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Galera, Jewel in the Altiplano

Galera

Galera welcomes you. Bienvenidos a Galera. This aim of this guideto Galera is to give you, the visitor, an idea of the places to see, eat and relax in Galera and the surrounding countryside. It was inspired by the many people that come to visit this area in search of property. As with many areas, all the best places arenīt necessarily signposted so this guide will help.

The region covering Baza and Huescar is known as The Altiplano. This contrasting district, set in the north west of the province of Granada, sits at over 800 metres above sea level. Its central area, with some impressive desert landscapes, is hemmed in by a ring of mountain ranges. This is where you will find Galera. Galera is situated in a green valley formed by two rivers that wind their way between hills of a moon-like landscape. In these hills lie the remains of ancient civilizations (argaric sites and the Ibero-Roman necropolis of Tutugi). Due to its verdant nature the village has become known as "The Oasis of the High Plateau"

Galera is first and foremost a farming community, followed closely as a rural tourist attraction, well known in Spain but undiscovered by the rest of Europe. Recently with the rise in popularity of modern cave homes, the construction industry is booming.

Archaeological digs have shown that it was populated more than a million years ago. The Altiplano has a wealth of remains of prehistoric cultures. The Iberian Bastetano people, founders of the city of Basti (the origin of modern Baza), one of the oldest in the Iberian peninsula, settled here in the 6th century BC. The Lady of Baza, chief among Iberian remains, was also found here.

Climate

There is a general myth that because you are in Southern Spain it is warm all year round. This is not so. The Altiplano has very clear and distinct seasons - hot summers and cold winters.

Summer - During the months of July and August the evening temperatures are a pleasant 18ºC to 23ºC and during the day the highest temperatures are 40ºC to 42ºC. During July and August it hardly rains. Sometimes typical Mediterranean storms can last 15 to 20 minutes. After 4 p.m. a light wind can come from the east to the west. Humidity is very low.

Winter - Winters here generally, are clear, sunny but very cold. Winter temperatures are about 15ºC during the day in the sun and down to -5ºC at night. This winter temperatures fell to -15ºC and there has been up to 2ft of snow in places.

Proximity to Medical Care

All the surrounding small towns such as Galera and Orce has a medical centre open between 10 am-12 pm Monday to Friday (The one in Galera is just opposite where Les and Sharon live). Huescar (7km/4 mi away) has 24-hour medical service. The main hospital is in Baza the distance is 32 km/20 mi.

Insects and Creepy Crawlies

There are flies in the area. The area does not suffer too much with mosquitoes due to the low humidity, however there are plenty of midges which can give nasty bites. So if you are prone to insect bites using insect repellent is a good idea. This is a rural area so there will be creepy crawlies in the shape of spiders and scorpions. The scorpions can give a nasty sting but these tend to be found under rocks so unless you are rock climbing or excavating you should be able to avoid them. There has been very few sitings of cockroaches, again probably due to the low humidity in the area. There are also gheckos and snakes found in this area, mostly harmless.