Pulpi lies on the plain between Huercal Overa and the coast, not far from the resort of San Juan de los Terreros. Like the towns of La Fuente, Benzal, Jaravia and Terreros, it is situated in an area once dependent on iron-mining and the remains of this industry abandoned in the middle of the 20th century are still evident. Agriculture is now the main source of income and the surrounding fields are full of vegetables, many of which are exported to the United Kingdom. Indeed, if you buy melons from Tesco’s there is a good chance that they come from here.
The small town is on a crossroad and spreads in four directions along them, the road from Huercal Overa and along the almost straight road that runs from Los Lobos near Cuevas del Almanzora, crosses the border into the province of Murcia and continues on towards Lorca.
This is very much an agricultural town and although many of the houses have been renovated and new ones built, on the whole they are simple homes, reflecting the fact that the inhabitants of Pulpi work hard on the land.
However, the church of San Miguel (1801), in the Plaza Mayor, presents an example of vaulting known as cimbres (clouds), a local architectural style made popular because of the lack of wood for roof-building. The vaulted nave was restored between 1986 and1987.
Many northern Europeans have bought the cortijos (farmhouses) that dot the countryside around Pulpi. They have restored them and brought new life back into the area and now the town is slowly expanding and has bars, restaurants and a bodega, where wines and spirits are sold at very reasonable prices in plastic containers.