Galera

About Galera

Galera lies at 835 metres in the valley of the Río Galera on the Altiplano of north-east Granada province. The Bronze Age hill town of Castellón Alto and the Iberian cemetery of Tútugi, source of the alabaster Dama de Galera, stand on its edges. Under Islam it was known for silk. Castile took it in 1488, and in the Morisco revolt Don Juan of Austria stormed it in 1570, fighting cave by cave. About 1,100 people live here.

Many homes are casas cueva, cave houses cut into the clay with whitewashed fronts and chimneys poking through the hillside. The 16th-century church of the Anunciación has a Mudéjar coffered ceiling and a gilded altarpiece and faces the Plaza Mayor fountain. The Museo de Galera, in a former convent chapel, shows the partly mummified 'Momia de Galera' from Castellón Alto and a replica of the Dama.

Galera is about 150 km from Granada, 1 hour 45 minutes via the A-92N. Park on the streets around the centre. The cave quarter is hilly with some rough lanes, and Castellón Alto sits on a steep hill, not suitable for wheelchairs. The museum and each site cost €4, or €10 for all three, with guided visits on the hour. Allow half a day. It suits families and archaeology lovers.

Spring and autumn are best; summer days are very hot and winter nights frosty. Over Christmas the Cuadrillas de Ánimas sing in the streets. Try Segureño lamb, migas and gachas. Book Castellón Alto through the museum on 958 739 276.

Galera in pictures

What you’ll find

• Car parkParkingFree
• ChurchChurch visitFree
• FestivalAnnual festivalFree
• Guided tourGuided tour (€2–€4)Book
• Historic centreOld town walkFree
• Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
• Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
• MuseumMuseum entry (€2–€4, 11:00–13:00)Ticket
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

To the west across the Altiplano, Castril (21 km) sits beneath its castle crag, and just below it the Cerrada del Río Castril (21 km) threads its gorge on timber walkways. South-west, Playas del Negratín (32 km) are freshwater beaches on the Negratín reservoir. Over the border in Almería province, the Renaissance Castillo de Vélez-Blanco (40 km) rises above another white town. Closer to home, Orce, just east of Galera, has a museum on the Venta Micena fossil site and a Moorish fortress, and Huéscar, the comarca capital, is a few minutes north.