Details

Bayarcal is situated in the eastern Aparjarras, on the edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, almost directly north of Adra and 84km from Almeria city. It is 4miles from Alcolea

Initially the landscape in this area appears more arid than other parts of the Aparjarras or Almeria, but there are many stretches of green fertile land due to the abundance of water. There are terraced hills and deep ravines. Natural vegetation includes grassy tussocks, sweet chestnut trees and cultivated renewable pine forests. Exposed rock formations present a variety of different colours, shades of grey, rose and orange

Bayarcal is the highest village in Almeria at 1258 mt above sea level. It is a small village with less than 400 inhabitants (known as Bayarqueros) and covers an area of 38 sq km. The local church, Virgen de la Purisima Concepcion is set in a small square close to the children’s play park and opposite one of the several ‘fuentes’ in the village. There are several Fuentes in the village alongside the roads. These have 2 or 3 stone bowls carved from a solid piece of stone with taps above. This is fresh mountain water, which is drinkable but icy cold.

Local streets are narrow and local houses cling to the steep hillsides. Houses are built of flat local stones, with roofs of split tree trunks, covered with flat stone slabs & earth. Window balconies are covered with plants or drying peppers, strung across like Christmas decorations. Ancient Moorish influences can be seen everywhere, the haphazard sugar cube houses, with arched windows and the irrigation systems. However, the main focus is the riveting view from every street corner.

Roads, with a 50km speed limit, zig zag up the hillside to Bayarcal,. Deep gullies along the roadsides tell of the volume of water needing to drain away from the melting snows. A bus service runs from Almeria, through El Ejido and Berja then onto Bayarcal.

Just south of Bayarcal is a very popular local restaurant, Restaurante Nuno, they specialise in ‘carne a la brasa’ and Alparrjaran food, which is hearty, rich & full of calories. Specialities include country dumplings, kid and mouth watering soups

From Bayarcal you can travel north, on through this spectacular countryside to Puerta de la Ragua, which is the highest pass in Spain. Activities here include cross-country skiing, dog sledge rides & horse sleigh rides. The whole of this area is outstanding for people wanting to go walking in the National Park.

Southeast from Bayarcal alongside the main road close to Laugar is an excellent picnic spot, Agua Agria, with stream , rock pools, fuente , tables chairs, shade & BBQs

Local fiestas are San Marcos, 25 April, San Francisco Javier 6-12 December (Moors & Christians festivities), Immaculada Concepcion 8 December.