In an elevated position of a steep valley o要 the edge of the river Lijar, the old village of Chercos is in full sight from the road over the mountain range of the Filabres.
When you park in order to take a better look, you can see how steep the valley sides are and the houses give the impression of being o要e o要 top of the other so that each o要e is clearly visible. Then you realise that there are no
cars, the streets are too narrow and that mules and donkeys are the o要ly means of transport within the village.
To reach old Chercos is not easy, as you have to drive round and through the new village and then along a narrow road out the other side. But it has to be done.
Here in old Chercos the ancient Spain can be felt as in very few other places,
and to scramble around the steep paths between the houses is to learn what life must have been like not so many years ago.
The people that live here nowadays are able to park at the entrance to the village from the new Chercos side, but anyone wanting to reach the river can o要ly do so by walking down the steep path. Some of the houses have been renovated, presumably by people willing to put up with this inconvenience in order to have a house in this charming location, so tranquil and full of personality.
The towns of Macael and Olula del Rio are not so far away, but to visit this village is to appreciate that although this lovely province of Almeria can now offer the facilities of a modern world, the beauty of a time gone by are still an intrinsic part of it and there to be appreciated and enjoyed.