Los Vélez
& The surrounding area
Located in the wonderful Andalucían countryside, surrounded by olive and almond groves, Cortijo el Moro is a 5 minute drive, or a 40 minute walk, to the white-washed village of Vélez Blanco, Almería.
Vélez Blanco features a magnificent castle, which overlooks the village and valley, in which we are located. You can also find the Cuevas de los Letreros (caves) nearby, which houses the famous Indalo Man cave painting, Andalucia's adopted symbol for protection and luck. (Interesting fact: the original patio from the castle is now located in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.) In the last few years extensive renovations have taken place at the castle and the next phase will be the reinstatement of the patio in the centre. We have an amazing story to share with you about the castle, the Met and Beijing...don't forget to ask us!
Our landscape offers an inspiring backdrop for any creative process, from painters, film-makers and textile artists, to writers, sculptors and ceramicists. We have a dedicated ceramics studio (photos coming soon, please bear with us!), wood-working and metal-working tools, connections with local artists and venues. We have many other ideas bubbling away for the future too, come and join us at the beginning of this exciting venture; we are pretty confident you will have a wonderful stay and leave with revived inspiration!
You will have spectacular nature on your doorstep, including the magnificent sightings of Griffon Vultures from the roof terrace and wonderful tapas in the village if you wander that way. You may even like to pay a visit to the local Blacksmith, or perhaps use the laser cutting or screenprinting service in town.
The wonderful gallery of Museo Casa Ibanez in Olula del Rio is around an hour and a half drive from the cortijo. With a permanent collection of Goya prints, and changing exhibitions, this makes for a wonderful afternoon visit.
The summer evenings are fuelled with Flamenco and fiestas. For the day time there are 4 wonderful outdoor swimming pools within a few kilometres of the cortijo, including the natural pool in Fuente Caliente - where you share the water with the fish! Each of the pools have their own bar and restaurant. You will also find fabulous markets selling seasonal, locally grown produce in all surrounding villages.
The magnificent beaches of the Murcía coastline are an hour away. A little further afield, 2hrs by car or bus, is the stunning Alhambra, in Granada.
Murcia (Corvera) airport is our closest airport, at 1h15m away by car/taxi. Alicante airport is 2hrs away by car/taxi, a bus service is also available to Vélez Rubio, you can see the bus connection here.