Details

On the northern side of the Sierra de los Filabres, Tahal comes into sight very soon after you pass over the summit, its white houses with their red tiled roofs nestling in the valley below.

Tahal was the historic capital of the region and contains some ancient buildings. The strong bell tower of the church was used as a refuge in times of war, and the castle, which was built in the 16^thcentury o­n top of a Moslem fortress is currently being restored.

The name of the village itself denotes the Moorish history of Tahal, and it was
occupied by them for centuries before their expulsion at the end of the 15^th Century.

Like so many villages in the area Tahal passed through a critical period in the last century, when many villagers left to seek their fortune elsewhere. Nowadays Tahal has a brighter future. Good roads from Almería over the
lovely Sierra de los Filabres make the village comfortably accessible from the
provincial capital and from the main Huercal Overa to Baza road which lies in
the Almanzora valley to the north.

For centuries Tahal has made its living from the flour mills, the ancient tiled ovens and the looms as well as agriculture and stockbreeding. Now the ancient activities and the agriculture are being revitalized and rural tourism is being introduced.

There is a bar in the square at the lower end of the village and an ideal way to relax is to sit outside and watch the village elders playing dominoes under the shade of the tree.

Indeed, the pace of life is so slow here that when the sun moves round the players calmly pick up their table and move with the shade, in spite of the fact that they are soon sitting in the middle of the road.  Needless to say, any traffic which does happen by has to reverse back round the square.

Rural tourism will surely be o­ne of the principal options of progress for the future, as people who need a break from their busy stressful lives will come to this charming village to unwind and enjoy the peace of this delightful part of Almeria.

Tahal celebrates its fiestas in the middle of August and the middle of September.