Granada - Maps and Towns - Baza - Southern Spain

Baza lies to the north of Granada and is bordered by the provinces of Jaén and Almeria. The plain stands at 1,100m and is full of contrasts; it is arid and desert like, scattered with crops and fertile oases that lie near the rivers.

The sierras de Castril, la Sagra and Cazorla lie along the northern edge. The Sierras de Lúcar, Orce, Umbría and María lie to the east and to the south, the impressive Sierra de Baza. To the south of the Sierra de Castril limestone rocks, weathered by years of erosion form a sea of peaks, which turn a deep red at sundown.

Many rivers from the surrounding sierras merge on the high plain amongst deep ravines of rich vegetation, which supports many villages, such as, Cúllar, Huéscar and Galera, which is close to the Fuente Caliente, a beautiful natural lake sprung from the earth boasting a constant temperature of 18ºC.

Galera is full of delightful cave dwellings that have been fashioned out of the sandstone mountainside.

Baza, an ancient settlement, lies to the north of the sierra de Baza and is the main pueblo of the area, and there is Orce with its museum set within the castle and also Galera with a prehistoric site of the Iberian Necropolis of Tútugi.

There are a wealth of villages spread out over the mountains and plain most of which have kept their traditional and rural character.

This is an area with a wealth of opportunity for bird spotting, walking, cycling and horseback riding. For the more adventurous, there is paragliding, bungee jumping or even a vertical wall in the Sierra de Castril Parque Natural.