much to discover and enjoy in this unspoiled part of Andalucia. Leave the coast and the bright lights behind and drive up into the hills where you’ll discover a whole new world that won’t disappoint.

www.fredalightfoot.co.uk
Casas Rusticas: www.casasrusticasbedar.com

Pension Casa Las Yeseras: www.geocities.com/casalasyeras

Casa Maria: www.casa-maria-bedar.com

El Cortijo De Los Almendras: www.lasalmendras.com

Back to About Me:

Hit Counter