Chirivel

Chirivel is a town that belongs to the region of Los Vélez, to the north of the province, bordering on Granada and on a different landscape from the rest of the province. Its municipal area belongs to the Parque Natural de la Sierra de María, characterized by the Mediterranean Continental climate, by its rough mountains with limy and dolomitic materials and by its forest masses of pine forests.

The town, that in 1895 obtained the independence from Vélez Rubio, is a peaceful and quiet group of houses and we can find hospitable and kind inhabitants.
Although until the XIX century it did not obtain its independence from Vélez-Rubio, the lands of Chirivel have been inhabited from 5000 years ago. In this town there was the prehistoric man and Iberian, Roman and Arab towns attracted by the fertility of the riverside.

Chirivel has always been a place of inn and rest for travellers due to its exceptional location between the fertile lands of El Campillo and the field of La Solana de la Sierra.
It is a simple, clean, organized town; its facades have openings for the cold, with roofs, a luxuriant park that gives us the feeling of a completely different Almería.

It has a Mediterranean-Continental climate. It does not rain too much but concentrated in autumn and Spring. In winter it usually snow in the Sierra. July is the hottest month.
The main lucrative activity in the town is base don: cereals, potatoes, vegetables and the development of the beekeeping.

Monuments

Parish Church of San Isidoro, XIX century.
Estatue of Dionysos.
Roman origin, called the "Chirivello".
Casa Grande, XX century. Modernist style.

Archaeological Sites

El Villar.
Roman site. It is believed that it was a group of towns where it was found a statue from the II Century B.C, a geometric mosaic, a silo of storage and domestic rooms. It passed the Roman road Vía Augusta that linked Cartagena with Cádiz.

Hill of Las Cometas.

Site of Contador.

Sites of El Pasillo de Chirivel.

Gastronomy

Potaje de trigo. Asado de cabezas. Migas.

Sweets: Barquillos. Roscos chiri. Roscos de naranja. Torta de la Virgen. Gachas. Confectionery of Arab origin.

How to get there

You have to exit Almería, take the Road of Granada. Cross Huércal de Almería, follow straight on. Take the road N-340 towards: Huércal de Almería - Almería - E-15 - N-340 - Nijar - Murcia. In the roundabout, take the salida 1 and continue in: A-92A towards: A-92 - Benahadux - Guadix. Alleyway of Benahadux. In the roundabout, take the salida 3 and continue in: A-92 towards: Guadix - Granada. Take the exit towards: Salida 373/376 - Tabernas - Murcia - N-340a. In the roundabout, take the salida 2 and continue in: N-340A. You are going to pass near Tabernas and in the roundabout, take the salida 4 and continue in: A-349. Pass near of Tahal. In the area around Olula del Río, continue in: A-334. Then turn left: A-399. Alleyway of Partaloa and you get to Chirivel.

Distances